Created and managed by UK based company The Adventurists, with support from an American veterinary NGO based in Mongolia and respected British and Mongolian equine experts, the Derby is about poking at the very boundaries of human adventurism.
The riders are taking on 1000km of wild Mongolian steppe while the horses travel just 40 kilometres each between staging posts. Not an endurance race by definition or affiliation, the Derby is an an adventure primarily and multi-horse race second.
An extensive veterinary program has been established to ensure the welfare of the horses remains absolutely paramount from the point of horse selection. GPS satellite tracking will allow expedition medics and on-call veterinarians to respond to riders in an emergency along the route.
Tom Morgan, founder of The Adventurists, said:
“The Mongol Derby is going to be an amazing adventure and we have a fantastic team of equine experts and veterinarians to make the concept a spectacular reality this summer, with horse welfare firmly at the top of the agenda at all times.
The riders will need to be made of seriously tough stuff to succeed, but they are a splendid bunch. Now that we have established the route and finalised the extensive horse welfare program and emergency back up systems we're set for a pioneering and probably record-breaking first edition of the world's longest horse race."
Veterinary Support
There are two types of veterinary support for the horses on the Mongol Derby. The first is a long term health checking program to ensure the horses are prepared and healthy for the event. The second is our support network to provide expert on-call veterinary support to all the horses during the race.
The organisers have been consulting a Mongolian veterinary NGO as to how best care for the horses before, during and after the race. Using their network of trained vets, as well as world class veterinary medicines, the Derby horses are going to be expertly looked after. This network of vets will be assisted by Mongolia's head equine vet and a vet with 32 years of experience flying to Mongolia from the UK for the Derby.Emergency Back Up
In a ground breaking move away from their traditional fare of small car and three wheeled adventures across continents without any back ups, The Adventurists have designed a system that will allow the riders a sense of freedom in the knowledge that an emergency beacon can be activated if necessary. A fleet of jeeps with expedition medics will be on standby throughout the race.
The Course
The route starts in Kharkhorin soum, swings south of Ulaanbaatar and ends in Khentii aimag 1000 km later. The exact race route including the Morin Urtuus (Mongolian for horse station) has been plotted by GPS co-ordinates. A recent revision was made to increase the number of water sources and all of these have been clearly plotted so the riders always know where the nearest source of water is along the route.
The Adventurists are aware of certain statements in the media and want to take the opportunity to clarify the situation and allay any concerns that may have been caused. For further information on the Mongol Derby, please read the Mongol Derby Horse Welfare and Race Logistics Information document here.
- Pre race horse selection
- Selecting the Riders
- The rider agreement helps to ensure safety and welfare
- Pre-Derby training session in Mongolia
- The right to refuse entry to ensure the riders are suitable for the race
- Veterinary care for the horses
- Rider weight limits
- Is this an endurance race?
- Safety and Welfare Logistics
- The Extensive Support Network
- Rider Tracking and Emergency Response
- The Course, Horse Welfare and Water Sources
For more information on the Derby please visit www.mongolderby.com