Genghis Khan and the Festival of Three Manly Sports

I was leading a group of riders through a remote Mongolian valley when, by pure luck, we stumbled upon a small local horde competing in an 800-year-old tradition: Naadam.

Naadam, or the “festival of three manly sports,” goes all the way back to the reign of Genghis Khan (early 13th century), who used wrestling, horse racing, and archery competitions to keep his warriors in shape between battles.

My riding group and I quickly became the guests of honor at what may have been the country’s smallest Naadam celebration. But it was a beautiful, lively, and welcoming fête nonetheless.

Naadam shuts down the country for two weeks every July with an over-the-top Opening Ceremony in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital city.

But this is a nation-wide holiday that every soum (town) and aimag (province) participates in. Each hosts their own Naadam, big or small, and the festivities continue well into July and August.

While the horse racing and wrestling competitions are billed as the most exhilarating to watch, the archers are just as mesmerizing. (Archery also happens to be the only sport women are allowed to compete in.)

Nadaam isn’t your typical athletic fête. But what else would you expect from a country as rich in history and culture as Mongolia? Book a guided Naadam visit here.

— Breanna Wilson