Becky Sampson and her horse with a name "Bertie" (a piebald pony) are about to embark on a journey – an incredible journey that will take about four years to complete. This dynamic duo are about to set off on a ride from London to Tokyo!
When I first heard about this trip I found it hard to get my head around it. What is she doing? How is she going to do it? Most of all - Why does she want to do this?
Since our first meeting at the Olympia horse show before Christmas I feel I have answers to the first two of these questions and I'm sensing I'm getting close to an answer to the third.
Becky and Bertie are going to travel over 15,000 kms together riding across 15 countries and two continents.
Phase one commences in two week's time. Central London to Dover via the North Downs. Phase two is about crossing the whole of western and eastern continental Europe before wintering in Turkey.
Next in my humble opinion it gets really hairy. It is the Marco polo silk route to Shanghai taking in the visual delights of Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan before traversing the North of China to get to Shanghai.
The final part is across the sea (by boat) to Japan before a swift 1,500 kms trot to Tokyo.
Becky and Bertie are then flown back to London courtesy of one of the sponsors some time in 2012.
Becky has spent over two years of intensive planning and preparation readying her for this day.
She has undertaken all manner of training and has funded the trip largely through savings and sponsorship.( no mean feat in this economic climate – Becky is still open for donations www.justgiving.com/expeditionequus) This is definitely not something that has emerged out of a whim. Its roots lie deeper. She has already ridden long distances in China on her own and has family that have done similar amazing journeys historically. An uncle of hers spent 8 years 8 months exploring the Amazon on his own. It's in her DNA this travel bug!
She is also going to be regularly stopping along the way to teach at schools and her charity SOS villages is clearly a charity close to her heart.
As an individual I am fascinated by motivation. What makes one person content with growing up and living life to the full in one village and make another want to embark on an individual "wanderlust" across the globe through some of the most inhospitable environments on the planet and on a horse?
Ask Becky directly and she laughs it off. Ask again and you begin to appreciate that beneath Becky's cheerful demeanor lies a steely determination as well as a heart as big as the planet. The SOS children's charity is close to that heart. Wanting to do something special before settling down to the 3 M's (money, mortgage, and marriage) is also a contributory factor. However I don't think either of these factors is truly at the bottom of it all. My belief is that to Becky this is a trip about "Being" - "Being Becky" - it isn't about whether she succeeds or not (though my guess is that in one way or another she will succeed even if it's not a completed journey) it is that to be Becky she needs to do this to be herself - simple as that - profound as that.
Trot on TV wishes both Becky and Bertie - God speed and safety. We look forward to sharing her smiles and tears on our website on her group www.trotontv.com/community/grouphome/84/expedition-equus.html and to learning of her progress on this very special and individual equine adventure. www.expeditionequus.com
John Bethell
copyright Trot on TV
saddleup said:
Lovely write up for this gallant girl. I will follow her progress with extra insight after reading the feature on her here.
bigbird said:
MY BEST WISHES GO TO BECKY AND BERTIE,A BRAVE PAIR TO UNDERTAKE SUCH A JOURNEY,BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL PROUD THAT THERE ARE STILL YOUNGSTERS OUT THERE THAT WILL GET UP AND TAKE ON SUCH DEEDS RATHER THAN SIT ON THEIR BACKSIDES AND EXPECT THE WORLD TO COME TO THEM.I WILL BE FOLLOWING WITH GREAT INTEREST AND KNOW THEY WILL SUCCEED.
