One hell of a ride in heavenly Patagonia

American-based horsemanship experts Dan James and Warwick Schiller were two of eight Australians who tackled the 500-kilometre Gaucho Derby in Patagonia last month. The race challenged them in unexpected ways, but despite the tough and humbling ride they say it’s an experience that’s given them more than they ever imagined.

“It was pretty wild… adventure, torture, joy; they’re all words that come to mind,” says Dan James of Double Dan Horsemanship. He blames fellow Aussie horseman Warwick Schiller for the crazy idea. “It was Warwick that brought it up. I had him to thank him and to cuss all at the same time.”

The Gaucho Derby was inaugurated in 2020 and has been dubbed “the greatest test of horsemanship and wilderness skills on Earth”. Covering 500 kilometres through the mountains and pampas of Patagonia, the race generally spans eight to 10 days, and tests not only the riders’ skills on a horse – of which they ride many over the course of the race – but pushes their navigation skills to the limit and tests their physical endurance and ability to handle the wilderness...

Read the full article FREE in the April 2024 issue of Equestrian Life magazine here.