5 males from Utah compete at World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — The 2026 World Nomad Games have simply wrapped up, and 5 males from Utah participated in an occasion that not many find out about — kok-boru.

Kok-boru interprets to “gray wolf” and is a convention that goes again hundreds of years, the place individuals cross a goat carcass round whereas driving horseback, with the purpose of attempting to attain by throwing the goat into the opposing group’s purpose. It’s the official nationwide equestrian sport of Kyrgyzstan, which hosted the games that began Aug. 31 and end on Sunday.

KSL spoke with John Fosgren, 50, of Cornish, and Brian Ewell, 49, of Genola, who’re two of the athletes from Utah who represented Team USA within the occasion. Both spoke to the sacred custom of kok-boru, including what an honor it was to signify the United States.

“It’s a very primitive sport that started with the nomads up here who would have wolves come in and attack their goat and sheep herds,” Forsgren defined. “They would then go kill the wolf, and it was a big honor to be the one who brought it back. So, they would fight for the wolf on the way back to see who got the credit. It’s just kind of morphed into using a goat carcass instead of a wolf.”

Ewell mentioned that even with how “gruesome” kok-boru might sound, he was happy to see the extent of respect gamers of the game have for the goat.

“They’re very respectful about it, and they have a big party after the games with the goat and eat the goat so nothing goes to waste,” Ewell mentioned. “They seem very respectful of the goat during the whole game.”

This was the sixth World Nomad Games occasion, and Kyrgyzstan first launched them in 2014 to showcase the normal sports activities and cultures of Central Asia’s nomadic individuals. It now hosts 106 international locations, and the United States has had a group take part for the reason that inaugural occasion.

Many of the occasions on the video games function horses, highlighting that nomadic peoples had been among the many first to cultivate them. Some occasions on the World Nomad Games embody long-distance horse racing, wrestling on horseback and horseback archery. There is even a recreation the place opponents decide up cash whereas galloping at full pace.

Both Fosgren and Ewell grew up round horses. In truth, Fosgren has a daughter who runs an equine remedy service out of the household’s dwelling, and Ewell mentioned he very a lot considers himself a “cowboy.”

Oddly sufficient, nonetheless, it wasn’t on the ranch the place the 2 had been launched to kok-boru, however within the health club.

“I’ve got a good friend named Ladd Howell who I’ve worked out with occasionally, and we were working out one day and talking about it, their experiences with the sport, and it sounded intriguing,” Ewell mentioned.

Fosgren mentioned he had heard concerning the sport from his daughter, however about 4 months in the past, he noticed a man doing an athletic transfer he had by no means seen earlier than.

“It was Ladd, and I went to talk to him about the move he was doing, and he invited me to come play,” Fosgren recalled. “I was like, ‘They let 50-year-olds start new careers?’ and he’s like, ‘Yeah, you’re strong enough, and you can ride. Let’s do it!’ So, here I am.”

Being match and capable of experience a horse was an excellent begin for Fosgren and Ewell, however they mentioned that they weren’t totally ready for what they’d expertise on the World Nomad Games.

“The horses they have out here are unreal,” Fosgren mentioned. “They’re definitely bred to be war horses. At home, our horses are bred to be cow horses or race horses. These horses are bred to go to war, and it’s in them, and it’s awesome.”

“The best sport you can compare it to is horse polo, rugby and football all at the same time,” Ewell added. “Trying to pick an item up off the ground as you’re moving on your horse, then leaning down, grabbing it, pulling it up — just the whole thing is an art. Really, it takes a lot of practice, coordination, strength and a lot of good timing with your horse.”

Team USA consisted of 9 gamers, with the three others from Utah being Ladd Howell, of Logan, Afton Caldwell, of Lehi, and Jase Nisveta, of Garland. The group arrived in Kyrgyzstan every week earlier than the video games started to apply. Ewell mentioned he skilled a gentle harm on his hand from a horse throwing his head again and grazing him with its tooth.

Ready or not, they had been there to signify the United States.

The group first confronted Russia, losing17-6. They went on to play towards Kyrgyzstan, shedding 16-7.

At the time of this interview, the group was nearly to play their third recreation towards Uzbekistan. Both Ewell and Fosgren mentioned that taking part in towards Kyrgyzstan of their nationwide sport —of their dwelling nation —was each an honor and a problem.

“It was such an honor to play with those guys,” Fosgren mentioned. “They’re the best in the world, and they were so nice to us. You kind of felt like that little kid getting stiff-armed by a giant, and you’re throwing punches and you just can’t reach, but they were so nice to us. It was just an honor to play against the best in the world.”

Ewell mentioned that Team USA taking part in towards Kyrgyzstan is akin to the NBA Dream Team taking part in towards a developmental league. Even with the wide selection in stage of play, he mentioned it was an honor to signify the United States.

“It makes you emotional when you’re sitting there on your horse ready to march into the stadium representing the United States,” Ewell mentioned. “You look around, and you see your teammates, and you see on the back of your teammates ‘USA’ and that you’re representing the United States of America. It’s an incredible experience.

“We got here right here to signify the United States of America very effectively,” he added. “We additionally needed to signify is our cowboy tradition, and we wish to signify is Christianity and be sure that we’re good representatives of our Christian religion.”

The World Nomad Games happen each two years, and Fosgren and Ewell mentioned that if the chance offered itself to them once more, they’d completely do it once more.