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Gaucho Derby 2026 – Race Day 8 – Full Send. Winners Crowned.
Equestrianists.com - Full Story
Stevie Delahunt
26th February 2026
Yeeeehawww!!! If you were anywhere near that finish line today you either lost your voice, your mind, or both. Fourteen riders are in and what a wild ride it has been. With twenty seven riders still out there living their best cinematic adventure the fourteen who made it home have done their mates proud and given the world a show complete with suspense, plot twists, and questionable life choices.
Our top five riders came screaming in like they had somewhere important to be, throwing caution to the wind and gambling hard on passing the extremely low heart rate ruling we have set. It was less calculated endurance strategy and more riverboat poker with a stopwatch.
It’s been reported that when SWA and HMC decided to pump the gas to the line everyone locked eyes and collectively thought, “well here we go!” No one wanted to pull up and concede the lead but all were very aware they were about to bet their entire finish on a pulse check...
Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-race-day-8-full-send-winners-crowned/
Gaucho Derby – Race Day 7 – Six Strong. One Shot.
Equestrianists.com - Full Story
Stevie Delahunt
25th February 2026
Ooooh, is this ever shaping up to be a photo finish. Thanks to a diabolical alignment of hold times and a healthy number of riders hitting it like the brick wall that it is, the front pack is about to be dropped into an even start gate. That’s right, folks. All six riders at the sharp end of the field are spending the night together and will launch at the gun at 8am sharp our time. If there were ever a night for obsessive map staring, second guessing, and ruthless gear trimming, this is it. One has to wonder how many layers and bits of luggage quietly disappear tonight in the name of horse speed.
We can already imagine professional sailor, navigator, 2023 Mongol Derby finisher, and Tevis Cup finisher LJO doing exactly that. Or perhaps professional steeplechaser SWA will remind us all of his prime jockey skills, alongside teammate ASL, who comes from a long line of racehorse fanatics and has been casually demonstrating those jockey instincts all week long.
Then there is 2022 Mongol Derby veteran HMC, who took a nasty tumble in the 2024 Gaucho Derby. After returning home with busted ribs and punctured lungs, his daughter reportedly said, “Whenever we fell off you made us get back on and finish. You didn’t finish.” And so here he is. Not just finishing, but absolutely crushing this race...
Read the rest here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-race-day-7-six-strong-one-shot/
Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 6 – Weather Turns. Race Ignites.
Equestrianists.com - Full Article
Stevie Delahunt
23rd February 2026
The constant winds have finally brought some change.
In the weather.
And in the leaderboard.
And in morale.
Today the relentless rage of the Patagonian gods delivered wind with a side of rain and a generous helping of hail, and, we hear, the only clap of thunder to rumble across the pampas in years! Riders were oh so very excited to test their rain gear and also notch things up a gear as they tumbled out of the delightful mountains and forests. At least the dust got wiped off of their smiling faces.
Our original leading three, ASL, VBU, and SWA, tore away from the pack, but disaster struck yet again when a heart rate penalty entered the chat. The nuances of the course and shifting locations along the route have had the front running packs trading places back and forth, but it now appears LJO, RTO, HMC, and VBU are breaking away and properly going for it. But more on that in a moment...
Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-6-weather-turns-race-ignites/
Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 5 – Down, But Not Out.
Equestrianists.com - Full Story
Stevie Delahunt
23rd February 2026
These kids are alright. It’s been just five days since they all graduated start camp and cantered off. They grow up so fast. And on race day five it appears our graduates are stepping up and taking the reins or just stepping down; and we mean down but not out! In the past we’ve watched all sorts of professional horsemen (and just plain professionals) taken out by these horses, this terrain and the race course itself. But these riders are impressing us! Day five and we’ve had our first two transition into Adventure category but every last one of them is still in it...
Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-5-down-but-not-out/
Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 4 – Walk First. Ride Later.
Equestrianists.com - Full Story
Stevie Delahunt
22nd February 2026
Today kicked off with ODU and GHE performing the iconic walk of shame after their horses buggered off thanks to some self-admitted poor judgment. The horses slipped their hobbles, their riders, and any remaining sense of accountability, then promptly made it back to the corrals on their own. ODU and GHE marked the location of their bags and hiked their saddles back in on foot so they could reunite with their mounts and ride out again, all without tipping into the dreaded “outside assistance” adventure category. Style points for doing it the hard way.
AKE also had a brief horse-catching moment this morning when her mischievous mount decided to mosey off. She caught him, got rolling, and stayed firmly in touch with her front-running pack like it was all part of the plan...
Read the rest here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-4-walk-first-ride-later/
Meet Vera Valdivia‑Abdallah, assistant principal
CDCR.Ca.gov - Full Article
Valdivia-Abdallah builds endurance in education and beyond
February 19, 2026
At California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC), Vera Valdivia-Abdallah brings the same perseverance to her role in education that carries her and her horse hundreds of miles across the country as a competitive endurance rider.
Valdivia-Abdallah oversees the ABE and GED education programs, as well as the college program at LAC as supervisor of Academic Instruction (Assistant Principal) at New Horizon Adult School.
She provides mentorship and support to teachers on two of the institution’s four yards. Her work centers on rehabilitation through education, with a focus on helping incarcerated individuals leave custody prepared for employment and long-term success.
“When someone is released, the goal is that they aren’t just free, but employable and prepared,” she said.
Valdivia-Abdallah joined CDCR nearly four years ago as a teacher and now brings a student-centered approach to her leadership role. She works closely with educators and students to maintain consistent, meaningful academic programming in a challenging correctional environment.
“Success in education takes time,” she said. “It requires patience, adaptability and commitment.”
That philosophy extends well beyond the classroom.
Endurance riding tests limits
Outside of work, Valdivia-Abdallah competes in endurance riding, a long-distance equestrian sport that challenges horse and rider teams to complete rides ranging from 25 to 100 miles in a single day. Courses often span unfamiliar terrain and changing weather conditions, with veterinary checkpoints built in to ensure horse welfare remains the top priority...
Read more here:
https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/insidecdcr/2026/02/19/meet-vera-valdivia-abdallah-assistant-principal/
Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 3 – Saddles Hot. Spirits Not.
Equestrianists.com - Full Story
Stevie Delahunt
21st February 2026
Okay sports fans! It’s really shaping up to be a race today as riders begin to spread themselves enthusiastically across the map and, more importantly, across the vet stations.
Sportsmanship and horsemanship are still taking precedence, but morale took a bit of a dip as altitude dropped straight down into our second horse change. The horses came in spicy, and the riders got their first real taste of catching their drawn mounts; a moment equal parts skill, optimism, and quiet bargaining with the universe.
A few penalties were sat, but the hospitality and food very nearly made up for the lengthy process of getting through this check. Almost.
Several riders also reported catching the rider flu that’s loping around the field. ARA was the next to hop on that trend, reporting that she’s “definitely felt better,” which is never the sentence you want to hear mid-derby...
Read more here: https://equestrianists.com/updates/25425/
Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 2 – Turtles, Toes & Tailwinds
Equestrianists.com - Full Story
Stevie Delahunt
20th February 2026
Hola, dot watchers!!!
It’s been another day here in Patagonia, and we simply must spill the mate (tea? leaf soup? emotional support beverage?) with you.
We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: this group is blowing us away with their professionalism… or perhaps we’re just being literally blown away by this relentless Patagonian wind. Hard to say.
Today’s forecast promised rain, and history promised unplanned dismounts. Thankfully, neither showed up in any meaningful way across our mountains and pampas. In fact, by some small miracle, all forty riders are still in the game, and very few encountered anything worse than breathtaking terrain and truly gorgeous horses.
Ironically, the most damage today happened on foot. Riders like ODU reported toe-stubbing and tripping while leading horses. She’s fairly certain she broke her toe but plans to tough it out and simply pay closer attention to her feet whenever she decides to hoof it from here on out...
Read the rest here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-2-turtles-toes-tailwinds/
Saudi Arabia: Al Fursan Cup - Alisija Zabavska
Lithuania’s Alisija Zabavska shares her experience riding the FEI** 120-km Al Fursan Cup
February 13 2026
By Alisija Zabavska
The best friendships are built on a bonds, that are created by overcoming a struggles, an adventures, mutual interests, things in common and a happy ends. This is exactly how this one was built.
Efi Koutsafti and I didn’t know of one another at all, till we met in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia for the first time, representing Greece & Lithuania, at a prestigious FEI **120km Al Fursan Cup, which drew 200 starters from a record 71 countries.
As soon as I finally got there, from a 35 hour travel on a day of a vet inspection, we were thrown on the horses we were entered on, to go for a quick test ride and then immediately after that I needed to get some sleep. That’s when I found out that a farm stay, that was booked for us, had only one room for the ladies, with a king size bed and a bathroom to share. Neither of us were thrilled about it but in this situation it was too late to make any last minute changes. We didn’t get a chance to chat at all, because when Efi got to the farm that evening - I was already passed out.
Next morning, we got up early to get picked up to go to the venue…
Read the rest here:
http://endurance.net/international/SaudiArabia/2026WorldEnduranceChampionship/ZabavskaFursanCup.html
Gaucho Derby 2026 – Day 1 – Sparks Cancelled. Sniffles Confirmed.
Image credits to @adventuristbarbie @merypastrana_fotografia
Equestrianists.com - Full Story
Stevie Delahunt
19th February 2026
We’ve been wondering… ‘What happened to the fireworks?’
Start line was quite boring for all the crew today as every rider, and ever more spectacularly yet- every saddlebag managed to defy gravity off the start line. This year’s riders have been especially professional and on top of their game.
The pack promptly cantered off into the wilderness together and then decided to make a holiday of it and settled into a big mob camp out at Vet Check One...
Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-day-1-sparks-cancelled-sniffles-confirmed/
Meet the Amazonian racing 500km across Patagonia for women's health
AboutAmazon.eu - Full Article
Written by About Amazon Team
February 17 2026
Madeleine, Pan-EU Account Executive at Amazon in France, is preparing for one of the world's toughest horse races: the Gaucho Derby, a 500km orientation endurance challenge across Patagonia.
The 10-day race isn't just about personal achievement—Madeleine is raising funds for a charity which provides healthcare access to France's most vulnerable women.
After completing the 1,000km Mongol Derby in 2022 and raising €18,000 for charity, Madeleine is back in the saddle with an even bigger mission. On February 18, Madeleine Motelay will mount a horse she's never ridden before and begin racing across 500 kilometres of Patagonian wilderness. For the next 10 days, the CDG10-based Account Executive will navigate through the mountains, sleep in a tent alone, and switch to a new horse every 70 kilometres. We caught up with Madeleine before her departure to learn what motivates her, how she's preparing, and why vulnerable women's healthcare access matters so much to her...
Read more here:
https://www.aboutamazon.eu/news/community-engagement/meet-the-amazonian-racing-500km-across-patagonia-for-womens-health
2025 Gator Run photos by Maria Phillips
2026 Gator Run Endurance ride photos in Florida by Maria Phillips:
https://mariaphillips.smugmug.com/Endurance-2026/Gator-Run2026
From the Grand National to 500km across Patagonia - Gold Cup-winning rider to take on challenge dubbed 'ultimate test of horse and jockey'
RacingPost.com - Full Article
Sam Waley-Cohen is preparing for the ultra-endurance test, which takes place over ten days in South America
Matt Rennie
10 February 2026
He conquered the Grand National fences on several occasions, but Sam Waley-Cohen is raring to take on an even more extreme test of stamina for both horse and rider as he attempts to add the Gaucho Derby to his impressive list of triumphs.
Waley-Cohen was one of Britain's most successful amateur jockeys, winning a Gold Cup and two King George VI Chases before retiring with victory on Noble Yeats in the 2022 Aintree showpiece. Now he is set to get back in the saddle for a 500km challenge across Patagonia in South America.
The race is similar to another famous ultra-endurance test, the Mongol Derby, and Waley-Cohen flies out on Wednesday ahead of some pre-race training days, with the event proper beginning on February 18.
He said: "It's completely different from the racing we're used to across a brilliant area of country – it's like the old western pioneers. It's going to be a new adventure, and a proper test, but it should be great fun"...
Read more here:
https://www.racingpost.com/news/britain/from-the-grand-national-to-500km-across-patagonia-gold-cup-winning-rider-to-take-on-challenge-dubbed-ultimate-test-of-horse-and-jockey-at0af6V2fs04/
Gaucho Derby 2026 – Pre-race training – Weighed In. Blown Away.
Equestrianists.com - Full Article
Stevie Delahunt
15th February 2026
It’s Sunday Funday here at Start Camp and the weather is a balmy 30 knots of wind with extra gusts. The riders are getting just a taste of what these biblical tides of air can really do. Patagonia is known for blowing roofs off of Puestos (strongholds built for use by Gauchos within the far out foothills) and being so vehement entire highways are closed until it subsides.
Amidst the summer breeze friendships and alliances are forming and tents are falling. ACA, TOM and ACP have been paling around as a happy 2025 academy graduate gang whilst GHE and NMC have trauma bonded over having sent their lost kit on its own adventure somewhere in Turkey. To their chagrin the surprise retirement of two riders looks like they’ll be able to commandeer all the items needed to clear the mandatory kit list officially required for them to hit the start line...
Read more here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-pre-race-training-weighed-in-blown-away/?fbclid=IwY2xjawP_PjVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEebUi-SamlMyRg1aP7huHfB2pKmCYdzEfaFjFw96tljJOXhYxCTwX8xnDXZUA_aem_AYCpirBJ3DEZEjDd-WRtjg
Bahrain: Al Anezi claims endurance cup
Sun, 15 Feb 2026
ENDURANCE HORSERACING – VICTORIOUS rider Isa Hameed Al Anezi won the main event in the His Majesty the King’s Cup Endurance Festival 2026 yesterday to cap the three-day meeting at Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir.
Al Anezi took first place in the 160-kilometre international ride to lift the His Majesty the King’s International Endurance Cup.
His Majesty King Hamad’s humanitarian work and youth affairs representative, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS) chairman, and Bahrain Royal Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa attended the event’s concluding day. Shaikh Nasser presented Al Anezi and other winners their respective prizes.
Also on hand was Supreme Council for Environment vice-president, Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club High Committee deputy chairman, and SCYS member Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa.
Al Anezi triumphed after completing the gruelling distance ahead of KHK rider Mohammed Al Subaie, who was the runner-up, while Faisal Hameed Al Anezi claimed third overall...
Read more here:
https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1376169/Al-Anezi-claims-endurance-cup
Gaucho Derby 2026 – Rider rollcall
Equestrianists.com - Full Article
Holly Conyers
12th February 2026
Derby fans, buenos días. We’re back. The long wait since the nail biting finale and thrilling live coverage of the 2025 Mongol Derby is over. In just under a week’s time, on Wednesday 18 February 2026, the start flag will go down on the 3rd official Gaucho Derby. 42 supremely talented (and slightly mad) jockeys will hoof it out into the wilds, as the long race to the Finish Line fiesta begins. And – equally importantly – everyone following along from home will have something utterly addictive to distract them from boring inconveniences like work and other minor responsibilities for 10 glorious days to come.
Get ready for your new obsession. The Gaucho Derby is back.
The hour draws near. While the crew are already here and busy cleaning out the local vinotecas to stock the Start Camp bar, the riders are beginning to trickle into El Calafate. They have less than 48 hours to make any final frantic changes to their packing list and game plan, before they load up onto the bus for the long journey to head out to our remote Start Camp. As months – and in some cases, years – of careful prep and dreams come to a head, they’ll be asking themselves the questions that really matter: How many pairs of pants do I really need to ride 10 days and 500km across Patagonia? Is deodorant a luxury I can in fact do without?...
Read the rest here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-rider-rollcall/
Ralph "Buddy" Gleason Jr. 1943-2026
Legacy.com
Ralph Gleason Obituary
Obituary published on Legacy.com by Sullivan-King Mortuary & Crematory - Anderson on Feb. 11, 2026.
Ralph Newton "Buddy" Gleason Jr., 82, of Townville, passed away peacefully on Feb. 9, 2026, following several years of declining health.
Buddy was born to Ralph N. Gleason Sr. and Marjorie Little Gleason on Oct. 14, 1943, in Salem, Oregon. He was a graduate of Carson Newman College and earned a masters degree from East Tennessee State University.
He served in the U.S. Army for three years where he was assigned to military intelligence and spent most of his time in Heidelberg, Germany. He was honorably discharged on Jan. 8, 1972.
Buddy worked as a counselor for the Alston Wilkes Society in Anderson for many years. He had a love for animals and his passion was horseback riding with his many friends. He participated in many endurance riding events and was recognized with several awards by the American Endurance Ride Conference. Buddy was very patriotic and loved his country. He always looked forward to the annual Gleason family reunions in Townville and oversaw the reunion for many years...
Read the rest here
Saudi Arabia: Al Fursan Cup weekend results
Endurance Lifestyle photo
Endurance.net
February 11 2025
By Endurance.net
Two races were held over Saudi Arabia’s AlUla course which will host the 2026 World Endurance Championship in November.
Saturday’s 120-km CEI2* Al Fursan Endurance Cup had 200 starters and 83 finishers.
Winner was Saudi Arabia’s Muhannad Alsalmi aboard Nebras Muscat. It was Alsalmi’s second win in a row in the cup. The UAE took second, third, and fourth places. Saeed Mohd Albaloushi finished 4 seconds back in second aboard Castlebar Shazam, Saeed Ahman Alharbi rode La Tache D’Jok Trio to third place, and Saif Almazrouei rode Abela De L Enclos to fourth.
The Netherlands’ Marijke Visser was the first European to finish. Riding Djawann De Madigou, they finished in 11th place.
Sunday’s featured 160-km Mutadil Endurance Cup had 90 starters and 19 finishers...
Read the rest here
2026 Broxton Bridge photos by Becky Pearman
2026 Broxton January Endurance ride photos in South Carolina by Becky
Pearman:
https://beckypearman.smugmug.com/Other/Endurance-2026/Broxton-January
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