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!

The post How Jessie Dowling’s Mongol Derby Adventure Paved the Way to More appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Matthew Perella in full flow. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

Based on the ancient horse messenger system used by Genghis Khan — in a country where the horse is king — at 1,000 kilometers, the Derby is the toughest test on the planet for equestrian endurance riders. Whilst horses are changed roughly every 35km, at checkpoints strung out throughout the country, riders must endure being in the saddle for up to 200km a day and face the challenges of riding over 28 different semi-wild horses. The riders must face the animals’ varying temperaments and bucking abilities, and the inevitable falls and mishaps that happen along the way while navigating through challenging terrain, including giant sand dunes and freezing mountain passes.  

Riders with their steeds during the 2023 Mongol Derby. Pakistani rider Omer Hayat Khan in the foreground. Photo by Shari Thompson

The thirteenth edition of the Mongol Derby kicked off on August 2 and looked set to be a firecracker from the off, with 42 riders from 11 different nations competing for the prestigious win. 

Watch this recap of day one of the Mongol Derby.

Day one saw Spanish rider Xavier Ferrer riding at the front of the pack for most of the day, but he wasn’t in the lead as evening fell. Having had a reversal of fortune when he abruptly parted ways with his horse en route to HS3 (horse station 3), Xavier had to hitch a ride back to HS2. This left German rider Judith Jaeckle at the front of the race as night fell.  

Judith Jaeckle getting ready to ride. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

Over the next eight days, Judith was never far from the front of the race and showed true horsemanship skills by never having to redraw a horse (new to the race this year, every horse station was a ‘lotto’, meaning riders had to ride the horse they were given, rather than picking a horse themselves, testing their horsemanship all the more. You could, however, choose to ‘redraw’ a maximum of three times in the race if you didn’t like the look of the horse you were first given). 

Erdene-Ochir Uuganbayar winner of the August 2022 Mongol Derby, was a host at one of this year’s horse stations. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

The real battle of the race would come on its final stretch, as Swedish rider Linda Hermann — who had been in a game of cat and mouse with Judith over the previous days — finally managed to overtake the German rider to take the lead. . . but only just, and it certainly wasn’t a two-horse race. Hot on the ladies’ tails was American Marine Matthew Perrella, whose navigation prowess and luck of the draw with some seriously fast racehorses, now put him in contention for the Mongol Derby win. 

As it came down to the last two horse stations, Linda found herself deep in a bog. Luckily she and her horse were fine, but it was a very tense moment and a vet team was dispatched before her horse was cleared to continue. This slowed the Swedish rider down, and allowed Judith and Matt to both gain ground, riding on very fast horses. It was down to the wire, but Linda was able to make it to the final horse station, before the finish line. She cleared the vet check (these checks happen at every checkpoint to ensure all horses are OK and haven’t been ridden too hard), and remounted on a seriously fit racehorse while still in the lead. The win seemed hers, as long as her horse passed the final vet check at the finish line. 

A rather spirited horse. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

But Judith and Matt had other ideas and reached the final horse station almost within eyesight of Linda. They both changed horses swiftly. With Matt on one of the most feral and fastest horses on the course, he crossed the finish line shortly after Linda, with Judith a mere few minutes behind him. 

With bated breath, everyone waited for Linda’s vet check to clear (a penalty would lead to her losing the win), but finally the news came that her horse’s heart rate was below the 56 beats per minute requirement and the win was hers. Matt and Judith cleared their vet checks shortly after crossing, with Matt claiming second place and Judith third. 

Judith Jaeckle galloping across Mongolia’s steppe. Photo by Kathy Gabriel

Not only was the race an incredible success for all those involved, but it also helped raise a huge amount of money for charity. The Mongol Derby to date has raised over $1 million for charities, with each rider asked to raise funds for good causes. Among them was the race’s official charity partner, Steppe and Hoof, whose objective is to support the herders and their animals while working to save the unique traditions that are part of the Mongolian nomadic lifestyle as it comes under fire from climate change and urbanization.  

Matthew Perella was also raising money for The Righteous Life Rescue Ranch, which he founded to help retired horses and death row dogs, as well as to provide equine therapy to veterans with PTSD, those with special needs, and anyone seeking inner peace and overall improved health.   

For more details on the Mongol Derby, visit www.equestrianists.com.  

Comments from Winner Linda Hermann at the Mongol Derby Finish Line

Linda on being stuck in the bog en route to the last horse station: 

“I had a lot of pressure today. . . but [the horse] just got up and nothing was wrong with him. The vet cleared him and we continued to the final station.” 

Linda on her favorite part of the race: 

“Riding alone.” 

Linda on expectation vs. reality:

“The rodeos at the horse station, I expected that, and I got it. Most notably being kicked in the stomach.”

Linda on the horses she raced on: 

“The thing is, when you’re going so fast on some of these horses, there’s a feeling that, ‘If my horse trips, I am dead,’ but they didn’t trip. The risk and the feeling was just incredible.”

— Edited Press Release

The post Mongol Derby: Second place for U.S. Marine veteran in the world’s toughest horse race appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Robert Long in the 2019 Mongol Derby. Photo by Sarah Farnsworth

To win the world’s longest horse race, Robert Long employed equal parts preparation and smarts. In August, the 70-year-old became the oldest winner of the Mongol Derby, which involves racing more than 600 miles across the Mongolian Steppe, recreating Genghis Khan’s horseback messenger system of the early 1200s. Riding approximately 12 hours each day for eight days, Long beat out 41 top riders from around the globe.

Preparations

Endurance riders make up most of the Mongol Derby crowd, but Long—more of a cowboy—grew up in Wyoming and lives in Idaho. As a kid, he worked cattle and went on horse-packing hunting trips with his family in the Yellowstone-Tetons area. Competition wise, ranch horse versatility is his main sport. It involves ranch riding, ranch trail, ranch reining, ranch cow work and ranch conformation. Long has started many competitive horses for the sport.

So what prompted this cowboy to join the endurance riders a world away?

“It was kind of a lark,” Long admits. While visiting friends, they introduced him to a movie about the race called All the Wild Horses.

“It took me about 20 minutes to decide it was something I should do,” says Long.

After researching the details that fall, Long went all in. “I couldn’t think or talk or behave without worrying or working on the derby,” he says. “It was an all-consuming preparation.”

Competitors often dismount to walk their horses and give them a walk. Photo by Sarah Farnsworth

First, he moved his horse and gear down to Arizona for the winter and made connections in the endurance world.

Long borrowed Arabian horses,riding four every other day, 20 miles per horse, and competed in 50-mile endurance races. When the weather heated up in March, he headed back to Idaho and began conditioning reining and barrel racing horses at a ranch in Cambridge. He worked each horse about 10 miles a day.

“I’d get on a horse at 6 a.m. and still be riding at 8 that night, every day,” says Long.

Next up, he visited past derby veterans, including 2016 winner Marcia Hefker-Miles of New Mexico, who gave him tips for nutrition and water safety, among other things. This included using iodine tablets in the water along with flavoring and electrolytes, plus a daily nutritional supplement. Back in Idaho in the weeks leading up to the race, he tested all his gear, and even slept outdoors.

Starting Out Strategically

The race provides saddles and local Mongolian horses, but riders bring their other gear, including stirrups and fenders. Long also packed a bucking roll from one of his saddles.

“It was instrumental in keeping me in the saddle,” he says. “I’d get on these little waspy Mongolian horses, and they’d crow-hop around and try to squirrel out from under you. Those bucking rolls really did the trick for me.”

Horses used in the Mongol Derby belong to the semi-nomadic people whose way of life has remained unchanged for centuries. Photo by Sarah Farnsworth

After a drawing to determine initial horses, riders picked mounts on a first-come, first-served basis. In all, Long switched horses 28 times during the race.

“The Mongolian horses are heavy in the front end and lighter in the hindquarters,” he says.“Based on my coaching from the previous derby riders, I was looking for a taller horse that was slender and had a big shoulder on him.”

Long’s tips from past winners included befriending the local horse handlers. Small gifts brought from home made quick friends, and the handlers would suggest the best horses.

In addition, Long didn’t follow the safest routes set by the race organizers, instead setting his GPS coordinates to find shortcuts. Sometimes, however, those shortcuts took him away from water sources. On a mountaintop far from the main route that followed a river, the oldest winner of the Mongol Derby met a local woman doing her wash.

Robert brought gifts for the local families that helped him throughout the ride. Photo by Sarah Farnsworth

“By then I’d learned enough Mongolian words that I could convey that I needed horse water,” he says. “Her two little boys were playing in a galvanized tub of water. She shooed the boys out, and I watered my horse in their play tub. I took pictures of her, and she took pictures of me. It was a really fun experience. I got on my horse and took off, and that’s when I actually moved ahead. I was in the lead from then on. I never looked back after that.”

While many riders slept in gers, or yurts, set up at horse stations, Long preferred to stay with Mongolian families who follow the race and welcome guests.

“I didn’t stay at horse stations and let the rest of the riders catch up with me,” he says. “That would have collapsed my lead.”

Time with the locals also turned out to be a highlight of the race experience.

“That’s the part I enjoyed the most,” Long says. The families displayed amazing hospitality, taking care of his horse and cooking him meals.

Twin girls were sitting on a corral singing songs and watching the sunset as he rode up one night. Their mother made sure he had fresh milk from the family cow before he took off in the morning. Gifts of stickers, barrettes and lip balm were given to the host children.

Robert crossed the finish line two-and-a-half hours ahead of the next competitor. Photo by Sarah Farnsworth

Racing to the Finish

As with stateside endurance races, vet checks ensured the horses stayed healthy during the race. An international team of all-star vets, including three renowned lameness specialists, checked the horses and dished out stiff penalties for issues they found. Long finished the race with no vet penalties, in part due to a pre-check process he developed.

“Two or so miles out I would slow down, lower the bit out of the horse’s mouth and bring it up under his chin so that the headstall made a halter,” he says. “That gave him time to relax and eat, and then he could drink comfortably. I’d hit the vet stations, and my horses would be calm, their heart rates would be down, and I’d make some fast turnarounds.”

The race is organized by The Adventurists, and Long credits them with excellent organization.

“The message is that preparation trumps youth,” he says of his win. “I really did have some good competition. These guys were professional endurance riders. They kept pushing me, and I thrive on that kind of competition.”

Long finished the race the race two-and-a-half hours ahead of the next rider.

Now that he’s back home in Idaho, this oldest winner of the Mongol Derby plans to have several shoulder injuries that happened before the race repaired. Then he’ll get to work with his 3-year-old ranch horse versatility prospect and do some packing trips.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Long also plans to take a foray into reining.

This article about Robert Long, the oldest winner of the Mongol Derby, originally appeared in the December 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

Further Reading on Endurance

• Four Champions Crowned at Inaugural USEF Endurance National Championships at Broxton Bridge Plantation
• Get Started in Distance Riding with Green Bean Endurance
• Now’s the Time to Get Started in Endurance Riding

The post Horse People: The Longest Horse Race—The Story of the Oldest Mongol Derby Winner appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.