Naadam is the most famous and interesting Mongolian national festival and attracts worldwide attention. The festival will be held on 10-13 July. The festival is traditionally termed ‘the three manly games’ which are Mongolian wrestling, horse racing, and archery. The games are an important part of Mongolia’s cultural heritage and little has changed over the centuries – with one visible exception: the requirement that child jockeys wear safety gear during the gruelling cross-country horse races.

Last year, a total of 629 child jockeys fell from their horses during the traditional long distance horse racing; 169 were injured, two of them died and three became seriously disabled. According to the Family and Youth Development Agency, over 10,300 children participated in the 394 horse races of 2017.

The Mongolian Cabinet banned horse races in winter until May due to the health and safety concerns for the child jockeys. In addition, children below the age of 12 are prohibited from participating in all horse races.