Imagine the most
impossible equestrian journey of all time – now double it.
Pretend for a
moment you’re tough enough to ride 20,000 kilometres from Africa to Austria
– then consider the fact that someone actually rode that far.
This book
recounts the only equestrian journey of its kind undertaken during the 20th
century – a mounted trip stretching across 16 countries.
Gordon Naysmith,
a Scottish pentathlete and former military man, set out in 1970 to ride from
the tip of the African continent to the 1972 Olympic Games in distant
Germany.
Already an
accomplished horseman, Naysmith thought he understood the dangers and
rigours the journey would throw at him. He was wrong.
The trail across
Africa brought the Long Rider and his rugged Basutho horses into contact
with the most dangerous predators on the continent – both men and beasts.
Deserts, wars, ambushes. Naysmith rode through them all with a ferocious
determination. He was trapped with his horses on board ship in the Red Sea.
He nearly died of thirst in the deserts of Arabia.
Nothing stopped
him.
At one point,
suffering from an injury about to turn gangrenous, Naysmith “dressed the
wound and gave myself a jab of vitamin B12. Heavy dose for a man but I have
to ride on.”
The world threw a
great many obstacles at Gordon.
The world failed.
Here then is the
unique tale of a complicated man who would not be conquered. Hard at times
on himself, his horses and even the woman he loved, Naysmith reveals a
strange mixture of warm Celtic charm and cold relentless drive. Of all the
equestrian travel books written about 20th century mounted
adventure, The Will to Win stands alone in terms of the length of the
journey, the number of dangers overcome and the sheer determination of the
rider. Some may argue
that Naysmith is not a polished writer. He is instead a
Long Rider who has shared the story of his marvellous equestrian odyssey.
If you’re looking
for romance, this isn’t the book for you. If you want to ride the rough
road, then press on.
But remember, you’ve been warned
!
