THOMASTON — Equestrian and multi-horse endurance racer Jessie Dowling is passionate about horses and the bond that can be forged between rider and horse. Dowling will describe her adventures in the Gaucho Derby, her latest long distance race, on Thursday, July 23, at 6:30 p.m., at the Thomaston Public Library. This collaborative community event, co-sponsored by Cushing and Thomaston public libraries, is free and open to the public.

In 2023, Dowling completed the the longest horse race in the world, the Mongol Derby. This transformative experience led her to her true calling: working with horses and endurance racing. In February of this year, at the Gaucho Derby, Dowling finished 15th out of a field of 40 international riders. Like the Mongol Derby, the Gaucho Derby is a multi-horse endurance race set over a 10 day period where riders navigate their way using a handheld GPS over 500 kilometers in Patagonia, Argentina.

"It is as much a survival race as it is a test of horsemanship," said a news release. 

Dowling returned to Maine fully inspired by her experiences. This inspiration is helping her to grow her budding endurance horse training business at Iron Ledge Farm, in Whitefield.

Dowling teaches lessons, trains horses, coaches endurance riders, and leads endurance focused riding retreats throughout Maine.
Find out more by visiting www.ironledgefarm.com.

For more information, contact Wendy Roberts at wrobertsmaine63@gmail.com.