Alfonsina Maldonado conquers Patagonia and wins the first edition of the Pass of Tears

Alfonsina Maldonado once again brought honor to Uruguay. The equestrian and Country Brand ambassador emerged as the winner of the first edition of the Pass of Tears, one of the world’s most demanding endurance horseback treks, which covered 400 kilometers through Argentine and Chilean Patagonia. The official podium was announced after the last participants crossed the finish line, marking the end of an unprecedented international competition.

“I’m thrilled because the adventure was truly extreme; what we experienced was extreme—an indescribable adventure,” she said after completing the challenge. For several days, the riders traversed swamps, cliffs, and extremely challenging terrain, facing cold, hunger, and long days on horseback.

“We rode 10 hours a day, we were cold, hungry, we got wet (…) everything was extreme; we couldn’t believe it,” Maldonado recounted. The competition, which she initially contested as a duo with Santiago Ruiz, evolved into a collective effort among several riders. “We ended up being a team all together. We had to help each other because the horses got stuck in the mud and we all had to pull them out,” she recalled.

That teamwork was key to making progress under extreme conditions and achieving a result that surprised even the organizers. “We finished in an unexpected time,” she noted. First place went to the team consisting of Alfonsina Maldonado and Santiago Ruiz, shared with Andrés Rojas from Mendoza, in a final that reflected both performance and cooperation during the race.

“The last night was terrible, but we’re happy here. Everything hurts. It took a lot of effort,” the rider summarized.

Photographs by Eliseo Miciu