Found 22 Results from Desk to Derby

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Cutting

 

ridingweed2I decided to ride way outside my comfort zone for my last adventure in this year of exploring new disciplines. With a helmet, breeches and tall boots I headed to a cutting horse clinic taught by a cowboy from …

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Driving

DSC_4454People who participate in carriage driving have always been a bit of a mystery to me. Because I love riding so much, I’ve always wondered how they could possibly prefer to be behind a horse instead of astride one.

I …

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Barrel Racing

The first thing Lee Jackson asked me when I asked him if I could take one of his barrel racers for a spin was “how good a rider are you?”

As I quickly learned, barrel racing is fast, fun and …

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Vaulting

Vaulting. It’s one of those equestrian sports I’d filed alongside jousting in the ‘weird and alternative’ category. I didn’t know anyone who vaulted and until a few months ago I’d assumed the only people who did it were part of …

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Riding to Hounds

I’m the kind of person who loves to try new things. I think it’s in the space where I scare myself that I grow the most – particularly when it comes to horses.

Last year, was all about pushing my …

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Crossing the Finish Line

It’s been over two weeks since I crossed the Mongol Derby finish line and I’m just beginning to understand what happened to me.

Twenty-eight Mongolian horses and 1,000 kilometres later I’m a much different person from the timid amateur rider …

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In Ulaanbaatar

Excuse the brevity of the post as I’m typing it on my iPhone with a thumb and finger that don’t entirely work, but I’ve arrived in Mongolia! I landed on Wednesday and have been doing some sightseeing and fiddling with …

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And I’m Off!!

Almost 11 months of preparation has brought me here – as you read this I’ll be in the air somewhere over Europe enroute to Beijing and then, after a 16-hour layover, on to Ulaanbaatar.

It’s been another hectic week as …

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The Final Countdown

kitThe last two weeks have zoomed past and today I realize that in seven days I leave for Mongolia. It’s a bit surreal that my departure is so close now, having spent the last 11 months completely focused on this …

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A Bad Break

While training for the Mongol Derby I’ve continuously tried to find the balance between pushing myself and keeping my body intact so I arrive at the start line as healthy and fit as can be. All that went to hell …

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My First Official Endurance Ride

I’ve been riding every day for almost three weeks in Moab. Surely, I thought, I’m now fit enough to attempt two 50 mile (80 kilometre) endurance races in one weekend.

So we packed up the trailer and drove nearly five …

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The Importance of Having a No. 1 Fan

I’m back in Moab after a six-day epic U.S. road trip with my boyfriend, Fernando. Along the way we dubbed the trip #RunMerica and #EatMerica as we indulged in two of our favourite activities – binging and long distance running.…

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A Party and One Last Ride on Canadian Soil

DSC_3668I’m now in my final week of work before I drive down to Moab to reconnect with Christoph Schork for six weeks of Mongol Derby boot camp.

Last weekend, I had my last run on a racehorse and as I …

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Overwhelmed by Generosity

With every little step of preparation I complete, the Mongol Derby becomes a little more real. My treasure chest arrived last week. In it, my rider T-shirt, the saddle bag I’ll use to carry only 11 pounds of gear for …

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The Hard Work Begins

I woke up this morning and realized it was May. Now only three months until I scramble on top of that first Mongolian horse and bomb over the start line of a 1,000 kilometre journey.
After getting my ass kicked …