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Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan —
It’s 4 p.m. on day two of the World Nomad Games, and eight horses are converging on a small patch of dirt. The riders elbow, kick and flail while USA team captain Ladd Howell leans off his saddle towards the ground, clenching a whip in his teeth as he grabs for the 70-pound headless goat carcass below. Goat in hand, Howell gallops off towards the goal, kicking up an oppressive cloud of dust while the crowd roars in approval.
“The legendary USA captain Ladd Howell takes the lead,” booms the Kyrgyz announcer. “Ladd! Ladd!”
But just before Howell reaches his destination, a Kyrgyz player collides directly with his horse, knocking him off his path and snatching the goat away. Horses swarm, the flat blue of Issyk-Kul Lake behind them.
