The biggest Naadam takes place in Ulaanbaatar over two days, starting on 11 July. The opening ceremony fills the national stadium with colourful traditional costumes, music and pageantry. Then the three sports begin. Mongolian wrestling, called böh, uses a very different set of rules from wrestling elsewhere — there is no weight category, so the biggest wrestler does not always win. Wrestlers wear a distinctive jacket-and-shorts costume and must not let a knee or elbow touch the ground.
Archery at Naadam uses traditional Mongolian bows made from wood, horn and sinew. Archers shoot at small leather targets laid on the ground — not hanging targets like in Olympic archery. They stand quite far back and must shoot with precise form while wearing traditional dress. Both men and women compete in archery. Spectators sheer by raising their arms and singing a word called 'uukhai!'
Horse racing is perhaps the most dramatic event. Hundreds of horses race across the open steppe — not around a track. The jockeys are children aged roughly five to thirteen, dressed in bright traditional silks. Races range from 15 to 30 kilometres depending on the horse's age. The winning horse earns a special title and is praised in a song, and the losing horse in each race is given an honorary title too, to show respect for trying.