Montana equestrian prepares for 1,000-kilometer Mongol Derby race across Mongolia

Photo by: MTN NEWS

KBZK.com - Full Article and video

Katrina Leyh will compete in August's grueling 1,000-kilometer race through Mongolian steppe, retracing Genghis Khan's postal route

By: Jane McDonald
Nov 24, 2025

A local equestrian is readying herself to take on an ultimate horsemanship challenge across the globe in Mongolia.

“What an ultimate test of horsemanship, and grit and respect for the horses and the land,” Katrina Leyh said, “When the opportunity came up, I said ‘I have to throw my hat into the ring.”

The Mongol Derby is a 1000-kilometer race through the Mongolian steppe, retracing Genghis Khan’s old postal route.

In preparation for such a task, Leyh says that she is spending as much time in the saddle as she can, getting fit in every way, but she notes that successful riders are the ones who can adapt, stay calm, and remain respectful to their horses.

“I think a lot of it is going to be a mental game,” Leyh said...

Read more and see video here:
https://www.kbzk.com/news/local-news/local-equestrian-prepares-for-1-000-kilometer-mongol-derby-race-across-mongolia

2025 November's Horses in the Morning Endurance Podcast

HorseRadioNetwork.com - Listen

Endurance Convention, Garmin Venu X1 Review and Best Conditioned for November 11, 2025 – Horses in the Morning Horse Radio Network

November 11, 2025

Karen Chaton catches us up on their latest “Adventures,” including her completion of two back-to-back 50-mile rides at the Red Rock Rumble and LTH Octoberfest, where her horse Jovi earned his first 1,000 AERC miles. In the Endurance Tip Karen reviews the Garmin Venu X1.

AERC Director Connie Caudill shares updates on the AERC National Convention and the 2026 National Championship at Old Dominion; and Kayti Curtis, who is currently leading the AERC National Best Condition Championship for 2025 with her horse Casper the Ghostly Horse, discussing her successful season and her relationship with her “rockstar” partner.

Listen and see more at:
https://horseradionetwork.com/2025/11/endurance-convention-garmin-venu-x1-review-and-best-conditioned-for-november-11-2025-horses-in-the-morning/

Avery Translates Global Lessons to the Podium

FEI.org - Full Article

06 November 2025
Stacey Stearns

Sometimes success begins by turning a different corner. For young American Endurance talent Avery Betz-Conway, that turn came two years ago in a qualifying ride, when a fellow rider fell. While others kept going, she stopped to check that both horse and rider were all right. The decision cost her time that day, but it would ultimately open a door that led all the way to the Pan American podium in Campinas (BRA).

“We stayed in touch while qualifying for the World Championships,” the 19-year-old said. “This year, his family leased a horse to me for the Pan Ams. If I hadn’t stopped to check on him during that ride, I would never have been able to compete at the Pan American Games.”

That spirit of comradeship paid off spectacularly in July, when Avery won an Individual bronze medal on Zendaya Rach at the FEI Endurance Pan American Championship for Young Riders & Juniors 2025 – the first medal for USA Endurance in more than a decade...

Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/sport/endurance/avery-betz-conway-usa-pan-am-bronze