Next month, Jenn Laidlaw from Humboldt County is set to become the first person from the Lost Coast area to participate in the Mongol Derby.
A 1,000-kilometer (over 600 miles) trip across the Mongolian grasslands, the Mongol Derby is described as “the longest and most challenging horse race in the world.” Riders ride semi-wild horses daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., covering landscapes that messengers of Genghis Khan traveled nearly 900 years ago.
Participants in the Mongol Derby will travel between 26 horse stations, spending nights in tents and with local communities while competing across more than 1000 kilometers of challenging landscape. (Contributed/The Equestrianists)
There are no set routes, no prepared meals, and no places to rest,” states the event’s website. “That’s the main idea. It’s just you, your group of horses, and a thousand kilometers of Mongolian wilderness. The route includes horse stations (known as morin urtuu in Mongolian) every 35 kilometers where you switch horses and replenish your supplies. You change horses at each station and ensure the animals are in good condition for the next rider. How you travel between them is where your journey truly starts.
The organization that supports the course, the Equestrianists, expresses its desire to “provide the most extraordinary horseback experience globally: steep mountain passes, vast valleys, forested hills, river crossings, wetlands, dunes, and naturally, expansive plains.”
It’s very different from Fieldbrook, the neighborhood located just to the northeast of McKinleyville.
Image: Jenn Laidlaw and her working dog Rip. We recently lost him because of epilepsy,” Laidlaw shared. “He had a big personality, always sitting in the front seat with me, so he appeared in most of the photos of me. (Submitted by Jenn Laidlaw)
Laidlaw was raised in Fieldbrook, having relocated there when she was approximately 6 or 7 years old, according to her memory. She went to Fieldbrook Elementary School — in a class with more than a dozen students, she mentioned — and graduated from McKinleyville High School in 2004. She participated in 4-H and FFA and took riding lessons as a child, but Laidlaw noted that a specific local organization sparked her passion for horse racing.
I fell in love with horse racing at the Humboldt County Fair, truly,” she said. “I was supposed to be in the barn… getting my animals ready or something, and I’d be on the track grooming horses for those people. My mom didn’t like that, but you know, that’s where I fell in love with it.
Impulsively, Laidlaw stated, she applied and was admitted to the University of Kentucky. She relocated across the country, formed new friendships, and began overseeing agricultural operations. By 2019, Laidlaw had obtained a position at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, “one of the top thoroughbred farms globally.”
They had between 100 and 150 pregnant mares annually, resulting in 100 to 150 foals each year,” Laidlaw stated. “And yes, I did that for, well— I managed the barn for five or six years, then became the assistant broodmare manager… and later took on the role of manager in 2019, experiencing many wonderful things there. I’ve worked with some amazing horses.
In 2023, Laidlaw started overseeing Stonereath Farm at Blue Diamond Stud near Paris, Kentucky, and took up the position “on the same day” she was accepted into the Mongol Derby.
Laidlaw mentioned that she learned about the derby from a previous roommate who had taken part in the competition. Although she has spent a lifetime working with horses, her demanding role as a farm manager doesn’t always allow for riding.
Next month, local resident Jenn Laidlaw from Humboldt County will take part in the Mongol Derby, a race spanning over 600 miles across Mongolia. (Contributed/Jenn Laidlaw)
I don’t ride that much, to be honest,” Laidlaw said. “And I was thinking, oh, you know, I’ll just apply for it. It’ll be something fun to say that I gave it a try — and then I got the call, and I thought, ‘you’ve got to be joking’ … I just reached the point where I was like, ‘well, what could possibly go wrong? Let’s just go on an adventure and see what we can accomplish.’
The preparation for the race — known as the Mongol Derby Academy — started this week, with the 10-day competition set to officially begin on August 4. After arriving in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, and traveling out to the steppe, Laidlaw mentioned, “they basically let us go from there.” Laidlaw will be navigating 26 different horse stations where competitors can switch mounts, using a random draw to choose from 1,500 horses available for the event. According to Laidlaw, these horses are smaller than the ones American riders typically ride, standing between 12 and 14 hands tall, and they are a great source of local pride along the route.
Everything is very well maintained, and it’s a significant source of pride for the local community,” Laidlaw stated. “They want their horses to be out there running. They want people to be out there engaging in this activity. They genuinely look forward to it. The horses are semi-wild, so they have been ridden before. … They aren’t spoiled, they don’t reside in barns. They aren’t ridden daily, but they have been ridden at some point.
Jenn Laidlaw is working with a young horse at Lane’s End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. (Contributed/Jenn Laidlaw)
Laidlaw mentioned that she doesn’t intend to win the event — which emphasizes horsemanship rather than intense competition — but instead to enjoy the experience. She noted that the local community is very friendly and accommodating to riders, and she has been in touch with three other competitors whom she hopes to travel through the course (or the absence of one) with.
Laidlaw mentioned to the Times-Standard in early July that she had been focusing on the physical demands of the race — such as performing cardio exercises and cycling — as well as getting ready for the mental challenges involved.
You’re going to get tired. You’re going to have a tough day. It’s going to be rainy and all that,” Laidlaw said. “… Well, I’ve experienced some really tough things. … I heard that you can do anything for 10 seconds, and then you just begin counting again.
For Laidlaw, riding horses on the other side of the globe represents the culmination of numerous steps — relocating to Kentucky for education, chasing her passion for working with horses, becoming the manager of highly successful horse breeding farms, and now participating in “the longest and most challenging horse race in the world.” Nevertheless, she mentioned that she still has a deep affection for Humboldt County (especially Oyster Fest in Arcata and the Humboldt County Fair; she has even bred horses that took part in the fair’s races).
“There are remarkable sights to experience there. You tend to overlook them while living there, but each time I return, I’m filled with admiration for its beauty,” Laidlaw stated.
Robert Schaulis is available at 707-441-0585.
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