Mongol Derby 2025 – Day 10 – Third time lucky

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Holly Conyers
14th August 2025

Day 10 of the 2025 Mongol Derby has drawn to a close, as our remaining superstar riders made it home after 1,000km of thrills and spills out on the steppe to join the party at finish camp. We couldn’t be more proud of them. These riders have faced extreme physical and mental adversity over the last 10 days, and they’ve come out fighting. What a Derby it’s been, and what a finish they gave us: a decent helping of drama right down to the last.

First to appear on the horizon between the finish line flags this morning was Bianca Farmas-Griffith (BFG). She’d left HS28 this morning with the other 5 riders sharing their last night out on the steppe together. All were mounted up and raring to go at 7AM, but waved goodbye to HS28 with a hint of sadness: this would be their final morning of packing up their sleeping bags and picking their steed...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-day-10-third-time-lucky/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Day 9 – Homeward bound

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Holly Conyers
12th August 2025

While the battle for first place in the 2025 Mongol Derby may have been decided yesterday, Day 9 saw a whopping 19 more of our intrepid riders make it home to finish camp to complete the adventure of a lifetime. While 13 of those riders were still riding for a competitive placing, we were mighty proud to welcome 6 of our Adventure Class riders across the line too. Some were even reunited with family and friends for whom following along at home wasn’t enough. There were tears, there was signing, there were bear hugs and emotional reunions. Welcome home, legends. Time to party...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-day-9-homeward-bound/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Day 8 – Better together

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Holly Conyers
11th August 2025

Eight days after thundering across the 2025 Mongol Derby start line, four exceptional equestrianists have come full circle to boomerang back to finish camp. Having fought tooth and nail for the crown over the last 1,000km of high speed chasing across the steppe, they eventually elected to prioritise camaraderie over competition and crossed the line together. Behold, our 2025 Mongol Derby Joint Champions: Brit Anna Boden (ABO), American Michael Pollard (MPO) and brothers in arms from the UAE Eisa Al Khayari (EAK) and Khalifa Al Hamed (KAH). An extraordinary end to an even more extraordinary Derby. Congratulations are in order, as they celebrate at start camp tonight with a long-awaited shower, some clean clothes and a cold beer. Cheers to you, champs...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-day-8-better-together/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Day 7 – Comeback kings

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Holly Conyers
10th August 2025

Just when we thought the 2025 Mongol Derby couldn’t possibly get any more enthralling, Day 7 arrived on the scene to really crank up the drama. The weather may finally have broken to give our riders a break from the punishing heat, but the tension keeps on building. The slim glimmer of a lead eked out over his nearest rivals by Khalifa Al Hamed (KAH) yesterday has been swiftly extinguished, as he takes up residence this evening at HS25 along with three other indomitable jockeys. Anna Boden (ABO) and Michael Pollard (MPO) have teamed up to smash out a phenomenal day’s riding with some lucky draws just when they needed them, while Eisa Al Khayari (EAK) has ridden like a man possessed to – astonishingly – claw himself back up to share the lead from a 3 hour penalty. KAH, on the other hand, has been riding against the tide. All four will now line up to battle it out over the remaining four legs of the Derby course to (most likely – let’s not count any chickens) determine the victor of the 2025 Mongol Derby. Hold on to your hats, folks. This sprint finish is going right down to the wire...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-day-7-comeback-kings/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Day 6 – Riding solo

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Holly Conyers
9th August 2025

Could Day 6 of the 2025 Mongol Derby finally have seen one rider open up some daylight between himself and the rest of the field? Up until now, a determined quintet of top class horsemen (including one plucky horsewoman) have been leapfrogging each other by minutes to hand the baton around between them at every station. Trying to keep up with the constant swapsies of the lead has left us majorly dizzy. But it looks like one rider might finally have clinched something of an advantage. Khalifa Al Hamed (KAH) has absolutely flown away from his closest rivals today, to storm through four horse stations riding solo and make it safely into HS22 this evening with just 4 minutes of riding time left to spare. It’s been a masterclass in pacing and astute navigation on another scorcher of a day. He finds himself all alone for the first time, spending the night a full horse station ahead of Anna Boden (ABO) and Michael Pollard (MPO) back at HS21. But, as we’ve seen time and time again over the course of this Derby, no lead is too great to be lost. With 7 more horse stations between KAH and the finish line, can he cling on for glory or will the jockeys behind him come back from the brink? It’s far from a done deal...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-day-6-riding-solo/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Day 5 – High five

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Holly Conyers
8th August 2025

Horses and riders alike faced another scorcher out on the steppe on Day 5 of the 2025 Mongol Derby, as yesterday’s cooler climes gave way once again to cloudless skies. The heat was back on, and the pressure building. As our five leaders hit the fast, flat and mercifully straight legs between HS14 and HS18, they were thrashing it out to try to give each other the slip and establish a lead. But to no avail. It’s been a tense grapple for dominance, and nobody was ready to blink first. Until, finally, it all became too much for two riders: Dennis Alverson (DAL) and Eisa Al Khayari (EAK) fell victim to vet penalties at HS18 this evening, and will be delayed from riding out tomorrow morning. Michael Pollard (MPO), Anna Boden (ABO) and Khalifa Al Hamed (KAH) are cleared for lift off at 7AM, while DAL and EAK will be serving time behind Derby bars. KAH has a tough call to make overnight: stay loyal to his partner EAK, or go it alone and keep pace with the competition? 7AM on Day 6 could very well be a decisive moment in the showdown for the podium. Set your alarms folks: you don’t want to miss this one...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-day-5-high-five/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Day 4 – Arabian knights

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Holly Conyers
7th August 2025

As we approach the halfway marker of the 2025 Mongol Derby, the battle for the lead rages on. Odds on the final victor remain too close to call at the close of Day 4, as the riders heading up the field toss the lead around between them like the proverbial hot potato. There’s nothing in it, but one thing’s for sure: last night’s downpour did nothing to dampen our riders’ competitive drive. They continue to eat up the course at a voracious pace, and we find ourselves with some new overnight leaders. Our Emirati endurance pros Eisa Al Khayari (EAK) and Khalifa Al Hamed (KAH) have proven themselves a tough act to follow. They’re now sitting pretty at the head of the field on the way into HS14, camped 3km ahead of their nearest rivals. If they can hit HS14 in the lead tomorrow, they reach a relatively flat, straight section of the course all the way to HS18. The dream racetrack for a pair of seriously experienced jockeys gunning to extend their lead in the Mongol Derby. If they partner with the right equine athletes, could they leave the chasing pack in the dust? It could all come down to luck of the horse draw...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-day-4-arabian-knights/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Day 3 – The winds of change

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Holly Conyers
6th August 2025

Day 3 of the 2025 Mongol Derby has been one for the books. Barely had our nerves recovered from the rollercoaster ride that was Day 2 before our horde of 45 fearless equestrianists were at it again, causing widespread mayhem on their noble quest for the finish line. As the dust settles on our sparring riders and their battle-hardened mounts, two warriors remain locked in a deadly duel at the head of the race. Kami Bitting (KBI) and Sam Phelps (SPH) have both kept up their blistering pace to make it into HS10 tonight, but a last minute plot twist has blown the rankings wide open. KBI has been left licking her wounds overnight, as a vet penalty incurred on arrival at HS10 keeps her stuck there until 10AM tomorrow morning. SPH now finds himself leading the charge out of HS10 tomorrow bright and early, but will he handle the pressure of soldiering on alone or be swallowed up by the cavalry camping out just a few kilometres behind him?...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-day-3-the-winds-of-change/

UAE complete hat-trick of Young Horse Endurance World Championship titles

August 4 2025

Riding with unwavering consistency and backed by an incredible team, Saif Al Mazrouei helped the UAE to a third-straight FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses individual honour and a successful defence of the Teams title at Jullianges in France on Saturday.

One of the heavyweights on the distance-riding circuit, the UAE had won the 2023 and 2024 renewals, with Al Mazrouei making sure his calculated ride brought the defending champions a tenth overall success even as he himself claimed a second victory, 10 years after winning for the first time in 2015. 

A total of 82 rider-horse combinations from 25 countries set out to conquer the 120 km event for eight-year-old horses at Hippodrome de Jullianges, which is located at an altitude of 910 metres in a wooded forest commune in the picturesque French countryside 530 kms south of Paris and 131 kms east of Lyon. The high altitude and undulating terrain made the ride a tough proposition for the combinations involved with only 31 pairs eventually completing the four-loop ride.

And it was the UAE that secured the top two spots on the podium, with Al Mazrouei triumphing aboard Bullio Quasillo, the pair recording the fastest time of five hours 33 minutes and 21 seconds (5:33:21), which was 43 secs quicker than the second-placed UAE pairing of Essa Saeed Al Mazrouei and his mount Al Fatina who were home in 5:34:04.

Royal Endurance Team of Bahrain rider Sultan Mayoof Al Romaihi, who partnered Haqtar Du Carrelie, took third place on the podium with a time of 5:40:50.

Saif Al Mazrouei posted the second best time during the 35.5 km first loop and dropped three places to reach fifth during the course of the second loop that spanned the same distance. He picked up the pace during the third loop over 31 kms which allowed him to reclaim second on the leaderboard.

Starting the fourth and final loop over 20 kms, Saif found himself trailing countryman Essa Al Mazrouei by five seconds, but after a solid push and upping up the tempo on Bullio Quasillo by nearly 9 kph, he was able to set a lead of his own and overcame his compatriot comfortably.

The UAE claimed the Team championship as well after Rashed Saeed Al Malhoof claimed fifth place aboard Heracles Feuillee.

Congratulating the team on the success, Sheikh Rashed Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Equestrian Club, said: “I would like to congratulate our nation’s great leadership, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence, for their relentless support and guidance which has helped the UAE reach great heights in the sport of endurance internationally. 

“Our victory in the FEI Endurance Championship for Young Horses is a testament to the exceptional skill, unwavering dedication and outstanding horsemanship. The UAE Team has always displayed immense grit and unshakable determination in the pursuit of success at the highest level and by winning the championship for the third-straight year we have raised the bar and set a new standard of excellence for the rest to follow."

Ahmed Rashed Al Kaabi, Acting General Manager of Dubai Equestrian Club and Chief d’Equipe of the UAE Team, added: “I would like extend my heartfelt congratulations to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum for their incredible backing for endurance and leading the UAE riders by example. They have inspired generations of the youngsters to achieve the best results, which has propelled the UAE forward and turned the country into one of the powerhouses in the sport.

“The UAE Team has worked really hard, and shown great courage and unity to bring glory to the country. Their teamwork truly shone through the entire event and we have earned every bit of this victory. I couldn’t be prouder.”

About Dubai Equestrian Club

Established in 2002 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Equestrian Club is a world leader in the sport of endurance riding and a pioneer when it comes to organising competitions in the United Arab Emirates at its purpose-built, state-of-the-art Dubai International Endurance City. Its annual calendar is headlined by two globally-renowned events: the HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Festival and Crown Prince of Dubai Endurance Festival.

Mongol Derby 2025 – Day 2 – The huntswoman becomes the hunted

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Holly Conyers
5th August 2025

The clock has stopped on Day 2 on the 2025 Mongol Derby, and the tension on the steppe has soared along with the mercury. Jockeys at the head of the race have been locked in a fierce battle of wills for poll position coming into Day 3, but it’s Kami Bitting (KBI) who has emerged victorious from the fray. Finding herself roughly halfway between HS6 and HS7 this evening at the close of riding hours, she is bedding down for the night in the most glamorous of steppe establishments: a 5-star goat shed. Over the past two days she has already put on a frankly intimidating display of masterful horsemanship, ruthless efficiency and flawless navigating. Make no mistake, this professional huntswoman has her quarry firmly in her sights: the 2025 Mongol Derby crown.

Impressive her dash for daylight may have been, but she’s by no means out of the woods yet...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-day-2-the-huntswoman-becomes-the-hunted/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Day 1 – A fork in the road

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Holly Conyers
4th August 2025

Day 1 of the 2025 Mongol Derby has drawn to a nail biting close. Since thundering across the start line at around 11AM Mongolian time this morning as a pack of 45 strong, our field has already covered some serious ground to spread out across the steppe. The gauntlet has been well and truly laid down by four early contenders for the lead, the gap between them too close to call. Anna Boden (ABO) and Bertie Siggers (BSI) appear to have formed a dynamic duo, having ridden side by side since shortly out of the start gates on a pair of perfectly matching dark bays to storm up the course. Riding similarly impressive debut days were Sam Phelps (SPH) and Kami Bitting (KBI), who have banded together since riding out of HS2. The quartet had been in the lead pack all day, until a dramatic turn of events at HS2: SPH and KBI turned on their hocks to shoot out of the station back the way they had come straight into the incoming tide of riders behind them, while ABO and BSI rocketed off in the opposite direction. The pairs have each found a hospitable family to accommodate them for their first night out in the wilds of the steppe, but whose navigational nous will give them the edge coming into HS3 tomorrow, and will these nascent partnerships last? It’s all to play for...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-day-1-a-fork-in-the-road/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Pre-Race Training Day 3 – Ready for lift off

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Holly Conyers
3rd August 2025

Bootcamp for our intrepid cohort of Mongol Derby 2025 riders has drawn to a close, and we’re delighted to report that all 45 of our contenders have passed with flying colours. Briefings complete, saddlebags packed and one last sleep in an actual bed to go, we are satisfied that they’re as ready as they’ll ever be to strap themselves into the Derby rollercoaster. While a few more riders briefly parted company with their horses today, all are in one piece and currently tucked up asleep, dreaming sweet dreams of imminent Derby glory. A relatively smooth (albeit sweltering) day by Derby standards, even blessed by the timely arrival of two riders’ errant baggage. An auspicious way to wrap up Start Camp, but who will have had all the luck to take an early lead this time tomorrow? Make sure you’re tuned into our socials at 10am(ish) Mongolian time for the moment we’ve all been waiting for: blast off for the 2025 Mongol Derby.

Riders awoke today to another morning of blazing sunshine for their last day of bootcamp. A delight for most, but a rude awakening for some. A few bleary eyed members of the field and crew were last spotted in the early hours of the morning performing a passionate rendition of Ginuwine’s “Pony” and rocking a disco-ball crash helmet after plundering the Start Camp bar. We applaud their appropriate choice of equine-themed anthem for this important rider and crew bonding ritual. A few rejuvenating showers later this morning, and everybody was ready to face the day. On the agenda: a medical briefing, the course run-down and one final test ride complete with fully packed saddlebag...

read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-pre-race-training-day-3-ready-for-take-off/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Pre-Race Training Day 2 – X marks the spot

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Holly Conyers
3rd August 2025

Day 2 of Pre-Race Training on the 2025 Mongol Derby dawned bright and sunny, with not a cloud in the endless steppe skies. Our riders leapt out of bed like children on Christmas morning. Today was the day: their long awaited first brush with the mythical Mongolian horse. But Santa had some tricks up his sleeve with these gift horses. While some riders took flight on perfect ponies, others returned back down to earth with a rather hard bump. Bootcamp has well and truly begun, and our riders have had a real taste of what the steppe has in store. With just one more day of training to go before they set off to tackle the longest and toughest horse race in the world, we take a look at how they’ve fared today.

But before we let our jockeys anywhere near an actual horse, we thought it best to give them a bit of an education on how to pilot their steeds in vaguely the right direction. While horsemanship talent is obviously a pretty useful skill out on the steppe, navigational nous comes a very close second. Riders in the Derby are completely responsible for navigating themselves between the Horse Stations which make up the checkpoints along the 1,000km Derby course. They must ride from HS1 to HS2 to HS3 and so forth in the correct order until they finally reach the finish line at HS29, but the route they pick between each of those stations is entirely their own problem...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-pre-race-training-day-2-x-marks-the-spot/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Pre-Race Training Day 1 – The red carpet rolls out

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Holly Conyers
1st August 2025

All those Derby dreams are finally starting to feel alarmingly real. Our 45 contenders for the 2025 Mongol Derby crown are now safely bedded down for their first evening out on the steppe in Mongol Derby Start Camp. In just three days’ time on Monday 4 August, they’ll be exploding off the start line of the 2025 Mongol Derby. Ahead of them lies a weekend of action-packed Derby bootcamp, led by our crack team of Derby veterans and crew. Start Camp Day 1 may not have involved much more than a lengthy bus ride and rider weigh-in, but a couple of hopefuls are already facing the first challenge to their Derby campaign: the perils of the Ulaanbaatar airport lost luggage system.

Our jockeys rose bright and early this morning, gathering together in Ulaanbaatar to hail their first ride of the Derby: the bus to Start Camp. A good test of the reserves of endurance and patience to be drawn on in the 10 days to come, all passed with flying colours. Photographer Kathy was on hand to document the first moments of their Derby journey. Uta Hesterberg (UHE) reported feeling “excited, nervous, petrified and elated” – a pretty accurate summary of the classic pre-Derby jitters. Our 2022 joint Gaucho Derby champion Anna Boden (ABO) was an exception. Introducing herself rather confidently as “rank: legend”, she leaped on the bus while expressing her hope to minimise the saddle sores this time round...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-pre-race-training-day-1-the-red-carpet-rolls-out/

Mongol Derby 2025 – Rider rollcall

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Holly Conyers
28th July 2025

Hello, Derby fans. We meet again. At long last, the wait is over. It’s been an agonisingly slow, dreary year since our 2024 Mongol Derby riders galloped across the finish line somewhere in the Mongolian wilds. But never fear: the Derby drought is almost over. In just a week’s time on the 4th of August 2025, the start flag will go down on the 14th official Mongol Derby and we’ll all be saved from existential boredom by another 10 days of Derby thrills and spills.

While the crew are busy scrubbing tack, charging GPS trackers and herding up champion racehorses from across the land, riders are beginning to descend on Ulaanbaatar. Months – if not years – of careful preparation are about to be put to the test in the longest and toughest horse race on the planet. Over 1,000km of self-navigated racing across the untamed Mongolian steppe, atop just marginally more tame horses.

As these intrepid adventurers wing their way to start camp from far flung corners of the globe laden with copious quantities of anti-chafing cream, you may be asking yourself: just what kind of screw must you have loose to take on this monumental equine adventure? We’ve been wondering that ourselves, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to introduce you to the cast of the 2025 Mongol Derby: behold, the riders...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2025-rider-rollcall/