[DumErrory]

08-03-2012 10:44 BJT | CCTV

Horse racing is seen as a rite of passage for many young boys in Mongolia. The huge annual race
during the festival of Naadam on the outskirts of Ulan Bator is also seen as a way of preserving
ancient nomadic traditions.

Watch Race Video:- http://youtu.be/ztifdjmABjs



Today is a big day for Anarsaikhan. The 10-year-old is going to take part in the annual horse races,
with some 600 young jockeys from different parts of Mongolia’s grasslands. At the starting line there’s
a whistle, then the horses gallop off. It is a 10-kilometre-long race, and Anarsaikhan is trying to gee
up his horse. Anarsaikhan is not one of the winners, but for him it’s the participation in the race, and
not the winning that counts.

Horse racing is a distinctive sport for nomadic Mongolians and it has been one of the main sports at the
annual Naadam Festival, which dates to before Genghis Khan’s time. Some 100,000 spectators packed
in for this year’s event.

For Mongolians, the horse races also ensure the country’s ancient nomadic traditions are passed on to
a new generation.