Gaucho Derby 2026 – Race Day 9 – Wind Returns. Emotional Finishes.

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Stevie Delahunt
27th February 2026

The wind is back today and so is a majority of the field. We started the day with the 15th place rider tie between AMC JDO and LST into a secure finish. The finish line flags were at full throttle which made the horses engage full breaks. Nevertheless these girls got their mounts across in one last trail riding challenge and managed to pass the vet check with ease as well. AMC wanted to bring her finish line ride home with her and the two spent some good cuddle time after he came in at an admirable 46bpm...

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https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-race-day-9-wind-returns-emotional-finishes/

Gaucho Derby 2026 – Race Day 8 – Full Send. Winners Crowned.

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Stevie Delahunt
26th February 2026

Yeeeehawww!!! If you were anywhere near that finish line today you either lost your voice, your mind, or both. Fourteen riders are in and what a wild ride it has been. With twenty seven riders still out there living their best cinematic adventure the fourteen who made it home have done their mates proud and given the world a show complete with suspense, plot twists, and questionable life choices.

Our top five riders came screaming in like they had somewhere important to be, throwing caution to the wind and gambling hard on passing the extremely low heart rate ruling we have set. It was less calculated endurance strategy and more riverboat poker with a stopwatch.

It’s been reported that when SWA and HMC decided to pump the gas to the line everyone locked eyes and collectively thought, “well here we go!” No one wanted to pull up and concede the lead but all were very aware they were about to bet their entire finish on a pulse check...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-race-day-8-full-send-winners-crowned/

Gaucho Derby – Race Day 7 – Six Strong. One Shot.

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Stevie Delahunt
25th February 2026

Ooooh, is this ever shaping up to be a photo finish. Thanks to a diabolical alignment of hold times and a healthy number of riders hitting it like the brick wall that it is, the front pack is about to be dropped into an even start gate. That’s right, folks. All six riders at the sharp end of the field are spending the night together and will launch at the gun at 8am sharp our time. If there were ever a night for obsessive map staring, second guessing, and ruthless gear trimming, this is it. One has to wonder how many layers and bits of luggage quietly disappear tonight in the name of horse speed.

We can already imagine professional sailor, navigator, 2023 Mongol Derby finisher, and Tevis Cup finisher LJO doing exactly that. Or perhaps professional steeplechaser SWA will remind us all of his prime jockey skills, alongside teammate ASL, who comes from a long line of racehorse fanatics and has been casually demonstrating those jockey instincts all week long.

Then there is 2022 Mongol Derby veteran HMC, who took a nasty tumble in the 2024 Gaucho Derby. After returning home with busted ribs and punctured lungs, his daughter reportedly said, “Whenever we fell off you made us get back on and finish. You didn’t finish.” And so here he is. Not just finishing, but absolutely crushing this race...

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https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-race-day-7-six-strong-one-shot/

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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/