Nationalities battle up the front....in the 2016 Mongol Derby

Richard Dunwoody photo

August 8 2016

The 2016 Mongol Derby, the world’s longest and toughest horse race, looks like being the closest yet as riders from all around the world are battling it out up front with just under 500 km to go!  These include:

·         William Comiskey, nicknamed ‘Dingo’, a cattle rancher from Australia

·         UK ‘Riding for Rangers’ team Tatiana Mountbatten, a professional dressage rider and 499th in line to the throne, and her team mate, Kenyan based Venetia Phillips (picture attached and should be credited to Richard Dunwoody @ Mongol Derby)

·         Heidi Telstad, a lawyer from Canada

·         Marcia Hefker-Miles, a New Mexican cowgirl

·         Shannon Nott, an Aussie bush doctor

·         Courtney Kizer, a Texan showjumper

A few km’s only separate these riders – plus the rest of the field are also within striking distance.

Do follow the race via twitter https://twitter.com/mongolderbylive or if you use the + arrows on the tracker you can home in and hover your mouse over the blue dots so you can see exactly where the riders all are and how far they have travelled http://www.theadventurists.com/mongol-derby-live-dashboard/

Other race news includes:

·         There have been six people retiring so far – including a dash to hospital, a dislocated shoulder (the rider Hanna Backstrom from Sweden has carried on!), and currently some suspected broken ribs

·         David Redvers (UK) and Peter Molony (Ire) lead the Qatar racing team, which includes Sheikh Fahad al-Thani.  Redvers said that “yesterday ranked as one of the ten best days of his life”

·         The weather is also pretty dire on the steppe.  Last night race chief Katy Willings said as the three leaders left the comfort of Horse Station 14:
"They've passed up some world class Khuushuur at U14 and a dry bed surrounded by racing medals to hang onto a 30 minute lead and sleep in a ditch. Plus U14-15 is the most beautiful ride. Perhaps the most stunning on the course except that it's hammering it down with rain, so they won't see much of it."

2016 Mongol Derby: Day 4

Richard Dunwoody photo

Day 4 is wrapped up, and in true Derby form, the leaderboard has changed.

Today's front runners are Shannon Nott, Courtney Kizer and Marcia Hefker Miles. The three are camping out in the steppe in the hope of holding onto their lead. They only made 10kms out of Urtuu 14 before the race closed, so have taken big gamble:

"They've passed up some world class Khuushuur at U14 and a dry bed surrounded by racing medals to hang onto a 30 minute lead and sleep in a ditch. Plus U14-15 is the most beautiful ride. Perhaps the most stunning on the course except that it's hammering it down with rain, so they won't see much of it." - Race Chief Katy.

Closely following them, four riders will be enjoying that U14 Khuushuur this evening: Heidi Telstad and William Comiskey, as well as Venetia Philips and Tatiana Mountbatten. Behind them, six riders are camping out after U13 meaning that there are only 40kms separating the leading pack. Only the first ten riders will be placed, so any penalties picked up in the leading pack from now on could have a big impact on the final standings.

The front of the field holds all the tension, but it's the back that has the tough stories. Today, it's the turn of Swede Hanna Backstrom to show her mettle. She fell onto her elbow yesterday afternoon and her arm worsened throughout the evening. Camping between U9 and U10, her condition deteriorated and fellow rider Tim Finley called for help on her behalf. Located on the steppe in the dark, Hanna was transported to U11 by the medics and her dislocated shoulder reset under a general anaesthetic. She slept on it, about 3 hours and woke up this morning asking to remount. Cleared by the medical team, she was taken back to U10 and tonight is has ridden into Urtuu 11 for another, hopefully longer, nights sleep. An incredible story.

Babs Ketelaar also received medical attention today. Dehydrated, on strong painkillers and showing signs of flagging, she was held on medical grounds at Urtuu 10 and driven to Urtuu 11 to stay with the trailing pack of riders. It's not yet certain if she'll be able to ride on Monday.

All the riders are being tracked live. Find out all the ways you can follow the race on the Live Tracking Dashboard.

We'll be back on Monday 8th August with the best photo and updates from Day 5. Until then, here's the Day 4 Leaderboard. Follow the Derby live on twitter throughout the day by following @MongolDerbyLive.

2016 Mongol Derby: Day 3

Laurence Squire photo

The fortunes of the leading pack have changed swiftly and the next 48 hours could decide the Race Class riders. The front six are overnighting in Urtuu 11. As the first of the two penalty Urtuus, all except rider Venetia Philips will be held there in the morning. Venetia will have to choose whether to sit out the penalty with friend Tatiana Mountbatten or ride on without her.

All the riders in the field will sit out their penalties accrued so far at Urtuu 11, meaning the first rider out the gate from there is the overall race leader.

Camping on the steppe tonight beyond Urtuu 10, Shannon Nott and William Comiskey are both riding penalty free and either might be able to overtake the leading pack through Urtuu 11.

Both chaps had trouble with their horses today. Shortly after leaving Urtuu 9, William's horse went lame, and he turned back, splitting with previous riding companion Heidi Telstad. This manoeuvre cost him several hours as he walked the horse back to the vets at Urtuu 9 and saddled up a different steed. Meanwhile Shannon Nott's horse started to thump and he called the vets out to him. Diagnosed and treated for an electrolyte imbalance, the horse will be fine. It might cause more of a lasting problem for Shannon's previous riding partner Alexandra Hardham who lost her GPS device, scuppering any chance for her to ride solo. "She's parasitic on the other riders now," says Race Chief Katy, "if she can't keep up, she's a sitting duck."

As the race progresses, many of the riders are beginning to show signs of deterioration. Bucking the trend, riders Courtney Kizer and Marcia Hefker-Miles are creeping up the order. Both hailing from the States, they are proving themselves extremely fit and not showing signs of tiring. Courtney has only 28 minutes of penalties and already at Urtuu 11, she's well placed to be at the head of the leaderboard for Day 4.

In the rest of the field, the race is going well. Babs Ketelaar rode a large part of Day 3 on her own and was treated to a kick in the face from her horse. She's got a split lip but is in good spirits and has the comfort of being reunited with friend Josefine Schopman at Urtuu 8 this evening.

Another rider seeing the bright side in an inauspicious situation is Swede Carin Ostergren. She lost her horse, and ran the distance into Urtuu 8 to seek assistance. After initial reluctance, it was recovered and Carin was "treated to a display of retina-burning lassoing from the Mongolian herdsman, so that penalty hour will seem well worth it" reckons Race Chief Katy. Retina-burning, on this occasion, is a positive.

Fellow Swede Sara Pickthall has retired from the race. Medically fine, she's bruised, saddle sore and has chosen not to continue. She'll cheer on friend Carin from the sidelines. Day 3 also saw another retirement from Madison Smith on medical grounds. She fell off her horse yesterday and returned to Ulaanbaatar for treatment. Tests have shown no cause for alarm but she'll not be returning to the Derby this year.

Finally, yesterday's Mongol Derby Digest referred to the leading 'four ladies'. A poor choice of collective noun since their number included Mr Shannon Nott. Sorry Shannon.

The riders are being tracked live. Find out all the ways you can follow the race on the Live Tracking Dashboard.

We'll be back on Sunday 7th August with the best photo and updates from Day 4. Until then, here's the Day 3 leaderboard. See all the previous leaderboards on the Mongol Derby Rolling News, or revisit the penalty rules that will keep some riders at Urtuu 11.

How I Survived the Mongol Derby: The World’s Longest, Toughest Horse Race

Horsenetwork.com - Full Article

by Liz Brown
august 2 2016

Riding 28 semi-wild horses through 620 miles of Mongolian wilderness is no pony trek

The young teen with a feathered mustache shuffled over to me, his eyes slightly down cast as he tried to shove the lead rope in my hands. Reflexively, I sighed and waved him off. I’d already ridden more than 60 miles today and it was only 3 p.m. My grasp on reality—and good manners—had vanished many kilometers before, left somewhere out on the wide open steppe.

Mongolia. August, 2015. The sun was an angry burning orb in an endless blue sky, no clouds in sight to offer even a wisp of respite from the heat. Sweat ran in small rivers down my back and chest, drenching my long sleeved shirt intended to protect my skin from the vicious UV rays. The only thought I had was seeking shade in the nearby ger, where I could sip water and try to settle the dizziness and nausea that had been plaguing me since the early morning.
As I made a move toward the tent for a second time, the kid tugged at my sleeve and I felt his calloused hand close on top of mine. He said something to me, insistently in Mongolian, and jerked his head toward the horse at the end of the rope. I eyed his animal, a 13hh stocky flea bitten grey with a forelock that hid his eyes. The gelding didn’t look like much, especially after I’d just made good time on a lovely lithe chestnut athlete that was a mini version of the Thoroughbreds back home, but the boy looked excited at the prospect of me riding his pony and all I wanted was five minutes of peace. I raised a shaky hand and pointed to my saddle that had been tossed in some goat turds and gave the boy the thumbs up. He grinned and got to tacking the horse that would carry me over the next 25 miles of inhospitable Mongolian wilderness...

Read more here:
http://horsenetwork.com/2016/08/survived-mongol-derby-worlds-longest-toughest-horse-race/

Great Britain: Alfie and Poppy making progress with challenge

Loughboroughecho.net - Full Article

August 5 2016
BY MEGAN COX

Seven-year-old Alfie Wilton and his pony, Poppy, are raising money for three charities: The National Autistic Society, the Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association (CICRA) and Cancer Research UK.

AN EAST LEAKE youngster, who has ADHD and autism, is making good progress to meet the challenge he has set himself to trot, gallop, and canter 100 miles for charity.

Seven-year-old Alfie Wilton and his pony, Poppy, are raising money for three charities: The National Autistic Society, the Crohn’s in Childhood Research Association (CICRA) and Cancer Research UK.

Alfie, a Brookside Primary School pupil, initially set himself the challenge of riding 100 miles and raising £300 but he has already surpassed that amount in donations.

The youngster rides Poppy as part of a number of local horse riding groups through the Sport Endurance organisation.

Last year Alfie won the East Midlands Junior Rider of the Year award at the Sport Endurance National Awards and rode a total of 47 miles with Poppy - which led to him setting his own challenge for 2016...

Read more here:
http://www.loughboroughecho.net/news/local-news/alfie-poppy-making-progress-challenge-11693300

Mongol Derby underway for Red Lodge's Hale, Manhattan's Griffis

Billingsgazette.com - Full Article

JEFF WELSCH jwelsch@billingsgazette.com
Aug 4, 2016

Now, they know the route.

After nearly a year of planning and a combination of fear and excitement, Kelly Hale of Red Lodge and Marie Griffis of Manhattan began a 1,008-kilometer horse race across the Mongolian steppe on Thursday.

Dubbed "The World's Toughest Horse Race", the Derby started about 200 kilometers southwest of the capital of Ulaanbataar. The 40 riders have 10 days to reach the finish line at Khovsgel Lake, in a national park almost due north of the start.

The route was kept secret until just before the start for security reasons.

"I’m just really excited about being immersed in their culture and not just being a tourist — actually relying on the nomads to help me out and to navigate through their country," Griffis told The Gazette in June...

Read more here:
http://billingsgazette.com/sports/mongol-derby-underway-for-red-lodge-s-hale-manhattan-s/article_83e84714-e548-5430-92b8-9ce236125f05.html

2016 Mongol Derby: Day 2

US rider Marcia Hefker-Miles repacks her backpack at Urtuu 5

Photo by Richard Dunwoody

Day 2 of the Mongol Derby 2016 is done and the leaderboard looks totally different.

The race saw its second retirement from UK rider and former professional jockey Kevin Darley, defeated on this occasion by bad knees.

At the front of the field, Venetia Philipps and Tatiana Mountbatten (Team Riding for Rangers) are camping out with fellow Brit Alexandra Hardham and Aussie Shannon Nott. With Alexandra and Tatiana carrying 2-hour penalties each, the 4 ladies will be faced with a choice at Urtuu 11; to wait together and risk losing their lead or separate and hope they can regroup later. Yesterday's front-runners William Comiskey and Heidi Telstad are still riding together but have slipped down the ranks, proving how quickly fortunes can change on the Steppe.

Across the rest of the field multiple riders are getting thrown off their horses. US rider Marie Griffis is choosing a series of outstanding horses from the line ups, and it's been paying off as she's made good progress up the ranks. Choosing live-wires has drawbacks and on the third roll of the day she sustained an injury. She finished the day at Urtuu 6 with a bit of a hobble, helped along by her current riding companions Rosie Bathurst and Alice Newling. With luck, the three of them might have a dryer nights sleep than last night. Attempting to camp in a goats pen, they were caught in a downpour before they were rescued by local herder family and treated to multiple samples of the local vodka to warm up. Tonight, they'll be sleeping with seventeen other riders at Urtuu 6. Space may be more of a issue than the weather this evening.

Sebastian Bridger also met the ground more often than planned today. He was bucked off three times between Urtuu 4 and 5 before accepting a carry forward from the race team which comes with a 3 hour race penalty. Of the five Household Cavalry team, only James Harbord and Urbain Tego Tagne are currently riding without penalties. They too will have to decide at Urtuu 11 whether to sit out the penalties as a team or to split into two factions forming a breakaway penalty-free group.

The riders are being tracked live. Find out all the ways you can follow the race on the Live Tracking Dashboard.

We'll be back on Saturday 6th August with the best photo and updates from Day 3. Until then, satisfy your Derby appetite with our Rolling News. A single post with all the Derby pictures and updates since the race began or read the explanation of the Derby penalty system.