Open letter to Horse and Hound magazine

I am writing to inform you that I shall be taking part in the Connemara Derby, the other toughest race in the world! I know that this is something that your magazine Horse and Hound shall be interested in covering, and of course I shall allow you to provide links to my blog and publish my progress in your illustrious magazine. The race, which runs for the first time this year, is over 1,000km of wilderness and bogs in Connaught, and I am taking the liberty of billing it as the "biggest, baddest equine affair on the bog".

The ride will follow the historical "Galway to Clifton" rail route which was closed as of 1937, with stops to change ponies every 40kms at a "shebeen". As the wilds of Connemara fail to cover the same distances as the wilds of Mongolia I shall be re-riding the same route 6 times out of Galway and 7 times back. Each venture being more treacherous than the last, as the muddy bog becomes every more trodden on and water-logged.

While I am an experienced rider, I have no experience in endurance, just like every single participant in the Mongol Derby, that other big bad race. Neverthele

ss, armed with 25 ponies I shall be racing across the bogs and facing such dangers as drunken farmers brandishing shotguns, tourist busses blocking our path and not least of all hundreds of wild sheep that gather by our drinking water supplies. I realise that sheep lack the reputation that wolves have for ferocity but I feel that to discriminate against the danger that they present is inequity and downright speciesism.

On my ride I shall utilize the "tough as nails" Connemara pony, and to make the ride as authentic as possible; I shall only ride ponies under 14hh and five years old and those which are preferably unbroken. As they are a native breed, I feel that horseshoes are superfluous and unnecessary for the 40kms that I shall gallop with each pony. Of course I shall follow strict weight restrictions, I shall diet myself down to a sprightly and nimble 85kg, and in addition only carry 10kgs of luggage with me which I think should be no problem for the hardy little Irish ponies to carry at speed. As the breed standard dictates that a true Connemara Pony should weigh no more than 430kgs, I think that 22% of the pony's weight should pose no problem. Additionally, going by the standards of your good publication it should be no problem for the 13hh ponies to carry only 27% of their body weight, which I am sure you will agree is as fair as the Mongol horses loads.

I am aware of the fact that my ride may lack the additional, exciting challenge of the Mongol derby in so far as that their derby is taking place in summer when temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius shall be the norm. However, you can rest assured the West of Ireland has many meteorological challenges of its own. To ensure that I can prove myself to be a true adventurer I shall complete the ride in the first two weeks of January when there should be some nice gale force winds to accompany the blasting rain and hail so as to prove I am a true adventurer.

There are two types of veterinary support for the ponies on the Connemara Derby. The

first is a long term health checking program to ensure the horses are prepared and

healthy for the event. What this means exactly I’m not quite sure but I’ll keep you informed! The second is our support network to provide expert on-call

veterinary support to all the horses during the race. I shall have a fleet of tractors with vets ready to come to my assistance as needed. They will be stationed in Waterford and as they lack the necessary licenses to drive on the high ways, they shall be traveling through the back roads of Ireland to me should I need them.

As I have seen the keen interest and promotion of that other Derby that your magazine has admirably published, while brilliantly covering up the pesky protests of the Long Riders Guild, especially when you managed to refrain from publishing a word of detail about the outlaw equestrian traveller who nearly killed his horses on his mad dash from Russia to Paris.

I look forward to hearing from you,

Yours Sincerely,

Amadán Ní gCopaleení