NADAAM
Naadam
Naadam is the annual celebration of the national games and is held in the middle of July across Mongolia. It features three events: horseracing, wrestling, and archery. Almost every village and city celebrates Naadam.
Horseracing
Racing to the finish
Seven to ten-year old boys are the riders in the 21 mile races across rocky terrain that makes up the entire steppe region of Mongolia. Many of the riders looked terrified as their fathers took them to the start line. They showed total relief after crossing the finish made of a line of stones. These young boys are the right size for the small but sturdy Mongolian ponies, which are a little over 15 hands, or 5 feet at their withers.
Everyone is interested in the horseraces. Cellphones are ubiquitous because Mongolia is far too large to run landlines. Mongolia is slightly larger than Alaska. there are three basic types of terrain: the north is similar to our Rocky Mountains with an abundance of evergreen trees, rivers and lakes, the middle part of the country from east to west is a steppe - a vast semi-arid grassland with little precipitation and endless rocks and stones, and the southern swath of Mongolia is a desert.
The older boys gather to watch the race. Perhaps they are reminiscing about their first race and laughing about how terrified they were.
Crossing the finish line of stones.
Fathers look to see if their sons are in the first group of riders crest the last hill and race toward the finish.
Bridles are typically made of leather or rope and are hand tied. Mongol bits are much longer than European and American bits, thus the rings are up by the horse’s cheeks rather than just outside the horse’s mouth.
Relief after the finish
After the race, a ceremony is held to award the winners with a certificate and to perform a ritual using mare’s milk, which is first sipped by the rider and then poured over the winning horse’s head.
The winner is led around the flagpole to end the ceremony.
On the way to a much larger horserace we traveled over the typical roads found outside Ulaan Bataar. Almost all the roads in Mongolia are unpaved and very rocky. Some of the rocks are so sharp that even 16 ply tires are shredded. In between layer 8 and 9 is a layer of steel. It is best to carry at least two spare tires.
This young boy looks very apprehensive as he is led to the starting line by his father. Winning these races provides important income and as well as status for the families.
The over 200 eager horses and riders soon broke through the start barrier.
The front runners passed by me as they began their 21 mile ride.
An official follows the racers who were headed toward the squall shown in the photo below.
Wrestling
This match, held in a valley several hours outside Hvod, drew many of the local herders and their families. Some came and picniced while watching the events. Games were set up for the children to keep them occupied.
The wrestlers start in this position.
The match in Hvod was attended by a much larger crowd. The above photo shows a winning move.
There were both traditionally dressed spectators and my favorite future wrestler below.
Archery
All of the archers wore traditional dress.
There was only one female participant in this competition.
Unlike western bullseye type targets, the targets for these archers are balls made of woven animal skin. An archer must knock the appropriate ball off the linear stack of leather balls. Other targets are only one row high.
The bows are handmade and require great strength to pull. Note the grip this archer uses when pulling the bowstring. It is much stronger than the two finger pull used in the west.
Note the grip this archer uses when pulling the bowstring. It is much stronger than the two finger pull used in the west.
It is always a family affair.
