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Current Expeditions
"Take charge of your life and do dangerous things." George Lucas, film maker.
Orion Kraus is currently in Mexico, having set off on a ride from Vera Cruz to Panama.
After having ridden across Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and the Sudan, Billy Brenchley and Christine Henchie reached Uganda, where Billy became very ill. For more information, please click here for Christy's first report, and here for her most recent message. Though Billy is recovering, he would welcome emails from his fellow Long Riders - billy.brenchley@gmail.com
Long Rider Ken Downey, who has already ridden the length and the breadth of the United States, is back in the saddle again! The 71-year-old Circuit Riding Preacher is riding from the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico. Ken and his horse will be hosted by participating church families and he will speak at designated places along the way.
Peter Ritz has begun his 6,000 kilometre ride from the bottom of Spain to the east of Germany. The accomplished Long Rider has already completed several other trips across Europe, most notably a journey from Görlitz to Rome. His longest ride to date is the ride to all the 4 outermost edges of Germany(3100 km).
Indefatigable Swiss Long Rider Jessica Bigler wrote to tell the LRG her latest news. "In 2010 I rode through Italy, where I met Antonietta and Dario. Then through Slovenia and Hungary. A huge epidemic of equine anaemia started in Romania, so I decided to turn back, not wishing to take risks for my own horses. I tried to enter Serbia but it cost too much money, too many blood tests for horses and dogs and only 1 month to go through so I decided to stay in Hungary for the winter.
I have built a horse-drawn caravan with my Hungarian boyfriend. In March 2012, we will start on foot with 3 horses. Gitan who will only follow, Amiral my pony will be packed and a new horse, Quipsa, a French trotter, will be packed too. We are going to walk from Switzerland through Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece. Then back to Hungary, where we will continue with the horse-drawn caravan and our two small horses. Then to Poland, the Baltic and then... we will see. I finally found someone like me, and we are planning to live the next few years on the road with our 3 horses and 2 dogs." Congratulations, Jessica - and please let us know how you get on.
Dominque van Eick, who previously rode from Germany to her home in Holland, is currently riding from Poland to the Netherlands.
Virginie Claeyssens has left her native France to make a Long Ride in Argentina. The Long Riders' Guild has lent her the LRG's European pack-saddle, kindly donated by Custom Pack Rigging, and Virginie will be contributing to the rigorous ten-year field test undertaken by The Guild.
Stella Banduhn and her husband are riding 1,700 kilometers from their home in Germany to Exmoor, England. Their route will take them through Belgium and France.
Catherine Thompson has set off on her Long Ride across western Canada. She set off from south central Saskatchewan and will complete her ride at Banff National Park. “I am a singer, musician and composer and I will be travelling with a few instruments. I hope to set up small intimate concerts as I go. House concerts and the like and perhaps set up talks as well if the opportunity arises. My work is focused on the disconnection between the modern industrial world and the wild natural world and my music reflects this deeply.”
Mark Patterson’s journey from Marysville, Kansas to Vernal, Utah was interrupted when his pack horse nearly lost its life while crossing a fast moving mountain river in Colorado. Because of record snow falls, the stream was exceptionally treacherous. Though Mark managed to save the horse, the majority of his gear was swept away. He reports, “It was quite possibly one of the most terrifying horse wrecks I have ever witnessed.”
Deb Yavorski set out from Quoddy Head State Park, the easternmost part of the United States and is headed towards Cape Alava on the coast of Washington state. At last report she had reached Pierpoint, Ohio, and was headed towards South Dakota. She wrote to the Guild to say, "Most of the ride has been done alone, but I am open to other riders, so if you could connect me with Long Riders in North America, I would greatly appreciate it." If you would like to contact Deb, please email the LRG.
Noah Anderson and Sharalyn Hay have started their ride in Idaho and Montana.
Sabine and Roland, who are riding from Berlin, Germany to Siberia, have crossed Poland and are reporting that their journey towards Russia is proceeding smoothly. Prior to their departure, they were greatly assisted by Founding Member of the Guild, Günter Wamser.
Günter Wamser - who started his Long Ride in Patagonia - is now in the USA.
Ken Lee has started a Long Ride in his native Australia.
French Long Rider Stephane Pennac and Chilean Long Rider Marcela Munoz are riding across Patagonia, Chile and Argentina.
You would think that after having ridden 18,000 miles across South America on his Manga Larga stallion, Brazil’s celebrated Long Rider, Pedro Luis de Aguiar, would be content to relax on the porch of his hacienda. But at the age of 77 “Pedroca” is setting off again. This time he will be riding from São Paulo to Brasilia, the nation’s capital
South African Long Rider Lloyd Gillespie has ridden nearly 6,000 kilometres in his epic journey around South Africa. He wrote to say, “We have ridden and camped through over 100mm's of rain the past 10 days. We and our equipment has been soaked and it has made camping challenging.”
Clay Clark is riding from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Petaluma, California.
To read about delightful long-term wagon journeys, please click here.
To read about Long Riders making non-equestrian journeys, please click here.