The Murghab Horse Festival ends with the award ceremony. All spectators and guests gather in a semicircle around the stage. Some have come on horseback. Please watch the 4K UHD video You are currently viewing a placeholder content from YouTube. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will […]
Horse Wrestling at Murghab Horse Festival
The third discipline at the Murghab Horse Festival is horse wrestling. Two riders compete against each other and try to pull the opposing rider from the horse. This discipline requires a lot of skill because you have to control the horse, attack the opposing rider. And at the same time, you should not fall off […]
Bride’s Race at Murghab Horse Festival
The second competition at the horse games in Murghab is the bride’s race, Kyz-kuumai. Here a woman rides against a man. If the man wins, he may marry the bride, or gets a kiss (one says). It is doubtful whether one follows these rules in this way. Nowadays it is probably more about who wins. […]
Horse Racing at Murghab Horse Festival
In the meantime, the Horse Festival has become known far beyond the borders of Tajikistan. It consists of three disciplines: the classic horse race the bride’s race the horse wrestling In this article and video, we show the first part, the classic horse race. After the riders have completed their preparations, they gather at the […]
Preparation at Murghab Horse Festival
The annual At Chabysh Festival, also known as Murghab Horse Festival, is organized by the French Embassy, the Christensen Fund, and the Kyrgyz Ate Foundation. One celebrates Kyrgyz horsemanship and traditions with horse races and games. Kyrgyz Ate is a Kyrgyz NGO, founded in 2004 by Jacqueline Ripart in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan). She developed an extensive […]
Murghab in the Pamir Mountains
When we arrive in Murghab, the Horse Festival is in full swing or better said already over for the first day. But we learn that the next day the disciplines are identical so that we haven’t missed anything. Many people sit or walk around with their children and are happy about the party that brings […]