Anders to ride in Mongol Derby

Dede Anders thought she had more than a year to prepare for the Mongol Derby. Now, she only has a few weeks before she competes in the grueling 620-mile Mongol Derby, the world’s longest and toughest horse race.

“I was supposed to go next year,” she told Cowboy State Daily. “But I got moved up on the waitlist this year. I’ll leave Denver International Airport on Aug. 1, and the derby starts on Aug. 7.”

Anders will embark on a nine-day ride, spending up to 11 hours a day in the saddle across 620 miles of Mongolia’s vast, isolated wilderness. But her only concern now is making sure she catches the right flights to get there.

“I’m more nervous about the travel over there because I have so many transfers,” she said. “The race worries me way less. That’s my comfort zone.”

If the past is any indication, Wyoming has a good track record in the Mongol Derby.

In 2019, Cheyenne native Robert Long won. He was 70 at the time, making him not only the oldest winner of the event, but the oldest to even finish the race.

Might be crazy

For Anders, participating in the Mongol Derby is the culmination of a lifelong passion for equestrianism. She’s been immersed in every aspect of horsemanship, including an extensive background in rodeo riding.

“I’ve been riding my whole life,” she said. “I grew up on a little ranch in Greybull, and I ride almost every day when I’m home.”

After graduating high school, Anders served as a medic in the U.S. Army. She then got a degree in nursing from
Northwest College and the University of Wyoming, trained as a physician’s assistant at the University of North Dakota and received a Doctorate in Medical Science and Emergency Medicine from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn.

Anders first encountered the Mongol Derby during a slow day at work. Reading about “the longest and toughest” horse race in the world wasn’t intimidating – it was inspiring.

“Every little girl reads books about Mongolian horses, Black Beauty and all of those things,” she said. “I had been looking at horse endurance races, so I threw my hat in.”

Anders applied to the Equestrianists, the organization that puts on the Mongol Derby, hoping she’d be selected to participate. She believed she had the right level of experience, determination and insanity to be seriously considered.

After a year of waiting and interviews by the Equestrianists, Anders was selected to participate in the 2025 Mongol Derby, but when one of the 2024 participants dropped out, Anders got the unexpected call to make the trek a year earlier than expected.

“I might be crazy, but I’m ready,” she said.

The Mongol Derby

The Mongol Derby follows the “postal route” established by Genghis Khan across the Mongolian Steppe in 1224. Horse messengers used the route so the leader of the Mongol Empire could communicate with the far-flung corners of his conquests.

Today, the Mongol Derby holds the record for the longest multi-horse race in the world. Participants ride “semi-wild” Mongolian horses between 25 stations along the 620-mile route, switching horses at each station.

“It’s a little bit about horsemanship and a little bit about endurance,” Anders said. “It’s not a marked route. We GPS (Global Positioning System) our way across there. So, we can miss a checkpoint and get lost. If a person is in between stations and the time to ride is up, they just camp wherever they are. This is where the racing part comes in.”

Riders can only ride up to 11 hours a day. They can be penalized if they’ve driven their horses too hard. Medics and equine vets are waiting at each station, along with food and water for the riders and their horses.

The Mongol Derby is notoriously treacherous, and riders have gotten lost and injured during the race, sometimes to the point they can’t continue. Simply finishing the derby is worth celebrating.

The modern-day Mongol Derby started in 2009. Anders said only 50 people are selected each year to participate in the grueling endurance race.

“From what I’ve seen so far, I think there are maybe only three or four other people from the U.S. going this year,” she said. “I’m still trying to figure out who everybody is since I’m late to the party, but there are riders from London, Belgium and South Africa.”

The Wyoming advantage

One thing Anders did to prepare for the Mongol Derby was watch the 2017 documentary “All the Wild Horses.” Producer Ivo Marloh completed the derby twice to compile enough footage for the film.

Many people would be deterred by the film’s depiction of the Mongol Derby’s privations and isolation. Anders found it empowering, particularly when she saw the temperament of the horses she’d be riding.

“After I watched it, it reassured me,” she said. “They ride semi-feral horses in the derby, and I’ve been riding feral horses my whole life. Getting on a wild bucking horse is the same dumb stuff my brother and I would do on a normal day.”

Mongolian horses are considerably smaller than most, which Anders said will make riding them more difficult, but the more she learns about the Mongol Derby, the more she sees a lifetime of beneficial experiences in Wyoming.

“The terrain of Mongolia is a lot like Wyoming, and so is the remoteness,” she said. “Some people come from London and other cities, and they don’t know what it’s like not to have an ambulance or every convenience at their fingertips. I’m used to that. It’s not scary for me.”

Anders knows how to handle a rambunctious horse in rugged, desolate terrain. And she’ll need all of her knowledge and experience to reach the end of the nine-day derby.

Finish, then finish first

Even though everyone rides for the same amount of time each day of the Mongol Derby, there is a competitive element to the race. And, there’s already a Wyoming legacy to the race.

In 2022, Jackson equestrian Deirdre Griffith clinched a first-place finish in the Mongol Derby, an honor she shared with South African Willemien Jooste. She was the fourth American and first Wyomingite to win since 2009.

Anders wants to keep a realistic perspective as she embarks a year earlier than expected.

“I want to finish, and then I want to finish first,” she said. “I’d like to finish it, period. There are all kinds of contingencies, and some people say you get disqualified if you get hurt. You can still travel and get the experience of seeing everything, you just may not be a competitor.”

The derby also presents an opportunity to rally support for causes the riders care about. Griffith’s 2022 victory helped raise $100,000 for the Parental Mental Wellness Program for new parents at St. John’s Health in Jackson.

Anders is riding for Wyo Hoofbeats Equine Assisted Learning. It’s a Cody-based nonprofit organization offering equine-assisted learning and psychotherapy programs for elderly individuals, at-risk kids and families and individuals facing mental health struggles.

For now, Anders is bracing herself for the difficult journey of navigating international airports. She’ll be flying from Denver to Istanbul on Aug. 1, then catching a flight on one of the only two airlines flying into Mongolia’s capitol, Ulaanbaatar.

The 2024 Mongol Derby begins on Aug. 7, and Wyomingites can track Anders’ progress on the race’s official website. Once it’s underway, Anders trusts her Wyoming pedigree will ensure she endures the longest and toughest horse race in the world.

“I’ve known how to ride feral horses,” she said. “Bigger ones are easier than smaller ones, but the ‘semi-feral’ Mongolian horses look like naughty little ponies. I can ride naughty little ponies across Mongolia for nine days. I’ve done it in Wyoming my whole life.”

Andrew Rossi is a features reporter for Cowboy State Daily in Northwest Wyoming and can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com. This article was originally published in Cowboy State Daily on July 20.