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2019 Mongol Derby: RACE UPDATE - Day 10

Welcome to the update from Day 9!

The last featured rider is over the line and so with a heavy heart I must say see ya, sayonara and so long to the tough, brave and ever so grumbly Dr Michael "Indiana" Field.  

For me, no-one personifies the spirit of this daft endeavour better than Dr Field.  Why did he sign up?  Random personal reasons - likes the country and the flora, likes horses.  Why did he persevere long after so many riders, many younger and more experienced, got thoroughly fed up and called it a day?  Who knows.  A certain sort of bloody mindedness perhaps, or maybe a sado-masochistic streak?  Whatever it was, he raced in his own cantankerous and slightly absent minded way and provided plenty of entertainment for his hordes of fans in the Netherlands and elsewhere along the road. 

He started with a rather enthusiastic flick of airag for the Sky God and one can only wonder whether this is where it all began to go so awfully, awfully wrong...

Dr Field making a vague gesture in the Sky God's general direction. Thanks to Sarah Farnsworth & the Adventurists for the photo.

His first really rotten piece of luck was to lose his horse on day two.  The ungrateful beast disappeared promptly over the horizon with all of his gear, leaving Dr Field standing on the steppe looking very much like he had forgotten to turn the oven off.  Quick scratch around and he rode on in borrowed kit.  

Thanks to Sarah Farnsworth & the Adventurists for the photo.

At some point his stirrups - vanished?  Broke?  He fashioned a new pair from what looks like his … braces?  Unclear.  On he trotted.

Thanks to Sarah Farnsworth & the Adventurists for the photo.

To add injury to insult, at some point on day 6 he was bucked off, split his knee open and with no washing or pause for his body to sort itself out the inevitable infection set in.  He had it stitched multiple times (I think that's what he said) en route but like all the best Derbyists he just kept buggering on.  

Thanks to Sarah Farnsworth & the Adventurists for the photo.

Dr Field claims to have picked the slowest horses and, congratulated by Robert Long and Frank Winters on the line, announced cheerfully "I've had some problems on the way".  Ah well.  

Why be boring?

With that, my temporary blog must also come to an end.  Thank you to the crew and the Adventurists for another great edition of the race so many love so much.  I have shamelessly piggy backed off Candie Jade's official updates and so a special thanks to her for doing a great job of doing everything, all the time and updating the world simultaneously.  

All of the featured riders are over the line with happy hearts, sore bums and no doubt enough stories of their time on the steppe to bore everyone they know a million times over.  Bear with them!  What they did was extraordinary and for most of these riders, was a once in a lifetime experience they will never repeat.  

For others, of course, there is always next year...

RM over and out

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To my husband or, as he likes to describe himself, that big boof-haired m-f'er, thank you for everything.

To Katy Willings, who I met on staircase 21 eighteen years ago, the race wouldn't be what it is (or maybe wouldn't be, at all) without you and the ten years of your life you dedicated to making other people's dreams come true.  

To Maggie Pattinson, I wouldn't have been able to write this blog without your wise counsel, wonderful horses and endless support. 

And last but not least, thank you very much to Monita who first taught me what horses can be.