Bob Long during the 2019 Mongol Derby
© Sarah Farnsworth/FEI
Words by Noelle Maxwell/FEI
Images by Sarah Farnsworth/FEI
When it comes to Endurance, longevity is clearly an advantage. That’s certainly the case for Bob Long, the 70-year-old American who – like his horses – just keeps on going!
Bob, of Boise, Idaho, just recently became the oldest ever winner of the 2019 Mongol Derby. That’s a 650-mile trek through the wilderness of the East Asian country.
As with all Endurance athletes, Bob puts his success down to readiness. “Age is just a number – preparation trumps youth,” he said recently.
We found out more about how Bob’s preparations took him from long-distance novice to champion!
Predominantly a western rider, his first task was to gather the equipment he’d need for the ride in Mongolia. He spent January, February and part of March in Arizona, riding Endurance horses and conditioning them for people.
He also competed in two Endurance races in that period, and estimates that he rode more than 100 miles weekly on four to five different horses.
Returning to Idaho in March, Long stayed at a cattle ranch through July, riding four to five horses daily, mainly roping horses, cutting horses, barrel racers and “anything that needed to have wet saddle blankets” and conditioning.
Between January and August, Long lost 30 pounds to get under the weight limit requirement for Mongolia.
Aside from riding, Long’s preparation included honing his navigation skills and testing everything to ensure it worked.
He said:
“During that time period in Idaho I was using a GPS and would practice navigating. I practiced using my hydration pack and nutritional supplements, I used those nutritional supplements probably the last three or four weeks of my nutrition program, I stayed on my nutrition program just to make sure it would work.”
Long also talked to others who’d completed the ride before him, getting advice and tips on how to prepare.
During the ride, competitors have to change horses at urtuus (horse stations), we asked Long about his strategy for selecting his next mount.
“My coach, Marcia Hefker-Miles, gave me advice on how to pick a horse,” Bob said. “She said taller is better, usually they’re smoother and have a longer stride, if they were lean and endurance-conditioned, then taller was better, so I picked the taller of the horses if I had an option.”
In August, Long “put all of that together” and went to Mongolia. He opted to attend the pre-race sessions, a four-day activity before the start. Arriving early gave Long the chance to get over any anxiety and test some of his gear to ensure it worked.
He went into the ride planning to do his best and complete, saying, “it turned out that was good enough to win the race, that’s all.”
About his victory he said, “for me to have won is a highlight of my life and a personal best.”
Source: FEI
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