Kok Boru means ‘gray wolf’ in Kyrgyz language. In the vast valleys and mountain meadows herds of sheep, cows and horses were grazed. In this harsh mountainous climate animals guaranteed survival. They were the most closely guarded treasure. Shepherds had a difficult job of fighting off the wolves that came to hunt. Workers didn’t have firearms or weapons so they chased predators until they fell from exhaustion. Afterwards, shepherds would “play” with its body. During these fights they trained their own dexterity. That’s how it worked thousands of years ago…

Later, they used a body of a sheep or a goat. Riders weren’t divided into teams, every man fought for himself. And the strongest one that got hold of the animal and was able to run away with it, kept it as a reward. It was later served as a meal. The game took days and there were no rules as to how the game should be played. Participants fought brutally, running into each other on horses. Animals were taught to bite the opponents. The players used whips on each other and it happened often that some were pulled straight from the saddle and under the hooves of running horses.