South Africa: Sandymount Express 1000 FAQ

1. How long is the race?
The Race is 1000 kilometers, or 625 miles.

2. When/Where is the race?
Kickoff is October 1st, 2016! The race is held annually in Sandymount Park, a wildlife reserve in South Africa.

3. How many days do you have to complete?
The race is split into 120 kilometers a day (75 miles) each day, for a total of 8 days.

4. How many horses do you ride?
Each rider gets a string of 5-8 horse. Each day is split into 3 legs of 40 kilometers (25 miles). Each rider will rotate through horses, effectively meaning each horse will do a total of 200 kilometers (125 miles) over the course of the event.

5. Are there vet checks?
Yes! At the end of each leg, if the horse does not meet criteria, the leg will not count and the rider must repeat the distance in order to finish.

6. Does that mean the race is more than 1000 kilometers?
Yes, quite possibly!

7. So…how do you WIN?
Rider’s time will begin at the same time each morning, and stop when they pass their third and final vet check of the day. The rider with the lowest elapsed time over 8 days wins.

8. How can I FOLLOW?
By LIKING the SMEX1000 Facebook Page, or by following American rider Devan Horn, who will be competing this year!

https://www.facebook.com/smex1000/