Last week, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Ermek Marzhikpayev met Kaycee Field, renowned American professional rodeo cowboy, and Ladd Howell, captain of the US kokpar team.
Perhaps surprisingly, the traditional Kazakh game of kokpar is growing in popularity in America. The US National Kokpar Team, led by Howell, competed in both the 2018 and 2022 World Nomad Games and plans were discussed for its participation in the 5th World Nomad Games in Kazakhstan.
Kokpar, or goat–picking, is one of the oldest nomadic games in Kazakhstan. Fast and furious, it involves riders…
