Thrown from his horse three times and repeatedly got wet to the skin while camping in a heavy rain, Chris Walker, the farmer from Gloucestershire was, at 55, the oldest of the competitors in this year's 1, 000 km race across the steppe (大草原). Despite the hardships of his eight-day journey, Walker was delighted to finish third in the annual contest.
The Mongol Derby, described as the world's toughest horse-riding endurance race, began in 2009 as an annual event. Competitors race between checkpoints 35 km (22 miles) apart, where they change horses to ensure the animals are healthy. They spend nights at one of 28 stations, set up their own camp or enjoy the warm welcome of friendly Mongolian families.
Walker, was an hour ahead of his competitors as the race entered its eighth day but unfortunately he faced an hour and a half penalty because during one of the regular checks his horse had a high heart rate, which is forbidden during the contest.
Walker said he had gone to Mongolia to "give it a go" but realised that he stood a chance of winning after teaming up with Patrick Heffron, a competitor from Ireland, who finished third equal alongside his companion.
"The horses are quite wild. I got thrown off three times. I fell off in a marmot (土拨鼠) hole," he said. "You're going along and you suddenly disappear. You have to hang on to your horse for dear life or it goes off. "
Walker said it was important to form a team, mainly because falling off alone means that there was no one to help you with your horse. "Neither of us had prior desires to win this race but we realised:'We're in front. 'So we pushed, "he said.
Asked whether he was attracted to return to see if he could win, Walker replied: "Probably, though I'm getting a bit old."
