It’s almost here folks. In just over a week’s time, on 7 August 2024, a brand new batch of highly skilled and adventure hungry riders will take on the 13th edition of the mighty Mongol Derby.

Here at Equestrianists HQ we’re into the final throes of Derby prep. Start camp gers are being assembled, rider tack packs are being checked and rechecked, and the stars of the show – the horses – are being herded into position all across the steppe for the longest and toughest horse race in the world. We can hardly wait.

While the tension builds, what better way to whet your appetites for the sporting thrills and spills to come than to take a sneak peek into the backgrounds of our protagonists themselves: the riders. All have come through our rigorous application process and emerged triumphant. That’s a pretty big achievement already. But who will take the spoils and be crowned champion of the 2024 Mongol Derby? It’s all to play for.

First, some cold hard stats. This year, we’re due to have a very healthy contingent of 44 world class horsemen and women thundering off the start line next Wednesday. Collectively, they fly the flag for an impressive 14 countries, from Kazakhstan to Brazil. As we’ve come to expect over the years, the 2024 Derby boasts a strong Antipodean contingent: between them, New Zealand and Australia proudly contribute a stonking 15 jockeys, while the US trails close behind with 11. We have 30 women and 14 men, and our field ranges in age from a tender 19 to 69.

But who are they really? And what exactly do you have to do in your horse-related lifetime to end up winning a highly coveted place to ride the Mongol Derby? As our melting pot of characters in this year’s field demonstrate, there’s really no set recipe.

Some are tackling the Derby as part of a family unit. Just incase the nail-biting tension of watching one of your children careering across the Mongolian wilds from afar wasn’t enough, brothers Augustus, Bert and Charles Read are putting their parents through hell by tackling it all at the same time. All three Brits grew up bombing around the English countryside trying to outrace and outjump each other over enormous hedges on the hunting field. They’ll be bringing their stickability and capacity to kick on and hope for the best to their attempts to conquer their infamously feisty Mongolian steeds.

Rivalling the band of brothers is sister act Claire and Hannah Morgan. Raised in the Australian outback on a cattle farm, both are well used to long, hot days in the addle. They also share a passion for extensive travel and pushing themselves outside their comfort zone: completing the Derby has been a shared bucket list dream for as long as they can remember.

It’s also a family affair for father and daughter duo Terje and Elli Gilje. They share a serious need for equine speed: between them they play polo, ride race horses, point to point, team chase and hunt in the UK. Hopefully they’ll set a similar pace to blast around the course side by side from start to finish.

And love is in the air for fiancés Gianna Aycock and Colby Coltrain. The two met when Colby interned at Gianna’s showjumping yard for a summer job having never ridden before. He was so keen to impress her he went on to become a professional showjumper too. Both have already demonstrated serious horse sense and grit to get so far in their careers back home in the US from scratch, but the steppe will surely prove to be their biggest challenge yet.

For some, friendship rather than family may prove the key to Derby success. South African based chums Missy Morgan and Annabelle Heffron are united by their love for polo back home. Both will ride anything they can get their hands on, which will set them in great stead for the lottery horse selection during the Derby. Annabelle is sure to have some tips to share with her teammate: her dad Patrick clinched joint 3rd place in the July 2022 Mongol Derby.

But the majority of our riders arrive at Derby start camp as individuals, with a couple of things in common: a deep love of horses and a desire to experience Mongolian culture in its purest form.

For some, Mongolia is already part of their story. American Ross Colbert returns to the steppe 15 years after getting married here at the end of a two week horseback and camel trek. Adventure, horses and reverence for Mongolian culture are in his blood. Raised on a working horse farm and a former polo player, he’s back to hone his horsemanship in the Derby. We also have a previous Mongol Derby champion heading back to the steppe to have a second crack: can Sam Jones be the first ever rider to win the Derby not once, but twice? She’s a serious endurance rider hailing from Australia, who first won the Derby back in 2014. American Kat Sibley is also back for a second crack at the Derby: she rode off the start line in 2018, but sadly her bid for glory was ended by an injury which prevented her from making it round. Back and more committed than ever, she’s determined to cross the finish line. A nurse by trade, experienced endurance rider and former Naked and Afraid participant, she’s no stranger to adversity and adventure.

Others are graduates of our very own Mongol Derby Academy, completed last year as the perfect form of preparation for tackling the Derby itself. South African Yolande Steyn is back to deploy all of her Academy training – combined with 20 years of owning her own horses – to shoot for Derby glory. Her fellow Academy graduate Almira Zakiyeva hails from another ancient horse culture: Kazakhstan. The first Kazakh ever to ride the Derby, she brings a wealth of experience – from riding in the mountains to showjumping – to her Derby campaign. Ying Jiang is a highly accomplished endurance rider, having completed the Academy in addition to races all over the place from her native China to France and the USA. Canadian Peter Dargie grew up riding in Alberta, and now gets his equine fix playing polo in his adopted home Singapore. He’s no stranger to adventure, having run across the Sahara and trekked the polar night, and graduated from the Academy. The discomfort of the Derby should be nothing new. American Sarah Delia grew up riding any horse she could get her hands on, with or without a saddle. She has plenty of experience eventing, but stopped riding for 17 years before discovering the Derby reignited her passion and got her back in the saddle. And, last but not least, Brazilian Andre de Souza completes our Academy class of ’23 cohort. He’s already developed a flair for equine archery as well as long distance riding: he should feel right at home among his Mongolian hosts.

But for most, this will be their first brush with the glory of Mongolia and her incredible horses, people and culture.

Many incorporate horses into their lives as part of their work and livelihood. Billy Crouch is an authentic Aussie cowboy, who has driven cattle for a living and spends much of his free time clocking up thousands on kilometres on solo horsepacking trips in the Australian mountains. Fred Berry is now a US trial lawyer, but he’s also a former Montanan cowboy who was the master of the Sedgefield Hunt in North Carolina for 35 years. Diana Anders is also a homegrown cowgirl originally from Wyoming but now based in Montana. A serious barrel-racer and team roper, her skills should help her get her Mongolian mounts onside. Josh Edwards is a real life Texan cowboy: a professional rodeo star, he’ll surely be able to ride out even the most severe bronking fit with ease. Alongside his star studded cowboy career, he also brings on youngsters for ranch work, reflecting his deep love for horses.

Kelly Westlake’s passion for horses was fostered as a baby, when her mother would take her cattle mustering in her native New Zealand in a backpack. Since then, she’s a been a professional international polo groom, barrel racer, breakaway roper and horse starter. Now she’s ready to add Mongol Derby finisher to her impressive equine CV. Our other Kelly of this year – Kelly Dudley – is a near neighbour, hailing from Australia. She’s an experienced trainer of mules and Clydesdale heavy horses for both saddle and harness. How will she fare swapping from the giants of the horse world to the diminutive but dynamic Mongolian horses?

American Maggie Holloway is an experienced former colt starter and exercise rider. Heading to the steppe to test her skills honed over 26 years on the back of a horse and also looking forward to building lifelong friendships, she should be one to watch. Marieke Schnebeli has spent her whole life around horses, most recently building vast experience working in the Australian racing industry, riding everything from inexperienced breakers to top level champions. Happiest far from civilisation on the back of a horse, the Derby should provide her dream equine experience.

Yet others are experienced riders in other equine disciplines, here to tackle one of the greatest horsemanship challenges of them all. Bindi Boshammer grew up on a horse and has done a bit of everything through the years, but her greatest competitive passion is the Aussie cattle herding test of campdrafting. She’s dreamt of the Derby for years, and is keen to test her mettle out on the steppe. Marni Hamilton is another Aussie campdrafting pro who also breeds and trains her own horses back home for the discipline. She has even shared the same Derby dream as Bindi for many long years: for Marni, when it comes to the Derby “To compete is to win”. But could the two compatriots form a formidable alliance to go one better and conquer the steppe together?

Brydie Black is a dedicated and highly experienced Kiwi endurance rider, who’s ridden hundreds of miles on feisty horses and has even travelled to the US to train for the Derby. Alyssa Cederstrand has also dabbled in endurance racing as part of her lifelong horse habit, having grown up riding against the backdrop of the Canadian Rockies and the Alberta prairies. Her high altitude experience should serve her well in navigating the trickier sections of this year’s Derby course. Sophie de Rouet, treating herself to the Derby as a landmark 50th birthday present, has spent a lifetime in the saddle back home in the UK. Already plenty experienced in objectively extreme equestrian pursuits such as open team chasing and leaping massive hedges while out hunting, she is well used to hurtling across wide open country on very feisty mounts: perfect prep for the Derby.

Younger than the average Derby participant but plenty experienced, Emma Watson has huge accolades in the New Zealand endurance world, including junior world rankings. She also has a penchant for the spicier horses: let’s see what she makes of the best the Mongolian horses can throw at her. Mexican Gideon Kotkowski has been a passionate polo player since the age of 14, having inherited his passion for horses from his parents: they stuck him on a horse as a child, when he spent his first two years riding totally bareback. Nothing like developing a natural seat. Lola Day is another passionate polo player from the UK, who is tackling the Derby as a pretty big adventure before starting vet school. She’s already travelled to Argentina to hone her skills on the polo field with the gauchos: what can she learn from the ancient Mongolian herder culture? Josh Dales hails from a cattle farm in the Tasmanian outback, and has since gained buckets of experience with feisty young showjumpers and polo ponies. Also a mounted games pro, he should be thrilled with the challenge of his zingier Mongolian horse draws.

Corrina Leeflang is a former dressage rider from the Netherlands turned self-professed endurance junkie, who’s become hooked on Arabians and the bond that long distance riding builds between horse and rider. No better place to experience that than partnering with 28 brand new, unknown horses to ride 1,000km across Mongolia: no wonder she’s dreamt of the Derby for 10 years. Grey Godsal has been in the saddle since he was 4, and grew up hunting and eventing on a wet and windy Exmoor in England. The youngest of our riders this year at just 19, he’ll be hoping being accustomed to long, damp days in the saddle will prove his advantage if faced with a torrential Mongolian summer downpour.

Monica Erickson comes from the US, and took up riding as an adult. Since beginning lessons, she’s discovered a deep passion for all things equine: she is fascinated by horse behaviour, and now helps start worried younger horses, has weapons trained her own horse, and delved into fox hunting. She is intrigued by Mongolian horse culture, and can’t wait to meet her equine partners on the steppe.

For the rest, horses are their greatest passion alongside pursuing an extraordinary range of different careers. Shelby Van Weelden fights fires for a living in her native US, while riding horses alongside for the last 20 years: she should feel right at home if the Mongolian steppe throws a few summer scorchers at us this year. Christina Asklund grew up with Icelandic horses at home in her native Denmark, and has since sailed the Arctic, worked as a casino manager for 21 years including on cruise ships, owns a vineyard in Sicily and now works as a florist and teacher. If adaptability is key to the Derby, she’s in with strong shot. Christine Wilson fits in being a law firm partner in New Zealand alongside her passion for horses. She grew up on a dairy farm, and has done a bit of everything in her lifetime of experience, from starting horses to endurance and hunting.

Grace Neuhaus is a serving member of the Australian military, and has been riding since she was 10. Since then she’s racked up an impressive array of accolades in disciplines at national level ranging from showjumping to dressage, including two National Young Rider titles in 2018. Will her winning streak extend to the Derby?

We couldn’t be more excited to meet them in person in a few days’ time, and watch how their stories unfold across the majestic background of the Mongolian steppe, and the daily dose of unexpected chaos of the Derby. The ground crew will be hustling hard to bring you regular updates on all our social media platforms, so make sure you’re already following along on Instagram (@mongolderby), Facebook (Mongol Derby) and X / Twitter (@mongolderbylive). Holly will also be back to writing daily detailed updates right here on our blog, so you’ll feel like you’re right there riding alongside all the incredible horsemen and women taking on the longest and toughest horse race in the world this year.

For now, you can read further info about each of our brave riders in their own personal bio, available here. For previous Derby tales, you can also read back through all our previous race reports and news.

The countdown is on.