Racing across Mongolia on a horse

Rowan is safely home after her 1000 mile horse race

Rowan Lovegrove-Fielden was languishing in the library at her university when she got an e-mail from a friend.

Soon she was planning to take part in the Mongol Derby, a 1,000km race across Mongolia on horseback.

Apart from the fact that the riders had to master a number of horses, they also had to survive camping in the open with the threat of wolves.

Rowan, who is 22 and from Pontesbury, was keen to get involved despite the dangers and the physical demands.

Warned of dangers

Rowan was in the library at Durham University when she received the message: "You're sitting in a dark, dingy library, having to do academic work. Riding 1,000km on your own across complete wilderness unaided seemed to be the perfect antidote."

The riders set off on the 1000km race

Before long she was planning the trip. She understood that the Mongol Derby could be perilous. But Rowan was unfazed: "Any equestrian sport is certainly one of the most dangerous things to do."

She also had to be proficient at putting up a tent and hobbling a horse, an essential skill as there are no fields or fences on the Mongolian Steppes.

The riders changed horses several times a day: "You're the one doing the 1,000km not the poor horses."

Call for help

It wasn't until the last day that disaster struck. Rowan's horse was badly injured after they had crossed a river and were making their way along a ditch: "This stake came up and went up between his hind legs and straight up into the sheath."

How he did it I have no idea because he lost about eight litres of blood, the vet estimated. It was just like a river. It was horrendous Rowan Lovegrove-Fielden

The injury was spurting blood and Rowan had to call for the veterinary team. It took them an hour to arrive because they had to cross the river by ferry.

As they waited they tried to keep the horse still and calm and keep his heart rate as low as possible.

Rowan said he was amazing: "How he did it I have no idea, because he lost about eight litres of blood, the vet estimated. It was just like a river. It was horrendous."

Gone into shock

By the time the vet arrived the blood had clotted and the horse was given about 10 litres of fluids. He had gone into shock: "That was the main worry, whether or not he'd pull through that. But he did and a couple of hours later they'd got him back home across the ferry and he was happily eating."

If they made it longer I would do it again. I don't think it was long enough actually. 1,000km was not enough. Rowan Lovegrove-Fielden

Rowan described it as the most "harrowing and horrendous experience" which put the race into perspective. They had been just a couple of hours behind the leaders when the accident happened and they ended up finishing in the rain and in darkness.

The experience has not deterred Rowan from having another go: "If they made it longer I would do it again. I don't think it was long enough actually - 1,000km was not enough."

She said the people she met were unbelievably generous and welcoming: "We didn't speak any Mongolian and they didn't speak any English. They would just take our horses from us, hobble them, water them and in the morning they'd go and get the horses in for us."

The Mongol Derby is an experience Rowan would recommend: " I would definitely encourage anybody who is interested in something like that to go ahead and apply because it's the most amazing experience."