Skip to main content

Children Of The Horse Nation

COTHN

Every summer, 500 child jockeys ride 28 kilometres of open steppe at the Naadam, Mongolia's most celebrated race and a tradition dating back to Genghis Khan. Children of the Horse Nation follows boy jockeys from opposite ends of Mongolian society. One rides his family's own horses, a tradition handed down for generations. The other rides for a commercial stable owner, earning the income on which his family depends. Meanwhile, an activist takes on the government to defend the hard-won protections that save young riders’ lives each year. The race becomes a lens on today’s Mongolia - how will a fast-changing country hold onto its traditions?