Welcome back to the final day of the Gaucho Derby! So let’s get right into it! The Gaucho Grannies galloped gleefully in today with NBR in tow and these three stole our hearts and the show and a joint 33rd place to boot.

Not to be outdone on a dramatic finish, GHE with fellow riders ODU and ACA made sure one transpired. Upon the relief of crossing the line GHE collapsed off of his horse onto the ground having crunched some ribs previously underneath his horse. He can’t laugh or hug or, well, breathe easily but he secures the joint 36th place well within the ten day time limit with a finish with his mates around noon today. 6 hours to spare! Now if only he had some spare ribs…

  We wanted to mention our intrepid adventure category riders that finished yesterday as well, MAN and VST crossed the line with smiles and hugs all around and no trouble passing the vet check.

  That puts a miraculous 40/40 riders across the line for a record of note.

  And noted it was.

As we sign off until 2027 here’s the toast we wrote to the riders tonight;

All forty are here

And In fairly good cheer

This year the stars really have aligned

For it ‘twas not the easiest course designed

To have had all who competed

Successfully completed

Is a miracle not before slated

So cheers to the result you’ve all created

To the drivers, the cooks, horse owners, landowners, the medics, the managers, HQ and the vets

A cheers to the horses who went slowly and to the ones who would’ve won racetrack bets

But most of all dear riders here’s a cheers to you

Because we are all so blown away (sometimes literally)

and so lucky to have been your crew!

We rounded out our toasts last night with some very honourable mentions.

Best Dressed award (by online vote) went to our favourite Frenchman GVA. GHE LBU and in a fancy Hawaiian shirt at the finish EMI put in her bid for the title but Guillerme had it won by a nose and a corduroy pant.

Our Spirit of the Derby award went to GRO and MMO who came all the way from 39th on the beginning of day two to a top ten finish and managed to smile and joke the entire way through. GRO rode some wild rides repeatedly and MMO sat some serious spins. Their drive and grit made them a crew favourite, always wearing a smile that even the wind couldn’t wipe clean from betwixt their ears.

Our Vets Choice award highlights the rider (or in this case rider team) who first and foremost exhibits a clean Veterinary card (no penalties heart rate or other) and then encompasses riders who we genuinely see are putting the horse first. We would have to say our entire field chose their horses over themselves but few escaped the narrow heart rate parameters we have set. We have too many to mention with clean cards but the lovable and horse loving Gaucho Grannies HBA & DST took the vote for the award by storm!

  Riders who rode out every storm through their exemplary sportsmanship and ability to ride any bronc beneath them (and catch them too!) went out to the incredible Aussies EMI & JBY- this was our Gaucha of the Derby and Gaucho of the Derby award.

  Speaking of mentioning those with tenacity and grit a special note was made and a Tenacity Award itself given for AMC and RAL who completed this race in the placings with a prosthetic. We are in standing ovation and awe over what they gave shown the world they can do.

In less seriousness we wanted to mention that KCU wins most deposit money ever lost for loosing two horses (a joke as we found them).

 NMC took the Comeback Kid award as he and HMC as mentioned before came back after attempts to complete Gaucho Derby’s of the past. NMC’s horsemanship and preparedness has come literal kilometres from when we first rode with him- and we couldn’t be prouder.

AGA won the Best Item to make weight when she produced a cheese grater and a bit of Parmesan all the way out at VC10.

In the end, she’s the real hero here.

And on that sharp note (like those mirrored in Ashton’s better cheddar?), we bid you goodbye until next year!

Final Placings:

1st LJO

2nd ASL

3rd RTO

4th HMC

5th VBU

6th SWA

7th Tie GVA LHE

9th AKE

10th Tie EMI GRO KCU MMO MRE

15th Tie AMC JDO LST

18th IDV

19th tie NMC ARA RAL

22nd Tie JBI ADI MKE

25th Tie LBU & BWE

27th Tie CHB & VBR

29th Tie JBY TOM & ACP

32nd AGA

33rd HBA NBR & DST

36th GHE ODU & ACA

Adventure VST MAN