-(why do you separate the foals) from the rest of the animals?
-We have to milk the mares
and they are difficult to approach, so we have to capture the foals to attract their mothers
-It's hard
To not hurt the foals Batbayar demands from us sure and precise moves
-Batbayar, help me, please
-Oh, it hit me so hard
-yeah, and even when you grab it... it's rough
and he is explaining and doing it at the same time, and I got lost
-ahah, how is he calling us
-guys, we have a problem. If we continue like this we'll never finish
I've got work to do and you slow me down a lot
I'd really like to teach you but you gotta folow me and look
-message received
-Very well, so if you want to help me go fetch water from the river, because the foals are too hot
Ok, let's move
-Where is the river?
-in the hollow
"the one behind the mountain", "Ah, OK"
-Are they really thirsty, the foals?
-Do you think we must fill the both or just the big one?
-both, I think
-Yeah, you gotta be sure, with Batbyar you can't make a mistake...
-No. no, he's gonna tell us off, stop...
-Let's take breaks
-Let's think
After milking the mares' milk will be fermented into airag, a sour alcoholic drink, almost sacred in Mongolia
rich in proteins and vitamins, it is essential in the nomadic diet, but it needs hours and hours of work
before the last stage Dagimaa gets alcohol, which will be the base of airag
it's time for the head of the family to try it
-It's hot? -Take, finish it.
-It's good. -Drink it up
or I won't take it back
-bottoms up or you won't take the mug back?
-And for my comrade Frediric, let's leave him some.
-later
-Dictator. Chinggis khan
-it gets a bit in your head
-Batbayar, is it you who drew this?
-Yes, of course. Who else can it be?
I love horses. These sculptures there also, I have made them.
-Is it true? if it's true, it's really beuatiful story
Dagimaa, is it true that Batbayar's mother discovered that he was in love with you when she found the drawings he had made of you?
-Yes. It's true
-How do you know about this?
-I drew her often. I drew her alone or with a baby in arms, in different positions
but in any case, never completely naked
-It's love that inspires me
-oh, it's so sweet
-Actually he is tough on the outside, but he has a soft heart
-It's sweet, them going around like this
-What are they doing?
-The horses?
-When you sing like this, it makes them poo and pee?
-It's for the horses to get lighter and to encourage them before the race
Some kilometers away the horse race is organized
a kind of rehearsal for a great national festival- the Naadam
a month before the festival all the nomads of the region gather together to train
a chance to test their best horses and their kids
as in Mongolia the races are sometimes more than 30 km
and to have a chance to win the jokey has to be as light as possible
-Has your youngest kid already raced?
-Not yet, it's gonna be his first race
-He is 4 years old now, he is just starting riding
the races, it's our tradition, but the authorities find it dangerous and want to stop it
but they are my kids and I know what they are able to do
The kids, have they already dropped from the horse? they have scars?
-There
there is always risk in life
to be a man one has to take risks. All the kids fall
don't be shocked. That's life of the kids who grow in the steppes.
to survive here one has to get tough
-But me.. I like the races
-Haven't won yet, but if I win I'll be really happy
-My father will be really proud if I win
-Two of my sons participate in the race. I'm proud but at the same time I worry a lot for the little one
He is only 4 years old and just starting riding. It's his first race
the older one is 11 years old. I don't worry about him
-And if he'd tell you: "Mum, I don't want to race cause I'm afraid to fall down
-As a mother I wouldn't force him, but for their father it would be very difficult
He grows them to become men, and to be a man in Mongolia means to be able to ride a horce
but I personally wouldn't insist if they don't want
-there he is, he is fourth
-It's cool
-I'm very glad. It went well
We are the only ones to congratulate the rider. In Mongolia it's only the horse who wins, even if it finishes alone.
-Batbayar, second and fourth. Magnifique!
-Nice race!
-Yes, it wasn't bad
but I have another stallion who is much better. Now he is injured
-I congratulate you.
-I started among the last, but I overtook some
-How long are you gonna do it?
-Oh, it's still 4-5 hours to get airag from today's milk, and sometimes even longer
but we love it
-It's true? You're gonna do it the whole night with your friends?
-Yeah, the whole night
with my French friends
-You really like to poke fun
-And when the first days I was thinking how do they spend their days
they have to feed their animals and etc, it's like agriculture. They work all the time, they don't have a moment of rest
