For nine days, CEO of Marriott, The Income Specialists Simon Pearse rode semi-wild horses across the steppes of Mongolia to join a select group of adventurers from across the globe to take on – and finish – the world’s toughest horse race.
From the 34 men and women of 14 different nationalities who set off on 10 August this year, just 18 people crossed the finish line of the Mongol Derby, dubbed “the mother of all horse races”. Among them were Pearse in 11th position, Heather Mostert from Hillcrest and three other South Africans. The rest fell prey to broken limbs or sheer mental and physical exhaustion.
Why would a successful businessman take on a quest like this? Because Pearse (51) cannot resist a challenge – his record of past adventures in remote and perilous places is impressive – and he is committed to Marriott’s support of Right to Sight, a charity whose mission is to eradicate cataract blindness amongst South Africans in need.
Right to Sight
His participation in the race marked the start of an on-going partnership, with Marriott providing fundraising and administrative support for this worthy organisation that is changing the lives of some of the 400 000 needlessly blind South Africans by restoring their sight with a 20-minute cataract operation.
Was the race harder than expected? “Yes,” says Pearse. “I didn’t realise the time pressure to cover the ground. We had to ride 14 hours a day and keep moving.”
“Undertaking an endeavour like the Derby moves you so far out of your comfort zone, particularly when faced with unpredictable variables all the time. There’s such an arbitrary nature to the outcome of choices having to be made all the time, like the horse you choose or the route you take, or whether to move on or stop for the night.”
“I think every person on the derby had an extraordinary experience and no two were alike. For me I felt very alive. The result was living every moment in the present, a truly amazing experience.”
Honouring the empire
There were highs and lows along the 1000km route, or “unroute” as they called it because there was no marked course. There was simply a network of horse stations at 40km intervals similar to the empire-busting postal system of the legendary Chinggis Khaan, Overnight stops were either under the stars or in a collection of basic tents used by the Nomads.
When Simon was bucked off a wild horse, it was fortunate that it happened at a horse station and he could choose another mount. “The mistake I made was not getting a local herder to ride the horse first,” he explains. “Sometimes the horses react badly to the unfamiliar saddles.” Pearse fractured several ribs en route but opted to carry on.
Pearse’s wife and two daughters are relieved to have him safely back in the comfort of their Midmar home, none the worse for his remarkable journey.
Whilst he has already raised a significant amount of money for Right to Sight through his ride in the Mongol Derby, Pearse urges anyone with an interest in providing accessible, life-changing eye care to disadvantaged communities to contribute to the charity online at www.righttosight.co.za.