It always seems impossible until it's done

Our last night on the steppe was freezing, the fire had gone out during the night but I woke up excited to start the day. Our last time stuffing all our gear back in our bags, attaching our saddle bags securely to the saddles and having rice pudding for breakfast. I'd actually started to enjoy the sweet rice/milk soup that we got but I was craving some fruit and fresh vegetables. Two more legs to go! We had already chosen our horses the night before. We took two bay horses that the herders recommended, again, I got a slightly smaller horse but he seemed eager.

The first part of the leg was beautiful, we rode through a gorgeous valley. It was early so it was still cool but the sky promised a nice final day of riding. A herder was on his way to check his cows and a family waved at us from the old campervan they were driving down the rode. We followed the trail up the hill with a beautiful view of the next valley. That’s where it got confusing. We rode down into the valley on a road that seemed to curve away from where we wanted to go. We had promised ourselves we wouldn’t take any risks today: we weren’t going to get injured on our last day of riding. A herder rode up to us on his bike, gesturing wildly towards a few gers. It seemed like he was trying to tell us where to go but we weren’t sure if he was a part of the Derby or just some guy who wanted to feed two lost riders. After some debate, Esther convinced me to listen to the herder and we left the road to ride cross-country towards the gers.

Thankfully my horse seemed really sure-footed and there weren’t many marmot holes so we cantered along at a steady pace until we hit another trail. We rode past herds of sheep and cows and ruins that could have been a church. At one point we saw a car stopped with someone holding a horse next to it. We thought for a second that it was Mike, who might have stayed the night on the steppe after leaving HS27 late, but it turned out to be a herder. We continued towards the station, but it wasn’t the easiest leg to navigate. At one point we saw Tag, Katie, Francis and Catherine to our far left. They had taken a totally different route from us. Just when we were debating whether or not to change course, some of the crew showed up in a van and pointed us in the right direction. By this point Esther’s knee got really bad but she pushed on and we made it to the station around 9.30.

All through the race, we were told that the last leg was a really short one so we could sprint to the finish. As with a lot of things, nobody seemed to know exactly how ‘short’ it was. At one point we heard 15 km but it turned out to be a little over 25 km. It was a frustrating last stretch. The vet told us all we had to do was ride around the bog and stay in the valley. That proved a lot harder than we thought. We ended up in the marshland, which really slowed us down. We took the time to enjoy the scenery and chat about country music. Suddenly, we saw Catherine, Francis and Tag cantering up on our right. We figured they must have found a trail so we rode towards them but it turned out there was no trail there either, just more bog. The sense of urgency returned as we tried to get to a trail and after crossing a little stream, we finally found one. We all cantered together for a bit but Esther and I tried to stick to our 15 minute schedule when the other three slowed down, so we rode ahead.

My horse for the last leg was a big, strong grey that wouldn’t listen to me trying to steer but seemed keen enough to go. He was very comfy and had a nice stride. Unfortunately the bog had made him tired and the last few kilometres it was hard to keep him cantering. Of course the last part of the leg was the hardest, as always. We kept seeing gers in the distance that we thought must be the finish camp but they never were. We almost went up into the hills, but remembered the advice not to leave the valley. We were unsure which trails to take and our horses were tired. This was definitely not a sprint to the finish but rather a repeat of the entire race, which seemed fitting. We gave our horses a little break and walked a bit so we could canter them across the finish line. We didn’t see the actual finish camp until we were about 500 metres away from it, it was just over a hill. Our canter turned into a walk as our horses were scared of the finish flags but we crossed the finish line hand in hand at noon. After ten days of crazy weather, crazy horses and crazy adventures, Esther and I had finished the longest, toughest horse race in the world!

The Simple Life

It's day 9! I didn’t sleep much that night, partly due to the snoring in the ger, partly because I knew this adventure was soon going to be over. During the race, all I had to worry about was getting water, food, a good horse and making it to the next station. There is something to say for ‘going back to basics’ like that. Nothing else matters and your other problems fade to the background. It’s simple but exhilirating and hard to explain to people who haven’t experienced something similar. You also get weirdly close to people if you live off-grid together for a little while. I had experienced this before in Wyoming, but the Derby was next level. I was going to miss seeing this group of riders and crew around every day. After so many people dropped out on day 7, we were back to being the ‘backpack’ of the race. After we’d leave a station, the crew would pack up and some would meet us again at the next station. We had our own medic meeting us at every station, which was very much needed. I swear Toby’s ‘buttcream’ is the only reason I made it through the race. My rash is still not fully gone.

The morning of Day 9 was cloudy and grey and I was half expecting we would finish this race the way we started: in the rain. It was also super windy so we bundled up and I got on my Vasti look-a-like. Unfortunately, he wasn’t as fast as Vasti but he did well. We crossed the floodplain towards the hills. The route led us to a village. Just before we got there, our horses had slowed down and seemed to get tired. Suddenly a herd of mares and foals ran out of the bushes and towards the town. I spurred my horse on and he was more than happy to follow them. With renewed energy, we cantered after the herd. It felt like such a special moment, running through those beautiful green hills, early in the morning, with a 'wild' herd.

We passed some of the crew vehicles in the village, they were trying to get gas but unfortunately this town had run out.. They pointed us towards a trail which led us through a stream, over the hills and to the next station. One of the things I was worried about before the race, was the dogs. Every family had one or multiple dogs that protected their livestock. If you rode too close to the gers, the dogs would run out after you. I was picturing crazy rabid dogs, foaming at the mouth, ready to tear you apart. In reality, they would just bark, trot up to us, follow for a few metres and then go back to their gers.

The herders at HS25 were passing the time with some mounted games when we got there. They would run their horses down a track, hang of the side of their mount, grab a rope from the ground and swing themselves back in the saddle, all at full speed. It was really impressive to watch and I was in awe of their riding skills. It truly seems like they were born on a horse. Esther and I got our horses vetted, grabbed something to eat and chose our rides for the next leg. We had left the clouds and rain behind in the valley and crossed the mountains through a beautiful pass. Esther got a grey and I rode a bay horse, both were tall, long legged horses that seemed eager to go. This was one of the smoothest stretches of the race. The valley we rode through was dotted with little blue flowers. We rode down the hills with a beautiful view of the plain in front of us, the sky was clear and we were making good time.

Once at the station, we were both eager to get another set of horses like this. We might even make it four stations today! Unfortunately it didn’t work out the way we had planned/hoped (does it ever?). I got a herder's horse, Esther got a bolter. As soon as she got on, her horse just took off. My little dark chestnut was fast but he couldn’t keep up. I saw Esther disappear into the distance and was preparing myself to ride this leg by myself. Thankfully she managed to bring him back to a trot after about 5 kilometres and I could catch up. Our horses weren’t very well matched, I rode a couple hundred metres behind her for the rest of this leg but at least she was still in sight. This was another really pretty stretch though. At one point I saw a large herd of what I assumed where cows on a hill right in front of us. Once we got closer, we realised they were actually camels, about fifty of them just stood there, watching us pass. We went through a mountain pass where, for the first time in over a week, we saw trees! The trail down the mountain was surrounded by wild flowers and I deliberately slowed down to take in the beautiful scenery. I was going to miss Mongolia!

Again, the last 7 kilometres were the hardest. We had to take a detour to get to the station so we wouldn’t have to cross so many hills. Both our horses had slowed down considerably at this point and we didn’t want to make it harder on them than we had to. My chafing was killing me and Esther had spent most of her energy trying to control her bolter. Thankfully, the medic vehicle drove up at that moment so we knew where to go. That gave us the last push we needed to make it. We were tired and once we got to the station, it took a while for Esther’s horse’s heartrate to go down. We had another 2,5 hours of riding time left but we decided we’d rather rest and ride the last two legs tomorrow, rather than rushing now. Mike rode into the station about half an hour later but he decided to go on to HS28. We spent the night at HS27 with Catherine, Katie, Francis and Tag. The family seemed happy to have us. They had two little girls who came up with all sorts of excuses to be in our ger. Tag and I ended up singing Bruno Mars’ songs with them (their version was in Mongolian). There was a beautiful full moon and we talked politics, a good night in Mongolia. After some problems with the woodstove and the whole ger getting filled with smoke we were finally ready for our last night on the steppe. Tomorrow we would reach the finish line!

If it was easy, it would be boring

Of course, after an amazing day like yesterday, we were bound to have some more bad luck today. After all, the Derby isn't called the longest, thoughest race in the world for nothing and if it was easy, it would be boring.

Every once in a while during the race, we would get updates about the front of the pack from the vets and other crew. We knew Bob had been in the lead for a few days but we had no idea where the other riders were and if anyone was going to give him a run for his money before the finish line. We knew the first riders would finish today so we were all excited to hear who would win this years' Derby. When we got to HS22, we found out that Bob had indeed finished and was the oldest rider to ever finish, and win!

At the next station, we heard Wiesmand had finished in second place. Quite impressive considering he was riding with us all the way at the back on day 1. Meanwhile, we were still on track to finish on day 10. We we're looking forward to another day of enjoying Mongolia. That morning at the horse line, I chose a beautiful Appaloosa as my mount. The herders tacked him up and then one of them handed me the reins and walked away. This is where I broke one of the LPA rules: don't do stupid shit. Instead of having the herders hold the horse while getting on, like I usually did, I figured this horse must be easy since the herder walked away. So I tried to get on by myself. By now I was a little tired and not as flexible as I was on day one. So of course it took me too long to swing my leg over and the horse saw an opportunity to bold off. I wasn't even on yet, so before I knew it, I was back on the ground. It wasn't much of a fall but of course someone managed to capture it on camera, scaring my friends and family back home. As I was on the ground, I watched my horse bolt with my saddle and my first thought was: please don't take off with my stuff! Thankfully the herders were quick to respond, one of them jumped on his bike and after a high speed chase around the station managed to bring my horse and gear back to me. Crisis averted!

The herder thought I would want another horse after this but I had seen how fast this guy was, no way I was going to swop. With his help I managed to get on safely this time and Esther and I took off into the marshy area that was the next leg. The horse turned out to be one of my favourites. He was so comfortable, very forward going but still easy to control and very fit. Also, he didn't dump me when we had to cross a pretty deep stream. Both Esther and I were a little nervous about crossing as it was pretty wide and we couldn't tell how deep it would be in the middle. We didn't have a choice though, as there was no way around it so we just plunged in, this was actually one of the things that scared me most during the race. There was another obstacle a few kilometres from the station: a long bridge over the river. The notes for this leg said it was best to dismount but I wasn't sure if I would be able to get back on my horse so we rode across it. The horses were a little nervous but did well and we made it to HS22 in one piece.

At HS22 there were two different herds of horses grazing near the gers. We had seen plenty of herds while riding but while we were waiting to have our horses vetted, the two stallions of these groups started fighting. They were rearing, kicking and running around, trying to get their mares together and chase the other off. It was pretty cool to see how they protect their herd and control their large group of mares and foals, all by themselves. We got on our horses just after Alanna, Holly and Mike had ridden off. We watched the two girls set off, but Mike went a different way and right in front of us, his horse tripped in a marmot hole and he fell off. We stopped to see if he was doing ok. He was banged up but was able to get back on and the three of us continued our way to HS23. This was the most boring stretch of the Derby: it was a straight road, along the power lines, on a plain, with nothing around for miles. It seemed to take ages but we stuck to our plan of 15 minute canters/5 minute walks and made it to the next station, eager to start the third leg of the day and finish the day 'early'.

Unfortunately it didn't quite work out that way. For starters, there wasn't a lot of food at HS23, just some dry bread and a little bit of mutton meat. This made us even more keen to get to the next station but the leg was quite tricky. The most direct way let us right into a bog. It was so marshy and wet everywhere, we would only be able to walk, meaning the leg would take us forever. We tried to get back to a trail that Esther had spotted but couldn't find it so we had to go way around to find a road. At first, we made pretty decent time, but we were taking a big detour. We were looking for a trail to take us closer to the station but they all seemed to lead just slightly the wrong way. We went cross-country for a bit, took some trails that ended up leading the wrong way, took some more detours and eventually, finally, ended up on the road we should have taken all along. We were quite sure we were headed straight for the station but it was less than one kilometre away and we still coudln't see it. We were riding on a floodplain so it seemed flat, we should be able to see a ger by now.

The horses we got, had done pretty well, considering they were really small. Esther was riding a little Palomino that the herders' had deemed to small for me when I tried to pick it (go figure), while I had a little grey. By this point they weren't to eager anymore though and we were hot, tired and hungry. We also still hadn't spotted any gers and were worried the station had moved/we'd gotten the coördinates wrong/had finally started hallucinating.. It turned out the station was right over a little hill. Thankfully one of the crew vehicles was parked on the raise so we rode towards it, if nothing else, they could tell us where to go. I was so happy once we spotted the gers, we had made it another day! The herders asked us to chose our horse for tomorrow from the horse line so they could let the others loose. It's hard to judge them based just on their looks but I spotted a little paint horse that looked just like my pony back home, so of course I had to pick him. I was excited for the last long day of riding tomorrow!

Wandering, not lost

Day 7 was my favorite day of the Derby. It all felt easier knowing that we we're over halfway there, were on schedule and the chances of us making it all the way were increasing with every mile we covered. On top of that, the scenery was beautiful that day. We rode out of HS18 through a beautiful valley with rocky hills surrounding us. Sam and Rachel had left just before we did, they were going to try to do four stations again today. Esther and I decided to just see where we'd end up but to not push too hard. We got to a village at 7.30 that morning. Unfortunately the local shop hadn't opened yet as we were both craving a coke. The villages are pretty quiet during summertime. In the winter, the herders abandon their gers and nomadic lifestyle in favor of a slightly warmer house. Most of the houses are pretty old and dilapidated though. The Mongolian people can basically pack all their belongings on a truck, which is necessary for their way of living, but it makes you wonder why we need so much stuff?

We passed the town and headed back to the hills. On this stretch we got a little lost, in a good way. We couldn't really decide which road to take so we did a little cross country riding and took some trails that 'sort of' went the right way. The low hills gave this area a bit of a 'golf course' feel, it felt like we we're on a Sunday stroll at the local park. We agreed that even though we might not have taken the most direct route, it was worth it. For the first time during this race, we didn't feel the constant stress of rushing to the finish line. We were enjoying the ride and our horses.

On the second leg of the day, we both got a really fast horse. Esther's horse looked just like her own horse back home, a dark bay with a wide blaze. Mine was a little chocolate coloured horse with caramel coloured mane. He was pretty small and stocky but a lovely ride. The first part of this leg led us through the hills but our horses were unstoppable, there was no slowing down. The second part was a flood plain along the river. Thankfully there was a good trail that was quite easy to follow so we took advantage of our horses' speed and quickly caught up with Rachel, Sam and Molly. As we rode into HS20, the vet and medic sped off in the car. Abby had pressed her emergency button and they were going to check on her. Thankfully she was ok but she had found a little girl wandering around by herself, we never found out what happened to the girl..

As we were waiting for the vet, the blood wagon pulled up to HS20, with quite a few more occupants than when we had last seen it. Six more people had quit the race that day and Ava was one of them. I was happy to see she was smiling and didn't get injured or anything. She told me she was happy with the race experience she'd had so far and had had enough. On the way to HS21 I realized that I was doing really well: I wasn't hurt, I was actually feeling pretty great. At this rate, we were going to make it to the finish line and would complete the crazy adventure that is the Mongol Derby. Seeing all those people who joined the blood wagon made me realize I could actually be proud of what I'd accomplished. I think that up untill that moment I still wasn't sure if I could do it but right then, I felt grateful, proud and confident I was going to finish.

All day long we were being chased by rain clouds, but it never started raining. It did make for a really impressive backdrop as we we're riding through the green hills. On the third stretch there was a beautiful river and a mountain range to our left. I couldn't stop looking at it and smiling while I was riding along. I was on a little gray horse. The herder told me it was his personal horse that he used to check on his herd. The little guy was fast, every time we cantered he would bolt like a rocket. After a few moments he calmed down and kept up a steady pace. Esther's horse was a little slower but kept a good pace and we rode into HS21 around 18.30 that night. We decided we didn't want to keep going and camp out so we stopped there for the night. It was one of the most beautiful stations of the Derby: on a slope overlooking a river with a mountain range in the distance. For some reason, this family had two giant camels with two young ones tied to a post. Since we got there early, we spend some time with the family and their friends who were visiting. Esther taught the kids games and I took out the balloons I had brought and played with the younger kids. Vet Anna made our day when she brought out the cokes we had been craving since that morning as we watched the sun sink behind the mountains. A perfect day in Mongolia!

Marmot holes everywhere

Day 5 threw us another curve ball: there was a race hold untill 10 o'clock that morning. The day before, we had heard about some injuries and illnesses at the front of the pack. Today we learned that two of the three medics had gone to the hospital in Ulaanbaatar with riders. We later learned that the riders that had to be taken in were Naomi and Sally. Sally especially was in pretty bad shape, she was suffering from severe heat stroke. Thankfully medic Andy recognised what was going on and did everything he could to get her to the hospital in time. Meanwhile, we took advantage of the race hold to sleep in. It had also started raining again so I wasn't too disappointed that we couldn't ride out early. By the time we got on our horses, it had stopped raining and the sky was clear again.

This stretch of the race led through a wide valley before taking us over the hills to HS16. It was a pretty hard one to navigate as there were a lot of different trails to choose from and we had to take a little detour to get to water. At one point, we ran into three Mongolian boys on horseback who rode with us for a bit to show us the right direction. They were great horsemen and tried to impress us by making their horses rear on command. Again, our horses were struggeling with the last 10 km of the leg. Mine wouldn't canter anymore so we had to trot. By this point I had some pretty bad chafing and trotting was the worst. All I wanted was to just walk in but we still had some ground to cover if we wanted to do three stations today. I thought I was going to lose Esther, as her horse was a bit fitter than mine and she had gotten ahead. I pushed on though and got to the station a few minutes after she did. My horse passed the vet check straight away so after some food and water, we we're ready to head out again.

Rachel and Sam rode into the station as we we're picking our next horses and after a quick stop, the four of us rode out together. On this leg, we had to cross train tracks. We got to an underpass that was quite low so our only option was to dismount and lead the horses. As we got ready to go through, a train suddenly came thundering towards us. Yes, we did look both ways but none of us had seen it coming. Thankfully we weren't trying to cross yet! Sam's horse was a little nervous but we all managed to get to the other side and get on our mounts again. The rest of the leg led us through some low hills and past a cemetary. In Mongolia, they still have sky burials were the body is left unprotected and exposed to the elements. We didn't spot any bodies though..

Again, the last 7 km to the station were the hardest. We weren't sure which route to take and we ended up taking a little detour. We rode into the station with two hours of riding time left and vet Cozy told us we could still make it to the next station if we went cross country, in a straight line to the station rather than sticking to the roads. We didn't have much of a choice, we had to make it to the next station in order to get to the finish line in time. I got a beautiful black horse that I named Blackjack, he seemed like he had wings, especially for the first part of the ride. He was very smooth and sure-footed. I thought I was going to die, there were marmot holes everywhere and he did trip a few times but he managed to right himself and keep going. I told Sam that being terrified at least kept me from thinking about my chafing! The first part of this leg was flat but the second part led us through the hills. It was so beautiful, the sun was setting behind us, the moon was rising and it was super quiet. It was a hard stretch for the horses though, as we cantered almost the whole way. We walked them into the station with only two-minutes shy of a three-hour penalty. We were still on schedule!

Halfway gone

Thankfully the story doesn't end with me crying by the side of the road. After the sun had set behind the mountains, I heard a car engine in the distance: help was on the way! I opted to get a carry forward to the next station, about 8 km away (you are allowed one carry forward during the race). Those 8 km were the scariest of the whole Derby! I'll take a Mongolian horse anyday, the bloodwagon driver drove like a madman! At one point, I thought we were going to flip over or at least crash into a ditch. He very skilfully managed to get us to the station in no-time where the vet let me know my horse was indeed not doing well and I had made the right decision calling for help. We kept an eye on him that night and after a few hours he was doing better and was allowed to join his buddies and go out with the herd. And I got a nice surprise: I got to sleep in an actual bed! Esther and Rendell had saved me a spot, so comfy!

The next morning, Esther and I decided to ride out together. We got up early and were on our horses at exactly 6.30. Our plan was to ride four legs today. Since I had only done two stations on the first day, we had to do a four leg day in order to make it to the finish line on time. The horses we got at HS14 we're really nice and fit so we made good time. The route was easy to navigate and flat, I think we made it to HS15 in 2,5 hours. Halfway there we ran into Ava, Molly, Sally and Mike with three horses. They had camped in an empty ger but unfortunately Mike's horse had run off. We hadn't seen a loose horse and since there wasn't much we could do, we kept going to HS18. Happy reunions were had when we ran into Jacki, who had fallen off on day two and was rejoining the race today. After a quick stop at the station, we got on our next horses and were off again.

Unfortunately, the horses we got for the second leg weren't as keen as the ones we got that morning. It was a long leg and it was pretty hard to keep them going. We had to trot a lot (so painful! I had some pretty bad chafing at this point) and came up with some pretty creative ways to keep them moving (Tsjakka!!!). The scenery on this leg was very impressive though, we rode past a massive river, rolling green hills and saw a camel that thought he was a cow. Another surprise awaited us at the next station: they had apple turn-overs! I ate two and managed to stop myself from devouring more as I didn't want to upset my stomach, which had finally, sort off, settled. This station also had a 'toilet' that was conveniently placed right next to the path people rode in on. Thankfully I heard the other riders come in on time.. Time to go on!

Leg three led through the hills, with some amazing views on the way. At one point we took a little detour around a hill but ended up at a stream with around a hundred mares drinking with their foals, an incredible sight! I named the horse I got on this stretch Harry. He was the clumsiest horse I rode all Derby. While the others were all really good at dodging marmot holes, he seemed to purposefully step in them. We almost trampled a few marmots and I got close to faceplanting in the dirt a few times. We miraculously made it to the next station with only two hours of riding time left. I was tempted to just stay the night and try for four legs again tomorrow but thankfully Esther pushed me to go on. We asked the herders for their fastest horses. They gave us two pretty small but stocky mounts and told us to go around the hills to a pass and then head for the station in a straight line. As we crossed the mountain pass, I looked back to the valley behind me. The sun was sinking lower and lower and washed everything in a beautiful golden light, it was breathtaking. One of my favourite views of the Derby. We didn't have lot of time to admire the scenery though, we had a station to get to.

The valley we rode through was devoid of any gers so there was nowhere to stay the night, unless we wanted to just put our sleeping bag down by the side of the rode. We decided we could make it to the horse station if we pushed a little more. When our horses seemed to be getting tired and I thought I was going to have to spend the night with the marmots, we passed some herders on bikes. Their yelling urged our horses on and they seemed to get a second wind. They were obviously well trained, we cantered almost the whole way, trotted them into the station and they passed the vet check straight away! We had made it to HS15 and rode around 160 km today! Also at HS15: Rachel and Sam, who we hadn't seen since the start of the race. Sam was unable to start due to illness but rejoined the race on day three. They were both a little worn but doing well. Patti and Abby also joined us in the ger. Day 5 had come to a close and we were halfway there. At this point it was just as far to go back so we might as well keep going!

Even if it killed me

While they said day 3 was going to be the hardest, day 4 was actually the most frustrating for me. It started out pretty good: that morning was the first time we woke up to clear skies. We seemed to have some trouble getting ready in the morning, we were allowed to ride out at 6.30 but so far, we hadn't started before 7. We were getting better at it though and we left HS8 only a little late. I got a little bay horse that was really herd sour. The herders didn't want me to take the first horse I picked (which Tag ended up taking) for some reason and they recommended this one. The first part of the leg, I was constantly trying to keep him on the path and going in the right direction. Every time we saw a herd of horses, he tried to run towards them. It got better when Anne started riding behind me to push him on. We rode through a pretty flat area with nothing around for miles, I was glad it was still early and we wouldn't have to camp here.

I don't remember exactly when the idea of the 'Last Place Alliance' or LPA first arose. I think it was on the second day when Ella, Tag and I rode out last and made a promise that we were going to make it all the way, even if we finished last. On day four, the LPA had grown to include Catherine, Katie and Francis as well. That morning though, while trying to keep up with their faster horses, I pushed mine a little too hard. He didn't seem that tired but we did canter almost the whole way. Unfortunately that's when I left the LPA. While their horses' heartrate went down pretty quick, my mount was struggling. After 30 minutes, his heartrate was still higher than 56, which meant I got a two hour vet penalty at HS9. Catherine and Anne also got penalties so we spend the time chatting to Rendell and Ella who had joined the bloodwagon while trying to dry our stuff in the sun.

After we filled our stomachs and relaxed in the ger, Catherine, Anne and I rode out of the station together. While Catherine and my horse were pretty fast, Anne's was crazy and she soon sped off into the distance. By now, we had gotten used to our GPS and navigating to the station went pretty well. We made good time and covered the leg in 2,5 hours. We didn't push too hard though because it had gotten quite hot and we didn't want to risk another penalty. It was nice to ride together and get to know Catherine better. When we got to the next station, Anne was already there waiting for us. I almost got another penalty because my horse was so bothered by the flies, his heartrate stayed around 60. Thankfully it went down just in time so we got on our next horses and rode out again.

The third leg of the day led us around the river, through sand dunes and over some really sandy tracks. It was still really warm as well. It was a hard stretch for the horses and I could tell straight away that my guy wasn't the quickest. The first time we cantered them, he was already slow and it got progressively worse. Anne got another fast horse so she sped away while Catherine and I tried to keep our steeds moving. We tried to stick to a 'schedule' of 10 minute canters followed by 5 minutes of walking. Eventually though, it got to a point where my horse couldn't even canter for two minutes. It didn't matter how much I shoo'd, kicked or smacked him, he just wouldn't go faster than a jog. When he would barely walk anymore, I felt ready to cry. If this was how I had to complete this Derby, by pushing this horse past what he could do, I didn't want to do it. This wasn't how I wanted to treat a horse, it just wasn't worth it to me. I told Catherine to ride ahead and as soon as she left, my horse stopped dead. I dismounted, sat down in the grass and cried.

At that point we were only 8 km from HS11 but it was almost 8 o'clock. I was at the back and I didn't really fancy camping out there, by myself, so I asked for a vet assist. I got a message on my tracker saying someone was on their way so I just sat there and watched the sunset. The view from my spot was beautiful. The sun was slowly sinking behind a mountain range and there was a river not far from there. I told myself to savour the moment. Yeah I was really frustrated with my horse, myself, the race, everything basically. But I was in this beautiful country, doing something most people don't even think of doing and I was going to enjoy it even if it killed me!