On Thursday, June 4, at 6 p.m., in the Community Room of the Rockland Public Library, Jessie Dowling will present a talk on tackling the Gaucho Derby in Patagonia Argentina.

In February, Dowling, of Whitefield, completed another long and challenging horse race. The Gaucho Derby is a 500-kilometer horse race set in Patagonia, Argentina. Dowling placed 15th out of a field of 40 international riders. Like the Mongol derby, the race is a multi-horse endurance race set over a 10-day period where riders navigate their way using a handheld GPS. 

The Gaucho Derby is billed as the “Toughest Horse Race in the World” and is as much a survival race as it is a test of horsemanship, according to a Rockland Public Library news release. Contestants carry their own tent, food, and other essential gear, that in total weigh no more than 10 kgs (22lbs) in saddle bags and receive resupply bags of food set along the course route. Riders draw 8 horses at random to ride throughout the race, and horses must pass strict veterinary checks along the way. The course runs through some of the most rugged wild places in the world navigating through steep mountain passes, down scree lined cliffs, across bog filled valleys, barren mesas, and wild Patagonian steppe.

"The winds of Patagonia are epically strong, and the weather can change in an instant from sun to hail," said the news release.

In the release, Dowling says: “The best part of the race is getting to spend time with so many amazing criollo horses (the native breed of Argentine horses). The challenge of meeting a new horse each day and quickly developing a trusting partnership with these strong fast agile horses is indescribably exhilarating and fulfilling.”

This event is free and open to all. 

For more information or with questions, please call 594-0310 or email pking@rocklandmaine.gov.

The Rockland Public Library is located at 80 Union Street.