Grapevine Stories
Interview with Anna Boden ahead of The Gaucho Derby
Covering over 500 kms in the foothills of the Andes. This race, only in it's third year, is based on the landscape, culture, history and horses of Patagonia and the Gauchos. This is the greatest test of horsemanship and wilderness skills on Earth.
A 10 day 500km multi-horse adventure race.
The mind-bending terrain in Patagonia makes this a race quite unlike anything else on the planet. It won’t just test your skill on a horse, but push you to the limit of your navigation skills, your ability to handle the wilderness, and your physical endurance.
The Gaucho Derby is a multi horse race, but not in the same way as the Mongol Derby. The race is broken down into 40km or less vetting legs but you won’t be changing horse at every section. The high mountains are a test of skill, not flat out speed, so the horses won’t run out of steam. The flatter pampas sections will see you turning up the MPH to eat up the miles. For these sections you will be swapping to fresh horses more regularly.
One mistake navigating could cost you the race and wilderness skills will make all the difference as you’ll be camping out most nights. Racing hours are from 8am to 6pm, any penalties will be sat out in real time, and the winner will be the rider who crosses the line first.
Anna is leaving in the next few days for Argentina where she will start several day's of pre-race trains before the start of this incredible race. I will be chatting to her when she gets back, to find out how she got on during this amazing but incredibly tough adventure.
Anna is going to be raising money for two charities, The Tristan Voorspuy Conservation Trust and Place2Be.If you would like to make a donation to either of these fantastic charities, please do visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Anna-Boden1
To follow Anna's progress during the race you can visit this website here: https://equestrianists.com/gaucho-derby/
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