The first 25 riders have thrown their hats into the long distance equestrian ring and signed up to take on the toughest horse race on the planet – the mighty Mongol Derby, which starts on 4th August.
Amongst them is 39-year-old local rider Alex Embiricos who as an amateur jockey has had over 60 winners. Each rider has to raise a minimum of £1000 for charity, including £500 for the official race charity, Cool Earth. The annual event was launched in 2009 and the riders have raised almost £300,000 to date. Before the race riders have to undergo three days of intensive pre-race training in Mongolia and have to convince the trainers they’re suitable to start and ‘weigh-out’ at 85kg fully dressed. The race typically takes between seven and ten days. The riders travel at least 100km every day while the horses are swapped every 40km at a network of horse-stations (Morin Urtuu in Mongolian). If you’d like to support Alex and her charity visit www.justgiving.com/alexembiricos-dropzone.
