Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

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 / Hawkes Bay Today

Bucket list race over for Hastings woman

By Kaysha Brownlie
Hawkes Bay Today·
11 Aug, 2016 08:00 PM3 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

Hastings woman Krista Donnelly has retired from the world's longest race, the Mongol Derby. Photo / Richard Dunwoody

Hastings woman Krista Donnelly has retired from the world's longest race, the Mongol Derby. Photo / Richard Dunwoody

A Hastings woman has retired on the home stretch of the world's longest horse race in Mongolia.

Krista Donnelly, 25, put her paediatric nursing on hold to compete in the 8th Mongol Derby's 1000km course.

The derby recreates the course of Genghis Khan's empire-busting horse messenger system.

Ms Donnelly is one of 41 riders selected to compete in the race, which even features in the Guinness Book of Records.

She has ridden horses for 17 years and has produced horses to compete in several disciplines.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She has educated young horses on the hunt field and ridden breakers as well as carried out track work for the past six years.

Ms Donnelly is experienced in orienteering at a competitive level and has enjoyed a lot of tramping and camping in remote New Zealand locations.

She said she loved travelling to Middle Eastern countries as a child, so it was no surprise she got involved with the derby.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Looking for a serious challenge which combined horses and travel, Ms Donnelly said this race, which would push her to the limit was "absolute top of [her] bucket list".

She said she had followed the derby in previous years, but now, "I'm ready".

But on the home stretch she had to retire. Of the 41 riders who set out, 14 have retired before the finish line due to injury and general tiredness. Some had even been hospitalised but were now well enough to cheer from the sidelines.

The 20 men and 21 women from 13 different countries set off on the derby on August 4.

There was pre-race training from August 1 to August 3 and the final riders are expected to finish by August 14.

The nurse is one of two New Zealanders who were selected for the derby. Gareth Jones, 45, who is a New Zealander but lives in Ireland, is also competing.

Riders change horse every 40km and either live with herders or camp under the stars.

Krista Donnelly and a riding companion set off at 7am in misty conditions in Mongolia. Photo / Richard Dunwoody
Krista Donnelly and a riding companion set off at 7am in misty conditions in Mongolia. Photo / Richard Dunwoody

Some of the riders are professional or semi-professional, others are enthusiastic amateur riders. They are all vying for the derby crown.

Competitors need to balance survival skills and horsemanship, they must endure the elements, semi-wild horses and unfamiliar food and terrain.

Anti-rainforest destruction charity Cool Earth is the race's official charity, but riders can also raise money for their chosen charity.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ms Donnelly is raising money for Cure Kids.

The entry fee for the 2016 Mongol Derby is close to $20,000, competitors are also required to raise more than $1000 for both Cool Earth and their chosen charity.

Additionally, the cost of her kit and other supplies for the race took the total cost to $30,000.

The itinerary:

* The 2016 Mongol Derby will run until Sunday.

* Sunday: final riders expected to finish.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

* Monday: Riders back to Ulaanbaatar.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

End of swimming pool weeds: Family's delight as cyclone-hit home gets green light

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Hawkes Bay Today

On The Up: The paddling club of breast cancer survivors set to represent NZ on world stage

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Hawkes Bay Today

Napier ice swimmer Davey Jones - what I gain when I dive into the chilly depths

04 Jul 06:00 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 Hawkes Bay Today

Premium
End of swimming pool weeds: Family's delight as cyclone-hit home gets green light

End of swimming pool weeds: Family's delight as cyclone-hit home gets green light

04 Jul 06:00 PM

42 Havelock North homes are out of limbo after two-and-a-half years.

On The Up: The paddling club of breast cancer survivors set to represent NZ on world stage

On The Up: The paddling club of breast cancer survivors set to represent NZ on world stage

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Napier ice swimmer Davey Jones - what I gain when I dive into the chilly depths

Napier ice swimmer Davey Jones - what I gain when I dive into the chilly depths

04 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
Trentham debacle sparks memories of another wrong turn: John Jenkins

Trentham debacle sparks memories of another wrong turn: John Jenkins

04 Jul 06:00 PM
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
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP