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THE
LONG HORSE RIDE
THE SINO-BRITISH INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP RIDE.
FOR LATEST NEWS CLICK http://thelonghorseride.blogspot.com/
On Sunday July 22nd 2012 we arrived at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Greenwich to complete the ride from Beijing to London!
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Peng Wenchao, Rowena and me with King's Troop escort
Royal Artillery Barracks
Greenwich
I am carrying the Olympic flag which was presented to me in Beijing by the Chiinese Equestrian Association |
On Wednesday August 1st I was honoured to be able to hand over the Olympic flag presented to me in Beijing by the Chinese Equestrian Association
to Keith Taylor Chairman of the British Equestrian Federation.
This was at a reception on the Cutty Sark in the presence of HRH the Princess Royal.
The
Long Horse Ride is a journey on horseback from Beijing
to London. It is scheduled to start out shortly after
the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and
to arrive in London in time for the 2012 London Olympics.
The
ride will bring a message of goodwill from Beijing in the Beijing Olympic year
to London in the London Olympic year. It also aims to raise money for disadvantaged
children through its chosen charity Schoolchildren For Children. Starting
from the China Children Charity Monument on the Great Wall at Badaling, it will
cross the steppes, deserts and mountains of China and Central Asia, following
the Great Wall and the ancient Silk Routes. In the path of the Mongols and Huns,
it will skirt the northern shores of the Caspian and Black Seas, before the final
leg through the fields and
forests of Europe.
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Megan
and Rowena
with Bei Bei & Jing Jing
at the China
Children Charity Monument
Badaling Great Wall
October 2008 |
In
October 2008 we successfully completed the first trial
leg of the ride from Laolongtou, where the Great Wall
of China reaches the sea, to Badaling Great Wall in
Beijing district.
In October 2009 we reached the other end of the Great
Wall at Jiayuguan in Gansu.
We are supporting children's charity projects in China
through the partnership of the British based charity
Schoolchildren For Children and the China based charity
China Children and Teenagers Fund.
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With
members of the Chinese Equestrian Association
at Cha Dao village, Badaling
Great Wall
the end of the first stage.
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The
second stage of the ride started on April 19th
2009 with an Opening Ceremony at the 2nd Guangting
Endurance Competition, when we were presented
with Olympic flags by the President of the Chinese
Equestrian Association and a representative
of the Chinese Olympic Committee.
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Official opening ceremony of the Sino-British International Friendship Ride
April 19th 2009
On our Shandan horses - Megan in red on Bajiu, Peng Wenchao in yellow on Zorbee
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Following a delay of three months following
my riding accident ten days later, we arrived
at Jiayuguan Fort, the official end of the Ming
Great Wall of China, on 21st October 2009. The
wall in fact continues for another few kms,
and we rode to the very end the following day.
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Peng
Wenchao and Megan
on Zorbee and Shandan
arriving at Jiayuguan Fort,
the western end of
the Great Wall of China.
21st October 2009
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On April 7th 2010 we set off again from Jiayuguan to cross the Gobi desert and the Tian Shan mountains, reaching the Chinese/Kazakh border at Korgas on June 11th 2010. In doing so we have successfully completed the China stage.
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Megan with Bajiu and Zorbee
arriving at
the Chinese border post, Korgan.
China/Kazakhstan border
June 11th 2010
Unfortunately Peng Wenchao was not present as he had to return to Beijing ten days earlier due to illness in the family.
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On August 17th 2010 I set out from the other side of the Chinese/Kazakh border, reaching my 2010 aimed destination of Kyzlorda on October 11th, and on
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Rowena and Megan riding Bolashak and Zorbee arrive in Europe on May 22nd 2011 after crossing the bridge over the River Ural in Atyrau, Kazakhstan.
On May 30th 2011 I arrived at the Kazakhstan - Russian border to complete the crossing of Kazakhstan.
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On 29th August 2011, I started riding from the Kazakhstan/Russia border, reaching Ukraine on September 19th.
On 26th September 2011 I set out to ride across Ukraine, arriving at the Hungarian border on November 12th.
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THE LONG HORSE RIDE BLOGSPOT
THE DIARY OF
THE MAIN RIDE WILL BE RUN AS A BLOG : FOR LATEST
ENTRIES
CLICK
HERE
http://thelonghorseride.blogspot.com/
For an interactive route map of our progress
click on
www.thurayalocate.com
Enter User name: Rowena Gulland ... Password
: MeganLewis
(The above are case sensitive,
and note the gap or not)
Then go to My Locations.
Click on View History to ensure you find the
most up to date location!
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THE MILLION MILE
CHALLENGE
All mileage
accumulated on the Long Horse Ride in 2009 will be put towards Schoolchildren
for Children's million mile challenge.
This is open to miles accumulated in
any sport, including cycling, swimming etc
If you are interested in taking
part in 2009 please click the link below for information
http://www.schoolchildrenforchildren.org/eventitem.cfm?id=12
You
can register by donating a minimum of £1 on the Justgiving page at
http://www.justgiving.com/millionmileschallengeevent
and
then send in details of mileage covered at the end of the year
to be recorded
on the Schoolchildren for Children National Mileometer. | |
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