Horse race

We came across a horse race being conducted by a soum [small town] as part of their mini-Olympics events for children, on our travels to the exploration ger camp. The race was for 4 year old horses over a distance of 12 kilometers & the riders ranged in age from 6-12years.

Some rode with saddles & some bareback. These small Mongolian horses are tough & are the horses that conquered the world under Chinggis Khan when the Mongolian Empire stretched from Asia across Europe.

The horses were excited & 2 took off, galloping across the flat towards the hills, their young riders unable to rein them in. Adult riders rode out to help & bring them back. Men & women here wear the traditional 'del' which can be made out of silk or wool. It is tied round the waist with silk, rope or a leather belt. A cold wind was blowing hard on this Sunday, under a grey sky, around lunchtime. The del sleeves are longer to keep  your hands warm.

These men were the race officials & we had picked up an extra passenger, a cameraman from the local TV station. He was filming the event & was given permission to follow the race, so we bounced across the gently undulating ground, in our 4 wheel drive, trying to keep up with the riders once the race began.

The families were gathered at the finish line & I missed the winner, but this is second & third.