The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Rotorua woman to take in a 1000km horse race in Mongolia

Shauni James
By Shauni James
Rotorua Weekender reporter·Rotorua Daily Post·
30 Jun, 2017 02:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Jennifer Cook will be taking part in a 1000km horse race. Photo/Supplied

Jennifer Cook will be taking part in a 1000km horse race. Photo/Supplied

A Rotorua woman will be taking part in the Mongol Derby - a 1000km horse race in Mongolia.

Jennifer Cook is one of 36 competitors from around the world who will take part in the Mongol Derby in August.

The 1000km course recreates Chinggis Khaan's legendary postal system. Riders change horses every 40km and stay with the local herders or camp under the stars.

She says being an adventurous person she loves doing things that will challenge herself, which is why she decided to enter.

"The chance to do something like this on a horse and raise money for a charity - it was a no brainer.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Adventure and giving back at the same time is why I really got into it."

She says you apply online and then go through a selection process.

This process includes finding out about your riding history, making sure your competitive nature is not going to stop you from helping others if needed, and showing you have a fair amount of outdoor background - with the likes of navigation and river crossings involved in the event, she says.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Jennifer says she loves meeting people from other countries and is looking forward to meeting the locals in Mongolia, as well as the other riders taking part.

She also loves photography and is hoping to get some great photos of the spectacular scenery in Mongolia.

She will be fundraising for the New Zealand Blind Foundation.

"I think they do some incredible stuff."

She says she is an animal lover and there are a few people she sees around town with their guide dogs.

Jennifer says she knows there are a lot of assistance dogs who change people's lives.

As well as raising money for charity, the riders also raise money for Cool Earth.

Cool Earth works alongside indigenous villages, putting local people back in control with the resources they need to keep their rainforest intact.

She thinks physically the Mongol Derby is going to be hard, with the soreness from being on a horse for 10 hours each day and moving faster than a walk.

Jennifer grew up in Otago and her mother worked at the local Riding for Disabled, where Jennifer started helping out and her horse-riding carried on from there.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She says she is quite a competitive person and she loves getting on the horse, going fast, doing big jumps and challenging herself.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

Premium
Opinion

Thomas Coughlan: Govt mulls dramatic local government reform, slashing councils

04 Jul 05:00 PM
The Country

‘Huge growth potential’: Willis on wool challenges during visit to NZ’s biggest scourer

04 Jul 05:00 PM
The Country

'Sassy' success: Climate-resilient apple's exports set to double

04 Jul 05:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Premium
Thomas Coughlan: Govt mulls dramatic local government reform, slashing councils

Thomas Coughlan: Govt mulls dramatic local government reform, slashing councils

04 Jul 05:00 PM

News of merging ministries was just the tip of the iceberg.

‘Huge growth potential’: Willis on wool challenges during visit to NZ’s biggest scourer

‘Huge growth potential’: Willis on wool challenges during visit to NZ’s biggest scourer

04 Jul 05:00 PM
'Sassy' success: Climate-resilient apple's exports set to double

'Sassy' success: Climate-resilient apple's exports set to double

04 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Ex-TV host Matt Chisholm's bold new career; 'Hugely unpopular' - battle royale brews inside Stuff

Ex-TV host Matt Chisholm's bold new career; 'Hugely unpopular' - battle royale brews inside Stuff

04 Jul 10:13 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP