Galloping through the big land

The entire steppe painted in grey and brown. There is no snow yet but in a few weeks the landscape will hit the eyes with its shimmering whiteness. Cool air bites uncovered hands. Dark-haired people sit in the wooden stands clapping and cheering. His brother, her friend or their dad move so fast that it is impossible to take a picture on the mobile phone.Their cheeks are red from wind and excitement. And the whole track rattles: plod-plod-plod-plod…

Horse races for prizes from the Ministry of Agriculture in Yakutiya is an annual competition. This year four teams took part in it and the 1st place award was 375 thousand rubles. However, horse riding is not about money, it’s all about love. One of those frozen spectators knows it for sure. Nikita Gretsi is a traveler from the United Kingdom, Hertfordshire. His parents are both half-Russians and he knows the language. Nevertheless, the purpose of his visit is not going back to the roots: Nikita is up to the journey from Magadan to London on a horseback. Such route has never been gone through before so Nikita will be the first person in the world travelled from ocean to ocean on one horse all along.

[Photo 1] Nikita Gretsi: “A great man in Mongolia told me that a man without a horse is like a bird without wings”  

The length of the route is 13 thousand km - same as 23 English Channels in one line. There are ten time zones between the cities. The minimum temperature is -60 C. The route includes lake Baikal, the Altai Mountains and Russian capital Moscow. And one man on a horse is going to accomplish it. Nikita is planning to start in winter 2020 but as for finish - there is no deadline. “Equestrian exploration isn’t about speed or distance, it’s about understanding the bond that exists between rider and horse. An idea called Harmonious Horsemanship, where the energies of rider, horse and nature are all connected as one. This concept is shared by The Long Riders’ Guild, whose members around the world complete these heroic journeys”, - Nikita says. He is a member of The Long Riders’ Guild as well and he is absolutely sure that without all the support of the organisation nothing could be done. The founder of the guild CuChullaine O’Reilly is Nikita’s mentor and, though he is miles away from Yakutiya, does his best to make this journey happen. “It is not the kilometres that kill horses, it is the kilograms”, - he once told Nikita and this little note reminds the rider that horse is a priority here.

[Photo 2] The Long Riders’ Guild was formed in 1994 “to represent men and women of all nations who have ridden more than 1,000 continuous miles on a single equestrian journey”

Not only British experts help Nikita on his complicated way. Egor Makarov is a person who organised everything in Yakutiya. He knows a lot about horses and has even published a photographic book of their pictures. He is that very person who will prepare the adventurer for extreme Siberian winter. Actually, communication with locals is a big part of the journey. Nikita is going to Verhnoyansk in November to choose the best horses: in fact, they all are in their finest form - it’s a question of characters. And again, locals will help him with every issue. Advice of these people can sometimes replace maps and their knowledge of horse-riding traditions is truly unique. Frankly speaking, even living as a tourist is not Nikita’s idea, he prefers to do it as local folks do. So, he is not only a traveller but also an explorer of ethnicity.  

[Photo 3] “The Verhoyansk horses are regarded as one of the toughest of the Yakut breed, they live wild in extreme conditions”

And there is something else. Nikita speaks highly of Russia and wants other people to see its true face: “I expected Russia to be hospitable, warm and inviting. I was surprised because it was even more so than I imagined. The people here treat you as one of their family. The country is full of beautiful landscapes, real nature and with remarkable people who inhabit it. I hope that the rest of the world can see Russia as I have and explore it for themselves!” Who knows, maybe an Englishman with Slavic roots will be the one who attracts other extraordinary people to this huge welcoming land.

So, if you are up to the crazy adventure like this but the only thing stopping you is fear, listen to the man who will ride from Magadan to London on a horseback: “Do what scares you in life. I think a lot of people are afraid of fear itself. Once they accept that it’s normal to feel fear, you just have to confront it and go on regardless, there won’t be much that will stop them achieving their goals. I’m not superhuman, I too feel fear as we all do. I just refuse to let it stop me. In fact if something scares me, I will directly go that route. Go do whatever scares you in life”.