Page | 58sheep’s horn, and sinew.^315 As with wrestling and horse racing, archery contests contain
equal parts ceremony and competition. The archers are sung to by the scorer, using a
different style of singing for each type of archery event, to indicate the results of the
competitors.^316 Other singers serenade with invitational songs and songs that recognize
both good and bad shots.^317
Perhaps the most unique Mongolian sport is anklebone shooting. In this ancient game,
which has some similarities to marbles, anklebones of sheep are flicked at targets (also
anklebones) about 3 m (10 ft) away. Since 2000, anklebone shooting contests have joined
wrestling, archery, and horse racing in the rotation of Naadam events.
318, 319
(^315) Munkhtsetseg, “Mongolian National Archery,” Instinctive Archer, 18 July 2000,
http://www.atarn.org/mongolian/mn_nat_arch/mn_nat_arch.htm
(^316) Munkhtsetseg, “Mongolian National Archery,” Instinctive Archer, 18 July 2000,
http://www.atarn.org/mongolian/mn_nat_arch/mn_nat_arch.htm
(^317) Rebecca Byerly, “Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - Naadam Festival,” CNN, n.d., http://www.mongolia-
attractions.com/ulaanbaatar-mongolia-naadam-festival.html
(^318) Rebecca Byerly, “Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - Naadam Festival,” CNN, n.d., http://www.mongolia-
attractions.com/ulaanbaatar-mongolia-naadam-festival.html
(^319) Michael Koln, “The Naadam,” in Mongolia, 5th ed. (Footscray, Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet
Publications, 2008), 96–97.