Jim Schroder's Travel

Home
Trips

Select Page

Kyrgyzstan

It seems all is fair in love and Kok Boru, with riders pushing, pulling, grabbing onto the other riders horses and any other distracting tactic they can conjure up to prevent the holder of the goat from being able to make a run for the goal.

However, once that breakaway happens the goat holder is free to position the goat onto his horse, either by laying it across the saddle in front of him or placing it under his leg between him and the horse.

They are not allowed to wedge the goat onto the horse in any way.

They can also hold it in hand if they choose although this makes steering the horse a challenge, especially at high speeds.

With the race on to the Kazan, it’s all about blocking, diverting and making a clear path for a point.

Of course, reaching the Kazan is only half the battle.

Heaving the goat into the center of it can be a struggle if not done with enough force.

It is possible for the other team to intercept the goat while trying to toss it in as well.

As you can imagine, this part of the game is intense and the whole crowd seems to hold their breath for the result of the play.

The horseman and defenders at the end of the game.

History of Kok Boru in Kyrgyzstan and early documentation shows as early as the 10th to 15th centuries that horse games have been a stable part of the nomadic culture in Central Asia.

We stood at the railing for quite a while trying to wrap our heads around all that was unfolding in front of us. It was so foreign, so exciting, so bewildering and so fascinating all at the same time.

The literal translation of the term ‘Kok Boru’ is a grey wolf.

Founded in the wilds of Central Asia, Kok Boru originated when men would return to their village after hunting down wolves that had been feeding on their herds of cattle and horses that were left to graze.

The men would entertain themselves by trying to take the wolf carcass away from each other on the return to their village. This practice evolved through the generations into the game we are able to witness today. Instead of using a dead wolf, the game is played with a goat carcass.

Chuck Coleman from our group lifting the dead goat. The winning group at the end of the day takes the goat home and prepares it for a victory meal.

Kok Boru is recognized as the National sport of Kyrgyzstan and is the main event at the World Nomad Games. It comes as no surprise that Kyrgyzstan took the gold medal in the 2016 World Nomad Games and before you start to think this is a sport only recognized in the far reaches of the globe, the USA had an official team play in the last games held in Cholpon Ata, on the shores of Issyk Kul Lake, where we are today..

Site of the Burana Tower and Mausoleums

The Burana Tower is a large minaret in the Chuy Valley in northern Kyrgyzstan. It is located about 48 miles east of the country's capital Bishkek, near the town of Tokmok.

[Show slideshow]

◄ 1 ... 6 7 8 ►

© 2025 Jim Schroder