Mongol Derby Experience - A Talk By Sophie

Mongol Derby Experience - A Talk By Sophie

You may have read about the Mongol Derby - the world’s longest horse race,  1,000km multi-horse race across the epic wilderness of the Mongolian steppe, now come and hear about a rider's experience from Sophie de Rouet.

7.00pm on Thursday 10th October 2024
Miserden Village Hall, GL6 7JA
///bill.cherubs.suffice

£25 per head, to include a welcoming glass of wine and some food. A bar will be open during the evening.

(TICKET SALES CLOSE ON 4th OCTOBER)

Sophie turned 50 in July of this year and wanted to find a challenge that acknowledged the landmark. It came in the form of The Mongol Derby. This is an endurance horse race – with an entry in the Guiness Book of Records as the world’s longest multi horse race. It is run over 1000km of the Mongolian Steppe, changing horses every 30-40km. Competitors are allowed to ride between the hours of 7am and 7pm and can choose to spend the nights either in the horse stations, camping under the stars, or enjoying the extraordinary hospitality of the local Mongolian herders who have no hesitation at all about inviting complete strangers into their tents (gers) and feeding them and giving them a place to sleep.

In Sophie’s words… “It was an extraordinary experience. Everything that it was billed to be – very long and frankly pretty tough. Some of the horses are lovely, some are awful, and some are fairly bonkers. I finished the race in nine days, and my overwhelming emotion as I cross the finish line was one of immense relief to have completed the race and still be in one piece. It is a memory that I will treasure for a very long time, but I hope that I never have to ride another Mongolian horse again!!!”