Photo courtesy of Auburn State Theatre

AUBURN, CA (MPG) - Enjoy epic equine adventure as riders from around the world race across Mongolia in the longest and toughest horse race on the planet: the 1,000 kilometer Mongol Derby. On this route that retraces Genghis Kahn’s 13th century postal system, riders use maps and GPS (global positioning systems) to navigate a network of 27 horse stations where they change horses every 35 kilometres. A Q&A with four Derby participants follows the film and a portion of ticket sales will support locals Ali Woodward and Melissa Montgomery in their 2025 Mongol Derby quest. This film is sponsored by The Station Public House.

The horses are the backbone of this race, descendants of ancestors who carried the all-conquering Mongol warriors across half the world. Diminutive, fearless, wild, and unbelievably tough, they are revered in Mongolian culture and have changed very little over the centuries, remaining essentially free from human interference.

Choosing a wrong horse could get a rider bucked off, losing their mount in the process or causing more serious injuries – with help being hours away. Additionally, riders face dehydration, hypothermia, exhaustion, extreme weather, swollen rivers, attacking dogs and roaming wolves. Riders stay nights out in the wild or with nomad families. 

Director Ivo Marloh rode the complete race twice in order to film the action first-hand and document exactly what compels riders from all around the world to risk broken bones, life-threatening injuries, their life savings and sanity to experience one of the last true wildernesses on Earth, on the back of wild horses.

Time and Date: Friday, July 12, 2024 – 7:00 PM. Doors Open 6:00 PM.

Run Time:  1 hr.  33 min.  

Admission:  $20 General Admission (includes $2 fee)

Location:  Odd Fellows Lodge, 1226-1/2 Lincoln Way, Auburn CA

Tickets:  AuburnStateTheatre.org or 530-885-0156