At Kyrchyn Gorge on Thursday, a British rider released an arrow at a target from horseback as her steed carried her between the course markers, with the green slopes of the Tian Shan rising behind the World Nomad Games venue.
Horseback archery brings the two disciplines together in a single run. Riders must control the horse while nocking, drawing, and releasing arrows at targets as they move down the track. The official Kyrgyz-style rules require the horse to remain in motion throughout the run.
The Games use two horseback archery formats. In the Kyrgyz style, riders race along a 100-meter track and shoot at small targets while keeping the horse moving. The Hungarian, or Magyar, style changes the challenge: riders pass a central tower carrying targets that can be shot repeatedly as the angle changes. Speed therefore counts alongside accuracy, but riders must also adapt to a horse they may have known for only a short time.
Image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland
The venue is part of the spectacle. Beyond the course, a newly built clay fortress rises from Kyrchyn like a Silk Road settlement. It forms part of the Games’ “Universe of Nomads” ethno-town. Its buildings draw on regional architecture dating from the Middle Ages and were constructed with natural materials including soil, clay, and stone.
Image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland
Inside the walls, visitors crowded around long tables and food stalls beneath traditional textiles as vendors bustled. Outside, rows of white yurts spread across the verdant valley floor. Golden eagles and falcons pealed nearby, as Kyrchyn is also hosting the Games’ traditional hunting with birds and other events.
Image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland
In the gorge, the boundaries between competition and cultural festival largely disappear, with sport unfolding inside a temporary nomadic settlement rather than around a conventional arena.
Image: TCA, Stephen M. Bland
Among the British riders competing at Kyrchyn are Becca Sweetman and Kristina Schapiro. TCA spoke with them after Thursday’s Kyrgyz-style runs.
TCA: Is this a sport you have been doing for some time back home?
Becca Sweetman: We’ve both been doing it for about eight years and competing for the British team for more than four years.
TCA: How did it go today?
Becca Sweetman: It’s a challenging competition because you have to change horses for every single run, which we don’t do at any other international competition. Kristina had a few amazing runs, and she’s currently in second place. Half the competition is done, so we’ll see how it continues. I managed to hit some targets, which is always good.
Image: Mae Pollard
TCA: Have you been to the World Nomad Games before, and what has your general impression been?
Kristina Schapiro: It’s our first time competing in horseback archery at the World Nomad Games. It’s a little disorganized, but it’s an incredible experience. At the opening ceremony, I had the honor of carrying the flag for the Great Britain delegation, and walking into that stadium felt incredible. It was a very surreal experience.
The scale here is amazing; seeing all the different sports. The atmosphere is unbelievable, with athletes from around the world taking part in these nomadic sports. We’re really enjoying riding the Kyrgyz horses. We went out for a week beforehand riding them. They’re very steady and very fast, but actually quite safe, so it’s been a lot of fun.
TCA: Different from British horses?
Kristina Schapiro: Different from British horses. They can climb up and down mountains with ease.
Image: Mae Pollard
TCA: What comes next?
Kristina Schapiro: We’ve just done the Kyrgyz style, which is very fast. You hit each target once, and the targets are only 50 centimeters across and quite far away from the track. Then we’re going to do the Hungarian style over the next two days, with the men followed by the women. That has a tower in the center, and you can hit the target as many times as you can as you go past.
The Hungarian, or Magyar, horseback archery competition continues at Kyrchyn on September 4 and 5. The World Nomad Games run through September 6.
For more from our World Nomad Games 2026 special coverage, click here.
