Equestrian adventurers raising awareness of lost art

Equestrian adventurers raising awareness of lost art
by Dr. S. Amjad Hussain

Those of you who are interested in long-distance horse travel would know CuChullaine and Basha O'Reilly, also known as Asadullah and Aesha Khan. In the equestrian world, their names are up there with legends, current and past. In this specialized field, anyone who has traveled more than 1,000 miles on horseback qualifies for membership in the exclusive club.

An inherent love of horses and a keen sense of adventure took Mr. O'Reilly, then in his early 20s, to Afghanistan in the late 1970s. He rode all over the country and, when the Soviet Union invaded in 1979, he returned to America to study journalism. He accepted an offer from Boston University to teach journalism to the Afghan mujahideen and ended up in the frontier town of Peshawar.

It was in Peshawar, a cross between Casablanca and Dodge City, that he came across what he called "the swirling cocktail of turbaned freedom fighters, tight-lipped foreign mercenaries, naive foreign aid workers, cruel Pathan warlords, and more spies than ever lurked in Berlin."

During his two years in Peshawar, he made forays into the remote tribal areas of the wild western frontier of Pakistan where honor, deceit, hospitality, and religion rule side by side.

 
CuChullaine on his horse Pasha in Pakistan

 
"If it was any more authentic the
reader would need a shot of penicillin
when he finished the book."

Their journey will start in Paris at the Eiffel Tower, pass through Germany, Austria, Hungary, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and northwest Siberia. They will then fly to North America to travel the breadth of Canada and then fly back to Scotland, pass through southern England, and end their ride at the Eiffel Tower.

They plan to use the same horses throughout the journey. Instead of extra pack horses, they will have a support vehicle to carry electronic equipment and food for the animals.

In addition to the usual activities of conducting their equestrian related business by the Internet, they will also be charting a GPS map of their travel and collecting hair samples from all the known breeds of horses they come across. The idea is to develop an international genetic registry of horses.

Both husband and wife are converts to Islam. But unlike many other converts, they practice a relaxed and totally nonjudgmental version of religion. One of the fundamental goals of their world ride is to draw attention to the philosophy of Sulah-e-Kul, peace and goodness toward all, as espoused by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar, who ruled India in the later half of the 17th century.

The O'Reillys believe that by riding virtuously one can impact the communities and societies one passes through. This is borne out by history and also by their personal experiences.

 
In 1995 Basha traveled 2,500 miles on
horseback from Volgograd to London. Later
she rode all 1,500 miles of the infamous
Outlaw Trail from Mexico to Wyoming

Can you help CuChullaine find a very special horse?

Dear members and readers of Voices for Horses,

Knowing how you always come together to  help and support each other  I am delighted to ask for your help relating to the beautiful article you have just read.

CuChullaine and Basha have asked if we can assist them in finding a very special horse to join them on their epic and historical endeavour.  In this regard CuChullaine sent us this message. 

"Allow me to begin by stating my deep personal gratitude to you, and the readers of Voices for Horses, for assisting me in obtaining a suitable mount for the forthcoming World Ride. Your kindness and assistance are tremendously appreciated, especially as the subject of picking the right horse is a critical factor in the completion of this historic journey.

As you may know, twelve men have walked on the moon but no human being has ever ridden around the Earth. Thus the two-year equestrian expedition which Basha, my wife, and I are undertaking will be of tremendous importance.

As an equestrian explorer, what I need is a weight-carrying gelding, with an air of calm authority, one who is capable of standing firm through a planet full of challenges. I had hoped to purchase such a horse from the Boston police force. While that animal was not available, a former police horse might be ideal as we will be holding regular visits with school children, scientists, diplomats and equestrian leaders throughout the journey.

The World Ride horse must be at least six years old with legs like iron and hooves made from steel. While strength is important, the ability to remain calm in traffic is vital. I would prefer he be black, yet regardless of the colour, he must be a emotional rock, strong, dependable and brave.  He must be at least 16 hands high.

Such a horse should be a baroque, or heavy type, animal, instead of the lighter type often preferred in sporting events.

Given the fact that this gelding will accompany me around the world, the resultant publicity to that horse, his breeder, and the entire breed, is something which must be considered with great care, as along with Count Pompeii, this animal will face more challenges than ever seen by any other Road Horse in history.

 
Looking for a strong, dependable, brave horse