2009 Young Adventurer of the Year Awardee: Angus Paradice

Angus took part in a 10km race for two year old horses and the 15km race for 5yr old horses in Mongolia in 2008. At 13 years of age, Angus is one of the youngest awardees to ever receive this award.

At just 13 years of age, Angus Paradice has been awarded the Australian Geographic Society’s Young Adventurer of the Year.  

After visiting Mongolia with his family, Angus was fascinated by the traditional horse races held at the Nadaam festival. Each year children aged between 5 and 13 are chosen as jockeys for the races that range from 5km – 30km in length.

An avid horseman, Angus returned home and began training to take part in the Nadaam festival race the following year. For 12 months he trained each day, riding his horse the 22km home from school every day, unless raining, when he would then jog in the rain.  

A few weeks before the Nadaam festival Angus and his family returned to Mongolia to find a horse for Angus to ride.  Angus trained with a Mongolian family for the three weeks prior to the race to learn the necessary techniques to ride in the traditional race.  Suffering a major fall just days before the race, Angus was not deterred.

Angus took part in the 10km race for two year old horses and the 15km race for 5yr old horses – a prestigious race for the riders of the festival. Riding at speeds of up to 80km an hour, Angus achieved his goal, coming in the top 10 riders in both races as well as being the only foreigner to ever ride in the Mongolian Nadaam Festival.

Year six primary school student Angus is one of the youngest awardees to ever receive this award.  With such a passion for exploration and learning, Angus’ future adventures are looking bright.

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The AG Awards