Summer on the grassland has greater attraction for the Erdos herdsmen in the west for there is a Colt Festival called"Zhulage pageant"here every year in summer.In this pageant,people bring out their best mare and colt for appreciating and evaluating.The pride and satisfaction of the herdsmen are shown to the upmost extent.
Before the Colt Festival,an elder of noble characters and prestige proposes a toast to the heaven and the earth.He spills the pure white milk(the milker must be a neat woman having both son and daughter)with a silver tool called"chuchuhe"in four directions.81 cups of milks are spilled in each direction.This ancient ceremony could be traced back to the primitive Shamanism.
Another climax on the Colt Festival is horse race.The competitors are all children and colts.The little riders dash out like arrows with rising dust and hurrah...
The uniqueness of the horse race on the Colt Festival is that the last one wins a prize as the first one does,because in Mongolian custom,the last competitor takes back all the good luck.It is lucky to do the finishing work,so the last one should have a prize.Anyhow,the first rider is the focus,who will be blessed by the elder spreading milk on his colt and whip.
The meaning of the Colt Festival is that it contains people's expectation and wishes for livestock's reproduction and shows herdsmen's hope and longing to the future.
