Speed.

Endurance.

Power.

Yet his wild spirit burns bright.

Spark of ancient myth...

pride of king and conqueror...

...he was the backbone of civilization.

History was forged to the beat of his hooves.

Even now, he still lays claim to the heart

- with all the bold beauty

that is the horse.

Summer

sets off fireworks in the mountains of southern Montana.

Spurred by heat and hunger,

wild horses converge on the cool green heights,

and sparks begin to fly.

Stallions spar

and court young mares

in a drama as old as the hills.

The mustang has become a symbol of the American West.

But some say he"s a newcomer to these parts,

even a trespasser.

The truth

is tangled in the long and winding history of his kind.

It began some 60 million years ago,

in the forests of North America.

Living on leaves,

a creature the size of a fox

walks the underbrush on padded toes.

In time,

forests give way to grassy plains.

Legs grow long,

and toes become nimble hooves in a body

built for speed.

About a million years ago,

the first true horses

spread across land bridges to Asia and Europe.

Their numbers swell,

then slowly decline

perhaps due to climate change,

or the impact of a two-legged predator.

To Ice Age hunters,

the herds must have seemed inexhaustible.

But by 8,000 years ago,

horses were extinct in the Americas

and dwindling elsewhere into memory and myth.

Then somewhere on the steppes of Eurasia,

at least 4,000 years ago,

the horse inspired someone as more than just a meal.

It may have begun as a shaman"s ritual,

or a reckless teenage prank.

But some brave soul took a quantum leap

and changed the world forever.

The horse utterly changed our sense of distance and speed.

He carried us forward in space and time,

and made our world smaller.

Great equestrian cultures arose and thundered across antiquity

Today, most have vanished.

But here on the steppes of Mongolia,

little has changed

since the time when the horse became a way of life.

Nomads still measure their wealth in livestock

and move vast herds with the seasons.

Small but hardy,

Mongolian horses endure a harsh climate,

and grow a thick winter coat.

When pasture is meager,

they can survive on very little.

Mongolian nomads also herd sheep,

goats and cows,

but horses are their greatest pride.

Revered,

they are largely reserved for riding

and one other important role.

Mongolia"s national drink, called airag,

is fermented mare"s milk.

Life in the saddle begins early in keeping with a local proverb:

"A Mongolian without a horse is like a bird without wings."

In July,

thousands of nomads

set up camp on the edge of the capital city,

Ulan Bator.

They come to celebrate Naadam,

an ancient religious festival.

National competitions of traditional sports are held,

including two days of horse racing.

One of the country"s top horse breeders,

Khen Medekh

traveled over a week

to take part in what will be his 30th Naadam.

From a herd of 400 head,

he has brought his 12 fastest horses.

Also in tow are his grandchildren

for good reason.

Riders must be under 12 to compete at Naadam.

Training, however,

is no child"s play.

It"s what Khen Medekh lives for

Horse training is a passion.

My father was a great trainer and he passed that on to me.

It"s the same for most Mongolian people.

We compete at Naadam

to see who has the best horse,

and because we"re so proud of our horses.

A fine racehorse

is a symbol of good luck and happiness.

On the day of the first race,

preparations begin at dawn.

Hats and bright silks will help families

spot their little jockeys at a distance.

The distinguishing mark of a racehorse

is a leather tail wrap

always wound clockwise.

Forelocks are also bound.

Khen Medekh enhances the look with a charm

bearing Mongolia"s national emblem.

He has high hopes for this young stallion.

With an offering of mare"s milk

Khen Medekh"s wife

invokes the sacred powers of nature

to bless horses and riders.

A circle of incense purifies.

A drop of airag protects from harm.

An ancient Buddhist chant rings out for luck.

Some 500 riders will compete in the first race.

Parents on horseback swell their ranks.

By tradition,

they circle clockwise

at a staging area near the finish line.

But the running of the race is not yet at hand.

The starting point lies more than 15 miles away

in the open steppe.

To reach that point at a walk

will take the racers some three hours

which leaves time to kill for everyone else.

Nomads like Khen Medekh

take the moment to catch up with old friends

and trading partners.

For people who live much of the year

in relative isolation,

there"s also the irresistible allure

of new faces.

For now,

small talk belies the drama that"s erupting miles away,

as 500 horses reach the starting point

and the race begins.

Long before they can see the racers,

spectators crowd the finish line.

According to myth,

the dust kicked up by winning horses

showers happiness and prosperity

on all those it touches.

Front-runners have been galloping for nearly 30 minutes

By Western standards,

this might qualify as an extreme sport

but these are the descendants of Genghis Khan,

who forged the largest land empire ever known

on horseback.

The blue sash of victory

goes to the first five horses

A flash of green tells Khen Medekh

his granddaughter has placed.

But a riderless horse

sends him off in search of his youngest grandson.

After an initial flurry,

racers trickle in for another hour.

Herd instinct alone will keep a horse going

even one that lacks the fitness and conditioning required

for a long-distance run.

For some,

the strain is too much.

When a horse dies on the racetrack,

the trainer is dishonored.