Held by Energy Resources LLC in Tsogttsetsii soum, Umnugobi aimag, for the fourth year, the festival is not only a celebration of the Ukhaa Khudag development and the great work that has followed it, but also an occasion that gives local people the chance to honour their mountains, waters and homeland together and to revive the traditions of statehood.
At the Ukhaa Khudag 2012 festival, held on 17 August, wrestlers, distinguished trainers and expert archers came to compete not only from Umnugobi but from across the regions, showing that the scale of the festival is growing year by year and that it has become an event the region looks forward to. In the wrestling, 128 wrestlers took to the field, with National Lion Kh. Munkhbaatar first and National Elephant Ch. Sanjaadamba runner-up; in the archery competition 34 marksmen with national and aimag titles competed with 40 arrows, and in the men’s adult category Master of Sport of Mongolia D. Chuluunbayar of Nomgon soum, Umnugobi aimag, took first place, while in the women’s adult category Master of Sport of Mongolia B. Sugir of Dalanzadgad soum, Umnugobi aimag, led the field. In the horse racing, more than 100 fast horses in three age categories raised the dust; in the senior category the piebald of trainer Ch. Altansukh from Luus soum, Dundgobi aimag, came first and the dun of trainer T. Ganjargal from Nomgon soum, Umnugobi aimag, was second. In the delightful two-year-old race the chestnut colt of trainer Kh. Tumenbayar from Tsogttsetsii soum, Umnugobi aimag, came first and the bay of trainer S. Ganbayar from Saikhan-Ovoo soum, Dundgobi aimag, was second, while among the five-year-olds the dun and the black horses of trainer N. Aldarjargal from Tsogttsetsii soum, Umnugobi aimag, came first and second in succession, to the delight of the crowd.
Another aim of the Ukhaa Khudag festival is to contribute to sharing the heritage of the Gobi with its rich history and culture. For that reason many local performers took part in the festival, from participants in the Gobi long-song festival held annually by Energy Resources LLC to the renowned fiddler Yo. Nergui, who plays the Tsetsii Jonon melody, and his young pupils. Selecting and rewarding the finest couple with the finest horse from among the festival crowd is likewise intended to revive the fine old customs of the Mongolian people, and has now become one of the festival’s notable features. At the opening of the festival and the traditional evening entertainment, well-known artists — the State Prize laureate singer D. Bold and the bands Sweety Motion and A-Sound — came to perform their songs, adding to the celebration and delighting the crowd.