Just when we thought the 2025 Mongol Derby couldn’t possibly get any more enthralling, Day 7 arrived on the scene to really crank up the drama. The weather may finally have broken to give our riders a break from the punishing heat, but the tension keeps on building. The slim glimmer of a lead eked out over his nearest rivals by Khalifa Al Hamed (KAH) yesterday has been swiftly extinguished, as he takes up residence this evening at HS25 along with three other indomitable jockeys. Anna Boden (ABO) and Michael Pollard (MPO) have teamed up to smash out a phenomenal day’s riding with some lucky draws just when they needed them, while Eisa Al Khayari (EAK) has ridden like a man possessed to – astonishingly – claw himself back up to share the lead from a 3 hour penalty. KAH, on the other hand, has been riding against the tide. All four will now line up to battle it out over the remaining four legs of the Derby course to (most likely – let’s not count any chickens) determine the victor of the 2025 Mongol Derby. Hold on to your hats, folks. This sprint finish is going right down to the wire.

Before we dig into today’s drama to relive exactly how it all unfolded, some context. Having four riders still neck and neck at this stage of the Derby with – potentially – just one day’s riding is unheard of. By this point, we’d normally have seen one or two front runners in the lead, with some pressure perhaps close behind them. But this is something else. Our four top dogs seem so evenly matched – and each such deserving champions – it’s truly impossible to call who might clinch first place on the line. Whatever happens out there in the final dash for a cold beer and a hot shower, they’ve all ridden their absolute socks off and done it with major flair. And that, at the end of the day, is what the Derby is all about. It’s a game of pot luck as much as it is horsemanship. A lesson in rolling with the punches and doing it with grace, with the final standings a secondary concern. Hats off to them all. What an absolute cracker of a race you’ve produced for us to savour.

And now, the gory details of the rollercoaster that was Day 7.

KAH sprung from his ger at HS22 bright and early this morning, a man on a mission. He drew a striking horse with a wall eye, considered an omen of good luck in Mongolia. Would this prove to be the blessing KAH needed to cling onto his overnight advantage? Mounted up and checked out smoothly, he was off and running by 7:03AM. Roughly 30km behind him back at HS21, ABO and MPO were already 3 minutes into their day, saddled up and bearing down on HS22. The chase was on.

But not for long, in KAH’s case. Just 30 minutes into the leg, we received a cry for help: his GPS was on the blink. This was not the day to be flying blind. Horse Manager and general steppe Mr Fix It Davaa leapt into action, and charged to the rescue to intercept KAH on his way to HS23. GPS swapped out and locked back on target, KAH kicked on. But he’d lost some precious time. And, to make matters worse, his blue eyed steed may well be blessed in many other aspects of life, but speed is not one of them. It was a bit of a trudge for KAH, as his very honest pony did his best to push on up the course at his own pace.

ABO and MPO were having no such issues with speed limits this morning. They’d lucked out with two top class equine athletes from the horse line at HS21, and had ridden them to devastating effect to march into HS22 in just 2 hours 15 mins. MPO had christened his ride “Frank The Tank”, a lean little thing who’d proven to be hiding a big engine under the bonnet. A textbook changeover later, they were out and riding hard for HS23 in 15 mins flat. Meanwhile, anxiously glancing over his shoulder as the kilometres trickled by, KAH checked into HS23 to stop the clock on his leg at 3 hours 11 mins. He was in and out before ABO and MPO arrived on the scene, but not by much. The Derby Gods were once again shining down on ABO and MPO, as they drew another couple of lean, mean running machines from HS22. They gunned it to HS23 in 2 hours flat. A whopping hour and ten minutes faster than KAK. Studying the check in sheet, they were astonished to learn KAH had left the station only 30 minutes before they’re arrival. Hot on his scent, they barely paused for breath before haring out of HS23. By the time they left, the gap between them had closed to just 1 hour.

You might have thought KAH had had his fair share of rotten luck for one day. Alas, this is the Derby, always there to remind us that life is unfair. Striking out alone from HS23, KAH had picked a spicy mount. If he could just stay onboard, he could probably ride it out. But fate intervened. KAH’s vet card somehow flew out of his pocket as he rocketed along. On the one hand, he was lucky enough to realise, and wheeled around to retrieve it to evade a dreaded tech penalty. On the other, he now had to get off his horse, and remount it. Alone. A risky business, as any Derby rider will tell you. Once you’re on, you do not get off if you value your life. KAH gambled, and no sooner had he hit the ground than his horse exploded, decking KAH and savagely booting him in the head for good measure. Incredibly, KAH clung on to his ill mannered mount through sheer force of will, and was soon tracked down by vet Don, who had been scrambled to the scene to conduct a quick injury check. Remarkably, KAH had emerged essentially unscathed. With nothing worse than an egg on his head to show for his tumble, he was soon back in the saddle and dashing for HS24. Lady Luck was back on his side, after a morning of crushing infidelity.

And not a moment too soon. While KAH was round housing with his horse, ABO and MPO were busy screaming along to HS24. They’ve picked a more direct line than KAH, so swooped past him unaware of his plight. Imagine their surprise when, almost into HS24, he rocketed up behind them to pip them to the post once again into HS24 by just a few minutes. Undeniably, the first of a couple of extraordinary comebacks.

Reunited at HS24, all three were in buoyant spirits. Firstly, there was real fresh fruit on offer for the first time since Start Camp, so that was already something of a miracle. They’d arrived in at just shy of 3PM. All had given up hope of riding beyond HS25 this evening, in light of the no-camp zone beyond HS25 until HS26. There was no chance they’d make it to HS25 to ride out in time to hit HS26 tonight, so they had four hours in which to reach HS25. A relative walk in the park, by these speed merchants’ standards. Something of a truce fell, as the three vetted through HS24 easily. MPO drew the Mongolian version of the Black Stallion, while EAK and ABO both drew some spicy chestnuts. MPO shared his tactics with the crew: “Go fast, try not to fall off, try not to die.” They were off, and in a very good mood.

Riding the Derby at speed is a double edged sword. You fly through on spectacular horses living the thrills of the contest, but you also miss the chance to really get to know your fellow riders and just soak up the magic of the country around you. Your vision is, after all, a little blurry when riding at eye-watering speed. Although ABO and MPO had left HS24 first, MPO soon caught them up and the trio bumbled along together for the last stretch of the ride to HS25, revelling in the brief hours of peace onboard great horses before arriving into HS25 tonight for around 5:30PM. They were even treated to a nice steppe shower on the way in, accompanied by gale force horizontal winds, some thunder and lighting and a double rainbow. Plenty time to dry off, kick back, relax and rest up for tomorrow morning.

But the day had one final surprise in store for our frontrunners. They weren’t to be the only ones reaching HS25 tonight. EAK had the bit between his teeth, and was pulling off a blinder back down the field to catch back up to his partner KAH. Despite starting off the day half a leg behind ABO and MPO from his campsite shy of HS21, he appeared on the horizon to stroll into HS25 just before 7pm. Another day of his trademark flawless navigating and impeccable riding had seen him pull off a marathon effort to catch up to the front runners. He ate up the ground between HS24 and HS25 to make it there in 2 hours flat through the stormy squalls, and cleared the vet check immediately at 6:56PM. A day of remarkable mental fortitude, as well as physical resilience. Well done, EAK. You’ve more than earned your spot on the start line for the sprint to the line tomorrow. And at crew member Temka’s birthday party tonight at HS25. Much to celebrate.

And what a sprint it’s set to be. The remaining four legs between our leaders and the finish line are all pretty straight forward, navigationally wise. There’s always capacity to make a boo-boo, but it would be a surprise from this lot. So what will be the deciding factor? Could a freak vet penalty, one bronc too many or a lost horse tip the balance in the battle for the 2025 Mongol Derby podium? HS25 may have been a scene of peace and love this evening, but tomorrow is a very different day. We’ve spotted some lethal naadam racing stallions on the line at HS25, waiting for their chance to let rip tomorrow. Come 7AM, the gloves will be off as these four exceptional riders battle it out for glory.

But let’s not count our chickens here. It’s not over till it’s over, and HS24 is also playing host to a quartet of very dangerous competitors this evening. Cowboys Sam Phelps (SPH) and Dennis Alverson (DAL) and lovebirds Brandon Fiore (BFI) and Lucy Fiore (LFI) have all continued on their unstoppable romps up the course to keep themselves within touching distance of the leaders this evening. As EAK has proved today, there’s only 2 hours hard riding on a good horse between HS24 and HS25. KAH lost that margin overnight, and it could very well happen again. Might the same drama unfold tomorrow, to allow one of these riders to leapfrog the leaders?

All four made up good time navigating flawlessly on the tricky leg into HS21 this morning, and have since then thundered up the course unhindered. SPH and DAL stomped into HS24 in the eye of the storm, windswept and interesting. SPH grinned, unflappable: “Bit wet out here.” We’re not sure what DAL said because his words were immediately lost to the hurricane. But we’re sure he’s in good spirits too. BFI and LFI have had a particularly strong showing, catching up half a leg on SPH and DAL to draw themselves back into equal 5th place today. They’ve got a few minutes of late riding penalties to sit out before taking flight tomorrow, but could their stunning form carry them even further tomorrow, or will SPH and DAL hold the gap?

While they’ll be focused on what’s ahead of them, they’re unlikely to have to worry too much about watching their backs. With a full two horse stations between them and their nearest pursuers, the field has really strung out today. Back at HS22, Blake McCusker (BMC) and Kami Bitting (KBI) have chosen to shelter from the storm this evening. BMC suffered an emotional break-up at HS20 this morning, when his loyal companion Hugh Wrigley (HWR) was taken out by a 2 hour vet penalty. Having already lost his tracker, things were not going HWR’s way. Saying a sad farewell, BMC struck out on his own to continue his quest up the field, riding strongly to reach HS22.

KBI has had a tough old run of it, having navigated beautifully as ever into HS21 only to receive a 4 hour vet penalty when her horse failed its trot up. A stark contrast to her first mount of the day, who she was plotting to smuggle home to the States. Gathering herself together, she picked up the pieces to catch up to BMC at HS22. Peering outside their ger at the weather tonight, they seemed pretty smug about their decision not to brave it out on the steppe.

Meanwhile, HWR made the most of his enforced time out at HS20 to catch up on some Zs and cool off in the shade. Once released, he was off and charging away into the distance again, hot on the hoof prints of his partner. However, while BMC sleeps soundly in the comforts of HS22 tonight, HWR elected to take his chances out camping. After scoffing down some warming goulash at HS21, he rode back out into the storm. He’s had to veer off track slightly to find a home for the night but has landed safely with the family of local herder Gantulga, who are guarding him rather fiercely from our photographer this evening.

Behind HWR back at HS21, the main pack have rolled in. All the gang from last night at HS18 are back together again, having picked off another 3 legs of the Derby. It was an emotional goodbye at HS18 this morning, as our riders were reluctant to leave their incredible hostess. Many hugs and a photoshoot later, they were drawing their rides and limbering up for the day. Ali Woodward (AWO) and Melissa Montgomery’s (MMO) friendship and fierce loyalty continue to inspire us all. They came to the Derby together, and they’ve been supporting each other all along through thick and thin while riding a stellar campaign. It’s been a pleasure to watch, and we were touched to witness them share a big hug today after another incredible effort to make it into HS21. But only once MMO had finally managed to vet check her horse, who was so relaxed he’d tried to sleep through it. Wearing thinner than their friendship are MMO’s chaps, which are now clinging on by a thread. Let’s go girls.

Also feeling warm and fuzzy tonight at HS21 was Bianca Farmas-Griffith (BFG), who was thoroughly besotted with her pony and not keen on letting him go. Livi Strang Steel (LSS) was similarly enamoured with her steed and his luscious blond locks, requesting a snap from our photographer to remember him by. Haley Fitzgerald (HFI) stuck with buddy Elizabeth Ingvaldson (EIN) for most of the day, and was finding things so easy she decided to go hands-free. Don’t try this at home. EIN, however, was keeping her hands firmly on the reins, after she drew a plunge pony at HS8 this morning to start her day off with a bang. Riding it out like a pro she lived to tell the tale, but will have trust issues for a little while longer. Kat Buccelli (KBU) had to summon the vets to check out her ailing horse on the way into HS20 today. She’d made the right call: vet Corrado arrived on the scene and agreed he needed hand-walking in. 4ks of sedate walking later, and he had suddenly gained a lot more respect for our riders.

Due to his absence, several other riders were help up when they couldn’t vet their new horses, so they’ll all have some time taken off their final finish time to compensate. Kudos to all of them for bearing the hold up with grace and understanding. What good sports you all are.

Shy of HS21, Uta Hesterberg (UHE), Anna Guony Baldursdottir (AGB), Autumn Clarke (ACL) and Florian Senger-Weiss (FSW) have all picked an excellent smooth route round the mountains, and are camped out together this evening. FSW had a sticky start to the day when his horse deposited him on the steppe and went off for a refreshing dip in the nearby dam. FSW’s tack was fortunately recovered, slightly soggy but otherwise intact. When it arrived back into camp, his knight in shining armour David Malenoir-Evans (DME) was there to save the day. Despite having to swallow the disappointment of retiring from the Derby, DME has proven himself to be the all star of team players. He spent the morning at HS19, providing moral support, a tack repair service and hydration assistance to all of the riders still kicking on. There could be no better embodiment of the Derby spirit we so love to see. DME, you are the MVP.

The rest of our field are all tucked up and cosy tonight at HS20, ready to kick on for the mountains first thing tomorrow. Olivia Hankel (OHA) is somehow still smiling with a suspiciously wonky finger, which she’s holding together with an improvised splint. Can’t keep this girl down. Out in the wilds alone this evening, brave Grace Netter (GNE) is due into HS20 in the morning.

Our Adventure Category squad have also been filling up the field today, with many more to join tomorrow. Claire Schreder (CSC) has been seduced by the fun on the party bus, so we’ll see her back out on horseback with long lost parter Alex Beneson (ABE) before long. She remains out in the field for now, soaking up the magic of the steppe alongside Lieve Donnellan (LDO), Naidene Stander (NUR) and Pippa Henderson (PHE). We’ll release the rest of the Adventure Category back onto the steppe as HS26 once the lead riders have passed through, so that as many of them as possible can have the once in a lifetime experience of thundering through those Derby finish flags.

For now, we leave you with some further stunning moments caught on camera out on the steppe today. Rest up, take some deep breaths and buckle up for tomorrow. It’s sure to be one hell of a ride.

Day 7 Close of Play

HS25: ABO, EAK, KAH, MPO

HS24: BFI, DAL, LFI, SPH

HS22: BMC, KBI

Between HS21 – HS22: HWR

HS21: AWO, BFG, EIN, HFI, KBU, LSS, MMO, TKO

Between HS20 – HS21: AGB, FSW, UHE

HS20: ATH, BSI, EWA, FFU, GPO, OHA, UHE

Between 19-20: GNE

Adventure Category: ABE, ACL, ATO, CSC, CKA, DFI, JLA, JOQ, LDO, LMK, NUR, PHE

Retired: AKN, DME, KBA, MSA

Penalties

Vet penalties: HWR (2 hrs), KBI (4 hrs)

Late riding: BFI (8 mins), GNE (50 mins), HFI (42 mins), LFI (8 mins)

Delay on course to be credited at finish – waited while vet attended emergency: AWO (2 hrs), BFG (2 hrs), HFI (2 hrs), LSS (2 hrs), MMO (2 hrs)

Photo credits: Kathy Gabriel, Tulgaa Skizz, Kabaanaa, Anna Bowker, Corrado Valli