“When my colleagues and I take on meaningful challenges outside work, it signals not only that we’re committed to what we do professionally but that we’re committed to success in all aspects of our lives.”

A typical response to “How did you spend your summer vacation?” might be a sojourn to the beach, European adventure, or mountain vacation. But not for Hicks Johnson Associate Dave Finkel. Over the summer, Dave competed in the world’s longest equestrian endurance race, the Mongol Derby. Extending 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) through the Mongolian Steppe, the Mongol Derby’s course recreates the horse messenger system developed by Genghis Khan in 1224.

This extraordinary 10-day race takes competitors through challenging terrain, including mountain passes, river crossings, wetlands and floodplains, sandy semi-arid dunes, rolling hills, dry riverbeds, and open steppe. Riders spend up to 12 hours a day in the saddle and must change horses every 35 kilometers at support stations. To add further challenge, these horses, native to the region, are semi-wild.

Of the 45 competitors who began the race — hailing from the U.S., U.K., U.A.E., Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, South Africa, Holland, Germany, and Ireland — eight retired due to injury and fatigue, and 37 completed the race, Dave among them.

Dave first learned of the derby from a friend who competed in 2023. Dave was already an experienced equestrian, but once he was accepted to compete in the 2025 race he began working with world-class endurance rider and trainer Alisija Zabavska to practice technical skills and accustom his body to far more time in the saddle. In addition to competing in 25 and 50-mile races in Texas, Dave ran, cycled, rucked, and followed a CrossFit program to prepare for the derby.

Having served for eight years as an infantry officer in the United States Army before law school, Dave is no stranger to physically demanding adventures. Still, the Mongol Derby would test even the most experienced outdoor enthusiast and horseman. Dave recounted a truly challenging moment he faced in the race. “In my first river crossing, the horse and I went through deep mud and fell. I came off the horse, and he bolted. I eventually found and wrangled him, but it was stressful contemplating how I would move forward without a horse. I was completely on my own, with no one else in sight.” Fortunately, Dave was able to draw on his training to see him through. “I focused on getting through the next five minutes and called on a favorite mantra from my time in Army Ranger School: ‘This too shall pass.’ Often times, our worst enemy can be our own worrying and overthinking. When the time comes, you just need to execute.”

While finishing the race represents a significant achievement, Dave is hardly resting on his laurels. With plans for additional Texas endurance races already in the works, Dave is also eyeing the Gaucho Derby, a 500-kilometer endurance race in Patagonia, as a possible future goal.

Dave’s experience demonstrates how taking on challenges outside the typical routine of work and home can provide a renewed perspective on personal and professional values — and bring new energy to your work when you return. “When my colleagues and I take on meaningful challenges outside work,” Dave said, “it signals not only that we’re committed to what we do professionally but that we’re committed to success in all aspects of our lives.”

The mettle, meticulous preparation, and pure skill required to complete the Mongol Derby are the same traits Hicks Johnson identifies and develops in the associates we recruit and train. And, as our clients know, these traits lead to high-value results at the negotiation table and in the courtroom.

Hearty congratulations to Dave on this accomplishment!