RFE/RL’s photographer was on hand to capture the hoof-thumping action as the mountain venue of Kyrgyzstan’s Nomad Games opened on September 3.
Kyrgyzstan’s Hills Come Alive With The Sound Of Nomads
RFE/RL’s photographer was on hand to capture the hoof-thumping action as the mountain venue of Kyrgyzstan’s Nomad Games opened on September 3.
![The yurt city nestled in the bowl-shaped valley of Kyrchyn Gorge, the second, and most spectacular, venue of the 2018 Nomad Games.](https://gdb.rferl.org/227b4833-c9b2-4106-95a3-e4324412b6a2_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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The yurt city nestled in the bowl-shaped valley of Kyrchyn Gorge, the second, and most spectacular, venue of the 2018 Nomad Games.
![Young locals take the low road as their horse clatters through a mountain stream on the way to the opening ceremony at Kyrchyn Gorge.](https://gdb.rferl.org/86a91ac0-d834-4b42-a134-ee0397ea581b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Young locals take the low road as their horse clatters through a mountain stream on the way to the opening ceremony at Kyrchyn Gorge.
![Horsemen fight through clouds of dust during a simulated battle as part of the kickoff.](https://gdb.rferl.org/76e4c01c-c21c-41b5-b96c-c3730b7e6249_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Horsemen fight through clouds of dust during a simulated battle as part of the kickoff.
![A traditional game that earned hollers from the crowd saw a male rider gallop after a young woman, stretching for a kiss. Only a handful of the men managed the risky peck before the young women turned the tables and thundered after the men with whips in hand.](https://gdb.rferl.org/3eba0494-4b48-4a17-b365-6e4a1cc01820_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A traditional game that earned hollers from the crowd saw a male rider gallop after a young woman, stretching for a kiss. Only a handful of the men managed the risky peck before the young women turned the tables and thundered after the men with whips in hand.