There has been a lot written already about the upcoming Mongol Derby. I’d like to share a few of those links and also some e-mail exchanges regarding the event between the Long Rider’s Guild and the company that is putting on the event.
Racing into trouble: alert from The Long Riders’ Guild
Mercy Corps’ Mongolian horse race draws opposition from equestrian groups
Tom Morgan You’re the FHOTD Idiot du Jour!
At first glance, this event could appeal to a lot of us – it sure sounds like an incredible adventure. I wanted to do it when I first learned about it! My husband says that I wouldn’t have had as much fun though, if I were not riding my own horses. That is true as part of why I enjoy riding long distances and spending long hours in the saddle or on foot with my horses is because of the relationships that I have developed with them. For me, it’s about the journey and not as much the destination or where we finish. I like to think that my horses welfare comes first and that I always make the best decisions in that regard, and when I haven’t I have learned from those mistakes. Fortunately those mistakes have never resulted in the death of a horse or a serious situation – knocking on wood.
I have read some info on those that are participating in this event and the one thing that comes through is their naivety. Putting your own life in danger or harms way is a choice we can make. But it’s not right to put the health and lives of all of these horses in so much danger. For what? What will these people do when they find out the hard way how fragile these horses can be. Tough, yes. Our endurance horses are tough too but don’t let that fool you – they ARE fragile.
I think that it’s clear from what happened at Catoosa that horses don’t need to go 50 or 100 miles to experience metabolic disaster. Most if not all of the horses that died at Catoosa were in the 15 and 25 mile races and didn’t even make it that far. Read the article!
Here are the email exchanges:
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From: “Ants Bolingbroke-Kent” <ants@theadventurists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 10:50 AM
To: nomads@equestrianexplorer.com
Subject: The longest horse race in the world
Dear Basha and CuChullaine
My name’s Antonia and I work for a company called The Adventurists www.theadventurists.com. We organise international charity events such as The Mongol Rally, Africa Rally and Rickshaw Run. However, next summer we’re launching our inaugural Mongol Derby, set to be the world’s longest horse race. The race will see 25 riders race 1000 km across the Mongolian steppes, riding a series of horses over 40 km legs. The idea of the race comes from the great Ghenghis Khan’s postal service, where riders would gallop for thousands of kilometres across Europe and Asia, changing horses at numerous staging posts along the route.
We’re in the early stages of planning the event, with the website being launched before Christmas and the 25 places going on sale on January 24. Having read about your epic travels and your Long Rider’s Guild I thought it would be good to contact you.
The places for the race go on sale on January 24 and we’re keen for the competitors to be drawn from all over the world. Although we already have a mailing list of 20,000 people and long waiting lists for all our events, we want to attract people from the international equestrian community. This is going to be all about the endurance of the rider, as opposed to the horse and the people taking part are going to need to be pretty au fait with riding extreme distances! Might it be something you would be willing to spread the word about through your guild members? Do you think any of them would be interested in taking part?
I’m not sure if you have left yet but if not then perhaps we could meet up sometime to discuss this more. Maybe you’re going to be at the RGS’s Explore weekend in 10 days time? I’m on the overland panel so will be there all weekend.
I hope you don’t mind me contacting you out of the blue like this and it would be great to hear from you. If you are already on the road then I hope it’s all going brilliantly.
With best wishes
Antonia
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November 16, 2008
To: Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent - The Adventurists
From: CuChullaine O’Reilly – The Long Riders’ Guild
Subject: Extreme Inadvisability of Attempting Mongolian Equestrian Endurance Ride
CC: Mr. Tom
Dear Antonia,
CuChullaine O’Reilly of The Long Riders’ Guild here, writing in response to your alarming message dated 12th November, 2008. While you were correct in contacting The Long Riders’ Guild, your query is slightly off-centre. This is because The Guild is devoted to equestrian travel, which is usually carried out at an average speed of three miles an hour. Consequently the concept of racing goes against the equestrian grain of travel.
However, amongst all of our various equestrian duties, The Guild also maintains the Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation, which contains a treasure trove of equestrian wisdom gathered from sources around the world and throughout history. Thus, I am responding to your query as one of the Directors of the Academic Foundation and one of the Founding Members of The Long Riders’ Guild, the world’s only association of equestrian explorers.
I mention this accumulation of equestrian facts to you, and Tom, because I want to make it perfectly clear that in terms of equestrian travel, hardship, danger, horse related accidents and governmental adversity, The Long Riders’ Guild is the world’s premier equestrian expert.
Thus it gives me no pleasure to write to say that your proposed endurance race across Mongolia is – in terms of equestrian results – a potential disaster in the making.
Let me first draw your attention to some publicly accessible history, namely the website of The Adventurists. A quick glance at your website reveals the fact that your company has enjoyed a tremendous amount of well-earned success. And what did all four of your company’s previous adventures share in common? Regardless if you were dashing through the wilds of Latin America, rallying across Africa, attempting to cross India or trying to reach Mongolia – all four of your previous endeavors shared one common element. They all relied on the use of motor vehicles.
There is no denying the humour involved in watching two Adventurist chaps in bowlers trying to negotiate a Mini Cooper across a raging river. Richard Hammond’s similar attempt to cross an African desert in a antique Opel Kadet named Oliver is a prime example of this highly watchable sort of television experience.
Yet, by straying away from that Top Gear formula, and entering into the world of equestrian endurance racing, your company is about to dive into a dry swimming pool full of logistical, ethical, environmental and governmental rocks.
Allow me to explain.
First of all The Long Riders’ Guild is completely aware of the postal-messenger system formulated by Genghis Khan. Known as the ulag system, our Scottish Member, George Patterson, was the last living foreigner to use that Mongolian system. This occurred in the winter of 1949 when George made a daring winter time ride over the Himalayas, so as to carry the news to India that Tibet had just been invaded by the Red Chinese.
Yet none of the fundamental basic components of this highly complex system are to be found today.
Take for example the Mongolian messenger riders. The human beings who were capable of riding these tremendous distances were small, light, incredibly tough, highly skilled horsemen, capable of living on starvation diets, sleeping in the saddle and with no outside distractions. It will surprise you to learn that none of the representatives of the once famous equestrian macho cultures, be it Cossacks, gauchos, cowboys, or Mongols, can now put forth men who would be capable of re-riding the distances their forefathers did. Thus, to consider putting foreigners with limited equestrian experience into an endurance race of this distance is asking one to deny the basic fact involved in this situation – namely that a race across this terrain, on those kind of horses, over that distance, would have taxed the original messengers of Genghis Khan, none of whom actually rode a thousand miles on one journey. Documented cases of champion Kyrgyz messengers in the mid 19th century prove that 300 miles over such terrain is about the limit that a top-notch equestrian athlete can hope to achieve. To ask modern riders to do so is not just naive, it is irresponsible.
Next, the distance you are considering is also of interest and importance. How did you happen to pick a thousand mile race? Could your decision have been influenced by the recent Disney movie, “Hidalgo,” wherein an American cowboy named Frank Hopkins races a thousand miles across the Arabian desert? If so, then it is my duty to inform you that you would be the latest in a long line of victims of what is known as the Hopkins Hoax. In fact Frank Hopkins was a notorious equestrian charlatan who perpetuated the biggest horse hoax in American history. When it was learned that this man’s invented pony picnic was being billed as a ”true story” by Disney, 80 academic experts from five countries, including the Sultan of Yemen, denounced the man as a liar and the race as an insult. Thus, if it is learned that your race was in any way connected to, or inspired by, Frank Hopkins and his imaginary event, then you had better be prepared for a firestorm of negative press.
But, even if your event is in no way connected to Hopkins, how many thousand mile endurance races can you hope to model it on? Precious few. The only prominent example was the 1,000 mile race which was run from Chadron, Nebraska to Chicago, Illinois in 1893. Though the promoters were originally hoping to draw an immense crowd of riders from all over the United States, in the end they had to settle for half a dozen. The subsequent race was so bone breaking that half the contestants couldn’t finish. And one was caught cheating, after it was learned that he and his horse were so exhausted they had boarded a train for the last 100 miles. And do keep in mind that these were hardened frontiersmen who had spent their lives in the saddle.
So history proves that saying you’re going to “race” a thousand miles is a far, far different thing from actually doing so, even if you are a trail toughened horseman.
The other thing you should keep in mind is that the Chadron to Chicago race created a national storm of outrage, even before it started. In fact animal rights activists in America used this race as a rallying cry against the wholesale abuse of horses being raced in outlaw endurance races. Though the race to Chicago did in fact take place, it was only allowed to run under the strictest regulation, and led to the wholesale participation of veterinarians at all subsequent endurance racing events. Thus today’s endurance races are highly organized medical events, which are strictly controlled by many big-money interests, none of which are going to welcome the idea of a lot of jolly amateurs bringing their sport into disrepute by trying to run an unorthodox race across Mongolia.
There again, how are you going to manage the logistics of feeding the horses involved in this operation? How are you going to locate enough suitable mounts in Mongolia? Do you know how difficult it is to procure good “road horses” capable of taking a single Long Rider across that country? Now multiple that problem by say three dozen and you begin to realize that you’re looking at trying to solve an equestrian logistical nightmare.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t lots of horses in Mongolia. We all know there are plenty of them there. But how many are capable of allowing foreigners to ride them over vast distances? And are you aware that because the Mongolians never feed their horses any grain or additional forage, that any animal who is ridden too great a distance during the critical summer months, and thus unable to fatten up for the winter, is often unable to survive the subsequent harsh winter? You may therefore be asked to explain what the fate of your endurance racing horses will be?
Next, even if you find tough enough riders, overlook the dubious historical reasoning for making a thousand mile race, can find enough horses for your riders, manage to hide the fact that most of your horses probably won’t be alive come Spring, then you’ve still got to overcome the difficulty of obtaining the approval of the Mongolian national government. While they are descendants of Genghis, they have also just emerged from generations of Soviet era obstructionist thought and practice. In equestrian terms this means that no Mongolian horses are allowed to leave the country, not even by native born Mongolians who wanted to become Long Riders and ride to Europe in the hoofprints of the great Khan’s mounted army. Nor would the Mongolian government assist world famous exploration author, Tim Severin, when he attempted to ride across that country. In fact, unless you have already received assurances from the highest level of the Mongolian national government, specifically authorizing you to undertake such a mammoth equestrian event in their country, by a majority of foreign riders, then this entire equestrian episode is probably a moot point.
Finally, the sheer effort of arranging for food, water and shelter for this many horses is something which would tax the equestrian experts of The Long Riders’ Guild, not to mention The Adventurists.
Which brings me back to my original point.
Why have you been successful until now?
Because you relied on motorized transport. But the moment you introduce living animals, especially ones which carry the incredible international power of the semi-sacred horse, you are inviting a battering of unprecedented proportions. The reason is simple. These aren’t inanimate rental cars we are discussing. These are living animals who enjoy respect from every continent except Antarctica.
So where does this leave you?
History proves that you will almost certainly not be able to find riders physically tough enough to ride a thousand miles.
The vast majority of the horses in Mongolia are semi-wild, hence you are putting your riders at risk before the race even starts.
The logistics of feeding, watering and sheltering the horses alone would tax the experts of a 19th century cavalry quarter master.
There is no reason to believe the Mongolian government will authorize, support or allow this race to take place.
There is strong reason to believe that when the global equestrian community, and the authentic endurance racing world, learn of this race they will petition the Mongolian government to order it to be stopped.
Finally, if and/or when injuries occur to the horses, then the outrage of animal rights activists is sure to be aimed at your company.
Right.
Have I missed anything?
Yes, there is one critically important point which I need to disclose.
The Long Riders’ Guild supports the spirit of adventure which The Adventurists are eager to encourage. Since The Guild’s formation eight years ago, we have mentored more than a hundred equestrian expeditions on every continent except Antarctica. Yet despite its immense wealth the Royal Geographical Society has not fielded a single expedition for more than ten years. What this means is that The Long Riders Guild supports your cause, but we want to warn you that you are about to commit an equestrian disaster if you continue on this ill-advised course.
In closing, I suspect that the candid nature of this message will surprise, and possibly shock you. Yet better that you be surprised now than wake up involved in an equestrian nightmare of international dimensions.
Yours seems like a wonderfully fun company, one that encourages people to undertake life-changing journeys. And as equestrian explorers we can appreciate and endorse that concept. But I hope that you will heed this official warning from your fellow travellers, as well as The Long Riders’ Guild, and not attempt to undertake this logistical, governmental, ethical and ill-advised equestrian undertaking.
If you have any other questions, or wish to discuss this confidentially by phone, I will be happy to speak to you.
Best wishes,
CuChullaine O’Reilly FRGS
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November 18, 2008
To: Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent - The Adventurists
From: CuChullaine O’Reilly – The Long Riders’ Guild
Subject: Further Alarming Evidence demonstrating Inadvisability of Attempting Mongolian Equestrian Endurance Ride
CC: Mr. Tom
Dear Antonia,
CuChullaine O’Reilly of The Long Riders’ Guild here again, writing with late arriving news which we believe should be shared without delay with your employer, Tom.
After sending you my last message, I had an opportunity to be in touch with one of the most experienced equestrian explorers alive today. His name is Ian Robinson and this New Zealand-based Long Rider has made remarkable solo equestrian journeys across Mongolia, Tibet and Afghanistan. His ride across Mongolia resulted in the publication of his book Gantsara, while his ride across Tibet led to the publication of his second book, You Only Die Once.
Because of his modesty, allow me to explain what Ian would certainly downplay, the fact that these were intensely gruelling one-man equestrian missions. For example, when the Communist rulers of Tibet learned that Ian was attempting to ride across Tibet solo, a motorized posse of policemen hunted him across that country. Though he was eventually arrested, Ian broke out of captivity, obtained another horse and continued his ride across Tibet.
More recently, Ian has just returned from a historic equestrian reconnoiter across the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan.
The point of these disclosures is to demonstrate to your employer that we’re not discussing the holiday ride of a tourist. What is on offer instead is the professional opinion of one of The Long Riders’ Guild’s most talented and experienced equestrian explorers.
Thus, with Ian’s equestrian credentials established, allow me to share his views of your proposed Mongolian endurance race.
As for the Great Mongol Race!!!!!!!!! It sounds like a great idea, on paper, and something I’d love to take part in if it was properly run, however, I do agree with you that it’s a disaster waiting to happen! Has this tour company done any horse trekking trips before? Do they realise that 25 riders changing horses every 40kms for 1000kms will require 625 horses? Good luck finding them! I had trouble finding one or two!
I will never forget my disappointment on meeting the Mongol riders, the decendants of the Great Khans who would ride to Europe and return with a sack full of severed heads! They are now too chicken to spend a night alone on the steppe! When I tried to find a guide there no one would come with me, fearing they’d have to ride home alone, whereas I spent months out there and loved the solitude more than anything!
Yet my main concern would be the horses, not the Mongols who might take part, I doubt any would take part anyway and I wouldn’t be surprised if any who did gave up after a day or two. My main worry is the horses, local herdsmen are not going to offer their fittest, healthiest, best conditioned horses, they are going to turn up with their worst, oldest, skinniest horses and hope to hire them out for a fortune, riding such horses in a race would be downright cruel, I’m guessing the race would be run in summer and racing a weak horse in the steppe heat with a large westerner on board could result in the animal dropping dead! Not on!
Some of my horses, even ridden at a slow walk were worn out after a day or two, racing a horse for 40kms? Are they thinking of horses raced in the Nadam festival? These races are long, over 30kms, but the riders are children and the horses conditioned and trained for months before the race and they are the cream of the herd, as I said these horses would NOT, I believe, be offered for this kind of event!
Also are they aware that in a 1000km race after a day or two the riders could be spread out over hundreds of kilometres, some could finish the race in days, others would take weeks, how are they going to keep track of and ensure the safety of all these people over a truly vast area where there may be no facilities at all?
I think you are right in what you’ve said about the old Mongol relay system, the riders were hard as nails horsemen who probably were not fazed by a horse dropping dead on them, not something we can accept in modern times.
I would hate to discourage anyone from undertaking horseback journeys and the idea of a race thrills me but such an event is an enormous deal and would have to be done with great care. I don’t know much about this company but can they handle it?
Ian concluded my saying, “I encourage them to put their ideas on hold until it’s been better thought out.”
Consequently, Antonia, having now sent you two messages, both of which contain vital equestrian information releveant to your proposed project, I am writing to you on behalf of The Long Riders’ Guild, requesting that your employer acknowledge the safe receipt of this information. The Long Riders’ Guild is asking your company to provide an official response to these messages.
Once again, please do not hesitate to contact The Long Riders’ Guild if you have any other questions regarding equestrian related issues.
Best wishes,
CuChullaine O’Reilly FRGS
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November 19,. 2008
Dear CuChullaine,
Thank you for your replies to my email of last week regarding our Mongol Derby. It was interesting to hear your opinion on the matter and I appreciate you taking the time to think about it in such detail. I think, however, there has been a certain amount of misunderstanding, probably due to the fact that my initial email to you was so brief.
I would like to highlight the fact that this race is going to be 1000 km, not 1000 miles, and that it has nothing to do with Hidalgo; in fact your mentioning it was the first time we had heard of the film. The event has a time frame of three weeks which gives our riders the opportunity to ride at 3 mp/h should they wish (based on an eight hour days). The more competitive and experienced riders can go faster should they wish.
Importantly, I’d also like to point out that this race is about the endurance of the riders, not the horses. Each horse will only have to complete a 40 km leg, so it is only the riders who will have to complete the 1000 km course. Please rest assured that the welfare of the horses is an absolute priority and that we are working with a team of vets to insure the horses are properly wormed, vaccinated, fed and checked in the lead up to and after the event.
We are aware that this is a large logistical undertaking, but we have a great team of nearly 40 people plus two of the largest logistical companies in Mongolia with employees numbering in the thousands working to make it a big success. We are confident the event will be a huge success and be carried out in a manner that would address all of your concerns.
Thank you again for your time and best wishes,
Antonia
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December 2, 2008
To: Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent - The Adventurists
From: CuChullaine O’Reilly – The Long Riders’ Guild
Subject: Global Concerns raised regarding proposed Mongolian endurance racing event
CC: Tom Morgan – Owner of The Adventurists
Dear Antonia,
CuChullaine O’Reilly of The Long Riders’ Guild here again, writing in response to your last message. I must say that though we appreciated the conciliatory tone of your previous email, your message did nothing to alleviate our concerns regarding this proposed endurance racing event across Mongolia. In fact instead of providing answers, your letter only served to raise additional questions regarding this questionable equestrian event.
During the interim since I last wrote, The Long Riders’ Guild has been in conference with a team of equestrian experts from around the world. They include endurance racing authorities, well-versed Mongolian cultural observers and experts on global equestrian methods, all of whom have asked The Guild to provide a number of critically important questions to your employer.
While these questions are being sent to you, Antonia, they are directed to Tom Morgan, the owner of The Adventurists company which employs you. We would like to offer Mr. Morgan the opportunity to address these collective equestrian concerns himself via a response to The Guild and our equestrian allies.
Given the fact that The Adventurists are billing this event as an endurance race, one which shall become a yearly event, The Guild has been authorized to pose the following endurance racing questions to Mr. Morgan.
1 – Has the FEI been informed of this upcoming race, and if so, has the event been authorized?
2 - What endurance racing authorities and/or vets have agreed to take part in this event?
3 - What qualifications will be required for horses and riders to compete?
4 - Will there be a code of conduct for the riders?
5 - What minimum and maximum daily distances will be raced over the course of the event?
6 - Will the racers halt for veterinary inspections, and if so, what procedures will be followed?
Additionally, we have consulted travel experts who posed the following Mongolian cultural based questions.
1 – Has the Mongolian National Horse Racing Association been informed of this event, and if so, who authorized it to take place?
2 – Who has laid out the route for the race and how many water sources are en route?
3 – Will the horses be purchased or rented by the riders?
4 – What will the horses be fed during the course of the race and who will provide the fodder?
5 - Will riders use native Mongolian saddles or imported tack?
6 – What provisions have been taken in case riders become lost?
Based upon your company’s PR material, it appears that this event will require 750 horses. Because of the scope of this proposed event, one of the world’s leading riders has written to ask the following equestrian based questions.
1 – Who is providing this many animals?
2 – What standards are being set in terms of the horses’ health and basic training?
3 – What measures have been instituted for the welfare of the animals after the conclusion of the event?
4 – Will the participants be required to have a minimum standard of riding expertise or will you accept novices with no previous endurance riding experience?
5 – Will there be any weight limitations for the riders, who will be mounted on small Mongolian ponies?
Next, on behalf of The Long Riders’ Guild, in your last email you stated that your company was employing “a great team of nearly forty people” to assist with this event.
1 – What equestrian and endurance racing experience do these individuals have?
Additionally, you have also stated that your company will be assisted by “two of the largest logistical companies in Mongolia with employees numbering in the thousands.”
2 – May we please ask you to provide the names of these companies and explain their equestrian backgrounds?
As I previously stated, while The Long Riders’ Guild is a strong supporter of the sport of endurance riding, your messages have raised what is now a growing global concern that The Adventurists is preparing to embark on an ill-advised equestrian misadventure, one in which your company does not appreciate the many equestrian hardships and dangers being presented to the horses and riders.
In the light of the alarming issues raised by the equestrian experts quoted in this message, I hope to receive a positive response, as well as the answers to these vital questions, without delay.
Best wishes,
CuChullaine O’Reilly FRGS
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