10 days to cover 400kms of wildest Patagonia, with a team of two horses, a GPS and your own survival nous and equipment.

The race is a true celebration and showcase of the remarkable horses of the region. If you enter, it is with humility and respect for the animal and the local owners who have prepared and presented their horses for the event. Rather than drawing for a horse which is ‘just a number’, we will bring the horses and your horsemanship into the centre of the race, and the event concept. With a team of just two horses to cover the 9 exacting legs of the course, you’ll rely on them for their speed, stamina and strength, and they on you for your care and skill as a rider, navigator and competitor. With each of your steeds completing multiple sequential legs, being ‘fit to continue’ is not simply a matter of remaining competitive and penalty-free, but of being able to continue the race at all. More a case of “ride it like your life depends on it”, than “ride it like you stole it”.

A talented and committed cadre of vets, medics and event professionals will be staffing the course checkpoints, (and the airwaves and data centres when you are truly out of sight in some of the world’s remotest terrain), to ensure the welfare of the horses and the integrity of the competition. In an emergency, a sophisticated network of backup will be deployed to come to your aid, wherever you happen to be.

Outside of emergency situations, you will be navigating independently, camping or overnighting wherever you happen to be at the end of racing hours, and taking care of you and your equine partners so that you are always fit to continue.

Riders will have ten days to complete the course. Starting and finishing at Menelik on the north eastern fringe of the course, riders will tackle the first three stages on their start line mount. The middle four legs, checkpoints 3 to 7, will be with their second horse, delivered to station 3. First horses will then be transferred the short hop east to station 7 to resume their duties, and riders will cross the line with both horses.

A limited number of spare horses will be available, supplied by the organisers, in the event of horses being deemed not fit to continue and retired from the race. In the northern section of the course these spare horses will be mobile and delivered by trailer as needed to the appropriate checkpoint. In the southern half of the course they will be stationed at the furthest checkpoint and static.

Riders must navigate from checkpoint to checkpoint independently, and pass a vet check at each one, in order to complete the race. The winner is the first past the post. Any time penalties incurred will be served where they are issued, meaning that the finish order is the true result of the race, except in the case of penalties issued on the finish line. They will need to carry their own supplies for all food and survival needs. Re-supply will be possible at multiple checkpoints – riders will be able to send certain survival rations forward up the course to meet them later in the race and minimise weight carried on the horses early in the event.

The course will be made available to entered competitors immediately prior to the event by the organisers, and may be edited for reasons of safety or logistical need at any point prior to the event.

Knowledge of the region, or prior access to course data, will not unduly advantage any competitor. Navigation is not intended to be a material part of the skills required to successfully and safely complete the course. Sufficient waypoints will be included in the course file to ensure that serious hazards are avoided, suitable water sources and camping NAVIGATION entry points to key course nodes, such as safe river crossings, accessible passes and saddles, routes across hostile terrain, entries and exits to thick scrub, passes or forested areas which would otherwise be navigated ‘blind’, are provided. 

No fires can be lit except at the checkpoints. No littering will be tolerated. Anything you carry away from the checkpoint, you must carry into the following checkpoint, where the organisers will have some limited waste disposal facilities. Used batteries, sanitary items, landfill, loo roll must all be bagged up into ziplock bags and carried to the check point.

All riders will wear a satellite tracker and their movements will be monitored to ensure the fairness of the competition, the welfare of the horses, and the safety of crews and competitors.

Riders seen to be moving outside of racing hours will be heavily penalised. Crew cannot be expected to operate around the clock and the event cannot run without proper rest intervals for all parties. Hence contravening the racing hours will be strongly penalised, for the safety of all.

Riders arriving late into a checkpoint will lose 2 minutes for every minute past 7pm, to be sat the following morning when racing resumes again. If more than 60 minutes late, the penalty will double again to 4 minutes for every minute.

Having passed the initial vet check there will be a compulsory hold of 40 minutes, during which time the horse will be fed and watered. Then there will be a re-present trot-up to ensure the horse remains sound after the resting period, before the horse and rider can resume the race. In total a successful veterinary checkpoint will take around an hour. Riders may stay at the checkpoints as long as they like however.

The horse’s heart rate must return to 64 beats per minute in order to pass the vet – as soon as the rider is confident that their horse is at a suitable resting pulse they will be able to ask for a veterinary examination. During this time the clock keeps running. Riders have 30 minutes from arrival at the checkpoint to make first presentation to the vet. Should the horse’s pulse still be elevated 30 minutes after arrival at the checkpoint, the horse will be deemed to have failed the vet. Riders can make multiple presentations to the vet during the initial 30 minutes, for no penalty. Priority will be given to first presentations, over re-presentations, at all times. Riders are strongly incentivised to bring their horses in to the checkpoints ready to present to the vets – not blowing hard. Once the horse’s pulse is 64 or less, the horse will be trotted up and examined to check overall health.

Vets will be able to liaise with the operations room monitoring the live tracking to get data on a rider’s speed over the leg just completed.

A penalty can be accumulated if a pattern of neglectful or abusive horsemanship emerges; a saddle sore that worsens; a second or third “only just” fit to continue; veterinary advice on horse management going unheeded. 

A rider can still complete the event and compete on the same basis on a spare horse. If a second horse on their team is retired a rider will be forced to retire. Only one substitution per rider is allowed. All substitutions are subject to availability, and not guaranteed.

Accidents happen and there will be circumstances in which through no fault of the rider, a horse is unable to continue the race and is retired. 

It is within the rules to enter on your own horses, with your own tack. However this is not expected, and where horses are entered by their local owners for an international rider to compete with, the horses shall wear their usual saddle for comfort and fit. You will need to bring a set of stirrups and leathers, and advice on compatible leathers will be made available to the selected riders in good time before the event.

Riders will weigh out on the start line, carrying their saddle, saddle bags and their contents, stirrups, and self, dressed to ride. A rider who puts less than 75kgs on the scale will be required to add weight. A rider who puts more than 100kgs on the scale will be required to jettison weight.

Farriers will be available in case of horses losing shoes or needing to be re-shod.

Riders and crew will be able to eat a substantial meal, and use facilities to make or cook their own if they have brought supplies.

Several of the checkpoints will have a barn, animal shed or rudimentary shelter which riders can make use of.

Power will be available at checkpoints 3-7 in the form of diesel generators. Competition for electricity will be intense and crew’s devices will take priority over riders’, so it’s recommended that you use power banks, batteries and solar chargers for all of your power needs.

In addition to the kit each rider elects to carry off the start line, you will have the chance to send forward re-supply parcels, from start line to checkpoints.

Where a team has entered, both riders will be mounted on horses provided by the same owner, meaning that should they win, the entire prize pot is awarded to their owner.

Teams of two may use their weight allowance between them, and share gear; for example, the lighter rider carries a two-man tent on their horse, and the heavier rider none. This is a tactical advantage. All supplies carried by riders may be pooled between a formal team of two; food, navigation aids, medical supplies and survival equipment.

Should one rider in the team have to retire, the remaining team member is at liberty to ride on as an individual, but the usual weight limits will apply. In the case of a heavyweight rider who cannot weigh in under 100kgs whilst carrying essential or compulsory items, they may be forced to retire, depending on where they are on the course. There are sections of the course which cannot be attempted without proper food and survival supplies as they cannot be completed in a single day. The self-sufficient rule will still apply in this case and the rider will not be allowed to ride on.

It takes place in an exceedingly remote location and there is considerable risk involved in riding horses across wild terrain and surviving independently for up to ten days. A sophisticated network of back up is deployed to mitigate these risks, of vets and medics in the field and a dedicated HQ co-ordinating the event and deploying assistance where it is needed.

Riders will all carry a satellite tracker, and receive training on its proper operation, which is the sole means by which the emergency assistance network can work effectively. Knowing where all riders are on the course, at all times, and having a clear communication protocol when back-up is warranted, allows the event team to send in help where it’s needed and allow the uninterrupted flow of the event at all other times. You will have the sensation of being ‘on your own’, except where you require the event’s resources.

Where you have summoned assistance in good faith, for your own or your horse’s safety or welfare, or for the sake of another rider or team should you come across them and they are unable to summon their own emergency assistance, such assistance will be freely given and no penalties will be incurred. The chances are that whatever has befallen you or your horse will be its own penalty. If you are in doubt about whether your situation is an emergency, treat it as an emergency.

The protocol for an emergency out on course will be to send the nearest vehicle and communications-enabled event team to the location. From there the appropriate team can be alerted and deployed and use direct communications with the rest of the event team to handle the emergency. All emergencies will be assumed to have a medical element until confirmed otherwise.

However if a vet team is closer, you may see a veterinary team before you see a medical team. In all cases, a medical team will be being prepared to deploy and move to your aid until it is stood down.

In many cases the nearest team will be a veterinary one, and the consequence of this will be that at times, a vet will be away from their checkpoint, managing the ordinary business of the race and taking care of the horses on their rest periods, and instead will be engaged in an emergency response. This will mean the checkpoint cannot function and riders will not be able to leave. That is to say, the ordinary flow of the race will be interrupted by the needs of the emergency.

All emergency summons will initiate the fastest and most comprehensive response possible, and the needs of the competition will be secondary to the emergency in all cases. All and any resources required by the emergency will be sucked in, for as long as is required. There may be emergencies that other riders only learn about at the event’s conclusion, which had no effect on their adventure or journey. There may be other emergencies which cause prolonged interruptions and even whole-field race holds. The safety of all and any horses and riders will take priority over the competitive aspects of the event.

Do not move once you have initiated an emergency response. Unless you are being chased, or your safety compromised by some other situation which makes moving inevitable, it’s better to remain static, as crews don’t need constant updating on your location.

The event organisers will keep a close watch on the weather throughout the event and staff at every check point will be informed if riders are free to continue or not. The protocol in a race abandonment situation will be to retrieve everyone to the nearest checkpoint and hold them until all can be safely evacuated. Some checkpoints will have more facilities for a longer hold, so any riders, horses and crew at the remotest southern checkpoints will be the priority for swift evacuation.

The satellite trackers are enabled for two way communications, meaning that if a rider is on the course when the call is made to abandon RACE HOLD OR ABANDONMENT the race for any reason, this can be communicated in real time.

A thorough course briefing will be delivered with up to date information on terrain, hazards, likely weather conditions, expected speeds and routes, emergency access and evacuation routes, likely response times, and the expected flow and sequence of the race.

There will be a full gear test and a riding test, allowing the riders to get acquainted with both of their horses, and select which one they will start on, so that their second horse can be transferred to checkpoint 3 in advance of the launch.

There will be a tech practice run, with live tracking, a simulated SOS response and explanation of what to do in emergency situations.

There will be a navigation practice run, to ensure all devices are set up correctly and reporting faithfully.

The saddle bags provided to the riders will be available, and help loading the horses optimally and attaching key equipment so that it is secure PRE-RACE TRAINING yet accessible, in advance of the race launch.

Riders are accepted onto the event based on their credentials as equestrians and outdoorsmen, and they pay to compete.

Horses are put forward for the event by local owners proud to see their horses compete and represent them in a prestigious competition, with a lucrative prize pot. Owners must provide pairs of horses so that their jockey only rides for them. Owners can supply horses to multiple jockeys, and if there are any team entries, all four horses in the team will come from a single owner.

Once accepted, riders have the opportunity to advertise their abilities as a pilot and partner to the panel of owners.

Riders are accepted onto the event based on their credentials as equestrians and outdoorsmen, and they pay to compete.

Horses are put forward for the event by local owners proud to see their horses compete and represent them in a prestigious competition, with a lucrative prize pot. Owners must provide pairs of horses so that their jockey only rides for them. Owners can supply horses to multiple jockeys, and if there are any team entries, all four horses in the team will come from a single owner.

Once accepted, riders have the opportunity to advertise their abilities as a pilot and partner to the panel of owners.