Businessman Conquers Punishing Mongol Derby and Boosts Eyecare for the Poor

Sept. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- For nine days CEO of Marriott, The Income Specialists Simon Pearse rode semi-wild horses across the steppes of Mongolia to join a select group of adventurers from across the globe to take on – and finish – the world’s toughest horse race.

From the 34 men and women of 14 different nationalities who set off on 10 August this year, just 18 people crossed the finish line of the Mongol Derby, dubbed “the mother of all horse races”. Among them were Pearse in 11th position and four other South Africans. The rest fell prey to broken limbs or sheer mental and physical exhaustion.

Why would a successful businessman take on a quest like this? Because Pearse (51) cannot resist a challenge – his record of past adventures in remote and perilous places is impressive – and he is committed to Marriott’s support of Right to Sight, a charity whose mission is to eradicate cataract blindness amongst South Africans in need.

His participation in the race marked the start of an on-going partnership, with Marriott providing fundraising and administrative support for this worthy organisation that is changing the lives of some of the 400 000 needlessly blind South Africans by restoring their sight with a 20-minute cataract operation.

Was the race harder than expected? “Yes,” says Pearse. “I didn't realise the time pressure to cover the ground. We had to ride 14 hours a day and keep moving.”

“Undertaking an endeavour like the Derby moves you so far out of your comfort zone, particularly when faced with unpredictable variables all the time. There's such an arbitrary nature to the outcome of choices having to be made all the time, like the horse you choose or the route you take, or whether to move on or stop for the night.  “I think every person on the derby had an extraordinary experience and no two were alike. For me I felt very alive. The result was living every moment in the present, a truly amazing experience.”

There were highs and lows along the 1000km route, or “unroute” as they called it because there was no marked course. There was simply a network of horse stations at 40km intervals similar to the empire-busting postal system of the legendary Chinggis Khaan, Overnight stops were either under the stars or in a collection of basic tents used by the Nomads.

The weather was unpredictable – cold at night and very hot during the day with sudden rainstorms.

The food took a little getting used to – mainly goat, mutton and mare’s milk – but this was outweighed by the kindness of their hosts, the Nomadic people of Mongolia. “They took us in and offered us their hospitality and it was it was a bit like being transported back into an era of 1000 years ago.”

When Simon was bucked off a wild horse, it was fortunate that it happened at a horse station and he could choose another mount. “The mistake I made was not getting a local herder to ride the horse first,” he explains. “Sometimes the horses react badly to the unfamiliar saddles.”

All of the horses belonged to local nomadic herding families. They were descendants of the steeds that carried the all-conquering Mongol warriors across half the world and were typical of their breed - small, sturdy, a little wild and very tough.

Pearse fractured several ribs en route but opted to carry on. “The pain unfortunately caused me to become quite self-absorbed and the last three days were a bit of a blur,” he remembers. “However, my everlasting memory of the Derby happened on the second last day when I was completely lost in my own misery. I happened to look up from my focus on the ground between the ears of the horse and experience a breathtakingly beautiful scene. The sun was setting behind a range of mountains in the distance, and just above was an ominous dark cloud bank, causing the grass plain in the foreground to appear unusually green. Spread across the plain was a large flock of white sheep and goats with a Mongolian girl in traditional dress carrying a pail of milk. At that moment I forgot about myself and was captivated by the beautiful scene.”

“One would so often try to capture a moment like this with a photo, but of course this was impossible as I was reduced to using one hand at this stage, so I simply experienced the beauty. I think the realisation for me then was that beauty is a feeling or emotion and cannot be captured, but only experienced.”

Pearse’s wife and two daughters are relieved to have him safely back in the comfort of their Midmar home, none the worse for his remarkable journey.

Whilst he has already raised a significant amount of money for Right to Sight through his ride in the Mongol Derby, Pearse urges anyone with an interest in providing accessible, life-changing eye care to disadvantaged communities to contribute to the charity online at www.righttosight.co.za.

Ends

Caption:
Craig Springate of South Africa,  Sam Wyborn of New Zealand and Simon Pearse of South Africa, mounted and ready to take on the longest, toughest horse race in the world.  

This release has been issued on behalf of Marriott Asset Management
For more information contact:

Marriott Asset Management:
Sally Anderson, Head of Distribution on telephone:
031 765 0700

Shirley Williams Communications
Shirley Williams 031 564 7700 or 083 303 1663
Gillian Findlay 082 330 1477

About Marriott Asset Management
The Income Specialists aim to reduce financial anxiety of retired investors by offering Solutions for Retirement, using an Income Focused Investment Style which produces reliable and consistent monthly income.