Jessie Dowling had been operating a successful artisanal cheese business in Whitefield for over ten years when she happened to read about the Mongol Derby in a blogpost. Although Dowling spent a good deal of time interacting with horses as a child, she had gotten back into riding recently after several years away from it.
Nevertheless, Dowling immediately knew she would have to do whatever she could to enter and complete the August 2023 race, which travels along a remote course stretching for about a thousand kilometers (620 miles) across the rugged steppe region of Central Mongolia.
The Mongol Derby is billed as the longest horse race in the world. It is a ten-day race during which the riders stay with local yak herding families (often in yurts).
It is especially known for its challenging opening and closing segments, which involve stretches of galloping, in difficult, unfamiliar terrain. In all, Dowling rode 29 different horses in completing the race.
Photo credit: Kathy GabrielJessie Dowling in Mongolia
In an interview last September with WCSH-6, Dowling commented “I was terrified. If you see any videos, on the start line you have 43 riders, and you start at a dead gallop down a hill. I tried to visualize that for months—trying to visualize myself not dying. Because there were 43 people [who] started the race, 25 finished, 11 ended up in the hospital.”
At 6 p.m. on the evening of May 16, Dowling will be at the Baxter Memorial Library to present a talk and slideshow. She will describe the intensive training process she went through before traveling to Mongolia, as well as her experiences during the race itself, which left her with a deep respect for the hundreds of horses that make the race possible. (Horses are provided by the race organizers and are paired with riders as needed along the route on a random basis.)
While in Mongolia, Dowling stayed in the homes of local families throughout much of her visit. Her presentation will additionally provide attendees with an introduction to the people of the Mongolian steppes and their fascinating culture.