Jessie Dowling of Iron Ledge Farm in Whitefield returns for a presentation about another epically long and challenging horse race! The Gaucho Derby is a 500 kilometer, multi-horse endurance race set over a 10 day period in Patagonia, Argentina, billed as the “Toughest Horse Race in the World.” Contestants carry their own tent, food, and other essential gear in saddle bags and receive resupply bags of food set along the course route. The course runs through some of the most rugged wild places in the world navigating through steep mountain passes, down scree lined cliffs, across bog filled valleys, barren mesas, and wild Patagonian steppe. The winds of Patagonia are epically strong, and the weather can change in an instant from sun to hail. Jessie will be giving a presentation on what it was like training for and competing in the race.
