juliet, Author at Safaris Unlimited

Spot the new ones

2018 was quite the year of purchases for the the stables of Safaris Unlimited, with some fantastic new blood lines and exceptional quality horses being added to our already excellent herd. It was also the first time we have imported horses into Kenya.

A brief outline of the horse in Kenya.

Kenya’s horse scene is small, and predominantly characterised by thoroughbred bloodlines due to settler aristocrats importing them to Kenya in the 1900s. The early settlers needed horses both for farm work and transportation, as well as for racing – of which many were fond – however horses are not native to Kenya and we have very limited blood lines available, with roughly only 3000 horses in all of the country. This makes finding quality horses a real challenge, especially horses that can carry weight. Generally, the local breeders turn out finer boned horses or flat racing horses, which are not ideally suited to the conditions of safari.

In the last few years, Sirai Stud was established in Laikipia, North Kenya, importing new blood lines and better quality weight bearing horses. This has been a very exciting development for the horse world in Kenya! The initiative has been supported by the Spencer family, and spearheaded by our good friend Venetia Philipps who is also the only woman in East Africa qualified to carry out artificial insemination. We’re seeing the dawn of a new chapter of bloodlines for horses in Kenya – and we are so excited to be part of it!

Dali was our third acquisition from Sirai, a 3 year old Friesian/Boerped cross with a presence to die for. She is a real character, with an eye for making mischief. Dali turned 4 in November 2018 and will be starting safaris in 2019. She is joining her half brother Rego, who is a firm favourite to ride on safari, and we hope Rego will show her the reins! Our other Sirai mare is Iceni, a steady, wonderful horse that is adored by all our guests.

Dali (Sirai Stud)

Tomahawk and Navajo

These two lovely horses were found on the slopes of Mount Kenya. The Safaris Unlimited stable already had a few horses from the same blood lines, which is sired by Crazy Horse – a Warmblood/Welsh Cob cross. Fortunately for us, these two horses were bred for polo but decided it wasn’t for them, and have found themselves a home on safari. Tomahawk is a 4-year-old athletic bay mare, and wasn’t sure of humans when she arrived with us. Felicia and her team have worked slowly with her, and gained her trust. She did her first safari in September 2018, and performed brilliantly. Towards the end of 2018 she had a few months off and has filled out beautifully – Tomahawk will make an exciting ride for our future guests. Navajo is a striking 6 year old gelding with lovely markings and a kind personality. He is a forward going, independent horse, and will make a fabulous safari horse.

Our new Zambian Appaloosas

Our first ever import to Kenya of horses had to be the much desired Zambian Appaloosas – Felicia has always had a thing about spotty horses!! These beautiful horses came from Luyt’s Appaloosa Stud in Zambia. Peter and Carla Luyt started the stud in 2006 as a small hobby, having seen an advert for Appaloosa horses for sale South Africa. He leapt at the opportunity and today the stud sits at 85 horses, 4 of which are stallions. The Luyts have diversified the bloodlines by importing 3 of the stallions from America. Casper was brought in at the start, followed by Chocktail and Leo a few years ago. The fourth stallion is home bred. They were super excited about the horses being sent up to Kenya as Peter was keen to see more of the horses going into stock work on farms, or safari work.

Picasso and Wayan, both 4 year old geldings, arrived at Lessoi in December 2018. they have settled in well and are now part of the herd – learning about wildlife through being out on the plains with our other horses, who have shown them the way. They’ve been well rested and acclimatised, so work starts on them this month. From what we have seen, they are very personable horses with wonderful temperaments, and we are so excited to see how they progress in their careers with us! It’s amazing to think that the sire had originally come from Texas, and now his progeny are in Kenya. We think they will look fabulous next to the zebras and hyenas!

When Tyga went to Pony Camp!

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Last December, Tyga and Felicia trotted off to Pony Club Camp in Timau. Little Tyga looked quite the part with all the kit and her gorgeous auburn hair creating a halo around her cheery little face. Her three little girlfriends – Emily White (3), Piper Francombe (4) and Marian Stanley (4) joined in as well. Tyga was the youngest in the camp of 60 children, where the age ranged from 3 years and 3 months up to 17!

Kenya’s Pony Club Scene

Kenya has three Pony Club branches – North Kenya, Nairobi and the Rift Valley – each year the Pony Club has a hugely successful and popular Pony Club Camp, usually held upcountry somewhere, where you take your own pony and look after it, with a bit of help!, for a week. Here you have some tuition and do lots of fun showjumping, cross country riding, hacking and lots of fun in the evenings with quiz’s, entertainment and a party at the end of the week.

A beautiful setting on the slopes of Mount Kenya

This year’s camp was set up on the slopes of Mount Kenya, with stunning views and lovely soft grassy terrain for the horses. The children had 3 full days of Pony Camp in which they were taught by Felicia – who proclaimed that the first ingredient of being a good pony club teacher is a strong sense of humour!! Tyga went with Inka, her 6 year old pony, who was beautifully behaved and looked after by the syce Jackson. With the main focus being on having fun and building confidence at the same time, the children rode with giraffe, swam in muddy lakes and learnt to groom their horses – it wasn’t the usual pony camp! Tyga was the proud winner of her rosette for youngest participant for this camp.

Meanwhile, the gorgeous Thego stayed at home with Daddy, and spread endless happiness with his super smile!

The Woman behind the name – Felicia Church

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Where are you from originally? I’m a Leicestershire lass – I grew up on a beautiful farm surrounded by horses, dogs, pigs. It was a wonderful and wild childhood.

What brought you to Africa? I was working in racing at the yearling sales up until December 2009 at which time the U.K. was gripped by a big freeze suspending all equine activities including hunting. It didn’t look like it was going to thaw until well into March. So I decided it was time for a new adventure. I d always wanted to go to Africa so I thought why not for a couple of months take a sabbatical before starting a full time job traveling all over the world working at yearling sales. Two months turned into 4 months and the rest is history…… and the romantic story ….. well you will have to come on safari to hear that around the camp fire.

What is it about horses that you love most? Their trust in us. Kindness in their eyes and that they give us everything. They can tell you so much through body language.

How have you found working with horses in Africa to be different to what you knew growing up? Life in Africa for a horse is hard. They are not native and there are many local diseases that are deadly or debilitating. You need to be knowledgeable in all veterinary areas and monitor them closely. In Africa you are often very far from a vet. Horse products and feed are limited as the equine community is small. There are probably only 2000 horses in the whole of Kenya. and finding good horses is very difficult.

What is it about Africa that is magic, in your opinion? Wild, open spaces, the Kenyan smiles and humour. You can’t beat the wildlife. Riding through the great open plains amongst wildlife; just you and your horse at one. Freedom. There is never a dull moment – living with the wildlife keeps you alive and on your toes.

Tell us a bit about a typical day on safari for you? The best part of camping on safari is being brought a hot cup of camp tea, brewed on the open fire, to our tent at dawn. Tyga likes to start the day with hot chocolate, and I expect it won’t be long before Thego is the same! Soon after that we are all up and dressed, and ready to check on our wonderful steeds after their night on the picket line. I pop in to the kitchen to discuss the day’s meal plan and into the mess to greet our guests good morning. The rest of the day is spent riding or game driving; meeting up for lunch and drinks in the bush, and meeting back at camp in the evening. The children blend in with the days activities – sometimes staying in camp to help the crew, other times moving with me. On a move day its all go go go! – packing cars, feeding children, moving tents, and setting up camp in a new place.

How do you juggle having your children on safari? The kids are just part of the camp crew and pretty much stay out of the way depending on our guests’ wishes. Both Tyga and Thego started their safari career at 3 months old, so it’s the norm for them now. We are lucky enough to have fantastic Kenyan ayahs that help look after them. Kenyans are brilliant with kids!

How do you work out the best way to match guests to your horses? When a guest books to come on safari with us, we look at their weight and ability, and provisionally match the horse to the rider before the safari. Once we meet the guest we ask them to briefly tell us about their riding ability and what type of horse they are used to. I find that it’s important to match the human character to the right equine character!

What practices to you do on horses that you believe makes them better performers? The essential elements are to feed them well, love them, and look after them. I focus on good teeth, healthy back muscles and well tended feet. I also use the Bowen technique to help aliments. Of course copious amounts of carrots always go a long way too!

Which of the Safaris Unlimited horses is your favourite? This is a hard question – I love them all for different reasons but a kind horse is always a favourite. Mshale – Gordie’s lead horse – is a very special horse, he has an enormous heart. I like a forward going horse and one that shows bravery. Its always magical to see a horse love life on safari, especially if it has not enjoyed its previous career. You can see them suddenly relax and start to enjoy being with humans again.

What do you love most about safari? The guests’ tears and smiles at the end of a trip – always a time of mixed emotions, but for me, it’s about how much they have enjoyed their horse and how they look so much more relaxed after a week away from the hectic first world pace.

How do you train the kitchen, and what influence do you have in that space? We work closely together as a team. Our cooks are sent on cookery courses around Kenya, with a focus on tasty food using locally sourced ingredients. My mother is an excellent cook so many recipes come from her. The menu plan is always evolving, and we try to keep it interesting both in the kitchen for our staff, and at the table for our guests!

Do you seek inspiration from anyone in particular? eg a hero of sorts? My mother is always an inspiration, and I love the way Jamie Oliver cooks. I have so many different cook books that I draw ideas from. I also really admire horse whisperers like Monty Roberts, and I follow experienced equestrians throughout the world. I never stop learning from the many inspirational people in the world.

Amazing Argentina on Horseback

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Argentina – land of the Andean Condor, a place of mystical mountains and fluttering spring flowers, home to warm estancia’s and ranches to roam for days. Flowing Malbec and clear trout streams, rolling hills and steep mountain trails. Could there be a better place, apart from Kenya of course, to explore on horseback?

Felicia and I decided to lead a horseback safari to Argentina after this astonishingly beautiful country stole our hearts on our honeymoon. We started in the Sierras Chicas, a provincial reserve nestled between the Pampas and Andes, based at the Estancia Los Potreros. Here, on this working cattle farm, we settled into the comfort of a true colonial homestead with wood burning stoves to keep us warm and dulce duleche to keep us fat! Delicious Argentinian Malbec kept our veins pulsing, a perfect end to the busy days which were spent riding the hillsides, dabbling with Polo, and learning to lasso with the local gauchos. We were expertly hosted by the Anglo-Argentinian Begg family, who have been on this farm for decades. The Begg’s were one of the first families to bring in the dancing Paso horses from Peru. Alongside these unusual ponies known for their five different gaits, the Begg’s have strong, even-tempered quarter horses as well as agile, fast polo ponies. There was something for everyone amongst the stable of 130 horses. Much like our ponies, those on the Los Potreros ranch are free to roam the surrounding hillsides in their downtime, and lead wonderfully happy lives. When we returned to our home in the hills, we were welcomed by the energetic border collie and talkative Parakeet.

After four days at Los Potreros it was time to move on, and we flew south to Bariloche in Patagonia. Here, another four days of riding, exploring and enjoying exceptional Argentinian hospitality at Estancia Arroyo Verde.

Jagged mountains dramatically descend to the turquoise blue of Lake Traful – a blue so mesmerizing you have to see it to believe it. We rode through empty wilderness, up steep mountain trails and returned home to our estancia where the friendly black Labrador welcomed us in for pisco sours and asado lamb. Each night, we fell, exhausted and happy, into crisp white sheets, and woke again to the impossibly green lawns outside and the promise of another day’s adventure. Aside from the riding, we explored rock formations and old Indian rock paintings, and later on in our descent, the achingly high Coihue trees and the famous nesting site of the Andean Condor. For the keen anglers amongst us, fly fishing beckoned from the icy clear waters flowing into Lake Traful, where salmon and trout could be cajoled out of the water for our pride, and released back to enjoy life. The Lariviere family have lived at this estancia for 80 years, and today are as much involved as ever. Meme Lariviere runs the ranch with her three daughters, all of whom are happy to share their lives with guests – making it an especially magical experience.

We planned this trip as a one-off, but it’s hard to let go of Argentina, and we feel sure we will be back there soon enough!

A Scottish Safari

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From the warmth of the African plains, hot dust underfoot and bright sun overhead, to the misty, rain soaked hills of Scotland. I started first in the seaside town of Oban, seagulls screeching overhead as a grey and hostile sea battered in from the West. From there, a short journey to a private estate on a distant island, where for several days my Scottish safari trod over sodden clods to climb munroes and descend into glens, all in search of red deer. The bellow of a stag in rut echoed along the contours of the hill, and a short glass away, hinds glanced up from their quiet grazing. The rain lashed horizontal, occasionally parting to reveal turquoise skies with bright shafts of sunlight over foaming grey seas, illuminating clumps of purple heather, fragile yet fiercely strong in this harsh environment. Jodphurs switched for tweed, the shimmer of a mirage for mist, and the flatline of an African horizon for the jagged peaks of the mountain.

Safaris Unlimited, Blog, Gordie Church, Felicia Church, Family, Safari, Africa, Kenya, Children

On Safari with Safaris Unlimited’s ‘Little People’

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Business is family, family is business. I was brought up acutely aware of Dad, and Safaris Unlimited – I knew about the seasons that were busy, and the safari seasons that were quiet. Sometimes the results manifested in how many holidays we could go on, but more often than not, I knew because of how many truck rides I took out into the bush to the start of another safari.

From an early age – around nine – I was part of the crew. Travelling with the band of men that made our safaris what they were, we would leave Nairobi with a truck full of horses and camp equipment, and make our way down the escarpment into the Great Rift Valley, across the floor of this yawning natural marvel, and up the Mau Escarpment on the other side, before dropping down into the endless yellowed plains of the spotted land (‘mara’ in Maa – the language of the Masai – means spotted land).

Today, although Tyga and Thego remain too young to travel with the crew, they do come with us on safaris. They come with their own vehicle, Felicia at the wheel, and a tent that is pitched a fair distance from the main camp to give them a little space of their own. They wake up to the sounds of nature, and shards of sunlight piercing the canvas windows. It’s never too early and we find the little people in our life bounce around with copious energy when we are on safari. Tyga and Thego will spend the majority of the day with the safari camp crew – of which there are 18 odd – being passed between loving and laughing father-like figures. They will sit on the tin trunks of equipment and watch as Kikole kneads dough for fresh bread, or climb onto the lap of our truck driver Karanja as he tells another of his soft rambling stories around the camp fire. When the tall, slim figures of the Masai arrive in camp, Tyga and Thego will reach for their beads and earrings, pulling on them for a closer look, whilst the Masai tell them about the wildlife they’ve seen during the day – and the calls they will hear in the night.

It’s life in a village; we like to think it’s how our ancestors existed when dwellings were caves and families were the entire extended community.

When we return home, Tyga and Thego have their own rooms in our house, but there is always something to go and watch – horses being groomed and schooled; cars being maintained, hay being stacked, camp equipment being mended and washed, dogs to walk and parents to distract. What would life be without the little people in our lives?

Tony Church 80 Years Safaris Unlimited Africa Kenya

What it looks like to have 39 family members on safari!!

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Last week, we celebrated my father’s 80th birthday, in typical “Church” style, by mobilizing no less than 39 family members to a camp in the southern corner of the Mara Triangle, for five nights. The idea was to bring our own tents, and camp in a style not dissimilar to how my Papa would have started out with Safaris Unlimited. It was five days of absolute bliss, and a celebration befitting of a man who was one of the original pioneers of safari in East Africa.

Felicia and I were already in the Mara with the family, so we made our way over to Kishanga Campsite together with a team of our longest serving staff members – many of whom worked with my father from the early days. The air was brimful of excitement as we drove towards the Tanzanian border and our camp – nestled amongst a riverine forest of shady trees. My father and step-mother were already in camp having arrived a day earlier, and true to form Pa had mapped out exactly where he wanted everyone to be.

Our tents looked through the dappled light cast through the canopy over a small river to the yawning yellowed plains beyond. My sisters camped in Safaris Unlimited tents, whilst the rest of the family brought their own. We set up a kitchen tent, which bulged with culinary contributions from the family. The staff had their area neatly arranged and set to work with organizing the camp. Hot water by Kioko, lamps and tents by Makau, Ruth and William, the kitchen by Francis, Sarah and Vincent, cars by Karanja, and children by Martha, Helen and Esther. Quite an army! But then we were never very good at understaffed occasions, and Dad did send us all an email before the safari reminding us that ‘any fool can be uncomfortable’.

The four days were spent in glorious repose; with the grass so long that only the truly dedicated ventured out on long game drives, whilst those of us with smaller children preferred to languish in camp and venture into conversations of real depth and meaning – only really achievable with that most precious of assets: time. Oh, and a lack of distractions (read: no mobile phone network). We set up a bush cinema using a sheet and some string, and a projector that ran off car batteries, and showed a short movie of my father’s early days. Nostalgia reigned. We ate, and drank in Roman style, and told stories of Pa. Memories poured out. We made speeches and partook in quizzes. Laughter tinkled through camp. It was the ultimate slow-safari, surrounded by family, the blood that ties us to each other the strongest.

Safaris Unlimited Best Horses 2017 Kenya Riding Safaris Africa

Horses of the year 2017 – our four top performers.

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Recognising and rewarding our hardest working horses is a big part of celebrating an amazing season! It’s also an important ritual for us, because our horses are such a key part of our lives. So we started our ‘Safari Cup’ in 2010 to make a real fuss out of our top performers.

Our Safaris Unlimited “Safari Cup” is awarded to the horses that have completed the most safari days in each particular year. In 2017, we had a busy year, but four horses in particular performed fantastically!

Caprivi ~ This Warmblood x came from Zambia and is a real favorite of the Safaris Unlimited guests. He is forward going with a fabulous jump. Caprivi has his quirks, but we love him for it.

Chemilil ~ Somali pony x Thoroughbred. A true champion that never misses a safari. He is one of our oldest team members, but you would never know it apart from his greying face. Cheeky as ever, unties or chews through his rope and partial to the odd nip. Watch out for your macadamia nuts and oranges during your picnic lunch!

Bariloche ~ Thoroughbred. Off the track and trained to jump. A lovely brave ride. He is a very kind horse with a loving personality.

Mshale ~ Boerped. The real winner and legend of them all. Gordie’s beloved lead horse. He fearlessly guides his herd of four legged friends through a plethora of wildlife across the Masai Mara, time and time again.