And then there were four. The dust has settled on Day 2 of the 2024 Mongol Derby, as four members of last night’s leading group of seven pull off a near flawless Derby day to put themselves just beyond the reach of a competitive chasing pack a mere 10k behind them at HS6. Sam Jones (SJO), Missy Morgan (MMO), Josh Edwards (JED) and Lola Day (LRD) have ridden beautifully today with the help of some exceptional equine partners to eat up the ground, navigate expertly through woodland and mountain passes and secure themselves a 5-star Mongolian goat shed for the night. The Derby dream. Pats on the back may well be deserved, but they can’t rest too easy: a determined throng of 6 riders will be making the most of the comforts of HS6 tonight to recharge and launch their bid for the lead at 7am tomorrow morning.

Unfortunately for last night’s enthusiastic campers out at the mercy of the elements, the glorious run of weather we’d so far experienced on the steppe came to an abrupt end. Spare a thought for poor Monica Erickson (MER) this morning, overheard muttering, “Everything is so wet…”. Those sheltering in the safety of cosy rider gers at our horse stations were also humbled and not all that well-rested: even light rain sounds threatening on the roof of a ger. Luckily, by the time the horse draw came around, things were looking up. Cool and overcast with showers rather than constant torrential downpour: a Derby rider’s dream. Horses stay cool and travel well, meaning it’s easier to keep your steed hydrated, healthy and with a nice low heart rate for passing safely through our stringent vet checks. This was a day designed to cover some serious ground (assuming you can keep out of any bogs).

At HS3 this morning, our seven overnight leaders were up early and raring to draw their next noble steeds and tack up for blast off. The host family’s 83 naadam medals hanging in their ger should have provided some motivation: this family have champion racehorses, among 900 head of other animals. SJO, LRD, MMO and JED were all up and out without a hitch, having already studied their route for the day and even squeezed in some yoga. Almira Zakiyeva (AZA) had a slight delay while her horse objected to the early wake up call. With some sympathetic and deft horsemanship, she and Horse Manager Ben got him calmly tacked up and her safely onboard, and off she went in hot pursuit. Brydie Black (BBL) had a few minutes to wait until 07:10 before she could draw her horse, on account of her 10 minutes of late riding penalties. Her original draw was swiftly swapped out when he delivered a sharp kick to a helpful herder attempting to tack him up, but her next pick proved to be much more obliging, if a little dozy when passing photographer Kathy.

After incurring her first vet penalty last night when her horse’s heart rate remained elevated above 56bpm for 30 minutes after she arrived into HS3, Emma Watson (EWA) had to sit and serve her 2 hour penalty this morning. Worst places to wait it out than during a lie in at a horse station really. She used the time well to get prepped for the day: once the time was up, she was on her mount and rocketing after her riding buddy BBL in a flash. The route between HS3 and HS4 saw the riders climb through hilly terrain and a fairytale woodland interspersed with gorgeous wildflower meadows, providing a change of scene from the steppe but some new navigational challenges: a fork in the road gave them the option to take two different paths to HS4. Whatever the leaders did, worked: JED, AZA, MMO and LRD rolled into HS4 together and in excellent spirits, soon joined by SJO who rode out with the whole gang at 10:39AM. They were rewarded by a welcome sight: prized naadam horses on the line, set apart by their fetching neck ribbons. BBL made it in and out soon after, her mount’s attempt to break the land speed record not assisting riding buddy EWA’s efforts to catch up with her.

By HS5, a slight gap had opened: LRD and MMO had edged ahead, checking in at 13:35 ahead of SJO, trailing just behind to arrive at 13:53. LRD and MMO’s partnership stayed strong, as they waited for each other to ride out united at 14:20. Girl power. But sometimes flying solo makes you nimble: SJO saw her chance and took it, hustling to turn around and gallop back out of HS5 in record time, off and away ahead of them at 14:05. JED meanwhile drew a famed naadam racehorse, and saddled up to give chase by 14:58. The tussle for the lead was heating up, but could SJO secure herself an advantage?

The competition proved too strong. All four leaders rolled into HS6 within minutes of each other, led by SJO with JED bringing up the rear. All were in great spirits and bracing themselves for their first night out camping at the mercy of the steppe. Snacks were stashed, water bags replenished and the resident herders mined for tips on potential camp spots. Our splendid hosts at HS6 had even got themselves dressed up in their ceremonial finest to greet our glorious leaders.

But there was no let up to admire the garms. With dinner crammed into backpacks, the four rode out together, albeit on slightly different trajectories. Will they work together, or continue to vie for individual glory? For tonight at least, they’re enjoying a truce (even if LRD’s spontaneous nosebleed suggests otherwise – she’s been in no brawls, we promise). An empty goat shed around 10km out of HS6 is home for the night for all four riders.

Behind the leading pack, there have been some exciting shake ups in the rest of the field today. BBL and EWA were happily reunited at HS5, and shot off out the station together on a pair of lighting bolts to match their own need for speed, galloping along shrieking in delight. Making it safely into HS6 this evening, they found themselves joined by some fresh faces: Josh Dales (JDA), Marieke Schnebeli (MSC), Ross Colbert (RCO) and Margaret Holloway (MGO) have ridden a blinder to make up some serious ground today on the leaders, and put themselves within touching distance of the head of the Derby tomorrow. MGO managed all this despite briefly volunteering to assist as a herder today, before rejoining the race and riding buddy JDA. But, there’s a catch: MGO and MSC have both fallen foul of the vet check at HS6, with their horses’ heart rates remaining above the stringent 56bpm. This means they’ll both have to wait an agonising 2 hours tomorrow morning before heading out, giving those just behind them a chance to execute a leapfrog. So who’s on their tail?

In closest contention are lovebirds Colby Coltrain (CCO) and Gianna Aycock (GAK) a mere 8km shy of HS5, although any hopes of a romantic night out on the steppe under the stars have been dashed by their camping buddies Augustus Read (ARE) and AZA. CCO, GAK and ARE have ridden the day together after refuelling generously on arrival at HS3 this morning, where they bumped into Gideon Kotkowski (GKO), also busy placating a rumbly tummy after a night camping out with no catering. The merry band, also joined by Alyssa Cederstrand (ACE), had a beautiful jaunt through the woods to HS4, where some heartbreaking news awaited GKO: he’d come a cropper on a dreaded Derby tech penalty, this time for failing to sign out of HS3 with the vet team before he left the station. 2 hours on the naughty step for you GKO. This may seem harsh, but our crew relies on accurate information on riders’ locations at all times during the Derby to make sure we know where they are and where our crew needs to be to look after them. If riders don’t sign out and go AWOL or a tracker fails, we don’t know where to look for them: are they simply taking a nap at a horse station, or are they roaming around out there in the wilds? All these rules and penalties are drummed into the riders at start camp and in their handbook for their own good, so you can’t say we didn’t warn ’em.

With that, GKO had an enforced break to sit out at HS4 and waved goodbye to his companions, who soldiered on without him. Luckily for him, he was in excellent company. He may have parted company with one Read brother, but he gained another. Much for muchness. Bert Read (BRE) had been halted by the vets at HS4 along with Grace Neuhaus (GNE), when both of their horses’ heart rates remained just a little too high to pass the vet check. The gang sat out their penalties together, and took the opportunity to swap tales of Derby highs and lows and rearrange their gear before seeing out the day riding together. GKO camps out tonight in good company with GNE and ACE, while BRE seems to have dropped a little further back to spend a night out on the steppe with only his steed for company. Also camping out solo just a little short of BRE en route to HS6 is Kelly Westlake (KWE), riding a strong race and rounding out the intrepid gang of riders who’ve already cleared HS5.

HS5 is busy tonight, currently home to 12 riders with some extraordinary day 2 tales to tell. Annabelle Heffron (AHE) looked somewhat dishevelled on arrival at HS4. She had survived a rough ride on a previous steed who’d spent 20k travelling with its head between its legs bucking enthusiastically, shredding her chaps and resulting in the loss of her sunglasses, GPS battery cover, neck strap and tack. Amazingly, she was still in remarkably good spirits, recounting the whole tale to Event Manager Louise with a massive grin on her face. HS4 was also the station where she got her first vet penalty, but there was consolation in the form of an adorable baby yak which kept her company. Louise may or may not have then kidnapped him as official crew mascot.

The last of the Read brother trio, Charles Read (CRE) was also stopped in his tracks after a fantastic ride on a striking stallion out of HS3 this morning by his first vet penalty, but this time at HS5. Incurred at 16:57, he’d already sat his two hours by the end of riding time today, so will be free to draw and leave with the rest of his campmates tomorrow morning. He’s riding not just in pursuit of the win, but also a suspected thief: on going to collect his tack from the horse lines, he discovered his kit had in fact left without him. In a Derby first, it seems MSC was in such a flurry of excitement leaving HS5 she had somehow tacked up with CRE’s saddle and attached saddlebag, and left him with her own. Unfazed, CRE was pleased to swap his own gear for MSC’s stash of mini koalas and clean sleeping bag: his, he admitted, is “a bit skanky”. MSC may be slightly less chuffed when she opens her stolen bounty tonight.

After a great morning riding alongside Sophie de Rouet (SDR), Grey (GGO) the rider had a disagreement with grey the equine this afternoon. GGO was unceremoniously flung off nearly as soon as he had mounted up. Showing some serious grit and patience, GGO kept hold of his horse and rose quickly without a word, readjusted his tack as if nothing had happened, remounted and firmly guided his mount out onto the steppe. Herders looked on impressed, the ultimate mark of respect. Kat Sibley (KSI) meanwhile has survived a close shave with a belligerent ger dog, putting her mount’s speed to good use to make a quick getaway. She, along with father and daughter Terje (TGI) and Elli Gilje (EGI) have some late riding penalties to wait out before drawing their horses tomorrow. EGI and TGI’s penalties were a shock to us all, after we saw them absolutely rocket out of HS4 on two supersonic steeds. TGI’s mount may have had a little stage fright from the large throng of onlookers, but once he understood the assignment he took off with eye-watering acceleration up what was probably the wrong mountain, much to the crowd’s delight.

They’re also joined round the HS5 campfire by Marni Hamilton (MHA) and Shelby Van Weelden (SVW), who were literally stopping traffic as they strutted over a bridge after navigating the woods this morning. Sarah Delia (SDE) made it to HS5 today despite a dramatic morning, when riding buddy Yolande Steyn’s (YST) loose horse attempted to tag along with SDE and her own mount on their travels just shy of HS4. YST managed to track down her errant partner despite his best efforts to disguise himself in a nearby herd, and remounted to roll into HS4 none the worse for her unplanned dismount.

YST and SDE had been separated from the third member of their trio Bindi Boshammer (BBO) when she fell victim to the same tragic booboo as GKO, and forgot to sign out of HS3. Fred Berry (FBE) had also suffered the same disaster, as well as being a little unfortunate with his horse draws. But, as ever in the Derby, your luck can turn at any point. While his first three horses had been “slow, slower and slowest”, the fourth turned out to be the “fastest ever”. Gleefully recounting how he had ridden most of the leg “without a dollop of control” before taking advantage of his horse’s brief moment of distraction to regain steering, he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face (despite his broken rotator cuff, acquired before arriving for the Derby). What a champ. He’s ended today camped en route to HS5 with Peter Dargie (PDA) and Ying Jiang (YJI), hosted by an incredibly generous herder family who are taking care of their horses, guests and even unpacked YJI’s luggage.

BBO spends the evening camped with sister act Hannah (HMO) and Claire Morgan (CMO), who were reunited today to tackle the steppe together after losing each other briefly in the melée of Day 1. CMO drew a part thoroughbred stallion off the line at HS3, who looked to be a seriously strong draw for a fast leg. The sisters took off, but returned back to the horse lines: it turns out the stud was too protective of his mares to roam very far, and had dug his heels in shortly after leaving the horse lines. CMO swapped out for a less lovestruck mount, and continued on her way.

Last of our happy campers tonight between HS4 and HS5 are Billy Crouch (BCR) and Kelly Dudley (KDU). Despite starting the day heading out of HS2 for what looked like a serious mountain peak, BCR did survive his alpine adventures and made it into HS3 in good time to pick up a nice looking dun for the road to HS4. KDU meanwhile was spotted today in the company of SVW hitting the gas to eat up the steppe and negotiate some river crossings, before spending her first night out on the steppe tonight.

Christina Asklund (CAS) has elected to join Corrina Leeflang (CLE) in Adventure Category, deciding to enjoy riding as much of the rest of the Derby course as she likes without the pressure of worrying about a competitive placing. They’ll rejoin the riding from HS5, where they’re both spending the night.

And so we close out our coverage of Derby Day 2, but what will Day 3 bring? The race is still wide open: just one lost horse out camping or vet card down a long drop could turn the leaderboard on its head. We’ll be back tomorrow to round up all the entertainment. For now, we leave you with a delightful image of CCO’s feet amongst other wonderful snaps, just in case you didn’t quite believe us when we said today has been a little soggy.

Photo credits: Kathy Gabriel, Tulgaa Skizz, Ben Dampier-Crossley, Louise Crosbie

Day 2 Close of Play

Between HS6 – HS7: JED, LRD, MMO, SJO

HS6: BBL, EWA, JDA, MGO, MSC, RCO

Between HS5 – HS6: ACE, ARE, AZA, BRE, CCO, GAK, GKO, GNE, KWE

 HS5: AHE, CLE, CRE, EGI, GGO, KSI, MHA, SDE, SVW, TGI (Adv Class: CLE)

Between HS4 – HS5: BBO, BCR, CMO, FBE, HMO, KDU, PDA, SDR, YJI, YST (Adv Class: CAS)

Adventure Class: CAS, CLE

Retired: CWI

Penalties

Vet penalties: AHE (2 hrs), BRE (2 hrs), CMO (2 hrs), CRE (2 hrs), FBE (2 hrs), GNE (2 hrs), HMO (2 hrs), MGO (2 hrs), MSC (2 hrs), SDE (2 hrs), YST (3 hrs)

Late riding: EGI (10 mins), KSI (8 mins), SDE (8 mins), TGI (24 mins)

Outside assistance: FBE (2 hrs)

Failure to sign out of HS: BBO (2 hrs), FBE (2 hrs), GKO (2 hrs)

Missed compulsory course waypoint: MSC (2 hrs), RCO (2hrs 45 mins – 45 mins extra for competitive advantage)