I have been rashly invited, and even more rashly accepted the invitation, to ride the Mongol Derby in August this year.  The Derby is the longest and most arduous horse race in the world (1,000 kilometres over 6-7 days).

To put this in context, despite delusions on my part to the contrary, I could barely ride three years ago.  My wife, Clare, who will be doing the race with me (or, more accurately, will also be racing, no doubt, far ahead of me) assured me that eight falls make a rider and I naively believed her.  Several multiples of those eight falls, a broken nose, two cracked ribs and countless X-rated bruises later, the best that can be said is that I am not falling off my trusty steed quite as often as I did.

The race takes place in the Mongol Steppes, about as far away from civilisation and medical intervention as it is possible to be. It retraces the route taken by Genghis Khan’s messenger riders.  Each participant chooses a new horse every 40 kilometres from a herd of semi feral ponies they have never seen before.  Once I became committed to the race, it
became apparent that the organisers are much more focused on the health of the horses than the riders, with strict rules on riders' weight, horse heart rate checks and multiple vets in attendance.  I tell myself that if a vet can fix a horse they might be able to do something for me should the need arise!

The whole enterprise is being filmed for a tv series about the seven extreme sports organised but The League of Adventurists so in due course you will be able to watch my exploits, or more likely, watch me making a complete so and so of myself.

If you are concerned about me, you are not alone. If you think I have taken leave of my senses, you are probably correct; rest assured, though, I have done so in a very worthy cause. I shall be raising money for the RDA (Riding for the Disabled) an exceptionally worthwhile charity, of which I have recently become a trustee. 

The RDA provides therapy, enjoyment and achievement to disabled people through access to horses.  The charity reaches some of the most excluded people in society with both physical and mental disability and makes an extraordinary difference to their lives.  Independent research indicates that over 70% of participants show improvements in confidence, communication, mobility and relationship-building skills within only 12 weeks. There are countless heart-warming stories of how the RDA has transformed lives.  For every one of the 26,000 participants that RDA assists each year there are four on the waiting list, many for over a year.  In addition to support for traditionally disabled people, the therapeutic benefits of the service are starting to attract interest from people involved in dementia care and soldiers with PTSD.

The RDA relies on 19,000 volunteers who gift in aggregate 3.5 million hours of their time each year.  However, to address the unmet demand the RDA urgently needs capital to train additional coaches and volunteers, acquire suitable horses and build additional centres. This year we are fundraising for a National Training Centre for which we have recently received planning permission.  This centre will greatly enhance our ability to train additional coaches and volunteers.  Any help you can give by sponsoring me would be hugely appreciated.

Wish me luck: apparently less than 50% of the riders finish the race each year!

With many thanks in anticipation,

Neil