I finally plopped onto the couch after having just gotten our kids to bed, ages 3 and 5, when I read the email – You’ve been accepted into the Gaucho Derby.’ I stared at it, heart pounding, and thought — I must be nuts.
Here’s why I said yes to the wildest adventure of my life — and why I believe every mom deserves a little wild, too.
What is the Gaucho Derby?
Self-described as the greatest test of horsemanship on earth, the Gaucho Derby is a 500km race on horseback through the rugged wilderness of Patagonia. It’s a self-supported, survival-style race that requires riders to navigate from checkpoint to checkpoint across some of the most remote terrain on the planet.
For 9–10 days, I’ll be riding unfamiliar and variably trained horses — swapping mounts regularly — and covering roughly 50 miles per day. This race tests not only your riding skills, but your endurance, grit, navigation, and ability to adapt to unpredictable conditions. Riders must dismount and hike steep terrain, camp in extreme weather, and care for their horses in the wild.
To even be accepted into the race, I had to interview with references, submit videos of galloping, and prove my horsemanship credentials. Riders are required to pack ultralight due to strict weight limits on both body and gear — every ounce matters.
Here’s how the race organizers, The Equestrianists, describe it:
“Based on the landscape, culture, history, and horses of Patagonia and the Gauchos. This is the greatest test of horsemanship and wilderness skills on earth. This is the Gaucho Derby.”
The physical and mental demands are massive — think blistering winds, icy rain, heat, cold (often in the same day), and zero outside support.
The Spirit of the Race
“The Gaucho Derby is adventure on a massive scale and demands a quiver of characteristics from the very top drawer — encompassing sportsmanship, determination, and the ability to laugh in the face of severe hardship.” — The Equestrianists
Why This? Why Now?
“You have two LITTLE kids and you are going to leave them for almost 3 weeks?! What is your husband going to do?! Who will take care of them?! I could never!”
This is what I hear pretty much any time I bring up the race to most people. I am a homeschooling mom of two little girls, who will be 4 and 6 when I compete in 2026. We have farm animals at home, my husband works, nothing about this timing is convenient or easy AT ALL.
There’s never really a “perfect” time for something like this.
Not when you have little kids. Not when you homeschool. Not when you’re the default parent, juggling snacks and schedules and somehow still trying to hold onto a sense of who you are outside of motherhood.
If I waited for the “right” time — until my girls were grown, until life slowed down, until everything was perfectly lined up — I’d be looking at doing this in my late 40s or beyond. And sure, maybe I’d still be able to. But I can’t bank on having perfect health, energy, or freedom in some distant version of my life. I only know I have now — and a fire in me to chase this dream while I’m in the thick of motherhood, not after it’s over.
I’ve spent the last few years deep in the beautiful, messy trenches of raising babies. And I love it. But I also know that I’m not meant to shelve every part of me — especially the parts that crave challenge, adventure, and wild dreams.
I’m doing this because I want to push myself, set a goal that scares me, and show my girls and other women that they can too. Not to escape my family — but to expand what’s possible for us.
I want my daughters to see that when they’re grown — whether they choose motherhood or not — they don’t have to shrink their dreams. I want them to remember that their mom did something big, and brave, and a little bit crazy… and that they can, too.
The Mom Layer: Reality vs. Dream
Before becoming a mom, I had never experienced a feeling quite like this — the strange blend of deep excitement and deep dread all wrapped around the same thing. The Gaucho Derby fills me with passion and fire… but also, guilt.
Not guilt about the race itself. I’m excited for the adventure, the challenge, the growth.
It’s the mom guilt that’s creeping in.
How can I be so excited about chasing this dream and still feel that pit in my stomach?
Am I selfish for taking this much time away?
Is it too much to ask of my family and support system — especially to step in and care for the kids while I’m gone?
Ironically, I know the kids will be fine. They’re little — they likely won’t even remember that I was gone for a couple weeks. It’s the imposed inconvenience on everyone else that gnaws at me. The logistics. The help I’ll need. The emotional labor I’m offloading for a while.
Am I selfish for spending money on this?
Balancing It All — Or Trying To
Even before the race, training for something this big while parenting full-time is its own circus.
Here’s a peek at a “typical” day:
- Child care
- Animal care
- Homeschooling
- Housework (at least 20-30 minutes)
- Barn chores
- A workout (this is supposed to be an early alarm before the girls get up)
- Ride at least one horse
- Work on my personal business
- Stay current on requirements as a nurse practitioner
- And maybe — just maybe — shower and drink some water
And riding horses with kids around? Let’s just say it’s a very delicate dance. My girls do a great job playing in the arena (aka giant sandbox), but any parent knows that peaceful window is always about 15 minutes from a scraped knee, sibling argument, or desperate bathroom need. And when you’re mid-ride on a thousand-pound animal you can’t just “pause” like Netflix.
Doing It Anyway — And Why It Matters
I’m lucky — I have a dear friend riding the Derby with me, and we’ve carved out some weekends to train, camp, and test gear. But even then, every overnight or long ride feels like a request I have to justify — mentally logging how often I’ve asked for time away, already calculating the bigger ask coming in February 2026.
It’s wild, really.
I am with and for my kids probably 23 hours a day, nearly every single day.
A few hours to myself every few weekends shouldn’t feel indulgent.
My husband is endlessly supportive. He never says no.
But the guilt? Still real.
This is the mom layer.
It’s what makes every dream a little heavier to carry — but maybe even more worth chasing.
What I Hope My Kids See
I love my kids more than life itself — I would do anything for them.
But I also want them to grow up seeing strength, resilience, and joy in their mother. I want them to witness what it looks like to set big goals and chase them, even when it’s hard.
I hope they learn that:
- It’s okay to dream big.
- Strength comes in many forms.
- Independence and motherhood can coexist.
- Exploring the world — its cultures, people, and landscapes — is a gift and a responsibility.
So I’m not doing this in spite of being a mom — I’m doing it because I am one.
What Comes Next
Over the next 9 months, I’ll be preparing myself — and my family — for this adventure. That means:
- Logging training hours (and sharing how I make it work)
- Testing gear
- Mentally preparing for 500km of grit and glory
- Fundraising for the journey and for a cause I care about
I’ll also be sharing everyday life — juggling all the roles I play — and offering insights on how you can, too. You’ll find stories and tips about:
- Camping and traveling with littles
- Training for adventure while mom-ing full-time
- Homeschooling on the go
- Farm life chaos and charm
If You Take Away One Thing
If you’ve ever shelved a dream because motherhood made it feel out of reach, I hope this shows you that motherhood doesn’t have to be the end — it can be the beginning.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
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