Mongolian Wrestler

Mongolian wrestler doing the Eagle Dance at the Galshar Naadam, Galshar, Khentii Province, Mongolia - 15th August 1997. During July and August in Mongolia people gather together for the summer Naadams, the traditional sports festivals held annually throughout the country. The “3 manly sports” of Horse Racing (for children between 5 and 15 years old over distances of up to 30 kilometres), Archery and Wrestling are the primary theme of the games and Nomadic herders travel from far and wide to compete and meet up with old friends and family members who they do not see during the winter months. The festivals are a spectacle of all things Mongolian and are happy times in the annual cycle of what is otherwise a very hard life for the Nomadic herders who inhabit the Mongolian steppes. (Photo by Richard Manning/Getty Images)