Northland horsewoman Chloe Phillips-Harris (right) has her sights set on The Pass of Tears, an extreme horse race in Patagonia.
Northland horsewoman Chloe Phillips-Harris (right) has her sights set on The Pass of Tears, an extreme horse race in Patagonia.
Renowned Northland adventurer Chloe Phillips-Harris has set herself another challenge, this time tackling an “insane” 400km horse race in South America.
The Kerikeri horsewoman is entering The Pass of Tears, an extreme horse race over a treacherous, remote mountain pass in Argentine Patagonia.
The 400km multi-day race is a testof horsemanship, sportsmanship and endurance which starts on March 10.
“The race is centred around a mountainous pass with a treacherous path,” she said.
“It’s an old cattle droving path ... people used to cry going over it.
The last one was the Mongol Derby, which is known as the longest and toughest horse race in the world.
The 1000km course across the Mongolian-Manchurian steppe is ridden on semi-tamed horses, and riders endure being in the saddle for up to 12 hours a day.
Now, she wants to rekindle her competitive spirit and challenge herself once again.
“Since the derby, I’ve been in other races, but none that felt like the right fit for me.
“I’ve always been curious to see what you can do and push your body to do and what the limits are.
“I love the wilderness and the element of the unknown.
“And the horses, I love being on horseback and seeing what they can do.”
The Pass of Tears (Paso de las Lagrimas) isnamed because of the heartbreak and extreme difficulty experienced by early travellers, gauchos, and explorers.
Phillips-Harris is the only New Zealander in the race out of 31 riders from around the globe.
Chloe Phillips-Harris has spent a lot of time riding in Mongolia and leading adventurous expeditions.
All riders get a team of two horses, provided by local owners, to switch between.
They must wear a satellite tracker to navigate between checkpoints and ensure the welfare of the horses and the safety of crews and competitors.
Riders will have 10 days to complete the course, and Phillips-Harris hopes to finish in six.
The Kerikeri rider, who recently returned from a 300km trek on camels across the Gobi Desert in Mongolia which she runs through her business, Great Nomad Expeditions, has been training hard for the event.
She’s riding a lot around Northland, trying to put in as many hours in the saddle as she can.
“Anyone with land or a farm, I’m asking to do long-distance rides on.
“Especially hill work – most of the race is going to be mountainous.
“The hardest thing in Northland is we have such limited access to trails, and in summer you can’t ride on the beaches. It’s proving hard to get in the miles.”
Phillips-Harris leaves New Zealand on March 8 to fly to Buenos Aires.
She has set up a Givealittle page to support her journey.
Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and social issues.
