Mongol Derby 2024 Day 6 – Snakes and ladders

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Holly Conyers
12th August 2024

Day 6 of the 2024 Mongol Derby has seen our riders labouring under another summer scorcher out on the steppe. HQ had decreed that riding hours would be extended from today onwards by an hour from 6:30 to 19:30, giving riders more of a chance to make the most of cooler evenings and mornings to keep battling on towards the finish line at HS29. Out in front leading the charge, Missy Morgan (MMO) continues on her professional romp round the Derby course, eating up yet more ground to reach HS22 this evening. But her closest competitors are giving their all in the chase. Sam Jones (SJO) and Josh Edwards (JED) have rejoined forces and closed the gap slightly, having ridden a textbook day to reach their campsite just short of HS21. MMO still has a healthy lead, but at the pace her pursuers are travelling a penalty of just a few hours or a couple of slow horses could make all the difference. Can she handle the heat to cling on the whole way to the finish line, another 7 horse stations away?...

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https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2024-day-6-snakes-and-ladders/

Mongol Derby 2024 Day 5 – Lucky dip

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Holly Conyers
12th August 2024

Day 5 of the 2024 Mongol Derby has delivered one of the most astonishing ends to a day’s racing in Derby history. Missy Morgan (MMO) has pulled off a stunning feat of daring and horsemanship to extend her lead to a horse station and a half over her nearest rivals, in the most extraordinary form possible. Rounding off a sweltering day’s racing out on the steppe, MMO had a perfectly timed stroke of luck to draw a champion naadam horse from HS17. She pulled off an unbelievable leg, flying from HS17 to HS18 in just 1hr 45 minutes and sneaking into safety by the very tightest of margins. She’s put daylight between herself and her former riding companions Josh Edwards (JED) and Sam Jones (SJO), and she’s now more than halfway round the course. Can she continue to hold her nerve and keep her lead, or do they have their own superstar horses to come to claw it back?...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2024-day-5-lucky-dip/

Mongol Derby 2024 Day 4 – The parting of the ways

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Holly Conyers
10th August 2024

Day 4 of the 2024 Mongol Derby, and the heat is on. The morning dawned clear and crisp, not a cloud in the sky. The weather held all day, with the sun beating down on hot and bothered horses and riders by the afternoon. The tension has risen along with the thermometer. Some unlucky vet penalties have led to a dramatic split in the leading pack at the head of the race, and also given others riding hard to catch up with them a chance to disrupt the rankings. Missy Morgan (MMO) finds herself camped out in the wilds tonight with only her noble steed for company, breaking away from former co-leaders Sam Jones (SJO) and Josh Edwards (JED): will she manage to cling on to her freshly seized lead, or will the weight of riding alone prove too much? Riding solo, and especially at the front, can be a draining experience. Think of it like bike racing right at the front of the peloton the whole way, rather than having team mates to take turns battling into the headwind. Sometimes your horse won’t travel as well as it would in company and requires a lot more encouragement, being solely responsible for every navigational decision can be draining, and if the worst does happen and you take a tumble you’re going to be hard pushed to catch a loose horse alone. As we approach the halfway mark of the race, anything could happen...

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https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2024-day-4-the-parting-of-the-ways/

American distance jockey is stranded in Mongolia after getting too sick to ride in 620-mile race: ‘They told me to ride it out’

NYPost.com - Full Article

By Richard Pollina
Published Aug. 8, 2024,

A Wyoming-based extreme distance jockey was left to fend for herself in Mongolia after race organizers allegedly “couldn’t give a crap” about what happened to her when she fell too sick to compete in the 620-mile trek across the East Asian country.

Dede Anders, 49, was a last-minute entry in the Mongol Derby and arrived in Mongolia on Aug. 1 after race organizers reached out to her last month when another competitor dropped out, she told the Cowboy State Daily.

From the nation’s capital of Ulaanbaatar, Anders took an eight-hour trip to the race starting point and was all set to take the lengthy ride across the Mongolian Steppe.

The race — self-proclaimed as the world’s toughest horse race — recreates the horse messenger system developed by Genghis Khan in 1224, according to The Mongolian Derby’s website.

However, on Monday, two days before the race was set to start, she became violently ill...

Read more here:
https://nypost.com/2024/08/08/us-news/wyoming-horse-racer-dede-anders-abandoned-in-mongolia-after-getting-too-sick-to-ride-in-620-mile-mongol-derby/

Mongol Derby 2024 Day 3 – Three’s company

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Holly Conyers
9th August 2024

The sun returned to shine down on us by the end of Day 3 on the 2024 Mongol Derby, and sets on another day of excellent racing, outstanding sportsmanship and a healthy dose of mayhem. Our leading riders have had a long, fast day in the saddle to cover a marathon day, propelling themselves from their campsite just beyond HS6 last night all the way to HS10. A 4 horse station day is no mean feat, especially when accounting for a high mountain pass and one emergency ejection along the way. But so far, the three frontrunners have managed to dodge any major drama: Josh Edwards (JED), Missy Morgan (MMO) and Sam Jones (SJO) are fast morphing into a three-pronged lean, mean Derby machine. But have they formed a firm enough bond to bind them through the ups and downs which are surely still to come over the remaining 19 horse stations, or are they all still harbouring personal hopes of clinching victory for themselves? Only time will tell...

https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2024-day-3-threes-company/

Mongol Derby 2024 Day 2 – Into the woods

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Holly Conyers
8th August 2024

And then there were four. The dust has settled on Day 2 of the 2024 Mongol Derby, as four members of last night’s leading group of seven pull off a near flawless Derby day to put themselves just beyond the reach of a competitive chasing pack a mere 10k behind them at HS6. Sam Jones (SJO), Missy Morgan (MMO), Josh Edwards (JED) and Lola Day (LRD) have ridden beautifully today with the help of some exceptional equine partners to eat up the ground, navigate expertly through woodland and mountain passes and secure themselves a 5-star Mongolian goat shed for the night. The Derby dream. Pats on the back may well be deserved, but they can’t rest too easy: a determined throng of 6 riders will be making the most of the comforts of HS6 tonight to recharge and launch their bid for the lead at 7am tomorrow morning...

Read more and see photos here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2024-day-2-into-the-woods/

Mongol Derby 2024 Day 1 – We have lift off

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Holly Conyers
7th August 2024

A whirlwind Day 1 of the 2024 Mongol Derby comes to a close, leaving in its wake several slightly bruised jockeys, a lost Vet Card somewhere between the start line and HS1, and some thrilling sporting drama. Typically the first day of any Derby is pretty hectic, but this one was a rollercoaster for the ages. Emerging victorious from the fray, 7 of our intrepid riders have bedded down for the night at HS3, the rest of the field spread out behind them all the way back to just shy of HS2. Sleeping soundly tonight in the comfort of HS3 are Almira Zakiyeva (AZA), Josh Edwards (JED), Lola Day (LRD), our 2014 Derby champion Sam Jones (SJO) and team New Zealand Brydie Black (BBL) and Emma Watson (EWA). But they’re by no means shot of the rest of the field. Camping out alone and just a few kms out of HS3, Gideon Kotkowski (GKO) has ridden a stormer to keep himself within touching distance of the lead. A slow start by the leaders in the morning could see him leaping up the rankings, assuming his horse is still there by his side when he wakes. And the rest of the field are hardly a station behind. It’s all to play for...

Read more, photos and videos here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/mongol-derby-2024-day-1-we-have-lift-off/