A peculiarity of the Naadam horse racing that strikes foreigners most, is that jockey usually are children aged 4 to 10. It is believed that lightweight jockeys allow horses to demonstrate their best. The racing start is a spectacular event as hundreds of horses shoot out amidst clubs of dust and accompanied by wild shouts of jockeys and cheering spectators. Three centuries ago a horse owned by a poor herder named Bonkhor Donid won the Naadam horse race leaving other horses well behind. Eventually, it became the main theme song of the Naadam Festival.
Mongolian horses look more like ponies, but are well reputed for their stamina and strength.
They stay outside, on open pastures, year round grazing whatever grass available. Despite their size they can run for hours without tiring. One stallion from Uvs province, named Elden Zeerd once covered 250 kilometers in 14 hours. During the Vietnam War the Mongolian Government donated to the Vietnamese fighters livestock, including horses. After one year, a stallion managed to return home crossing thousands of kilometers across thick jungles, big rivers and the Gobi Desert.