Send Michelle to the Mongol Derby
Donation protected
Billed as “the longest and toughest horse race in the world,” the Mongol Derby is the Holy Grail of adventures, sending riders over 620 miles across the Mongolian steppe on a series of semi-wild horses. Over 7-10 days, contestants will face challenges such as fleeing from packs of wild dogs, swimming swollen rivers, galloping through hail storms—and, of course, staying on their hardy but often unruly mounts. Not to mention the fine print: chapped lips, chapped cheeks, upset stomachs, and only 11 pounds of gear to get them through heat and cold, rain and shine. Furthermore, there is no marked course.
Of roughly 1,000 applicants, 40 will ride. About half will finish. I was one of the first riders selected for the 2015 Derby--one of only five Americans--and I'm bound and determined to do my country proud in this international event. Despite limited means, I've ridden all over the world, as a volunteer on stud farms in Wales, a member of the New York University Equestrian Team, showjumping in Ireland, dressage schooling in Australia, galloping Argentine plains, and even hopped on a hardy Nepalese pony to cross a raging river in the Himalayas. However, this Derby is expensive business, and any contribution to get me that much closer to the starting line is greatly appreciated!
Follow me on my training adventures (including noodle jousting and colt breaking) here.
What the money goes toward:
*Entry fee: ~$14,000 US, which includes use of 25 Mongolian horses and extensive medical and veterinary support
*Gear: GPS, riding equipment, meds, sleeping bag, raingear, etc—all up to the task of 10 days straight in the Mongol wilderness
*Flights to and from the race in Mongolia
*Training expenses
*Travel insurance (apparently there is only one company in the entire world willing to cover competitors for the event... and it ain't cheap)
*Charity: ~$1700, half of which will go toward the organization Cool Earth and half to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), causes incredibly close to my heart.
Donate directly to NAMI here and Cool Earth here.
(Select "$0" for processing fees on those sites, which are optional.)
OTHER WAYS TO HELP:
Visit me at the St. Philip's Farmer's Market in Tucson on July 11 and July 18 to chat about the Derby and purchase a Mongol Derby shirt.
Attend my benefit at La Cocina in downtown Tucson on Tuesday, July 21 from 5-10 p.m. Grab dinner and drinks while enjoying live music; chat with me about my upcoming adventure; and bid on local art in a silent auction for my charities. La Cocina will donate 10% of all sales from the evening.
Share this campaign with friends, family, strangers, etc. If you can't donate, your rich Uncle Leonard may be willing to throw a few bucks toward mental health.
Employ me ! Have grout that needs dying? Furniture that needs stripping? House needs cleaning? Dog need walking? I'm great slave labor, and all money earned goes towards the Derby.
Of roughly 1,000 applicants, 40 will ride. About half will finish. I was one of the first riders selected for the 2015 Derby--one of only five Americans--and I'm bound and determined to do my country proud in this international event. Despite limited means, I've ridden all over the world, as a volunteer on stud farms in Wales, a member of the New York University Equestrian Team, showjumping in Ireland, dressage schooling in Australia, galloping Argentine plains, and even hopped on a hardy Nepalese pony to cross a raging river in the Himalayas. However, this Derby is expensive business, and any contribution to get me that much closer to the starting line is greatly appreciated!
Follow me on my training adventures (including noodle jousting and colt breaking) here.
What the money goes toward:
*Entry fee: ~$14,000 US, which includes use of 25 Mongolian horses and extensive medical and veterinary support
*Gear: GPS, riding equipment, meds, sleeping bag, raingear, etc—all up to the task of 10 days straight in the Mongol wilderness
*Flights to and from the race in Mongolia
*Training expenses
*Travel insurance (apparently there is only one company in the entire world willing to cover competitors for the event... and it ain't cheap)
*Charity: ~$1700, half of which will go toward the organization Cool Earth and half to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), causes incredibly close to my heart.
Donate directly to NAMI here and Cool Earth here.
(Select "$0" for processing fees on those sites, which are optional.)
OTHER WAYS TO HELP:
Visit me at the St. Philip's Farmer's Market in Tucson on July 11 and July 18 to chat about the Derby and purchase a Mongol Derby shirt.
Attend my benefit at La Cocina in downtown Tucson on Tuesday, July 21 from 5-10 p.m. Grab dinner and drinks while enjoying live music; chat with me about my upcoming adventure; and bid on local art in a silent auction for my charities. La Cocina will donate 10% of all sales from the evening.
Share this campaign with friends, family, strangers, etc. If you can't donate, your rich Uncle Leonard may be willing to throw a few bucks toward mental health.
Employ me ! Have grout that needs dying? Furniture that needs stripping? House needs cleaning? Dog need walking? I'm great slave labor, and all money earned goes towards the Derby.
Organizer
Michelle Tanaka
Organizer
Tucson, AZ