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A Notion of Youth Fulfilled - Some of life’s most poignant lessons come in
small, unobtrusive packages. This remarkable story is one such tiny treasure.
Without any fanfare, the author set off in 1976 to make a 1,200 ride across
the United States. At the conclusion of his trip, he made several important
observations, some singular and others which apply to Long Riders throughout
history. This is a timeless bit of writing by one of the tribal elders who
kept equestrian travel alive in the days before the formation of The Guild.
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Click on picture to read some hair-raising
stories about wolves attacking horsemen in Romania a hundred and more
years ago! |
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"In the Spring of 1942,
when the war looked grimmer day by day to the Allies, and the Burma Road
was lost", Count Ilia Tolstoy was given the assignment of crossing Tibet
from India to China. Armed with a letter and precious gifts from
President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Dalai Lama, Tolstoy and his
companion crossed Tibet. Although they were treated like royalty,
there was always the threat of bandits and the harsh and dangerous terrain. Click on picture to read
an excellent article by Count Tolstoy. |
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In
2002, after the death of his spiritual advisor, New Zealand Long Rider Ian
Robinson vowed to deliver his ashes to Mount Kailas, Tibet's most sacred
mountain. Fighting cold, exhaustion and runaway horses, he camped in
high mountains with wolves, dicing with the elements and altitude
sickness. Click on picture to read a story about this journey.
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Hezekiah
Prince was a
respected builder and community leader in late 18th century
Maine. In the winter of 1793 the young scholar made a remarkable 1200 mile
journey across the newly formed United States. During the course of this singular journey,
Hezekiah met George Washington, whom he noted “was
a fine rider on horseback.” Hezekiah also observed the White House being
built and kept a detailed diary during his journey. Click on picture to read that diary. |
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"Medicus," one of America's first
veterinarians, writes about the joys and health-giving properties of equestrian travel.
Click on picture to read "Twelve Days in the
Saddle - a Journey on Horseback in New England during the Autumn of 1883." |
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Graham
Greene, the prolific English novelist whose works explore the ambivalent moral and
political issues of the modern world.
Throughout his
life, Greene was obsessed with travelling far from his native England, to
what he called the "wild and remote" places of the world. A 1938 trip to
Mexico resulted in the factual The Lawless Roads . During the course
of that trip, Greene made an equestrian journey into the jungles in search
of the ancient city of Palenque. Click on picture to read an excerpt from
The Lawless Roads entitled - The Long Ride! |
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He heard
the word “impossible” the day he was born. But Colonel Charles Young,
the son of freed slaves, spent his life proving that he was a winner
in every sense of the word. Born in dire poverty in Kentucky in 1864,
Charles Young overcame extreme prejudice and became the third
African-American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at
West Point. Click on picture to read an excellent article about this
amazing man. |
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Click on picture to read an excellent story by
Lucy Leaf about her journey across Death Valley in 1975. |
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When Swedish Long Rider Mikael Strandberg went to
travel across Siberia in the winter of 2004-2005, he found a thriving horse
culture amongst the Yakut tribesmen! Click
on picture to read his astonishing tale. |
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In 1940, Thubten Jigme Norbu, oldest brother of
the Dalai Lama and himself a reincarnated lama resident in the Chinese lamasery
of Kumbum, wanted to travel to Lhasa to visit his brother and family.
He asked his
father's permission several times, meanwhile (for he was only a teenage student,
after all) making the wildest plans to travel to Tibet on his own. His whole
family was now in Tibet, after all! However, eventually his father sent
permission, and Norbu's retinue plunged into preparations for the long journey
to Lhasa. This meant a four-month caravan trip, most of it through empty
and debatable lands. Click on picture to read this amazing story. |
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Alberta Claire, "The Girl from Wyoming," had
to whip out her pistol and defend herself from a very dangerous
man. Click on picture to read about her experiences. |
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Click on picture to read a chilling story
about horses and bridges from Tim Cope, writing from the middle of
Kazakhstan. |
