28/ JUNE 2021 THE RIDER Wild At Heart


battled both isolation and the harsh ele- ments, but she forged a close bond with her horses Roxanne, River & Cooper, as well as experiencing unex- pected life-changing discoveries.


Sur-


rounded by wildlife that included deadly spiders, snakes and crocodiles, she also suffered tropical ill- nesses and injuries but pushed on to complete the ride and join an ex- clusive club of those few who have tri- umphed before her. The Rider’s


By Glenda Fordham. THE RIDER recently


learned about a beautiful new book from Down Under called Wild At Heart, featuring photos and stories from the trail as we follow French-born Australian horsewoman Aliénor le Gou- vello who undertook an intense and challenging solo journey deep in the bush. Stretching an extraordinary 5,330kms from Healesville in Victoria (the s.e. corner of the country) up to Cooktown in the tropical far north of Queensland, she had three horses that were once wild brumbies (the Aussie equivalent of mustangs) as her only com- panions and means of transport. Throughout her grueling


trek across some of Australia’s most spectacular terrain, Aliénor


Glenda Fordham re- cently interviewed Al- iénor who shared some


of stories from the trail and in- sights to forging such a close re- lationship with her horses… What inspired you to find


3 wild brumbies, break them then ride them all the way from the bottom to the top of Aus- tralia along the Bicentennial National Trail? I had a fascina- tion for wild brumbies from meeting them in the central desert whilst working on aborig- inal communities. It was a dream to connect with a wild horse and tame it gently. I like adventures on horseback and a challenge, and wanted to promote the image of the Australian brumby. After doing research on different brumby associations and gaining a better understanding of their plight, I came across the Guy


Fawkes Heritage Horse Associa- tion who have a very successful trapping and rehoming program as opposed to culling. I wanted to promote their work and methods. A friend had mentioned the na- tional trail to me with the inten- tion to do sections of it. It planted a seed in my head and grew until I decided to do the whole thing. Have you always been a


horse rider? What previous long-distance riding have you experienced? I’ve always had a passion for horses since I’m 5 years old. Growing up, I com- peted in eventing and I did a 900- kilometre horseback adventure in Mongolia in my early 20’s, camping in snow storms and tem- peratures of -20. In Australia I did some mustering on horseback and some track work (riding race horses). You’d been travelling the


world since you were a teenager; where had you previ- ously visited and what other adventures have you experi- enced, and what made you set- tle in Australia? I left home at 17 and have always loved travel- ling, discovering different cul- tures and environment. At age 22, I rode the sidecar motorbike trek from Siberia to Paris (over 10,000 kms) and enjoyed another motorbike adventure across India. I fell in love with the Aus- tralian outback when I visited my ex-partner who was living and working in remote aboriginal communities in the central desert. Can you tell us about any


scary, funny or spiritually en- lightening moments you expe-


rienced along the trail? The bond I created with my wild horses is unique and unlike any- thing I’ve experienced in a life- time around horses. Over time on the road we became a family. Travelling in harmony with na- ture gave me an opportunity to slow down and really take in the environment around me and re- connect with nature and animals. But in a moment of despair, I once sat on a nest of biting ants while dressed only in my undies - that soon brought me back to re- ality! I enjoyed the simple things in life and it was so freeing to be completely self-sufficient and off the grid. I had everything I needed right there, my mode of transport, accommodation and food. People I met along the way were so helpful and generous it was heart-warming noticing the humanity that exists. How difficult was it to


care for the horses and ensure their physical fitness for such a grueling journey? They were my biggest priority and challenge to provide for whilst on the trail. It was very difficult to ensure I could find water every day and forage for them or organise help if needed. A huge amount of lo- gistics, preparation and constant monitoring to prevent and antici- pate issues such as saddle rubs, poor condition, sore feet and gen- eral health. We rested when needed and I prioritised their wellbeing over the need to com- plete the trail. I would have had no fulfilment completing it with horses in poor conditions. Your three brumbies now


live with you – what is life like now for them (and you) now that your bush trekking days are over…or are they? Rox- anne, Cooper and River are my family and will always remain with me. Since completing the trail, we settled at my husband’s family cattle property where the horses roam free around the home paddocks. I have a beauti- ful two-year old son for whom I just bought a miniature horse. I also acquired two new Guy Fawkes brumbies last winter and one was in foal so I now have six brumbies in total. I’ve been tam- ing them with liberty training skills. I’m also studying Equine therapy and volunteering at the local Riding for Disable School. I hope to take my son on exciting adventures in the future. The book contains some


spectacular photographs, cour- tesy of world-renowned adven- ture photographer Cat Vinton.


The book is available for


Canadian & US readers from: www.bookdepository.com WILD AT HEART, by Aliénor le Gouvello, Photographs by Cat Vinton Format: Paperback | 288 pages Publication date: 30 March, 2021


Published by Affirm Press, Mul- grave, VIC, Australia ISBN10 1922419206 ISBN13 9781922419200


social


You can follow Aliénor on media


www.facebook.com/wild.at.heart .australia


at:


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