World Equestrian Brands HC: Wild Coast Swim

We’ve introduced you to Race the Wild Coast… now see what it’s like firsthand to tackle one of those river crossings!

The inaugural running of Race the Wild Coast took place in October 2016, and the race is returning for 2018: participants race over 500 kilometers on three horses (interchanged at two checkpoints; horses are checked by a veterinarian about every 40 kilometers) along South Africa’s rugged and remote Wild Coast.

And if anything stands in their way, riders simply have to go over, under, around or through — such as this river crossing, one of 32 such crossings on the route. Not every river is deep enough to swim, but according to race creator Barry Armitage, there are five or six good swims in the race.

Special shout-out to Barry, who is featured in this video — he’s up in the helicopter, watching the race play out.

Does Race the Wild Coast sound exactly like your kind of adventure? Applications are open for 2018 — find out more at the race’s website.