As some of you may already know, I have (perhaps rather stupidly) signed up to take part in a horse race known as the Mongol Derby, setting off this August.

The basic idea of the race is to emulate Chinngis Khan's legendary postal system which could send messages across the Mongol Empire in a matter of days...puts the Royal Mail to shame really!

However, this isn't just any old horse race!
The course covers 1000km of Mongol Steppe (ie desert with maybe a couple of shrubs here and there) and the race is being described as the world's longest and toughest horse-race...oh dear!

I have ten days in which to complete the course, and for all of you who are wondering what poor pony has to put up with me for that length of time, don't worry...the horses are changed every day, so it's just me that's suffering, not them.

Oh yeah, and just to top it all off, the Mongol ponies I'll be riding are semi-feral (so basically I'll get chucked off lots), and I'll be sleeping either in the tents of Mongolian nomads (favourite food: old sheep and fermented horse milk) or in my own wee tent in the desert, surrounded by the howling wolves of Mongolia (let's hope not!)

One of the two charities for whom I am raising money is the Rifles Regimental Trust, who raise money both towards helping with the recovery of soliders wounded whilst in Afghanistan, but also to help the families of those wounded or killed whilst on tour.

The 3 Rifles are a battalion of the British Army based in Edinburgh, who are currently in the process of returning from Afghanistan. Tragically the battalion lost 30 men whilst on their tour, and many more were seriously injured, and this is why I want to do my part in helping raise money for this extremely worthwhile charity!

Please help me out, any donation is much appreciated, no matter how big or small!!

THANK YOU!!!