THE MONGOL DERBY
Borja Jimenez won the Horse Hero competition for a place on the Mongol Derby, billed as the toughest horse race in the world. Nearly 1000 people voted on five short-listed video entries to win the place on this year's Derby, An energy engineer with a clear passion for travel, people and horses, Borja has a background in classical dressage. We will be following him through the 10 day race in August 2011. Post your comments at the bottom of the page!
SHOCK NEWS! BORJA'S OUT OF THE RACE! (August 9th 2011)
Borja was thrown from his horse twice in the final pre-race training ride and on returning to camp alerted the crew to his swollen hand. He was sent to have an X-ray in Ulaanbataar, which turned out to be extremely fortuitous as he had in fact fractured his wrist in a very awkward place. Unfortunately Borja's wrist requires surgery, crucially within the next week so he has headed off back to Spain!
BORJA's FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MONGOLIA! (August 1st 2011)
Hello! I’ve been traveling for more than 24 hours now. Malaga, Moscow, Beijing and finally Ulaanbaatar. From Moscow to Beijing we flew over The Great Chinese Wall. It is amazing to look at it from the top, but even better flying over it between Beijing and Ulaanbaatar because you see the Great Wall at the beginning of Gobi Dessert. I woke up at that point; maybe because I smelt my second breakfast, or just because I had to see the Wall and Gobi desert?! Anyway, the fact is that desert has many different colors. Yellow in dry areas, brown in semi-mountainous regions, even red in sandy zones. There are also greens and browns in the desert with many different paths done by cars and trucks; all in parallels lines and sometimes in a big spaghetti mess!
After landing, I found communicating with the taxi driver was impossible. I had to take two taxis to arrive to my hostel, and in the end I gave up and arrived on foot! Mongols are not stupid, they let the taximeter run… but it’s still cheap – 8 and 4 Euros! One thing that surprised me was that many cars have the steering wheel on the right (though everybody drives on the right). I found out this is because many cars are imported from Europe to Mongolia. So British cars are mixed with the others!
Ulaanbaatar has not much to see, though citizens are interesting to meet. You quickly feel the poverty of the population.
Ok, I do not want to forget why I am here; to ride 1000km by horse! I am nervous about that, not frightened! Our itinerary is: 1st-5th August pre-race training and skills evaluation. 6th-16th August the race itself! 17th August party time!! 18th-31th August back to Moscow on the Tran-Siberian train….more coming soon!
THE BORJA JIMENEZ INTERVIEW (April 2011)
So, Borja, let's just clear this one up first...on behalf of the English speaking philistines among us....how should we pronounce your name?!
Hahaha! I always have the same problem! My name it is so difficult for Anglo-Saxon people that I even thought about being Borja officially, but changing my nickname to Manuel which is more popular! So, the pronunciation in Spanish is Borcha, in "Andalusia" is Borja and for people from Anglo-Saxon culture I try to get them to call me Borgia, as this is easier. Borax is also ok! My name comes from Saint Francis of Borja, but nobody calls me Francis either.
Click here to download an audio file of Boja pronouncing his name!
You come from a nation with a proud equestrian heritage. What is the relationship between a Spaniard and his horse?
The Spanish, in my humble opinion, are really proud of our pure Spaniard breed. It is a symbol of power and nobility. But not every horse in Spain is pure Spaniard breed.
We used to use horses to work the land and transport food, tools, people, everything, in fact Spain used to have a great population of donkeys, but not anymore. Nowadays we still use horse to transport cattle (sheep and cows) through "cañadas reales" from North to South Spain in winter time, to make the selection and breeding of brave bulls for bullfighting, but mostly horses are now used for hobby, competition or fun. Jumping is popular, also Raid and Cuadrigas competitions (based on bullfighting skills). In addition Police and Military Corps use them for ordinary surveillance and especially at overcrowded sports events.
Have you ever had a horse of your own?
When I was 13, after a few years taking lessons, I remember discussing with my parents about having a horse. My uncle just did a little renovation of some stables, and it was the moment. He had a wonderful black pure breed Spanish horse!
My parents, Aunt Amparo and Uncle Fernando decided to buy a mare and a cart for the every year journey to El Rocío. So my brother and I were able to ride the mare every weekend. That was a great period enjoying the countryside, the orange trees we had, the dogs and the horses! Always fighting with my brother to ride her! Since then, I have trained in classical dressage for enjoyment and ridden on my travels all over the world.
You are currently on a year out from your engineering career, before taking your MBA. What else have you got planned for this year and what are you hoping to get out of the MBA?
In fact it is going to be more than one year; one year and a half. My plans for this year are clear from now to the Derby in August: I have to train a lot and ride Raid horses, improve my GPS skills and survival training, learn and read more about Mongolian culture, travel to England to meet the organizers and raise money for the Derby’s charity, Mercy Corps and continue with my hobbies. I love all sports and being outdoors, so there is a lot to manage! A friend of mine who ride Raids competition is going to lend me a horse to train on; I am planning a journey to Morocco to improve GPS control in deserted situations; my mom works in the library of the University of Seville, so she will provide me with information on culture; I am going to hold at least a couple of charity parties and finally I would like to have time to go gliding in Ocaña, Madrid, dive in Tarifa, ride my motorcycle and continue learning to fly!
I am going to apply for Columbia University, NY, to start at the end of this year. To do that, I need to be admitted and also need to get a grant from my government. I have to work hard the next two months! What I am hoping to get from my MBA, apart from networking, is direction. I always have ideas about running little businesses, and I would like the knowledge to do it properly.
Tell us about your career. You mentioned the nuclear industry in your video entry. Why are you interested in the nuclear industry?
Nuclear? Yes, I worked but not interested! It was my first work experience at Paris for a huge company. It was R&D and I realized engineering Research and Development it is not for me! Then I worked for the most important company in Andalusia in the Telecommunication Department. I used to be a consultant. Then I moved to Solar Energy Industry to built photovoltaic plants and finally my ex-boss took me as a Commercial Director of a new company in Seville of industrial tools. I really appreciate than last experience working close to a real business man.
You have travelled extensively. Where have you been and how has travel enriched your life?
I like travelling, meeting people, visiting friends where they are, and sharing experiences in general! I have been to many places, but I have to say I love Spain! I really feel comfortable at home in this country. Do you really want to know all the countries I have been? Ok. USA (California, Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan), Canada (Toronto), UK (England, Scotland), Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Holland, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Nepal, India and Japan.
I have seen politeness and respect in Japan. I like Japanese people. They are kind like Nepalese and Hindu but even luckier because they don´t have to get money from you because of their economy (talking in general, of course), so they can be themselves to you. When Japanese people smoke outside they don’t throw the ash, they have a little box to put it in!
In general I always have good experience travelling, though I felt fear in Argentina after a guy tried to steal my camera. After that, I thought he was following us. Also last summer after climbing Mulhacen Pike, I couldn´t reach a refuge and had to camp by myself! The wind blew my tent a couple of times. I was so tired that I could sleep even in a huddled position!
The Mongolian nomads love a sing-song round the fire. What will you be singing to them when the vodka bottle passes round to you?
I love to stay around the fire! If I had to sing, I would "sing by Camarón". "Como el aire" for example, that means "like the air". That is Flamenco. But I sing really, really bad!
You are allowed just 5kgs of 'luggage' in saddle bags on the Mongol Derby. If you could take only THREE things with you, on this or any journey, what would you take?
Three things apart from food, water and a horse or GPS? I would borrow a machine that tells you where and which stars you are looking at (also tells you the story; I never manage to memorize them!), I would take a friend and camera man to record the experience and talk to him? I would take THE credit card!
Why do you want to take part and are you aiming to win the Mongol Derby?
I am sure it is going to be fun! That is very important to me. Also to live that great experience, and I will enjoy the physical challenge of preparing and doing the race, to be original and to develop my resistance! I also think that being officially the ‘Horse Hero’ person on the Derby, I feel comfortable asking for donations!
Aiming to win? That would be fantastic!! Let me tell you in a couple of months how I am doing in my training!
What are you most apprehensive about regards the Derby and what excites you the most?
I am most apprehensive about the actual effort to ride 100 km each day, over 10 days! I want to have enough energy to record funny videos and write chronicles for you too!
I am excited about everything! Excited about training hard, about recording video diaries, about raising money for the Derby’s charity and being successful!
I am also excited about the journey and the race, about meeting competitors and organizers, about getting lost in the middle of Mongolia and sleeping with my horse anywhere (can this happen?)…
About the Mongol Derby:
The Mongol Derby is an extraordinary 1000 km race run over 10 days, combining an authentic adventure with a true celebration of Mongolia - its' sturdy and indomitable horses, it's welcoming and gracious nomadic people, and its staggering expanse of wilderness, unfenced, uncultivated and unchanged for many centuries.
The race was inspired by the horse messenger postal system used by Chinggis Khaan and his Emperor descendants from the 13th century, when dispatches were known to travel 300km in a day. Imperial messengers used a network of horse stations (Morin Urtuus in Mongolian), which peppered the empire, allowing them to change horses every 40km and keep up a blistering pace.
On August 6th 2011, 35 riders will get the chance cross Mongolia, including Horse Hero's representative and winner of the competition, Borja Jimenez, as these ancient messengers might have done; navigating between a series of Morin Urtuus stationed roughly every 40kms, they will change horses at each Urtuu and thunder on, staying with herding families overnight, or sleeping under the stars with their horse for company. 
Each horse will be used only once, meaning they stay fresh for their 40kms Derby dash, while the riders must face every hazard along the 1000km route, and feel the full force of ten days in the saddle from dawn until dark-fall.
This competition is run by Horse Hero and The Adventurists (organisers of the Mongol Derby).
Note: Current Derby organiser Kate Willings (past GB pony dressage rider) has written two excellent guest features on Horse Hero. One is about her experience of competing in the inaugural Derby, and the other is on how this has changed her approach to training horses. Both provide a great insight in the race.
