The Long Riders' Guild

Stephen Julius, David Limb, John Fanshawe and Annabelle Wilkinson

One of the world’s most prestigious universities has the distinction of being linked to the most destructive equestrian journey in modern times.

In 1980 four Oxford undergraduates named Stephen Julius (Magdalen), David Limb (Christ Church), John Fanshawe (St. Benet’s Hall) and Annabelle Wilkinson (St. Bartholomew’s Medical College) announced plans to ride a thousand miles across the desolate Andes Mountains of Peru.

Lacking any equestrian travel experience they spent three days learning how to load a pack mule from the Italian Army’s Alpine troops.

Lacking any equestrian travel experience they spent three days learning how to load a pack mule from the Italian Army’s Alpine troops. Another few days was spent with the British army, who taught them the rudiments of how to navigate with a compass. Armed with this tiny amount of knowledge the university students flew to Peru.

According to a report published in the London Sunday Times, it didn’t take long for the expedition’s horses to become exhausted, wounded and starving.

According to a report published in the London Sunday Times, it didn’t take long for the expedition’s horses to become exhausted, wounded and starving.

“The continuous rubbing of the saddles and packs was bruising the horses’ backs. Attempts to prevent this by tightening the girths were frustrated by the animals’ habit of deliberately blowing themselves out. The only remedy was a sharp punch in the ribs.”

Nor was improper equipment the only problem, as the paper reported “The lack of fodder in the mountains exacerbated the horses weakening condition.”

Worse was to come. One packhorse fell off the trail and tumbled down the hillside. It survived but because it refused to move on, the English travellers traded it for a sheep for their dinner.

“By the time we spurred the horses into Huaraz, the remaining horses were in a wretched condition. The bruises on their backs had burst into purulent sores,” Stephen Julius told the English press.

Lacking enough horses to continue, Julius went to Lima and made an appeal for government support.

“Only the personal intervention of the Peruvian president, who gave them a permanent police bodyguard, enabled them to complete the 1800 kilometre journey.”

With the president on side, it didn’t take long before the Director of the Guardia police force issued an order for every local police station along their route to provide the gringos with horses. An armed police sergeant and corporal were commanded to accompany the tourists during the remainder of the journey. Thanks to the power of this draconian police order, and the presence of the two armed policemen, the Oxford students were able to hire or seize horses as they continued across Peru.

With an unlimited supply of horses now at their disposal, Julius and his friends increased their rate of travel.

“In order to gain time we took to night riding, which increased our speed to 85 kilometres (52 miles) a day, riding 24 hours non-stop. By this stage the expedition had turned into an Odyssey. Two hours after sunset one day my horse, went into spasms for five minutes, then died of a heart attack. Less than five minutes later the sergeant’s horse followed suit. An effort was made to revive this horse by blowing billows of cigarette smoke into its nostrils, but it was hopeless.”

The London newspaper stated, “The 49 day ride, which in the end depended on animals hijacked for them by local police, finished in Cuzco.”

The London newspaper stated, “The 49 day ride, which in the end depended on animals hijacked for them by local police, finished in Cuzco.”

Calling themselves, “the valiant English Conquistadors,” Julius reported, “Our arrival in Cuzco was triumphal.”

To mark their return to England, in 1981 the university published a book written by Julius entitled, “Oxford University Peruvian Expedition.” No one at the university seemed to be alarmed at the fact that the Oxford students had wounded, killed or severely ridden 81 horses and 19 mules in 49 days.

 

 Back to Hall of Shame    Home