A Message of Peace from the Guild

"As children of the Cold War, we were taught to fear each other because of nationalistic propaganda. Our friendship is a symbol of overcoming tribal hatred. In the name of the Long Riders' Guild we invoke the peaceful message of harmonious horsemanship. War is never the answer. An invasion that results in the slaughter of innocents is unjustified. Instead of resorting to violence we need to remember that no matter where we were born, our mother tongue is horse."
Ukrainian/Russian Long Rider Vladimir Fissenko
American Long Rider CuChullaine O’Reilly

The Long Rider –
Documentary Film Wins First Award

The 16th annual Beaufort International Film Festival drew to a close February 27, with an awards ceremony honoring the best of the festival. Held at the University of South Carolina Beaufort Center for the Arts, the ceremony bestowed awards in 20 categories. The Long Rider grabbed the prestigious Audience Choice Award. The feature-length documentary directed by Sean Cisterna tells the story of Brazilian Long Rider Filipe Leite’s journey on horseback from Alaska to Patagonia, a trip of more than 25,000 kilometers that took eight years and crossed 12 international borders. In a statement to the Guild Filipe wrote, “This is the beauty of the Long Riders’ Guild. With Members in more than 40 countries, the organization breaks down borders. It is not about competing or winning ribbons, but about helping one another explore this extraordinary world on horseback.”

Carrying the Guild Flag across Kyrgyzstan

Ashley Parsons wrote, “After a year of waiting to travel with us, and then six months of travel, I’m happy to return the Guild flag to you with a few more kilometres under her belt. For just over 1600 kilometres I carried this flag in my front right saddlebag, occasionally pulling it out. The local Kyrgyz who saw it were admirative and impressed, but I think it had more impact when I would sometimes pull it out at night while organizing gear. Early on in the trip it struck me that though I didn’t know who else had carried this flag, nor over what terrain and conditions, I had now become part of the flag’s history. The thought never failed to make me blush, that I was now connected in a small material way to some of my heroes. It also comforted me: of course I was! And finally it made me proud, even honored. So though it may be a small light-weight material object, it brought me humility, confidence and honor during this long ride across Kyrgyzstan. Thank you for entrusting us with this symbol of Long Rider values. I hope its next porter can feel all the support from those of us who have carried it before.”

Long Rider Honoured by Royal Geographical Society

To mark the conclusion of his 25,000 kilometre “Journey Across the Americas ", Brazilian Long Rider Filipe Leite has been made a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. This marks the first time since 2016 that a Long Rider has been awarded this distinction. The nomination was made by Pedroca de Aguiar. , who is Brazil's 80-year-old Long Rider FRGS and one of the Guild’s rare Living Treasures. It was Pedroca who mentored Filipe prior to departure. In a message to the RGS and the LRG Filipe explained, “During my journeys across Canada, USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, I lectured to children about geography, the importance of following your dreams and never giving up.”

Nikita Gretsi rode across Siberia’s deadly Road of Bones.

Miriam Reisch rode across Germany and France.

New Friend of the Guild
Stepan Sleptsov is of Eveny descent, a community of reindeer herders in Yakutia. An expert in survival in the Siberian taiga, he risked his life to help Nikita Gretsi cross the deadly Road of Bones in minus 40 degree weather.

Hero of Desert Exploration Passes Away

Explorer John Hill was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Societyand a Friend of the Guild. After travelling across the Sahara with dromedaries and across the Takla Makan Desert with Bactrian camels, he was awarded the Lawrence of Arabia Gold Memorial Medal for exploration under extreme hazard. He described his life as an explorer in an exclusive interview with the Guild. In 1993, he took advantage of a chance offer from a Russian scientific team to research the status of the wild Bactrian camel in Mongolia. In 1997, John founded the Wild Camel Protection Foundation of which Dr. Jane Goodall DBE is the Life Patron. A prolific author, his books include the story of the equestrian journeys he made in northern Nigeria in 1957. Because of his extensive knowledge of travel history, he was chosen to review the Encyclopaedia of Equestrian Exploration. John described the EEE as “The greatest horse rides ever, as chronicled in a unique treasury of horse and human wisdom.” A close friend to Guild founder, CuChullaine O’Reilly, John wrote a few days prior to his death to say, “My camel is saddled for the last great expedition. I have been honoured to learn about the invaluable work you have done for an amazing group of horse riders who will never be forgotten thanks to YOU. What a champion for them you are. I will certainly hug your Basha We will tell stories and in due course wait for you to join us.”