Casey Richardson
A South Okanagan equestrian instructor and horse trainer is preparing to participate in the Mongol Derby, a 1,000-kilometre race across Mongolia where riders emulate the messenger system of Genghis Khan.
Michelle Van Baalen began riding horses at the age of five, progressing from hunter-jumper riding to Pony Club, 3-day eventing, western riding, packing, and cowgirl racing.
She won the 2022 and 2024 BC endurance races (Heather Bradshaw Memorial Race) and went on to chase feral horses in Canada.
Now well into her career, Van Baalen is setting her sights on her next feat -- taking on the "longest and toughest horse race in the world" in 2027.
"I first saw [the Derby] on Facebook, I thought to myself, 'Oh, man, wouldn't that be a life experience?'" she said.
"To have a different style of horsemanship, be coached in that and then be set loose in the wilderness to fend for myself with nothing but my own skills, appeals to me."
The Race
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Mongolian conqueror Genghis Khan, whose riders, according to Marco Polo, rode between stations situated about 25 miles (40 kilometres) apart in his Asian empire, with a single rider carrying messages as far as 300 miles (480 kilometres) in one day."
The course changes every year, and is kept secret until shortly before the race begins. There are no marked courses, provided food or beds to sleep in.
In the Derby, competitors will ride for 12 hours a day for 10 days, changing horses every 35 to 40 kilometres to emulate the past system developed in 1224.
"People were running those horses from one side of Mongolia to the other with important messages," Van Baalen said.
"One horse wouldn't carry you the whole way. You needed these horse stations to refresh your mount and keep going. So ultimately, this race is me against myself and how far I can push myself."
Competitors will face multiple variables, such as the weather, the terrain, and the horses themselves.
"They're not domesticated horses. They're semi-feral horses," Van Baalen said.
According to the derby website, organizers vet and train 1,500 Mongolian horses for the event.
"Each horse is catalogued and checked thoroughly by our professional vet team before being allowed to join the race," they said.
Training for 2027
Van Baalen herself has five equines, including two mules and three horses. None will be quite like grabbing a Mongolian horse.
"The closest thing I have to Mongolian Spitfire is Cookie here. My horses have all been trained to the point where people can learn on them, so they can help me with strength training," she said.
In order to qualify, riders must have a proven ability to manage themselves and their horse while racing. Interviews are conducted and Van Baalen said she sent in videos of herself riding at a full gallop.
"There's a lot that you can tell from body position when someone is riding a horse at that speed, if they are truly comfortable, and if their body is moving with the horse," she said.
"So I was lucky enough that I've done enough speed races in my life that I have ample proof that I can stick to the back of a horse."
Riders are provided with a personal satellite tracker so the derby crew and followers back home can pinpoint their location. They also have a function where a help team can be alerted.
Fundraising to compete
While Van Baalen teaches and trains horses full-time in Summerland with her company Equineimity, she said it does not provide enough for the $28,000 entrance fee, plus airfare, a hotel in Mongolia before and after the race and event insurance.
She will also need to cover the cost of caring for her horses while she's away.
"I'm asking the community for help because I believe I have the skills to do this. I believe I can represent Canada," Van Baalen said.
Every rider must also raise money for Steppe and Hoof, a Mongolia-based non-profit that supports herders and their animals on the steppe.
"I feel like the Mongol derby is the next stepping stone of how far I can push myself and my horsemanship," she said.
"I am excited to try my hand to see what I am made of, to learn from another culture and to experience the freedom of open country on a semi-feral horse."
To help Van Baalen reach her goal, head online to her GoFundMe here.
Photo: Michelle Van Baalen Michelle Van Baalen will be competing in the 2027 Mongol Derby