THE VOYAGE
Coming Home from Kyrgyzstan
In 2021, we met three Kyrgyz stallions: Tian, the fiery, Fidel, the courageous, and Chai, the team player. After traveling together for 3 months, across the mountains, steppe, and even the sky of Kyrgyzstan, we left them in good hands. The horses stayed in Kyrgyzstan with a friend, but now that we’re back in France we think about them all the time.
So in early 2024, we went back to Kyrgyzstan, to bring the horses home with us.
THE JOURNEY
To get the horses to Europe, we had to climb a mountain of papers. Vaccines, vet checks, quarantines and organizing the truck to drive us all from Kyrgyzstan, through Russia, and drop us in European Union in Poland.
Two weeks before departure, we lost Tian.
The only comfort in this violent heartbreak was that it seems he waited for us to return to say goodbye. With his loss, we were more determined than ever to bring Fidel and Chai home.
The 2nd of May, they arrived safely in Poland.
In late May we finally departed from the Polish Carpathians. Our team numbered five again: Brando, a dark bay huçul joined us.
To reach home together we must ride along the Carpathians of Poland and Slovakia.
Then, from Austria and through Italy, Switzerland and finally France, we’ll explore our love for the alpine mountains through an ancient way of traveling: with horses.
THE TEAM
Ashley has labrador energy; she’s quick to make friends, follows her gut, and makes the decisions about the horses. Quentin is more like a cat; he films and takes photos during the adventure, fixes broken things and is in charge of directions. Fidel is a proud blood bay; he’s Quentin’s main partner. Experienced and with high standards, Fidel is the boss and doesn't mess around with things not worth his time. With the loss of Tian, Chai has become Ashley's main partner. He impresses us everyday with his bravery and good-natured attitude. Chai is like an ultra-trailer: steady on the uphills, surefooted on the downhills. Brando is a quirky dark bay, a hucul from the Polish mountains. He is the new member to our team and is carrying the bags. Brando is usually the first to find any holes in the fence or trouble he can get into.
PARTNERS
We can’t do this alone. We’re so grateful to have institutional, corporate and brand support that share the same values as we do: love for the outdoors, the understanding that our relationships with humans, animals and all living things matters, and an intense curiosity to learn more and do better.
