"Summer is the time when the horses can eat grass and get big, and the females produce milk," Marsh said.
Manly Sports
Often described by Naadam-goers as the "manly sports," the festival's wrestling, horse-racing, and archery events were originally limited to men.
Today women participate in both the horse racing and archery competitions, and young boys and girls in particular take to the horse racing. Trainers look for the lightest and most talented kids to be the jockeys.
But the marquee Naadam competition is the national wrestling match held in Ulaanbaatar, and it remains a true men's sport. Every year, 512 male wrestlers compete. The winner has to last nine rounds.
There are no weight classes or time limits in Mongolian wrestling. The loser is the first to touch the ground with an elbow or knee.
Before each match, the wrestlers perform a traditional eagle dance to show off their physiques. Each wrestler has a coach at his side to lend encouragement and to herald the heroic deeds of his charge.
According to Marsh, Mongolian wrestling has developed connections with Japanese sumo wrestling, as many Mongolians have found success in the sumo world.
"In Japan, the reigning champion of Japanese sumo for the past five years is a Mongolian," Marsh said. "He's beat all the Japanese sumo wrestlers, and at the last national competition a few months ago, he didn't lose once."
The wrestler, Dolgorsuren Dagvadorj—also known by his sumo name Asashoryu—has won 12 Emperor's Cups, the national title in Japan. He holds the rank of yokozuna, the highest in the sport. He is a national hero in Mongolia, Marsh said.
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