15/09/2026
At the World Nomad Games 2026 in Kyrgyzstan with we’re otw
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World Nomad Games 2026
Central Asian nomadic people’s relationship with horses extends beyond just incredible horsemanship, using them for milk, meat, transport, status, herding, sport and more
Other competitors at the Games included countries like Mongolia, also skilled horse people (see next slide)
Where we caught the women’s horseback archery heats in action
Hiked over some beautiful pastures to get to the Games (and skipped the morning queues for shuttles - “queues” is figurative, it was more a free for all scramble onto whichever bus had space, which we had to do on the way down from Kyrchyn Jailoo at the end of the day)
Golden eagle and his berkutchi (Kazakh and Kyrgyz nomads who train them) - a partnership not an ownership
Lots of people in traditional dress - different headwear worn by these Kyrgyz women represent different statuses e.g. married / unmarried, age, social status and family lineage
The emblem in the middle of a Kyrgyz flag is a Tunduk - the view when you look up in the middle of a yurt (next image)
Tunduk - lets in light and air, releases smoke and looking up at it represents a connection to an endless sky and cosmos
Horses are allowed to roam the pastures in summer and herd owners are usually not too far away, riding out every few days or weekly to check on them
Tyiyn Enmei - meaning picking up a coin - one of the traditional sports we watched where riders pick up something from the ground at a full gallop, requiring incredible strength, flexibility, timing and control
Kok Boru is the Kyrgyz national game, with variations across the region. A little like polo except played with a 40kg sheep’s carcass that has to be picked up from the ground and dropped into a goal. The version we watched was the Kazakh version, kokpar, with some small variations in how it’s played
Kyrgyzstan won the Kok Boru finals, although watching the Uzbek team in action (pictured) was also exciting
Lots of cultural stalls around the Games - we were invited inside the Bishkek yurt for drinks and snacks. Quite the cocktail once mixed inside our stomachs: ku
