Follow this Champion on the Gaucho Derby 2022

Mackenzie is on ‘The best journey of my life’

Meet Mackenzie Stabler, she is currently training for the Gaucho Derby 2022.

The 2022 Gaucho Derby is a 300-mile horse race across Patagonia and Mackenzie is embarking on this incredible journey while raising money for a local organisation she is super passionate about.

She reached out to Champion to find out which helmet would be best suited and if we could help her out. Of course we said ‘YES!’ and kitted her out with the beautiful REVOLVE Radiance Vent-Air MIPS Peaked Helmet in black/Multi sparkle! MIPS really was a vital inclusion given the amount of time Mackenzie spends in the saddle.

Whilst we got her fitted and chose the right helmet, we just had to find out more about Mackenzie and her incredible journey: “I’m so excited to be embarking on the 2022 Gaucho Derby, currently, I reside in Bend, Oregon, USA but I grew up living in every western state of the US and also Southeast Asia which gave me pretty varied horse experiences, ranging from guided trail rides in the mountains to catch riding jumpers in rural parts of China.

My first memories are of wanting to ride a horse, and I’m lucky because my parents worked hard to make that happen for me. My riding career started in jumpers but the last few years have been all about backcountry horse packing.

I’m doing the derby because it combines everything I’m passionate about in one event.

Never did I imagine, travel, horses, perseverance, nature, extreme locations, meeting new people, resourcefulness, athletic endurance, and competition could all come together in one event.

I have been training for the last 2 years which has included 6 long distance pack trips including an 11 day remote Wilderness trip in Wyoming in early winter, Endurance horse racing 350 miles, 3x a week training with a personal trainer and LOTS of running ( I hate running).

In the last 2 years combined I have ridden over 50 different horses, been climbing and then skiing mountains, testing LOADS of gear, and doing a lot of mental fitness around regulating my nervous system and emotional responses.

I’ve worked to perfect my survival skills and spent a little time each day working on navigation.

In my signature below is a link to a video about my journey to the Derby, as well as the group I am fundraising for.

For me the derby began ages ago and I’ve made more new friends, tried heaps of new things and connected to my personal horses in a much deeper way because of it.

This has been one of the best journeys of my life.”

It’s so great to see that Mackenzie can bring a bit of sparkle along with her whilst being protected to the highest safety standards of PAS 015:2011 with MIPS!