PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10 May 2011
MODERN DAY ADVENTURERS SET TO RIDE INTO SA RECORD BOOKS
Modern day adventurers, Barry Armitage and Joe Dawson will take a page out of
history at midnight on13 May 2011 when they set out on horseback from
Tuinhuis in Cape Town to emulate Lieutenant-Colonel Harry Smith’s famous
postal system ride of 1835 as part of a reality TV series entitled The Ride.
The epic journey, known as “The Ride of Harry Whackalong Smite”, covers the
950 km journey that Sir Harry Smith was tasked with when he was sent by the
then Governor of the Cape Sir Benjamin D’urban to take command of the British
garrison in Grahamstown at the onset of the 6th frontier war.
Says Series Creator, Barry Armitage; “The route and daily distances make this
expedition tougher than any horse race in the world.”
The six-day expedition is being filmed as a six-episode series by leading South
African film production company, Cooked in Africa Films. In October 2010, the
first show in The Ride Series, entitled The Ride of the Peacemaker, had Barry
and Joe recreate the epic journey completed by Dick King 168 years ago when
he rode 960km from the British trading station in Port Natal to Grahamstown, to
request help for the besieged British garrison. The resulting six-episode TV
series will be screened internationally later this year with South Africa following
shortly thereafter.
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Barry believes that The Ride Series is an “edutaining” combination of high
adventure and history. “I have always been fascinated by South Africa’s rich
frontier history. The Ride platform provides a rare view back into South Africa’s
past to see what it took to make this country. While historically it’s not all good, it
allows us to reflect on those pioneering spirits who left their mark, and appreciate
some of the extraordinary accomplishments of relatively ordinary individuals,” he
says.
Barry and Joe aim to raise awareness and funds for working horses and donkeys
by inviting the public to make a donation to the Cart Horse Protection Association
(CHPA) via the www.theride.co.za website. The public (and The Ride’s Face
Book followers) can follow the team’s progress online and pledge their support to
a good cause via a direct link to the team’s favourite charity.
The adventurers, together with their five support crew (including an equine vet,
Dr Helen Tiffin and two grooms), ten Land Rovers and four horse boxes, will start
their journey at midnight on Friday May 13 - like Sir Harry did on New Year’s Eve
in 1835 - by riding 8 km to the original site of Sir Harry Smith’s modest home
(Rustenburg Girls High) in Rondebosch, before setting off again at 4am and
covering the 160km to Riviersonderend to end day one.
Over the following five days the riders and crew will be covering diverse terrain
ranging from busy, urban environments and highways, to remote game tracks
and rugged farmland. Due to the extreme distances the team is expected to
complete each day, they will spend most of their nights camping outdoors on
farmer’s land before setting out daily at dawn.
“Much of our ride follows along the same historical ox wagon passes that were
created in the 19th Century and include Sir Lowry’s Pass, Houwhoek Pass, and
Cradock’s Kloof Pass, eventually extending into true frontier country,” comments
Barry.
Day two will see the adventurers ride 120 km to Heidelberg, followed by a 175
km ride to George on day three. Day four represents a 119 km ride across
mountainous terrain and commercial farmland to Misgund. Day five provides the
riders with their biggest challenge, taking the duo to Uitenhage and covering a
distance of 220kms. On the final day, Barry and Joe will cover 142 km and pass
through world-renowned game reserves, including Shamwari (home to the Big
Five) and Addo Elephant National Park; ending in Grahamstown at the original
Drosty Arch.
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Says Cooked in Africa films Executive Producer, Justin Bonello, “While this
modern-day ride represents another South African first for the team, we hope the
expedition will inspire all South Africans to show their support of the riders along
the route as they replicate one of the greatest endurance rides in history.”
Barry and Joe, who live in Cape Town and Durban respectively, have been
following a strict cross training programme of boxing and running to prepare for
the physical demands of the ride. Part of their regime includes exercising the
expedition horses to ensure that they are able to maintain minimum average
speeds of 15kms per hour.
“Even taking into account the fact that there were fresh horses waiting for Smith
every 40kms, it’s a remarkable equestrian feat. An equine adventure of this
magnitude in today’s highly urbanised environment required us to source horses
from the endurance riding community as well as Arab and Boerperd breeders
from the Western and Eastern Cape. Without them providing us with working and
endurance horses, the journey would be impossible.” concludes Barry.
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Distributed on behalf of The Ride by:
Lara Black
PR Manager (Cooked in Africa films)
+27 83 3261168
lara@cookedinafrica.co.za
★ http://www.cookedinafrica.com/
For more information about the expedition:
Mark Samuels
Expedition Producer
+27 76 317 9996
mark.samuels@cookedinafrica.co.za
For more information about the Cart Horse Protection Association:
Megan White
+27 +21-535 3435
megan@carthorse.org.za
NOTES TO THE EDITOR
Background: The TV SERIES (check out the link at
http://cookedinafrica.com/clients/theride)
The ADVENTURERS
Barry Armitage – started his career in the international yachting industry based
out of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, where adventure and travel were part of a day’s
work. Thereafter he returned to South Africa to develop a ground-breaking
wildlife reserve in Kwa-Zulu Natal where the history of the Anglo Boer War and
horses became a passion and sowed the seeds for the idea that was to become
The Ride series. Barry lives in Cape Town with his wife and son since 2009.
Joe Dawson - Educated in England, Joe returned to South Africa to live in the
Midlands of his native Kwa-Zulu Natal. He joined Barry in the development of
Dalton Private Reserve, where the two, already related through marriage,
developed a bond and mutual reliance that will stand them in good stead when
undertaking the first journey in the Ride Series. A passionate conservationist and
horseman, Joe is fluent in Zulu and runs the Dalton Private Reserve in Kwa-Zulu
Natal, where he lives with his three children.
More about COOKED IN AFRICA
Founded in 2003 by seasoned documentary maker and presenter of eleven
television series, Justin Bonello, Cooked in Africa specialises in the production
of branded entertainment and original content – mostly reality documentaries for Television, online, print and experiential platforms.
The executive team includes Advertising industry stalwart, Peter Gird, who spent
twelve years at the helm of Ogilvy’s production division before establishing his
own production company, Peter Gird Productions in 1991. Synonymous with
some of the best directors South Africa has ever seen. Peter Gird Productions
enjoyed significant local and international success, representing some of the
world’s best loved brands including Castle Lager, Coca-Cola, DSTV, Guinness,
J&B, Kellogg’s, MasterCard, Microsoft, Nando’s, Nike, Nivea, Sun International,
Vodacom, and Volkswagen.
Together, Justin and Peter represent some of the best filmmaker talent in South
Africa, and have clocked up several internationally and locally celebrated reality
TV series to their credit, including five seasons of Cooked (aired on the BBC); 13
episodes x 30” of Getaway to Africa (aired locally on MNET and internationally
on various broadcasters, including Discovery); 13 episodes x 30” of Exploring
the Vine (aired locally on MNET HD and internationally on National
Geographic.); and 13 episodes x 30” of Fresh Living TV (aired locally on eTV in
2010, and attracting as many as 1.8 million viewers per show).
Justin’s first book, Cooked in Africa, published by Penguin, is a bestseller, and
his 2nd book, Out of the Frying Pan, published in 2010 was a big hit with South
African audiences.
More About The CART HORSE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
It is estimated that working carthorses support over 6000 people on the Cape
Flats. Founded in 1995, The Cart Horse Protection Association (CHPA) is a
registered Non-Profit Organisation dedicated to protecting working carthorses
from abuse, and is committed to contributing to the upliftment and training of the
Cape Flats carting community.
The organisation has a solid track record as the Cape-based custodian of the
working carthorse, and continues to be involved with the carting community at
grassroots level. The CHPA (through the generous donations and support from
individuals and corporate donors) provides a clinic, daily patrols, and a call out
response, and veterinary and rehabilitation services to working cart horses on the
Cape Flats. The organisation and its volunteers also aim to offer support,
education and training to cart horse owners and drivers who collect scrap metal
as a means of generating income for themselves and their families.
Over the years the CHPA has proved to be a creditable NPO working in the field
of animal welfare with excellent social investment returns for funders and donors.
Visit www.carthorse.org.za for more info
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