<div>I'm Kat! (Kathryn to some ) ... and! I've been offered (and accepted) to compete in the 2025 Mongol Derby: a 10 day, 600 mile horse race across the Mongolian Steppe on semi-wild Mongolian Horses.
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<div>I've done my best to outline quite a thorough description below which highlights:
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<li>What the Mongol Derby is
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<li>Why it's so expensive
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<li>Why I'm asking for help 
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</ul>
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<div>Any small bit helps. I'm in pursuit of a dream I've had for over a decade, and I'm reaching out to my community to help co-create this reality.
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<div><strong>What Is The Mongol Derby?</strong>
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<div>Widely known as the "longest and toughest horse race in the world", the Mongol Derby is a 10 day, 1000km (600 miles) horse race across the Mongolian Steppe on semi-wild Mongolian horses.
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<div>The race itself rebuilds Genghis Khan's horse messenger system which, at its height, connected half the planet. This sets the stage for one of the world's most incredible equine adventures.
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<div>During the race, each participant changes horses every 40km at check points (known as horse stations) which are hosted by nomadic Mongolian herding families who offer and donate their herds of horses to be used during the race.
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<div>There's no set course, and participants are only provided coordinate points for the horse stations, and water sources. It's up to the participants to chart their own course, navigate using a handheld GPS, and survive on their own wits and skill.
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<div>Visit the Equestrianists website below for a deeper dive into the nitty gritty details of the race:
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<div><a href="https://equestrianists.com/guides/mongol-derby-more-details/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">More details about the Mongol Derby</a>
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<div><strong>Why The Hefty Price Tag? </strong>
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<div>While it's up to the each participant to survive during the race using their own wits and skill, we're not just thrown out into the wilds of the Mongolian Steppe for 10 days.
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<div>The organization that hosts the event, the Equestrianists, work with Mongolian herding families to host the horse stations and horses, closely monitor both participant and horse welfare throughout the race, and provide race training in the days before the race.
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<div>To build and execute the infrastructure of this race is a feat in and of itself.
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<div>The entry fee for the 2025 Derby is $17,500, and includes:
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<ul>
<li>The race
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<li>The horses
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<li>The herders
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<li>The horse stations
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<li>The medics
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<li>The equine vets
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<li>The race crew
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<li>Pre-race training
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<li>Drivers &amp; interpreters
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<li>Custom saddle
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<li>Start &amp; Finish camps
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<li>Live race tracking
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<li>Food and drinks
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</ul>
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<div><strong>Why Do I Need Help to Fund My Entry?</strong>
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<div>First and foremost, because it's quite a steep price tag. While I am fortunate enough to have a stable well paying job, the additional costs outside of the actual entry fee are starting to reveal themselves.
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<div>In order to prepare for what might very well be the hardest mental and physical challenge I'll experience in my lifetime, I'm needing to pay special attention to a true training regimen. The focus of this training involves getting back in the saddle after a 2 year hiatus by leasing a horse to ride regularly, as well various training programs ranging from a few days to a full month.
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<div>But it's not just the training and preparation, the reality of being sure I have the right gear with me out there in the wilds of Mongolia set the stage for additional cost.
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<div>Right now, I'm looking at nearly 3x my monthly rent for the next 10 months. Even with the stability of my job, and planning around living a leaner lifestyle financially, I'm already struggling to make this work. 
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<div><strong>Why Am I Doing This If I Can't Afford It?</strong>
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<div>I first heard of the Mongol Derby nearly a decade ago, when the race was just getting its feet off the ground. Enamored by the idea, it didn't seem possible for me to 1) get accepted as a participant, and 2) physically be able to actually do it.
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<div>After a former College Riding Teammate competed in the Derby a few years back, the idea re-emerged and hasn't left my mind since.
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<div>To be accepted out of hundreds of applicants as 1 of ~40 competitors feels nearly overwhelming to me.
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<div>Against many odds, horses have been the staple of my life since I was 8 years old. My family could never quite afford the equine hobby I found myself obsessed with when I was a kid, but I always found a way to make it work. Essentially, I have worked to ride my entire life. After College, I became extremely nomadic. For the span of a few years, I was never living anywhere for more than a few months. And yet, I was always finding the opportunities to spend my time with horses. Out of everywhere I've lived, and every new passion I've found in body movement or athleticism, I've always found my way back to horses.
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<div>This experience is one that will bring so many pieces that make up my true self into one. For an adventure seeking, challenge driven woman passionate about travelling, with a deep life long love for horses, this truly is the experience of a lifetime.
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<div>I have heard that there's nothing at all in the world like galloping through the Mongolian Steppe on the back of a semi-wild Mongolian horse, feeling the unbelievable energy of these ancient animals underneath you. This is the feeling I dream of, and this is the feeling I get to finally experience in August, 2025.
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<div><strong>Again... any small bit helps. I'm in pursuit of a dream I've had for over a decade, and I'm reaching out to my community to help co-create this reality. </strong>
</div>

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