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In Mongolia, Hagel Gets a Horse, Just for a Bit In Mongolia, Hagel Gets a Horse, Just for a Bit
(about 5 hours later)
ULAN BATOR, Mongolia — Before Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel even landed here in this isolated landlocked country, he knew there was no way that he was going to be allowed to keep the horse. ULAN BATOR, Mongolia — Chuck Hagel knew even before he landed here that there was no way he could keep the horse.
After all, his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, didn’t get to keep the horse he got — and called Montana, so named because he said the Mongolian landscape reminded him of the state where his wife, Joyce, was born. Back in 2005, Mr. Rumsfeld became the first American secretary of defense to visit Mongolia, and he received Montana with great fanfare. And then he left him there. In the vastness of landlocked Mongolia’s steppes, horses have always been a big deal, and when Mr. Hagel’s predecessor, Donald H. Rumsfeld, made the first visit to the country by an American secretary of defense in 2005, his hosts honored him with the traditional gift of a horse. Mr. Rumsfeld named the black-maned gelding Montana, because the landscape reminded him of the state where his wife, Joyce, was born.
The reason was Montana immediately brought up delicate issues of diplomacy, such as whether American taxpayers would have to pay for its upkeep. Such issues prompted much head scratching, and Mr. Rumsfeld had to leave Montana, a steed with a black mane, behind. But along with Montana came some delicate issues of diplomacy, logistics and politics, not least whether American taxpayers would have to bear the cost of upkeep. After a great deal of head scratching, Mr. Rumsfeld ultimately had to leave Montana behind, to be watched over by the horse’s herder, the Defense Department said, “until his next visit.”
When President George W. Bush followed Mr. Rumsfeld to Mongolia a short time later, the White House quietly persuaded Mongolian officials not to gift him with a horse, and they complied. Mr. Bush did, however, have to drink the local brew — fermented mare’s milk. When President George W. Bush followed Mr. Rumsfeld to Mongolia a short time later, the White House quietly persuaded Mongolian officials not to give the president a horse, and they complied. Mr. Bush did partake in Mongolian horse culture another way, by drinking the local brew, fermented mare’s milk.
More than eight years later, Mr. Hagel arrived and got some milk curd for his trouble. He nibbled on it at the airport before heading into the city. Mr. Hagel arrived here for his official visit on Wednesday, and received some milk curd, which he nibbled at the airport. But once again the question of a gift horse loomed.
As Mr. Hagel’s motorcade entered the imposing grounds of the Mongolian Ministry of Defense, his gift horse stood off to the side of a ceremonial yurt, its tawny tail swishing idly in the breeze. A Mongolian herder stood beside it, holding the reins and peeking around the yurt at the dignitaries. There was excitement in Mr. Hagel’s motorcade. As his motorcade entered the imposing grounds of the Mongolian Ministry of Defense, the animal stood off to the side of a ceremonial yurt, its tawny tail swishing idly in the breeze. A Mongolian herder stood beside it, holding the reins and peeking around the yurt at the dignitaries. There was excitement in Mr. Hagel’s motorcade.
But first things first. Before getting his gift, Mr. Hagel had to go through the protocol of meetings with his Mongolian counterpart about the array of issues that dominate American-Mongolian relations — namely thanking Mongolia for sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. But first things first. Mr. Hagel had to go through the protocol of meetings with his Mongolian counterpart about the array of issues that dominate American-Mongolian relations — namely, thanking Mongolia for sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mongolia’s minister of defense, Bat-Erdene Dashdemberel, had kind words for the strength of the American-Mongolian bond. “Mongolia is a peace-loving country,” the defense minister said of the country that still reveres its native hero Genghis Khan. “This principle is the core of the relationship.” Bat-Erdene Dashdemberel, the minister of defense, spoke warmly about the strength of the American-Mongolian bond. “Mongolia is a peace-loving country,” he said of a land that still reveres its native hero, Genghis Khan. “This principle is the core of the relationship.”
O.K., time for the horse ceremony. The herder brought the horse up to Mr. Hagel and Mr. Bat-Erdene gestured toward its mane. “This will be your horse from now on, you can name it.” Then, with the diplomatic business done, came the time for the gift ceremony. The herder brought the horse to Mr. Hagel, and Mr. Bat-Erdene gestured toward its mane. “This will be your horse from now on, you can name it.”
“Well, thank you,” Mr. Hagel replied. “I am honored.”“Well, thank you,” Mr. Hagel replied. “I am honored.”
Then, for the moment everyone was waiting for, Mr. Hagel said, “I’m going to name this horse Shamrock.” Next came the moment everyone was waiting for: “I’m going to name this horse Shamrock.”
Huh? Not Nebraska? Not Omaha? Not even Cornhusker? Not Nebraska, or Omaha? Or even Cornhusker?
Nope, Shamrock. “Shamrock was the name of the mascot of the high school I graduated from,” Mr. Hagel said.. He said that period, when he was a football and basketball player at St. Bonaventure High School in Columbus, Neb., “was one of the most important times of my life.” “Shamrock was the name of the mascot of the high school I graduated from,” Mr. Hagel explained, adding that his youth as a football and basketball player at St. Bonaventure High School in Columbus, Neb., “was one of the most important times of my life.”
Then he turned sadly to Shamrock. “You be good while I’m gone,” he said. Then he turned sadly to address Shamrock. “You be good while I’m gone,” he said.