Photographer Todd Antony has captured a striking black-and-white image of buzkashi horsemen in Tajikistan, a brutal sport thought to date back to Genghis Khan. The sport involves large groups of men on horseback trying to grab the headless body of a goat and drop it over a goal line. There are no teams, every man for himself, and games can last up to six hours.
The Inspiration Behind the Image
Antony, who wanted to return to the basics of light and tone for a black-and-white series, found buzkashi a fitting subject. He traveled to Tajikistan, hiring a local fixer to navigate the logistics as match details often spread by word of mouth just days in advance. The first game he attended had about 300 riders at its peak.
Capturing the Chaos
Matches are staged in valleys or dried riverbeds, but the play rarely stays contained, with spectators often scattering as riders scythe through the crowd. The goal lines can be the length of two football pitches apart. Antony shot from a pickup truck in the middle of the field, capturing visceral images as the pack passed within metres. He aimed to photograph something ingrained in Tajik culture without normalising cruelty.
In wider shots, dust from horses' hooves and smoke from charcoal fires created a cinematic layering effect. Antony also visited farms to take portraits of riders and their families, who were incredibly hospitable.
The Perfect Shot
For the winning image, Antony headed into a field with three horses and riders on a gorgeous day with a snowy mountain range in the background. As a wall of fog rolled in, he improvised, thinking of Richard Avedon's work. He directed his assistant to hold a light above the horses and used another flash near the camera. Sitting on the ground, he captured the horses interacting, sometimes uncomfortably close, forcing him to scramble backwards. The resulting image distills the stress in the horses and the claustrophobic nature of the sport, with riders cropped tight on the edge of the frame.
About the Photographer
Todd Antony, born in New Zealand in 1975, won the Sport category in the Sony World Photography Awards 2026. His high point includes shooting at high altitude in Bolivia with the Cholitas Escaladoras. His top tip: before picking up a camera, ask what the work is about, not just what it looks like. Story-led work uses craft in service of intention.
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