Riders’ plan to circle the globe

Seasoned long-distance riders Basha and CuChullaine O’Reilly are planning the longest non-stop equestrian expedition on record, circling the globe.

Basha explains: “We will need at least eight teams of horses on the ride and plan to use breeds native to the regions we’ll travel through. However, I’ll start and finish on Count Pompeii, a Cossack stallion I rode from Volgograd in Russia to England on a previous expedition.”

She will ride Count Pompeii across Europe to the Hungarian border, where she will change to a native horse to avoid the red tape involved in taking her horse out of the EU. She will be reunited with him in Spain for the final journey to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Her husband, CuChullaine, who has made several long-distance journeys across Asia, will map their route for the benefit of other riders who may wish to follow the same trail and his maps will be presented to the Royal Geographical Society, which is supporting the pair on the journey.

Basha plans to take DNA samples from the horses they meet on the journey to distribute to equine scientists to create a unique “genetic equine map” of the world.

The journey is expected to take three years and cover more than 20,000 miles. Basha and CuChullaine will be assisted on their trip by other members of the Long Riders Guild, a group of intrepid explorers who have undertaken epic travels on horseback.

For more information, visit www.thelongridersguild.com

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now