This episode is with Ross Colbert, lifelong horseman, investment banker, polo junkie, and 70-year-old finisher of the Mongol Derby.
And not just any finisher. Ross crossed the line dead last. But what happened in those 10 days is the stuff you don’t hear about in the press releases. He got lost in the mountains, had his horse chased by dogs, was thrown, walked solo for miles, slept alone by a river, and still managed to roll into camp with his horse sound and his head high.
We talk about the years he spent dreaming of Mongolia, what it took to prep, what gear saved his ass (literally), and how he avoided the saddle sores that plagued most of the field. Ross also shares what it felt like to come home, how the Derby rewired his perspective on business, resilience, and what he’s still capable of. It’s one of the most honest and human accounts of the Derby you’ll hear.
Key topics we discussed in 5 bullet points:
Ross’s early involvement with horses, growing up on a farm, riding, polo, and how that shaped his relationship with horses and risk.
How the idea of doing the Mongol Derby was planted from meeting his wife, her research on Genghis Khan and the Silk Road, eloping in Mongolia, seeing the Derby, and holding that dream over the years.
The training and preparation: building endurance, lots of saddle time, attending a Derby boot camp, gear, avoiding saddle sores, etc.
The race itself: checkpoints missed, stone bruised horse, getting thrown, losing tack, walking sections, getting lost in high terrain, nights alone, mindset through setbacks.
The aftermath: finishing last but finishing strong, what came home with him beyond the race (resilience, optimism, what he now knows about himself and what he’s capable of), reflections on business, horses, and what’s next.
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