Rider to tackle world's toughest horse race for charity

KARRIN O'Loughlin is taking fundraising to new heights, signing up for the world's toughest horse endurance race.

KARRIN O'Loughlin is taking fundraising to new heights, signing up for the world's toughest horse endurance race.

For 10 days, the experienced jillaroo will put her skills to the ultimate test, taming a new horse every 40km or so as she tackles the 1000km largely uncharted course through the Mongolian wilderness.

Spurred on by a desire to test her limits and satisfy her adventurous side, Ms O'Loughlin will fundraise for RACQ LifeFlight along the way.

It's a gruelling mission with Mongol Derby organisers warning of the dangers which include death, or permanent disfigurement.

GIDDY UP: Karrin O'Loughlin is saddling up for the ride of her life, taking part in the gruelling 1000km Mongol Derby raising funds for RACQ LifeFlight. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Ms O'Loughlin, who will saddle up for the race's start on August 5, will be one of 43 entrants this year, following the course which recreates Genghis Khan's legendary empire-busting postal system.

"(I'm a) little bit nervous now that it's all starting to get a little bit real," she said.

With no horse of her own in Toowoomba, Ms O'Loughlin has started a hardcore personal training regime to build up physical strength ahead of the race.

Her mental preparation, however, is her desire to give back to a service that once helped save her life.

After falling from a horse cutting cattle in the yards of her family's North Queensland property in 2011, Ms O'Loughlin suffered a cracked skull and was airlifted by RACQ CQ Rescue.

She's since recovered, but the role the service played in getting her medical help has inspired the fundraising effort.

"It wasn't until I started researching LifeFlight that I learned that LifeFlight provided training and medical staff for aero-medical service providers across Queensland," she said.

"It's definitely a cause close to my heart.

"Growing up on a cattle station in North Queensland, aero-medical services are a bit of a lifeline for your rural communities."

Ms O'Loughlin is looking for horses in the Toowoomba region to train at no expense to the owner.

The Mongol Derby is now in its 10th year and is run over seven to 10 days in August.

Originally published as Rider to tackle world's toughest horse race for charity