The Gaucho Derby—deemed the “greatest test of horsemanship on Earth”—challenges riders’ wilderness survival and navigational skills as they race through of a network of estancias in the wilds of Patagonia (not to mention the test of camping outside each night).   

And for those brave enough to attempt it, these races are life-changing.

How Jessie Dowling’s Derby Preparation Began

In 2022, 40-year-old Jessie Dowling, an industrious cheesemaker and dairy farmer in Whitefield, Maine, was listening to a podcast while milking sheep and goats—unaware that soon she would embark on her own life-changing adventure, competing in the 2023 Mongol Derby.  

As president of the Maine Cheese Guild and owner of Fuzzy Udder Creamery, Dowling’s schedule was grueling. The pandemic forced her to think about where her life was going as a farmer and her happiness. She began spending more time with her horses—riding, training, attending clinics—and listening to podcasts.  

“I had heard of the Mongol Derby but thought it was for professional riders—I’m a backyard rider” Dowling says. “But on Warwick Schiller’s podcast, Stevie Delahunt talked about signing up for her Mongol Derby boot camp in Oregon—and I decided to do it.”

Dowling applied for the Mongol Derby, trained with endurance riders in Maine, completed her first limited-distance ride in 2022, and interviewed for the Mongol Derby the following day. “I told them I completed my first distance ride, was signed up for the Mongol boot camp, and they said I was in.”  

“I had zero endurance riding experience,” Dowling says. “I arrive at boot camp in Oregon; Warwick Schiller is there training for the Gaucho Derby. I went from listening to his podcasts in my milking parlor to riding Arabians with him.”

Falling in love with Arabians in the process, Dowling immediately acquired an Arabian gelding, Jelly Bean, as her new Mongol Derby training partner. “He has taught me so much about staying present, reading a horse’s energy, and regulating my energy.” 

Jessie Dowling and Jelly Bean. Photo by Julie Maddock

Her year-long Derby preparation included running, yoga, completing farm chores wearing a hydration pack, using a balance board to strengthen muscles, and a three-day intensive riding clinic with Solange Ellis. “She totally changed how I ride with biomechanic adjustments—sitting a gallop and riding in stable positions for long periods.”

The Mongolian steppe is covered with little marmot holes. “I learned how to sit back as the horse falls into a marmot hole, picks themselves up, and keeps going,” Dowling says. She also learned to ride Western and fast over all terrain. “You’re galloping for miles at a time.”   

In addition to improving these various riding skills, Dowling took Mongolian language lessons and carefully planned her gear.

“You’re only allowed 11 pounds,” Dowling says. “I had a little saddle bag, a hydration pack, med kit, water purification tablets, snacks, two sets of clothes, rain gear, and comfortable hiking shoes.” She traveled to Mongolia and arrived at the starting line.  

The Adventure Begins

“On an average day, the topography changes a lot—mountains, lakes, rivers, rolling hills, grasslands,” Dowling says. “You pass freely roaming cows, sheep, goats, horses, a herd of camels.”  

Dowling gallops past a herd of sheep and goats. Photo courtesy The Equestrianists

Riding 12 hours a day works up an appetite. There’s no Panera along the route; Dowling quickly adapted to the local food provided by host families at the urtuu—the horse stations. “The diet is one of the hardest parts,” Dowling says. “They eat parts of the sheep that we don’t normally eat—intestines or sheep face.” She often snacked on traditional meat pies throughout the day.  

The race rules are strictly enforced, prioritizing the horses’ well-being and the riders’ safety. “Race hours start at 7 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. If you arrive at a horse station by 7 p.m., you give your horse back to the herder, enjoy some food, and sleep in a ger. But if it’s 5 p.m. and you realize you can’t make it to the next station by 7 p.m., you must find a random ger to stay in. But hospitality is huge in Mongolian culture—they usually invite you to stay and feed you if you show up at a ger.” 

Dowling and fellow riders enjoy dinner with a Mongolian family in a traditional ger. Photo courtesy The Equestrianists

On day five, Dowling came off her horse while attempting to put on a rain jacket. She was unable to get back on her flighty mount. “We were walking and walking; I couldn’t find a ger,” Dowling says. “I had to stop at 7 p.m. or else get penalized. So I watched the sunset with my horse; it was beautiful.” She messaged the vet who came to complete the required check on her horse, who she helped Dowling get water and find a ger to stay in that night. Per race rules, Dowling incurred a 2-hour penalty for receiving assistance.  

You Get the Derby You Need

A network of Mongolian herders provide hundreds of horses for the race. 

“You ride 29 different horses during the race,” Dowling says. “It’s a lottery which horse you get. Each horse goes 40 km (25 miles). At each horse station, a vet checks the horse’s heart rate. It must come down to 56 bpm within a half hour. They have the highest standards of ethical welfare for a horse. The vet checks the horse’s gut sounds and gait. A rider gets penalized if there’s any problem with the horse. You can’t override your horse. The race taught me how to rate a horse—a horse will help you know its fitness if you really listen to it.”  

At horse station 2, Dowling kisses her horse goodbye, returning him to his proud owner. Photo courtesy The Equestrianists

Horse’s temperaments are another challenge many riders face during the journey, but this was an area in which Dowling shined.

“Some had trouble with their horse being spicy, but my superpower is that I love every horse I come across” Dowling says. “So, I would just take a deep breath, tell them that I loved them, find the spot they liked to be scratched, and connect with them.”

Dowling lets her horse stop for a drink on day three. Photo courtesy The Equestrianists

As for expectations, be prepared to be humbled. 

“People say you don’t get the Derby you want—you get the Derby you need,” Dowling says. Although she never reached her breaking point, day eight came close. “It’s mostly geldings—just a handful of stallions. On day eight, I pulled a stallion. Never riding a stallion before, I was a bit nervous. I headed out with other riders, tried to keep up, but he kept going slower. It was like he had never cantered before. Then we were down to a slow trot. Then a walk. I’m now the last rider. And if you get too far behind, you’ll get kicked out of the race.

“So I arrive at the only town on the race, and after eating boiled mutton face for a week, I had hopes of joining other riders at a café for chips and a beer… no other riders were there. Then my stallion would not walk over the bridge leaving town. An interpreter nearby helped by leading me across the bridge like I was on a pony ride. And he takes a picture. It was so embarrassing.

“At the next station, my horse checks out fine. I check the hospitality ger—all the food is gone. I just burst into tears. I took a deep breath, headed out to the horse line, and I picked number five. The herder had been waiting for someone to pick his prized horse all day. And I end up getting on the fastest horse! And that boy and I went straight out, galloping across the desert steppe, passed other riders, arrived at the next station less than two hours later, and I was back in the race.”

 Talk about getting the Derby you need.

“That day was the worst and best part of the race,” Dowling says. “I was hungry, demoralized, tired—but never gave up.” 

Leaving station 28, Jessie gallops across the Mongolian steppe towards the finish line. Photo courtesy The Equestrianists

Forty-three riders started the race, only 25 finished, and Dowling placed 13th. She says the experience was life-changing. “I went from an intermediate rider to an advanced rider. Spending 12 hours a day in the saddle on difficult horses, I feel light years ahead in my riding,” Dowling says. “So I got home. The next week, our farm’s cheese wins Best in Show at the Maine Cheese Festival, but I felt hollow inside. I realized this wasn’t what I wanted to do anymore.” 

She promptly sold her business to pursue an equestrian career full-time—with zero regrets.

Dowling accepts ceremonial milk at the finish line. Photo courtesy The Equestrianists

Dowling celebrated by riding the Tevis Cup—a 100-mile, one-day race in California. She opened Iron Ledge Farm, offering lessons and endurance training. Dowling visited Argentina to start training for her next adventure—the Gaucho Derby, which runs from February 18 to 28, 2026. Because the Gaucho Derby involves camping along the route, Dowling is figuring out how to pack a tent, stove, camping gear, and riding essentials in a saddle bag weighing no more than 22 pounds. “The Mongol Derby is the longest race in the world, but the Gaucho Derby has been called the toughest.”  

 And if anyone is up for the challenge, it’s Jessie Dowling.

Learn more about Jessie Dowling and her equine adventures by visiting ironledgefarm.com and following her on Facebook.   

This article about Jessie Dowling’s Mongol Derby is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Gaucho Derby winners at the finish line. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

An eight-day-plus, 500km multi-horse adventure race, The Gaucho Derby travels through the mountains and pampas of Patagonia and is unlike any other horse race on the planet, a test of much more than simply ‘who can go fastest’.

Part of the Equestrianists Series, which also includes The Mongol Derby (the longest horse race in existence), The Gaucho Derby is based on the landscape, culture, history and horses of Patagonia and, or course, the Gauchos themselves. Crossing through high mountains, riders have to contend with both tricky terrain and unpredictable weather, ensuring the event is more than just a test of riders’ skills on a horse, pushing navigational skills, physical stamina and an ability to handle the wilderness (with riders camping out most nights) to the limit.

Gauchos at work. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

Riding endurance horses for the first few days of the race, when the land levels, riders must swap horses for faster riding, but still remain mindful of not pushing their horses too hard, for fear of penalties.

“We would rather nobody wins than someone wins by pushing too hard. Riders seen making bad decisions, riding too fast across difficult terrain or not presenting horses in great condition will get penalties or be disqualified,” said Tom Morgan, The Equestrianists founder.

The end result: ‘the greatest test of horsemanship and wilderness skills on Earth’.

This was the third time the Gaucho Derby’s run, with Covid causing a break in proceedings, and 39 riders, from nine different nations, lined up at this year’s start line.

The race began on February 8 and from the off, riders learned that the environment in Patagonia can be a cruel mistress, as they faced the prospect of riding through a sandstorm. This slowed things down and no one was able to break away from the pack during the first day’s riding, with riders split between vet stations two and three as night fell. The end of the day’s riding was far from the end of the riders’ day however, as they took on the crucial responsibility of tending to their horses, ensuring they were well-fed, hydrated, and comfortably settled for the night, before setting up camp (riders carry their own tents, food and equipment) and preparing a ‘delightful’ dehydrated meal. This self-sufficiency is a hallmark of the journey, with riders managing their daily activities independently, without reliance on others or the support crew.

A sandstorm rolls in. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

Day two saw six riders finally make headway on the rest of the pack, but their lead was short lived, as scorching temperatures and a complete lack of wind, made the going tough the following day. 16 riders spent the night together between vet stations seven and eight at the end of day three.

With the horse settled, it’s time to set up camp. Featuring Josephine Jammaers from Belgium. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

It wasn’t until day five that another breakaway occurred, with Gaucho Derby veteran Daniel Van Eden (Netherlands), endurance athlete Holly Masson (United Kingdom) and Mongol Derby veteran Rendel Rieckmann (Germany) breaking away from the pack. The trio carried the lead forward over the following three days, although at one point it looked like Daniel and Rendel would be able to get a lead over Holly, after she received a two hour riding penalty, but the pair decided to wait for her.

“Honestly, it was exhausting to constantly look over your shoulder every 10 minutes and see them chasing you,” said Rendel. “Eventually, at one of the stations, we collectively made the decision to ride together and finish as a team. It has truly been a massive relief and a much more enjoyable race since we decided to work together.”

Rendel Rieckmann leading the way through some tricky ground. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

It was these three riders who went on to claim the joint title of Gaucho Derby winners, on day eight, but only after a very tense wait at the finish line…

Midway through the race, at the Meseta de la Muerte (Plateau of Death), a fierce storm rolled in and, in consideration of the well-being of the horses and riders, the race directors opted to pause the race until it was deemed safe to proceed. At the time, Daniel, Holly and Rendel were in the lead and were given a two-hour ‘credit’ once the race had restarted.

Hot on the heels of the three riders, through the latter stages of the race, were French men Nathanael Bienvenu and Olivier Picard (who rode together throughout). They actually managed to cross the finish line first, but had to wait to see whether there was more than two hours between them and Daniel, Holly and Rendel. Unfortunately, for the French riders, there wasn’t and the trio were crowned champions of a race that will forever be etched in their minds for the scenery they rode through, the people they met, the weather and challenges they faced and, of course, the horses they rode.

Not only was the race an incredible success for all those involved, but it also helped raise thousands of dollars for various charities across the world.

For more details on the race visit www.equestrianists.com.

The winners taking a chance to extend their lead. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

Gaucho Derby Winners’ Q&A

Rendel Rieckmann (Germany)

What was the most exciting part of this whole event?
There were so many exciting moments, like flying over the bushes with these amazing horses or the small things like realizing that the navigation plan, which was done the night before, really worked out well. However, the most exciting part was for sure to ride as a team and scream and shout together, whether it’s because of highs or lows.

How was it riding as a team? Did you have different roles i.e. navigator, campsite selector, etc.?
Riding as a team was essential. You hear it often, but it’s simply true: I could not have finished alone and it would be a hell lot less fun. Dan always kept his cool to keep going and had great experience from the last Derby, Holly’s drive, cheer up capability and major path finding skills and my technical and nav contribution made an amazing team. In the end it all blended a bit together as we learned a lot from each other.

How were the horses?
We were lucky with the full range of Patagonia’s beauties: from the rather relaxed and calm friends, which were easy to camp with, to the spicy rodeo ones where you wanted to take watches at night to make sure everything is OK. Every one of them became kind of a friend along the way.

What was your emotional roller coaster like during the race?
I’m not sure if this roller coaster would pass German regulatories. This much of up and down was hard to handle. There were parts when every hour basically we thought completely different from winning to not even being able to make it to the finish line. I literally wanted to quit 30km before the finish line and call it a day after we rode 10km in the national park, which was the wrong way. An hour later we saw we can still make it and the spark was back on.

It’s billed as the Toughest Horse Race. Was it really?
The first two thirds were hard but still manageable with treating yourself well with food, water and sleep. After that, it became mentally and physically very exhausting. I remember a scene when after hitting almost nine hours of mountain climbing, impassable forest, searching for gates in the labyrinths of fences and running through never ending bog fields we were partly falling on the ground begging it to end. So I guess it was quite hard!

What kept you going when you were your most exhausted?
Holly’s enthusiasm and just being a wonderful friend.

Daniel Van Eden (Netherlands)

What was the most exciting part of this whole event?
Hard to name one specific moment. Riding into the vet check where my accident happened last time and leading the race was special. The scenic terrain after Sierra Nevada was beautiful. Going over the finish and putting a checkmark to what started about four years ago felt great. I’m also proud to have finished without vet penalties.

How was it riding as a team? Did you have different roles i.e. navigator, campsite selector etc.?
Working as a team can be intense, especially with the pressure of the race and issues with the horses Holly was riding. I think in the end the team worked great because we all added different things to the team.

How were the horses?
Big, small. Some calm, some wild. Better in climbing up mountains than us. They all were beautiful. Because of how they are held, they are more social than the horses back home.

What was your emotional roller coaster like during the race?
I wasn’t expecting it to be such an emotional roller coaster — especially the part where we had crossed into the national park and had to backtrack.

It’s billed as the Toughest Horse Race. Was it really?
Yes. Especially because it needs so many different skills, physically and mentally. Horse riding, navigation, team work, finding fences, camping out, hot weather (while all of us were prepared for cold weather).

What kept you going when you were your most exhausted?
Teammates. Also other riders. And the vets, medics and other people manning the vet checks and horse stations.

— Edited Press Release

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