Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 3 – Saddles Hot. Spirits Not.

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

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/

Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 2 – Turtles, Toes & Tailwinds

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Stevie Delahunt
20th February 2026

Hola, dot watchers!!!

It’s been another day here in Patagonia, and we simply must spill the mate (tea? leaf soup? emotional support beverage?) with you.

We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: this group is blowing us away with their professionalism… or perhaps we’re just being literally blown away by this relentless Patagonian wind. Hard to say.

Today’s forecast promised rain, and history promised unplanned dismounts. Thankfully, neither showed up in any meaningful way across our mountains and pampas. In fact, by some small miracle, all forty riders are still in the game, and very few encountered anything worse than breathtaking terrain and truly gorgeous horses.

Ironically, the most damage today happened on foot. Riders like ODU reported toe-stubbing and tripping while leading horses. She’s fairly certain she broke her toe but plans to tough it out and simply pay closer attention to her feet whenever she decides to hoof it from here on out...

Read the rest here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-2-turtles-toes-tailwinds/

Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 1 – Sparks Cancelled. Sniffles Confirmed.

Image credits to @adventuristbarbie @merypastrana_fotografia

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Stevie Delahunt
19th February 2026

We’ve been wondering… ‘What happened to the fireworks?’

Start line was quite boring for all the crew today as every rider, and ever more spectacularly yet- every saddlebag managed to defy gravity off the start line. This year’s riders have been especially professional and on top of their game.

The pack promptly cantered off into the wilderness together and then decided to make a holiday of it and settled into a big mob camp out at Vet Check One...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-1-sparks-cancelled-sniffles-confirmed/

Meet the Amazonian racing 500km across Patagonia for women's health

AboutAmazon.eu - Full Article

Written by About Amazon Team
February 17 2026

Madeleine, Pan-EU Account Executive at Amazon in France, is preparing for one of the world's toughest horse races: the Gaucho Derby, a 500km orientation endurance challenge across Patagonia.

The 10-day race isn't just about personal achievement—Madeleine is raising funds for a charity which provides healthcare access to France's most vulnerable women.

After completing the 1,000km Mongol Derby in 2022 and raising €18,000 for charity, Madeleine is back in the saddle with an even bigger mission. On February 18, Madeleine Motelay will mount a horse she's never ridden before and begin racing across 500 kilometres of Patagonian wilderness. For the next 10 days, the CDG10-based Account Executive will navigate through the mountains, sleep in a tent alone, and switch to a new horse every 70 kilometres. We caught up with Madeleine before her departure to learn what motivates her, how she's preparing, and why vulnerable women's healthcare access matters so much to her...

Read more here:
https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/community-engagement/meet-the-amazonian-racing-500km-across-patagonia-for-womens-health

From the Grand National to 500km across Patagonia - Gold Cup-winning rider to take on challenge dubbed 'ultimate test of horse and jockey'

RacingPost.com - Full Article

Sam Waley-Cohen is preparing for the ultra-endurance test, which takes place over ten days in South America

Matt Rennie
10 February 2026

He conquered the Grand National fences on several occasions, but Sam Waley-Cohen is raring to take on an even more extreme test of stamina for both horse and rider as he attempts to add the Gaucho Derby to his impressive list of triumphs.

Waley-Cohen was one of Britain's most successful amateur jockeys, winning a Gold Cup and two King George VI Chases before retiring with victory on Noble Yeats in the 2022 Aintree showpiece. Now he is set to get back in the saddle for a 500km challenge across Patagonia in South America.

The race is similar to another famous ultra-endurance test, the Mongol Derby, and Waley-Cohen flies out on Wednesday ahead of some pre-race training days, with the event proper beginning on February 18.

He said: "It's completely different from the racing we're used to across a brilliant area of country – it's like the old western pioneers. It's going to be a new adventure, and a proper test, but it should be great fun"...

Read more here:
https://www.racingpost.com/news/britain/from-the-grand-national-to-500km-across-patagonia-gold-cup-winning-rider-to-take-on-challenge-dubbed-ultimate-test-of-horse-and-jockey-at0af6V2fs04/

Gaucho Derby 2026 – Pre-race training – Weighed In. Blown Away.

Equestrianists.com - Full Article

Stevie Delahunt
15th February 2026

It’s Sunday Funday here at Start Camp and the weather is a balmy 30 knots of wind with extra gusts. The riders are getting just a taste of what these biblical tides of air can really do. Patagonia is known for blowing roofs off of Puestos (strongholds built for use by Gauchos within the far out foothills) and being so vehement entire highways are closed until it subsides.

Amidst the summer breeze friendships and alliances are forming and tents are falling. ACA, TOM and ACP have been paling around as a happy 2025 academy graduate gang whilst GHE and NMC have trauma bonded over having sent their lost kit on its own adventure somewhere in Turkey. To their chagrin the surprise retirement of two riders looks like they’ll be able to commandeer all the items needed to clear the mandatory kit list officially required for them to hit the start line...

Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-pre-race-training-weighed-in-blown-away/?fbclid=IwY2xjawP_PjVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEebUi-SamlMyRg1aP7huHfB2pKmCYdzEfaFjFw96tljJOXhYxCTwX8xnDXZUA_aem_AYCpirBJ3DEZEjDd-WRtjg

Bahrain: Al Anezi claims endurance cup

GDNOnline.com - Full Article

Sun, 15 Feb 2026

ENDURANCE HORSERACING – VICTORIOUS rider Isa Hameed Al Anezi won the main event in the His Majesty the King’s Cup Endurance Festival 2026 yesterday to cap the three-day meeting at Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir.

Al Anezi took first place in the 160-kilometre international ride to lift the His Majesty the King’s International Endurance Cup.

His Majesty King Hamad’s humanitarian work and youth affairs representative, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS) chairman, and Bahrain Royal Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa attended the event’s concluding day. Shaikh Nasser presented Al Anezi and other winners their respective prizes.

Also on hand was Supreme Council for Environment vice-president, Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club High Committee deputy chairman, and SCYS member Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa.

Al Anezi triumphed after completing the gruelling distance ahead of KHK rider Mohammed Al Subaie, who was the runner-up, while Faisal Hameed Al Anezi claimed third overall...

Read more here:
https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1376169/Al-Anezi-claims-endurance-cup