Young Baguio horsewoman Solana Perez’s dream to race in the 1000-kilometer Mongol Derby was postponed by the pandemic. 

But she finally made it last month as the event’s very first rider from the Philippines.  She spoke to Howie Severino about the highs and lows, from the adrenaline rush to the meditative pace with which she finished. 

Solana learned to ride horses in her native Baguio, and said she was racing not just for herself but for all the Baguio pony boys who taught her to ride from a young age. 

She experienced more than a race but a unique Mongolian frontier culture that took her in like she was one of their own.

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