Naadam Festival
Three Games of the Men’ – the major festival of Mongolia celebra
ting the three sports of wrestling, archery and horse racing. Riders and competitors travel for thousands of kilometres to take part in the event and winners are richly rewarded with fame. The competitions are also screened on national television and the final of the wrestling usually stops the nation, sometimes for many hours. The horse racing can be held over huge distances, up to 20km. The jockeys are children as the lighter the load the faster the horse. Sometimes they even forsake saddle and boots to save even more weight. Not surprisingly, it is not uncommon for a horse to gallop into the finish line rudderless. Both child and horse are decorated in bright silks and ribbons for race day. The winner of the race is usually rewarded with expensive gifts and songs are sung in praise of the fastest horse. The horse is also anointed with mare’s milk. The pride of Mongolia is the wrestler. The wrestling at Naadam is a knock-out competition and the final may last for several hours, depending on the skill of the competitors.
he Mongolei Reisen crew and transfer to the 4 star hotel, conveniently situated in downtown Ulaanbaatar. Although Naadam officially begins on the 11th, preparations are well underway and some events, such as the archery and horseracing, being on the 10th.We’ll attend the opening of the Buryatstyle archery competition, which is unique among Naadam events in being open to men and women. Next to the archery, we’ll check out the ankle bone shooting competition, popular with young and old competitors alike. Then we’ll travel outside the city to the race course where will join thousands of Mongolians to cheer on the youngest group of horses who compete on the first day. The race is truly memorable, and dangerous, as hundreds of child-jockeys gallop bareback over the 20km course.