Yak Polo in Mongolia 2025

Anyone who has seen yak polo may regard it as one of the funniest sports in the world. Huge and clumsy horned and furry mammals look so amusing while hopping and waddling in the valley, and riders trying to direct them in the right way sometimes seem to be nearly helpless, as the animals play well on their own. If a player falls from a yak's back, it will not mean time-out, yaks can be uncontrollable, but the game continues.

Yak polo dates back to the year 2000, when someone inventive suggested a yak as an interesting alternative for a horse, aiming at drawing more tourists to the country. Who could predict yak polo would gradually become so popular among Mongolians?

The game can always be seen at the Yak Festival ​held in late July in Bat Ulzii in Orkhon Valley, but also occasionally in the Mongolian grasslands during summer.