Byeronie wins Mongol Derby

sport2Oct15
Bryonie Epstein

 South African, Byeronie Epstein has just won the Mongol Derby in spectacular fashion.

The Mongol Derby, considered to be the toughest horse race in the world, boasts a 1000km race through Genghis Khan’s postal route with riders attempting to stay atop half-wild Mongol horses which are swapped out every 40km to prevent injury, whilst living with herders or camping under the stars. The Guinness Book of World Records has called this the longest equestrian race on Earth.

Byeronie’s goal, besides not getting seriously injured, was to finish the route along the Mongolian steppe in 10 days or less.

Just like in Genghis Khan’s time, when the route was used as an incredibly fast postal route across the empire, local Mongolian families provide food and sleeping arrangements for the riders, of which more than half will drop out due to fatigue or injury.

The landscape poses many challenges. It is varied and can be inhospitable, ranging from boiling hot to freezing cold. Added to this is the fact that every 40km the riders have to get used to a new, sometimes uncompromising, horse. However, Byeronie picked a spectacular horse for the last leg of the race which carried her for much of the final stage at 24 kilometres per hour.

Byeronie is now the second South African champion after Craig Egberink (2011). She is also the third lady winner after Sam Jones and Lara Palmer in 2014 and 2013.

“It’s quite surreal at the moment, I’m relieved and excited. I’m glad the training has paid off, I’ve had a phenomenal time, it was a great adventure. I’ve aches and pains all over my body, on day three I blew out my left knee, since then I’ve been trying to strap it up and have been going through a lot of pain, but it’s been worth it. You can’t compare this to anything I’ve done in the past, it’s quite unique and it’s blown me away.” — Byeronie Epstein, 2015 Mongol Derby Champion

For more information on this incredible story, visit www.theadventurists.com

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