Young Emina Ćatić is an ordinary, yet quite unusual girl. Unlike her peers who spend their free time on social networks, in cafes and in other ways, she hangs out with her special pets – bulls. Great love from childhood, but also courage, sets Emina apart from others. For her, this is by no means work and hardship, but love.
Gareša, Medonja, Jelenko, Roni and a number of others are the names of some of the 10 bulls owned by the Ćatić family, and Emina is the one who takes care of them the most, although other family members also help her. Some of the bulls are already retired, like Jelenka, but as Emina says, he will be with them as long as he lives.
He describes the love for these animals in simple words:
– Well, they are all dear to me, each in their own way. Roni and Gareša are my favourites, because they are calm, because they are with me, they have something special and that’s it – says Emina with a smile. Looking at them, I see that they are particularly large, and perhaps dangerous, but the love for these animals makes Emina’s view different.
Along with the daily care of the bulls, Emina also trains them, which she learned from family members. It takes a lot of knowledge but also courage.
– Well, you should beware of every bull. My Roni grew up with me and he never, thank God, turned on me to try to stab me, but you always have to be careful and watch out, you never know, it can happen in a second – explains Emina.
However, love is stronger than anything. And the bullfight or the popular corrida is a special challenge. Emina used to experience victories, defeats, injuries emotionally. Today, he accepts it as an integral part of life.
When you have a 600-800-kilogram pet in front of you, whose behavior is not always easy to control, it is logical to think about the dangers as well. However, Emina claims that knowledge and love are stronger than that.
– We had a lot of oxen. The first ox we had, he wanted to stab everyone, except me. And since then that love has appeared. It never happened to me that a bull “ran into me”. I am not threatened, I know with them – explains Emina.
While watching him lead his pet from a safe distance, I ask – is it easier with bulls or with people?
Emina immediately answers – with bulls!
And how do people react to this unusual occupation of hers? Her peers spend their free time on social networks, in cafes and in other ways.
– Some people like going out, having fun or something similar, but it’s not that important to me. I can go out with friends, but that’s not “it” for me. I like to do bull training. There are a couple of them who say abusive words to me, because they don’t like it. But that doesn’t affect me at all because I love this and no one can talk me out of this. I do this for love, if I did it for profit, then I would have just resold them a long time ago. I keep them, which I love. There are also a couple of friends who support me in this, and there are some who don’t want to talk about it – explains Emina.
And even that part of the male population, which is most often encountered at bullfights, does not trust the women who lead the bulls.
– Some think what is she going to do now. A couple of times, when I was in the arena, they told me – run away, little one, they will stab you. And my grandmother told them not to worry, that I am more capable than them – says Emina with pride.
He singles out “corridas” who know what the sport is like, and as he says, if you love it, raise bulls and they accept you as you are.
Although there is a lot of work around taking care of the bulls, training, along with school obligations, Emina, with the support of her father, from whom she inherited her love for bulls, manages to balance all obligations, and the future does not separate her from breeding bulls. He believes that it is better to engage in animal breeding and do something useful, than, as some do, to spend money on gambling or some other things.
A woman, for whom it is not usual to engage in this occupation, explains this unusual occupation.
– There are few of us in this corrida sport. There are more men here. Whoever has the courage, whoever has the will, what not. The more of us in this sport, the better – emphasizes Emina.
And while I’m watching Emina and recording this story (from a “safe” distance), I can’t escape the impression that she truly enjoys it, but also that love for what you do can exceed all limits
– I am a woman and as you can see, women are capable of anything. I can do everything like men. Every woman has enough courage and strength, and the love for animals is what drives me – emphasizes Emina Ćatić. And I believe her, because she practically shows it and does what she loves, which, many will agree, is a recipe for happiness.
And Emina looks happy as she greets me from the back of her 800-kilogram pet.
Written by: Eneida Alibegović
This story was written thanks to the generous support of the American people through the “Local Works” program of the United States Agency for International Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina (USAID). The content of the story is solely the responsibility of the author and the “Network for Building Peace”. The views expressed in the story do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
