Joe Biden's Excellent Mongolian Escapades

On tour in the nation he challenges wrestlers, fires a few arrows, and names a horse

For all we know, Joe Biden was just trying to one-up Vladimir Putin in manliness. If that was his goal, well, he still has a ways to go. Today as the vice president continues his tour in Asia he made a stop in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. There he jokingly faced off against a Mongolian wrestler, fired a few arrows with the Prime Minister, and posed with the delegation. Not shown, but as The Note reports, Biden was also given a Mongolian horse that he named "Celtic." (Pool reports that The Note references say that the horse "got a bit excited" and was taken away.)

Below are a few of the more amusing scenes from the day's proceedings, starting with Biden getting a few instructions in how to fire a bow and arrow:

He shoots: just look at the bemused smile that Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold (below left) gives as Biden's veins bulge while letting the air fly into the near distance:

This is Biden giving his full-wattage grin next to the Mongolian Prime Minister while standing next to a few camels.

Here Biden faces off against a Mongolian wrestler, and everyone seems to be waiting to see what happens next. Unfortunately, in subsequent pictures Biden doesn't actually challenge the Mongolian wrestler to a match.

See, Biden was just joshing around. (Everyone smiles nervously.)

Images by Associated Press and Reuters