There are people who enjoy riding horses in gentle pastures or along valley creeks, and there are some who prefer to really feel their saddle. Fortunately for all those rough-riders, there is an adventure which challenges them to train like they've never trained before. Fortunately for Mercy Corps, this journey also a fundraising opportunity!

The Adventurists' Mongol Derby is a horse race that stretches 1,000 kilometers across, of all places, the steppes of Mongolia.

On August 10, 2012 not only are Derby participants beginning the grueling 10-day ride, they are also changing one partially-tamed Mongolian horse for another every 40 kilometers. Every year, only about 20 people are ready to take on such a challenge, as well as the additional responsibility of fundraising £1000 (about US$1,630) for a good cause.

Mongol Derbiers' funds support Mercy Corps' work in Mongolia, and projects such as empowering people with disabilities and building capacity for rural communities. You can read more about our programs in Mongolia at http://www.mercycorps.org/countries/mongolia.