Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 6 – Weather Turns. Race Ignites.

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Stevie Delahunt
23rd February 2026

The constant winds have finally brought some change.
In the weather.
And in the leaderboard.

And in morale.

Today the relentless rage of the Patagonian gods delivered wind with a side of rain and a generous helping of hail, and, we hear, the only clap of thunder to rumble across the pampas in years! Riders were oh so very excited to test their rain gear and also notch things up a gear as they tumbled out of the delightful mountains and forests. At least the dust got wiped off of their smiling faces.

Our original leading three, ASL, VBU, and SWA, tore away from the pack, but disaster struck yet again when a heart rate penalty entered the chat. The nuances of the course and shifting locations along the route have had the front running packs trading places back and forth, but it now appears LJO, RTO, HMC, and VBU are breaking away and properly going for it. But more on that in a moment...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-6-weather-turns-race-ignites/

Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 5 – Down, But Not Out.

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Stevie Delahunt
23rd February 2026

These kids are alright. It’s been just five days since they all graduated start camp and cantered off. They grow up so fast. And on race day five it appears our graduates are stepping up and taking the reins or just stepping down; and we mean down but not out! In the past we’ve watched all sorts of professional horsemen (and just plain professionals) taken out by these horses, this terrain and the race course itself. But these riders are impressing us! Day five and we’ve had our first two transition into Adventure category but every last one of them is still in it...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-5-down-but-not-out/

Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 4 – Walk First. Ride Later.

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Stevie Delahunt
22nd February 2026

Today kicked off with ODU and GHE performing the iconic walk of shame after their horses buggered off thanks to some self-admitted poor judgment. The horses slipped their hobbles, their riders, and any remaining sense of accountability, then promptly made it back to the corrals on their own. ODU and GHE marked the location of their bags and hiked their saddles back in on foot so they could reunite with their mounts and ride out again, all without tipping into the dreaded “outside assistance” adventure category. Style points for doing it the hard way.

AKE also had a brief horse-catching moment this morning when her mischievous mount decided to mosey off. She caught him, got rolling, and stayed firmly in touch with her front-running pack like it was all part of the plan...

Read the rest here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-4-walk-first-ride-later/

Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 3 – Saddles Hot. Spirits Not.

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Stevie Delahunt
21st February 2026

Okay sports fans! It’s really shaping up to be a race today as riders begin to spread themselves enthusiastically across the map and, more importantly, across the vet stations.

Sportsmanship and horsemanship are still taking precedence, but morale took a bit of a dip as altitude dropped straight down into our second horse change. The horses came in spicy, and the riders got their first real taste of catching their drawn mounts; a moment equal parts skill, optimism, and quiet bargaining with the universe.

A few penalties were sat, but the hospitality and food very nearly made up for the lengthy process of getting through this check. Almost.

Several riders also reported catching the rider flu that’s loping around the field. ARA was the next to hop on that trend, reporting that she’s “definitely felt better,” which is never the sentence you want to hear mid-derby...

Read more here: https://equestrianists.com/updates/25425/

Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 2 – Turtles, Toes & Tailwinds

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Stevie Delahunt
20th February 2026

Hola, dot watchers!!!

It’s been another day here in Patagonia, and we simply must spill the mate (tea? leaf soup? emotional support beverage?) with you.

We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: this group is blowing us away with their professionalism… or perhaps we’re just being literally blown away by this relentless Patagonian wind. Hard to say.

Today’s forecast promised rain, and history promised unplanned dismounts. Thankfully, neither showed up in any meaningful way across our mountains and pampas. In fact, by some small miracle, all forty riders are still in the game, and very few encountered anything worse than breathtaking terrain and truly gorgeous horses.

Ironically, the most damage today happened on foot. Riders like ODU reported toe-stubbing and tripping while leading horses. She’s fairly certain she broke her toe but plans to tough it out and simply pay closer attention to her feet whenever she decides to hoof it from here on out...

Read the rest here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-2-turtles-toes-tailwinds/

Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 1 – Sparks Cancelled. Sniffles Confirmed.

Image credits to @adventuristbarbie @merypastrana_fotografia

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Stevie Delahunt
19th February 2026

We’ve been wondering… ‘What happened to the fireworks?’

Start line was quite boring for all the crew today as every rider, and ever more spectacularly yet- every saddlebag managed to defy gravity off the start line. This year’s riders have been especially professional and on top of their game.

The pack promptly cantered off into the wilderness together and then decided to make a holiday of it and settled into a big mob camp out at Vet Check One...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-1-sparks-cancelled-sniffles-confirmed/

Meet the Amazonian racing 500km across Patagonia for women's health

AboutAmazon.eu - Full Article

Written by About Amazon Team
February 17 2026

Madeleine, Pan-EU Account Executive at Amazon in France, is preparing for one of the world's toughest horse races: the Gaucho Derby, a 500km orientation endurance challenge across Patagonia.

The 10-day race isn't just about personal achievement—Madeleine is raising funds for a charity which provides healthcare access to France's most vulnerable women.

After completing the 1,000km Mongol Derby in 2022 and raising €18,000 for charity, Madeleine is back in the saddle with an even bigger mission. On February 18, Madeleine Motelay will mount a horse she's never ridden before and begin racing across 500 kilometres of Patagonian wilderness. For the next 10 days, the CDG10-based Account Executive will navigate through the mountains, sleep in a tent alone, and switch to a new horse every 70 kilometres. We caught up with Madeleine before her departure to learn what motivates her, how she's preparing, and why vulnerable women's healthcare access matters so much to her...

Read more here:
https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/community-engagement/meet-the-amazonian-racing-500km-across-patagonia-for-womens-health