Saddletramp

This is the story of Jeremy James’ journey from Turkey to Wales by horse, which took him eight and a half months through some of the most spectacular countryside in Asia Minor and Europe. Jeremy arrived in Turkey in the winter of 1987, spending some time looking for a horse before finding Ahmed Paşa, an untried, old and wormy Arab stallion who had never before been ridden. The two of them set out across Turkey on an unplanned route with an inaccurate compass, unreadable map and the unfailing aid of villagers who seemed to have as little sense of direction as he had. He found himself in difficulties often, once having to swim a mile-wide river estuary with Ahmed Paşa, and on another occasion having to scramble down a cliff face together. They regularly slept out, sharing meals, bugs and discomfort. Unable to take his beloved horse out of Turkey he then went to Greece where he bought Maria, a three-year-old unbroken filly, property of the local knackerman. Again, foiled by bureaucracy, he left Maria with friends at the Greek border and bought Gonzo, his third horse, in Italy. They travelled haphazardly up through Umbria and Tuscany, then over the Alps and into the French wine harvest, where both of them sampled the local drink, and suffered the consequences. They arrived in Britain in November. By turns thoughtful and sensitive, he paints a remarkable picture of rural life, taking the reader through the extremes of climate he met, the four seasons and four countries he passed through. Jeremy’s descriptions of the places he found himself in with his horses will captivate readers and leave them with the scent of leather, horses, and the lingering taste of vin du paradis.