At 9.51am local time, Will Comiskey from Australia, Marcia Hefker-Miles from New Mexico and Heidi Telstad from CANADA crossed the line, arms together, to take a triple dead heat in the 2016 Mongol Derby, the world’s longest and toughest horse race.
They gave thanks to the horses, herders and people of Mongolia for an incredible experience and said they wanted to share the experience of winning as a team just as they had shared the experience of the trail.
The pics show the three winners finishing the Mongol Derby and are credited to Richard Dunwoody @ Mongol Derby.
Will Comiskey, 28, ‘Dingo’, a cattle rancher from Longreach , said: “There were slow ones, there were wild ones, but ****, we had fun!! Marcia Hefker-Miles, 45, from New Mexico, said her most memorable memory was: “Riding through a high mountain pass, past a boy and a girl both herding goats; making eye contact with them and waving. I saw myself in that little girl…” Heidi Telstad, 43, a lawyer from British Colombia, said hers was: “Camping one night with a poor family; they gave everything they had to spare to me and my horse and treated me as one of their own.”
Next to finish in the Mongol Derby were Tatiana Mountbatten and Venetia Philipps, from the UK and Courtney Kizer from Texas.
Congratulations to all who managed to finish this race but especially to our Canadian Heidi Telstad. We are so proud of you.
The 2016 Mongol Derby, certainly this year living up to its name as the world’s longest and toughest horse race (“and it’s raining again….”) is set for a nail biting finish with any of five riders in a position to take the title.
At horse station 27, the last station before the finish, are William Comiskey, nicknamed ‘Dingo’, a cattle rancher from Australia, alongside Canada’s Heidi Telstad, a lawyer – and these two have been riding together for most of the race. With them is New Mexican cowgirl, Marcia Hefker-Miles.
Heidi Telstad, the only Canadian entry in the 2016 Mongol Derby is among the leaders as they come to the half way point.
Photo Credits to: Richard Dunwoody @ Mongol Derby
The 2016 Mongol Derby, the world’s longest and toughest horse race, looks like being the closest yet as riders from all around the world are battling it out up front with just under 500 km to go! These include:
William Comiskey, nicknamed ‘Dingo’, a cattle rancher from Australia
UK ‘Riding for Rangers’ team Tatiana Mountbatten, a professional dressage rider and 499th in line to the throne, and her team mate, Kenyan based Venetia Phillips
Heidi Telstad, a lawyer from Canada
Marcia Hefker-Miles, a New Mexican cowgirl
Shannon Nott, an Aussie bush doctor
Courtney Kizer, a Texan showjumper
A few km’s only separate these riders – plus the rest of the field are also within striking distance.
There have been six people retiring so far – including a dash to hospital, a dislocated shoulder (the rider Hanna Backstrom from Sweden has carried on!), and currently some suspected broken ribs
David Redvers (UK) and Peter Molony (Ire) lead the Qatar racing team, which includes Sheikh Fahad al-Thani. Redvers said that “yesterday ranked as one of the ten best days of his life”
The weather is also pretty dire on the steppe. Last night race chief Katy Willings said as the three leaders left the comfort of Horse Station 14: “They’ve passed up some world class Khuushuur at U14 and a dry bed surrounded by racing medals to hang onto a 30 minute lead and sleep in a ditch. Plus U14-15 is the most beautiful ride. Perhaps the most stunning on the course except that it’s hammering it down with rain, so they won’t see much of it.”
Thanks to Liz Ampairee for the information about the race.
All Photo Credits to: Richard Dunwoody @ Mongol Derby
Young horses are prone to accidents but most often they grow up strong and healthy and now after a couple of years of watching Marco grow up the scariest part of the dream arrives. Finding the right human for him.
Young Marco loved visiting people. In fact, it was nearly impossible to visit any of the other horses without him trying to get your attention back over to him. So we needed someone who is going to give him lots of attention.
He was sweet natured and easy to work with so it didn’t have to be a highly skilled professional but, of course, someone who had the skills to bring him along without spoiling him or destroying the trust he had already developed.
He likes to “use” himself and loves to be learning new things. He likes life to be “interesting” not boring. He would pick up the plastic tarp or the ball and intentionally try to stir up some excitement with his buddies. Round and round in an arena was probably not his calling.
As soon as we offered him for sale (on Northernhorse of course) we got a call and a visit from a young lady who appeared to be just what Marco needed. You know his whole future depends on the handling, care and training he gets. People who don’t raise baby horses probably don’t understand just what it feels like when just the right person arrives to look at purchasing him. The perfect person arrives and your heart soars with hope that they will choose him. Your dream is that you will get to see him in the future and that he will be happy and loved and well cared for.
Kayla is making our dream for Marco come true. Watch for more stories about Marco. Kayla has offered to update his story from time to time here on the blog. It will be interesting to see her dreams with Marco and how they unfold.
Summer goes fast in Alberta. Seems the snow is barely gone before the grasses along the ditches are heading out. The countryside changes from greens to golds and yellows and hints of red. The days shorten even more rapidly than they lengthened or so it seems.
Before you know it, it’s weaning time.
At first it is all very exciting to be back in the paddocks you were born in and racing around with Mom and mates.
Then Mom is gone and you are left with old George and your buddy Hawk. George waits patiently while his newest charges figure out that looking for Mom is a waste of time. He soon lures them over to the nice hay and bed that have been set up and gets them learning about “life after Mom”.
Marco got busy figuring out what it was he was good at.
Slope sliding…
Racing in the snow…
Stopping…
A few dressage moves…
He made some mistakes…
For which he appeared to almost lose his head…
But soon he learned how to get along in the herd and join in the dance.
Not everyone has the opportunity to watch baby horses grow up. Only the very luckiest. When you spend lots of time out watching this process, they get into your heart. They become your friends.
As Dave and I stood watching Josie and Keeper who were showing obvious signs of impending birth, we discussed how cool it was that both Josie and her daughter were foaling at the same time and how bad it would be if they did the same as a couple of our cows a few years back and lay down together to give birth and then walk away with the wrong baby.
We stayed up late. For us. We even sat in the car for an hour or two after dark in the hope that something was happening. It is so hard to tell exactly when a mare is going to foal. They can keep you in suspense for hours if not days. Then you slip away to go shut a gate or make a coffee and sure enough… you come back to find she popped him/her out already. Finally we went to bed.
Dave went out at daybreak to check. Keeper had foaled. And, luckily we didn’t have to wonder if there was any trading going on as the other baby was still safe in Josie’s belly.
Keeper didn’t waste any time letting us know that she didn’t like Josie being around her baby. Josie had been there at the birth and being the boss mare she made Keeper feel intimidated. Mother or not. The baby was with Keeper but Keeper was worried so we moved Josie to another paddock to wait for her to foal.
Oreo, Keepers filly, is just the sweetest little thing. Dave was waiting for a black baby with 4 white socks but when he laid his eyes on Oreo, he immediately claimed her. Keeper was my saddle horse for a few years and really likes me so getting my hands on her baby was no big deal. Like Maggie’s filly who is now a week old, she was instantly friendly and trusting.
Watched Josie all day. Even phoned a vet at one point but they were too busy to do much of anything and we ended up deciding we were just helicopter midwives and that really nothing much was wrong except that we were a bit impatient. She was still a bit crampy and it had been awhile but she wasn’t up and down or sweating or particularly stressed.
Watched Josie well into the night. Sure enough next morning at day break we had another baby. This time a nice big colt. Josie was proud and had him up nursing and all was well. Watched her teach him to tuck in by her shoulder and travel with her. She stood over him (right over him) almost every time he went to sleep.
By 4 in the afternoon we decided to put them all together – they have been together for years and all know each other. Josie will be boss but every herd has its boss and now Josie has the youngest foal which tends to make them more cautious for the first few days.
Checked a couple of times before bed. All was well.
Checked early the next morning. Josie parades by proud as punch with Oreo, her granddaughter at her side. Keeper is nursing Josie’s colt, Swap who is really her brother. Keeper has a confused look like she knows something is not quite right but… the boss mare has informed her they are trading, Keeper really likes Swap and Josie is making it really clear that the one she has is the one she wants and therefore the one she is keeping.
Both mares are good milkers. Both mares love the baby they have. Just going to let it be. Besides I had a premonition.
Here are some videos of the new babies.
Keeper and Oreo
Another one of Keeper and Oreo
A video of Josie and Swap (before she swapped him out).
A Life With Horses 