This year's Mongol Derby

[tabula_rashah]

Doing the Mongol Derby has always majorally intrigued me but quite honestly unless I win the lottery, I’m never going to get to do it lol. This year, however, a local guy was asking on FB for people that rode endurance and had extra horses to get training time in. I contacted him, we spent three months training together and yesterday he left the start line
If anyone wants to follow him- his name is Micaiah Skolnick
And here’s the link to the live race tracking https://equestrianists.com/live/

Their Facebook page has some amazing photos and videos up already

[2DogsFarm]

Fascinating!
Livestream was too slow to load for me, so I watched Training vids.
Your guy Worried about “chafing”
Curious as to his prior experience & how you trained for this.

[tabula_rashah]

lol- he is a great guy and hilarious to talk to (definitely kept me entertained through many hours in the saddle )

Experience-wise, he has ridden a lot, mostly Western, and done a lot of breaking/ starting but had not done any type of long distance riding. I have 6 horses and where I board backs up to a park with about 100 miles of trails so we’d take multiple sets out pretty much any time we rode. We did manage to get to one actual endurance race to get a feel for that too and he rode my very green Arab (and did awesome with him). Other than that- lots of time trying out equipment, talking about how and what to pack (they have strict weight limits and you have to be really careful about things like weird noises if your pack zipper squeaks) and how to optimize human nutrition/ hydration while out there. One thing that was kind of cool was that you have to use a specific kind of saddle (a Franco C endurance saddle)- he got a couple months ahead of the race so spent a lot of time training in it and modifying it to make it as comfortable as possible. I know he also did a lot of fitness work other than riding and had 2 or 3 other barns he was getting in saddle time with as well

[moonlitoaksranch]

That’s amazing! How did he have the time and money to do this? Was he sponsored? What’s his connection to Mongolia?

[tabula_rashah]

We didn’t talk about the money thing at all but I pretty sure his job is fairly flexible (he works in tech, app design etc- aka stuff this animal and plant girl knows nothing about lol)
I don’t think there were any sponsors? And no connection to Mongolia, just wanted to do the race. I’ve actually known several people who have done it in the past and say it’s an absolutely life changing experience

[FromTheGalaxy]

My trainer and one of her students completed the Derby last year! She’s an upper level eventer that rides multiple horses per day and also plays soccer on the side, so is very fit. I don’t think she did any special training for the race besides being paid to ride some client’s rank horses on xc lol. She fundraised prior to going but I think they both mostly paid out of pocket. Was supposed to go in 2020 but obviously got delayed to 2022 because of Covid. It was nerve wracking but also really fun to watch their progress last year. I just wanted to make sure my trainer came home in one piece!

[Larksmom]

a good eventer from around here went last year. She finished too. I shamelessly cannot remember her name but I am not involved much anymore.

[2DogsFarm]

I don’t know if you’re following the 2raw2ride thread, but from your description, your guy is the Polar Opposite of the self-proclaimed Tech Bro who’s doing everything wrong & harming the 2 horses he drafted into his shitstorm of a distance ride.

Reading what your guy did to be ready was a refreshing change.
Perfect example of Doing It Right!
I hope he finishes well.
Those Mongol ponies look like they take no prisoners!

[tabula_rashah]

I started reading some of that thread and had to stop

And yeah those Mongol horses are pretty awesome. I got to sit in on some of the discussions he’s had with previous riders and the stories are fantastic. One thing that was said is that the management of the race likes to throw in some “hunger games” style new rules randomly to stir things up. Like apparently this year, you don’t get to pick your horse when you change horses, yo just have to take the next one and that you have to tack up for yourself.

[sami-joe]

Thanks for the reminder that this is happening. While I closely followed the Derby’s Twitter feed about 10 years because a former HS English student who grew up to be a rider friend participated, I haven’t seen much of it since. A wicked good event rider, my friend came off and broke her pelvis a day or two from the end. She’s fine now, and I’m guessing would go again in a minute.

Anyone generally interested in horses and Mongolia might want to have a look at Australian anthropologist/documentarian Natasha Fijn’s work. Her Khangai Herd series includes several short films about a group of herders, their horses, and their lives.

[OnAMission]

My SIL did this race a few years ago and it was a bit of a mess. I forget how it all went down but she had her horse, saddle and all her gear stolen. She met a really nice local family that helped her out of it but this race is no cake walk.

ETA SIL went back a year later to visit the family and ride with them and had a lot better trip. lol She also did the Patagonia ride and that’s a story for another day.

[tabula_rashah]

I had forgotten your SIL participated- I’m sorry that happened to her. Another lady I know that did it was telling me a story about when she fell off and lost her horse and a man tried to buy her

I’d be very interested in hearing about her Gaucho Derby experience- the vet who was giving advice about the Mongol Derby that I got to sit in on, had done (and won) the Gaucho previously but she didn’t get time to talk about it. A couple of people are trying to convince me to do it but I think that’s a pipe dream lol- I could never be gone from home/ work that long

[tabula_rashah]

An update/ story about my friend from the race that I thought you guys might enjoy (the page clarified that eagles hunters= researchers not people actually hunting eagles
https://www.facebook.com/MongolDerby/posts/pfbid0moR7kJaNcDC64CejKXmXgqyrmipWMBakU6PitgvJc6nFnripZNkynZZyDrkt18fGl

[rockonxox]

That would be Julie Wolfert

[Larksmom]

of course! I am ashamed that I can’t remember her name, but I am not really involved anymore, and only see people when I am at the event. Thanks Rox.