Australian-Geographic-Magazine-September-Octobe..

OUT BACK

Empire of the horse

Horses were domesticated on the Eurasian steppe; from

here Genghis Khan’s nomads took them to the world.

 W

HEN AGS-sponsored

adventurer Tim Cope

set out to cross from

Mongolia to Hungary in 2004,

travelling by horse was the logical

decision. The nomads of the steppe

were the first people to tame and ride

horses, and it was this advancement

that brought them to the edges of

Europe and into conflict with its

inhabitants in the 13th century. This

horsemanship, which initially gave

nomads the military edge over Europe,

may be considered their greatest con-

tribution to the modern world.

The horse still plays a central role

in the lives and culture of all steppe

societies, and travelling with his

caravan of three mounts allowed Tim

to discover the heart, mind and soul

of the steppe nomads. In addition,

TRAVEL & DESTINATIONS, YOUR SOCIETY, YOUR AG

DESTINATION HIGHLIGHT: REMOTE MONGOLIA

108

HERON ISLAND

RESEARCH STATION

An idyllic home for turtles and scientists.

129

FROM THE FIELD

Go behind the scenes on assignment with

our photographers and writers.

130

LINE IN THE SAND

Tracing Goyder’s divide between

arable and pastoral land.

Caravan company.

Tim’s three mounts,

with his dog Tigon

in the lead.

5 OF THE BEST

AUSSIE

HORSEBACK

EXPERIENCES

TIM COPE; TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA

1 KIMBERLEY HERITAGE

CATTLE DRIVE

During a six-day drive along the

Barclay Stock Route in the east

Kimberley, WA, the drovers of

Home Valley station teach punters

horsemanship skills.

(^2) THE BICENTENNIAL
NATIONAL TRAIL
Now a multi-use track linking up
single tracks, stock routes, fi re trails
and roads, this 5330km trail runs
along the Great Dividing Range from
Healesville, VIC, to Cooktown, QLD.
3 COAST TO VINES
RAIL TRAIL
This 37km track in southern Adelaide,
SA, winds from Marino Rocks,
through the foothills of the McLaren
Vale wine region to
Willunga.
4 SCONE
AND UPPER
HUNTER
HORSE
FESTIVAL
In early May, the
Hunter Valley, NSW,
is awash with activity, such as
the King of the Ranges Stockman’s
Challenge.
(^5) TOM QUILTY GOLD CUP
The Quilty is an iconic 160km ride.
Starting at midnight, racers have 24
hours to fi nish a route that changes
yearly, moving from state to state. It
will next be held in NSW, in Ju ne 2015.
S—˜™—š›—œ–OŸ™¡›—œ 2014 99
1
2
3 4 5
AUSTRALIA
horses gave Tim a long-craved sense
of adventure and, importantly, offered
an opportunity to be a participant in
the communities he passed through,
rather than just an observer.
Although Tim had almost no expe-
rience with horses, he did research
through an organisation called
The Long Riders’ Guild. During his
2004–07 expedition, Tim often had
three horses: two for carrying grain
and equipment, and one for rid-
ing. In some areas of rough terrain,
walking by foot or using camels was
also essential. Few tours offer the
opportunity to trek across parts of
Mongolia with horses or caravans of
camels, but the Australian Geographic
Society is offering just one such trip,
led by Tim Cope in October 2015.
Turn to page 107 for more details.
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