ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (CNN) -- Standing slightly more than 4 feet tall, 9-year-old Tuguldur proudly stated the greatest challenge he faced in a horse race across the Mongolian plains in the country's annual Naadam Festival was serenading his horse.



Young wrestlers cheer on teammates during the opening round at the Naadam Festival.



"The hardest part of the race was singing to my horse while riding," said Tuguldur, wiping perspiration from the July sun off his face.



The long-distance horse race is exclusively for children, ranging in ages from 6 to 12. Riding up to 30 kilometers (19 miles), these children maneuver their galloping steeds on a thin saddle pad that often does not have stirrups.



"Mongolians believe they can communicate with their horses through singing, and their horse will go faster," said Tamir, a senior at Mongolian University. "This is why the kids must keep singing during the race."



Singing to racing horses is just one part of Mongolia's Naadam Festival, an annual event believed to have existed for centuries, and rivaling the Olympics as the premier sporting event in the central Asian nation.



"For us Mongolians, the Naadam Festival is what we look forward to all year," said Dashtsogtsol Erdenetuya, who has competed in the Naadam Festival for the past 22 years. "It is our tradition and a reminder of an ancient way of life. Getting gold in this festival brings as much honor as any Olympic medal."



Held every July, the Naadam Festival was possibly founded as long ago as 800 years ago by Genghis Khan. The festival is believed to have started as a way for Mongols to train for military and hunting expeditions. Today, it formally commemorates the 1921 revolution when Mongolia declared itself a free country.



Many of Naadam's customs, which include wearing traditional clothes and singing hymns once sung in battle, are still followed, a sign of the importance of the festival.



"In the Naadam Festival, everyone knows who you are; many companies will sponsor you, and if you win, you can become the face of the country," said Nasanbat Oyunbat, director of the Mongolian Olympic National Team. "The Olympics are only now becoming popular in Mongolia and were televised for the first time in the 2004 Games in Athens."



"The horses in the Naadam Festival have higher endurance than the horses that will compete in the Olympic Equestrian events in August," bragged Edward Rochette, an American lawyer who married a Mongolian woman and is living in Ulaanbaatar. "Most thoroughbreds would die if you ran them for 30 km. The Mongolian horses have been running across these plains for hundreds of years and have developed the correct body type for this kind of sport."



Rochette's wife's family lives in a yurt (round animal skin tent), owns more than 1,500 and entered 20 horses in the three-day race competition this year, which was visited by thousands of tourists.



"I was overwhelmed watching the clouds of dust rise across the prairie as the horses galloped to the finish line," explained Miep Thulijls, a tourist from Holland. "I could not believe these tiny kids could ride for so long and was terrified when I saw one of the children fall off his horse like a rag doll."



The age limit was raised from 4 to 6 after a child was killed in a race a few years ago. Only small children are allowed to compete in this event because they are particularly light. The kids are generally rewarded with warm mare's milk and candy while the horse owners get money and sometimes even cars.



Wrestling without weight limits



Mongolian wrestling has no weight divisions; a time limit was only introduced after a match went on for more than four hours. Wrestlers compete in single elimination events and are weeded down from 512 participants during nine rounds of competition.



"It is more difficult to wrestle the little guys because they are so quick," complained Gantogtokh, who at 130 kilos (286 pounds) is an eighth-generation wrestler. His father placed second in Judo in the 1968
In what month is Naadam Festival held? What are the origins of the competition's events? What month is the Festival held? In what month is the festival held? In what country is the festival held? Where is the Naadam Festival held?
July believed to have started as a way for Mongols to train for military and hunting expeditions. every July, July, Mongolia ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia
question: In what month is Naadam Festival held?, answer: July | question: What are the origins of the competition's events?, answer: believed to have started as a way for Mongols to train for military and hunting expeditions. | question: What month is the Festival held?, answer: every July, | question: In what month is the festival held?, answer: July, | question: In what country is the festival held?, answer: Mongolia | question: Where is the Naadam Festival held?, answer: ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia