So I’ve been back from Ecuador for a while and whilst I was riding for a couple of hours a day, everyday out there that hasn’t been possible back in the UK.
For the last 2 months I have been focusing on overall fitness as well as trying to ride 2 or 3 times a week. I have been swimming a lot and cycling. And I tell you what, give me an equine saddle over a bike saddle any day!! That has to be good saddle training 😉
I haven’t had access to horses that I can take on 40km rides but with the help of the team at The Horse Rangers I’ve just been riding as many horses as possible. Not only is this giving me the saddle time but it is also good preparation as I will be riding 25 plus different horses during the derby.
I received my kit from The Adventurists a couple of weeks ago,
and have been busy acquiring all the kit that I need for the race. This week I completed a full day in the saddle round Bushy Park fully kitted up to ride in Mongolia.
Thanks to Tree and the team for their help!
So I’m fitter than I have ever been (maybe not quite as fit as I would like to be but it’s a pretty good start) and I am ready to take on the challenges that the Derby has to offer.
If you’d like to support me on my journey I’m raising money for 3 unique charities (charity updates to follow in coming posts), The Horse Rangers Association, Save The Children’s East Africa Food Crisis
https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/gemmaractliffe
and Cool Earth
https://www.coolearth.org/campaigns/22215/journey-to-the-derby/