Sophia Mangalee’s big adventure;
The Mongol Derby, a 1,000 km (about 600 miles) horse race across the wilderness of the Mongolian steppe is described on its website as “the longest, toughest horse race in the world.”
While Mangalee has been riding horses the majority of her life, she will have to get accustomed to the semi-wild Mongolian horses on which she will be traveling during her 10-day journey, which begins Aug. 6.
Mongolian horses are a tough breed which range in size from 12 to 14 hands and wander the immense steppe year-round in extreme temperatures. In addition to the challenge of riding foreign horses, Mangalee will have to overcome the obstacle of getting used to 30-35 horses over the course of her trip.
She leaves today – good luck, Sophia!
Sophia’s blog
12 – 14 hands???? that’s what yah call a pony
heck, we have 16-3 quarter horse around here, and he’s just “average” :-))))
I prefer the Genghis Khan Mongolia, looks like fun though.
Neat race, very neat race.
“Genghis Khan”
Military instructors taught us that this little man ate,
slept, and lived on the back of a small pony.
He then became a military genius when he picked up his bow and arrow and encouraged other horsemen, (pony men) to charge into marching armies who were terrified and fled like sheep..
Shooting an arrow from the back of a pony is more accurate compared to that of a horse-
Thank God the American Indians didn’t have ponies..
Some of his quotes:
I hope she has a good body guard.
Bring lots of toilet Tissue.
Other than that I pray she has the adventure of a lifetime.
JMO
This is for Sophia:
WHAT an awesome adventure! It takes faith and guts to do what you’re about to do. This prayer for you was read by King George VI, another person facing a huge challenge, in his Christmas message in 1939:
“And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.’
And he replied: ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.’”
I’ve put you in my computer calendar and, every day of the race, will pray for you, your loved ones, and all who help you on your way.
Godspeed, Sophia!
What? no PETA or animal activists at the scene to complain on the grueling race the horses have to face .
Godspeed Sophia is right.
A few of the other commenters beat me to it, but it would be an experience riding the land of Genghis Khan. The Mongols were taught how to ride and live on a horse about the same time as they learned to walk.
An old cowboy friend of mine used to catch wild mustangs in the Alberta foothills. He was in love with their endurance which far surpassed any domestically raised horse. I assume the Mongolian horses are equally used to traveling great distances in short times.
There do not appear to be any bags of airag in the assortment of supplies. Hopefully Sophia does not have to live from blood (drawn from the horses neck) and mare’s milk.
She should also be aware of a quote attributed Genghis Khan: “The greatest joy a man can know is to conquer his enemies and drive them before him. To ride their horses and take away their possessions, to see the faces of those who were dear to them bedewed with tears, and to clasp their wives and daughters in his arms.”
lookout,
are you the reason people “hate Christians”? I think so, yes
I’m secretly hoping she falls off her “horse” and needs Emerg. or the Womans health clinic in the middle of Mongolia, though off camera they probably brought their own.
If I may be indulged. This thread brought back some family history memories.
My late grandfather, my father and those uncles who grew up in the Ural foothills near Orenburg, Russia and who later farmed the prairie here in Saskatchewan and Alberta always referred to the land as the steppe.
My wife’s grandfather, who also grew up in Orenburg area, when as a single man would go off to the Ural Mountain valleys and visit the Bashkirs (remnants of the Mongols) who lived in mountain valleys much as they had for centuries. He would stay with them for a few days at a time and have a few glasses of Kumiss (airag). Later this rapport with the tribesmen paid off, as when his older brother had a herd of horses stolen and everyone knew who had taken them, he went to visit the headman and negotiated the ransom and obtained the release. No doubt some airag helped seal the bargain.
Hopefully she does well and wins. At any rate it will be the experience of a lifetime.
@Ken (Kulak). I envy your knowledge of the area and its people. It will make the race much more entertaining.
@Blanks. Get a life!
This seems like the adventure of a lifetime. Others beat me to the Genghis Khan meme. Does anyone know if a film or documentary will be made of this race? I’d love to see one. It would be an amazing IMAX experience.
Apparently the Mongol food ration included raw meat placed under the saddle. The long days of riding tenderized and “cooked” the meat while picking up the salt of the horse creating a high energy food. I wonder if anyone will give that a go.
’Great story, Ken. Thanks for sharing. I hope Sophia has a really fine adventure and stays safe and sound.
(My grandmother lived on the prairie for a few years as a youngster and had a pony . . .!)