THE STABLE

Our stable is home to over 25 safari horses – a mixture of Percheron-Boerperd, Friesian-Boerperd, Arab-French-Somali crossbreds, Appaloosas and thoroughbreds. The majority of these horses have been bred and raised at home on our wildlife conservancy in central Kenya. Living at close quarters with wild animals, our horses are comfortable riding amongst big game, have great endurance levels and are evenly tempered. Under the professional guidance of Felicia and her team of grooms, each safari horse is carefully schooled, exercised and loved for the sole purpose of carrying our guests safely through the African wilderness.

THE SAFARI CUP: This cup is awarded each year to the horse/horses that have successfully completed the most number of safaris.

THE VICTOR/VICTRIX LUDORUM CUP: This cup is awarded each year to the horse that shows great courage, progress and overall recognition for their extraordinary work.

THE HORSES

Marania: 16hh ~ 2001 ~ Thoroughbred ~ Chestnut mare. Marania came to Kenya from Zimbabwe for the game of polo but decided it was not for her. She is a lovely safari mare, easy in every way and very independent. She loves to jump, and on occasion, has stepped up as lead horse. She is now retired at home.
Marania ~ A beautiful farm on the slopes of Mt. Kenya.
Victrix Ludorum ~ 2018

Mshale: 15.2hh ~ 2001 ~ South African Boerperd ~ Dark bay gelding. Mshale came from South Africa in 2006 and is the first Boerperd Safaris Unlimited has owned. This breed is the only native horse found in South Africa and has influences of Thoroughbred, Arab, Andalusian and many more. A forward-going lead horse, Mshale is eager and loves to jump. He is Gordie’s lead horse of choice and it is fun to watch them communicate with each other – they share a very strong bond.
Mshale ~ The Swahili word for a hunter’s arrow.
Safari Cup ~ 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022 & 2023
Victor Ludorum ~ 2015

Caprivi: 15.2hh ~ 2004 ~ South African Warmblood ~ Grey gelding. Caprivi came to Kenya from Zambia in 2010 and we bought him in 2014. His sire was a well-known eventing stallion in South Africa. He is a flashy grey, well-schooled and jumps with ease. He has flourished with safari life and loves the wide-open spaces of Kenya’s game country.
Caprivi ~ The Caprivi Strip, a geographic salient protruding from the northeastern corner of Namibia.
Safari Cup ~ 2015 & 2017
Victor Ludorum ~ 2022

BARILOCHE: 16hh ~ 2006 ~ Thoroughbred ~ Dark bay gelding. Bariloche is an ex-racehorse but with a wonderfully laid-back attitude. He has a huge jump on him, has been well-schooled and bravely steps up to be a lead horse if needed. Bariloche is a very special horse.
Bariloche ~ A town in Patagonia where Gordie and Felicia spent their honeymoon.
Safari Cup ~ 2017, 2020, 2022 & 2023

STARLIGHT: 13.3hh ~ 2008 ~ Ethiopian cross ~ Flea bitten grey mare. Thego (our son) could not be left behind in the pony department and of course needs a bigger pony than his sister, Tyga. Starlight is half-sister to Inka and also bred by the wonderful Rose Dyer. A perfect bush pony, unfazed by all and extremely patient and kind to her little jockey.

WOW: 16.3hh ~ 2009 ~ South African Sports Horse ~ Skewbald gelding. Wow is certainly wow. He came from South Africa as a young horse to compete in the shows here in Kenya. He is accomplished in dressage, and thus beautifully schooled. His previous owner decided that Wow would prefer a less pressured life on safari with us. We are grateful.
Safari Cup ~ 2022 & 2023

QUICKSILVER: 16.2hh ~ 2009 ~ Appaloosa/Thoroughbred cross ~ Chestnut roan with brown leopard-spotted blanket gelding. Quicksilver came from Zambia, having previously played some polo. He has the same sire as Picasso and Wayan, and is being trained to be the next lead horse with a fabulous walk. He has the sweetest of natures and a very inquisitive character.
Quicksilver ~ A fictional character in comic books and first appeared in The Uncanny X-men.

Flashman: 15hh ~ 2010 ~ French Arab/Thoroughbred cross ~ Chestnut gelding. A very smart, homebred chestnut with a striking white flash. His dam, Two Socks, was an outstanding safari horse, as was his sire, Congo. Flashman is a comfortable ride with a fun personality and is a safari legend.
Flashman ~ A fictional character in the book, Tom Brown’s School Days.
Victor Ludorum ~ 2021 

ICENI: 15.1hh ~ 2010 ~ Percheron/Boerperd cross ~ Dark bay mare. Iceni was brought to Kenya by Sirai Stud. She was found running wild in and selected for her composure and kind eye. This mare was broken-in and used as a recipient broodmare for the first embryo transfer ever to be done on a horse in Kenya. She had three foals before returning to work. Forward going with a lovely jump, Iceni is also our resident supermodel, having styled for the Italian GQ magazine in 2014!
Iceni ~ A tribe in ancient Britain, whose queen, Boadicea, rebelled against the Roman Empire.
Safari Cup ~ 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2023

INKA: 12hh ~ 2011 ~ Ethiopian cross ~ Light bay mare. Bred by the famous Rose Dyer, Inka was our daughter Tyga’s first birthday present. A loveable, plucky pony who has grown up in the bush. Inka and Tyga completed their first pony club camp in 2018.
Inka ~ The Quechuan people living in the Cuzco Valley in Peru.

BLONDIE: 15.1hh ~ 2011 ~ Quarter Horse ~ Palomino gelding. Safaris Unlimited’s first ever Quarter horse. Blondie was imported from South Africa as a two year old. He has a wonderful temperament and is a fabulous and striking addition to our team.
Blondie ~ The American rock band founded in the 1970’s in New York.
Safari Cup ~ 2023

Nyota: 15hh ~ 2012 ~ French Arab/Arabian cross ~ Light bay mare. Nyota was homebred by Shaula, a long-standing safari legend. Just like her mother, Nyota is brave, forward going and already proving to be a pro.
Nyota ~ The Swahili word for star.

REGO: 15.3hh ~ 2012 ~ Friesian/Boerperd cross ~ Light bay gelding. An exciting and very elegant horse to have at our stables. Rego was bred by Sirai Stud and is beautifully schooled.
Rego ~ The Portuguese-British visual artist known for her paintings based on story books. 

GERONIMO: 15.1hh ~ 2012 ~ Thoroughbred/Warmblood cross ~ Chestnut gelding. Geronimo’s dam was purchased during the Zimbabwean Land Crisis for 80 litres of diesel! His sire, Crazy Horse, is a well-known stallion in the Kenyan Highlands. Geronimo is a fantastically brave safari horse with an athletic jump and looks wonderfully flashy with his four white socks.
Geronimo ~ The fearless Native American Apache leader and medicine-man of the late 1800’s.
Victor Ludorum ~ 2023

PICASSO: 15.3hh ~ 2014 ~ Appaloosa ~ Leopard-spot gelding. Picasso and Wayan’s sire originally came from Texas (USA), arriving in Zambia in 2008. The brothers are the first Appaloosa horses to be seen on safari in Kenya. Imported from Zambia by truck, they have come a long way north. Picasso has an inquisitive and yet laid-back attitude. He stands out from the crowd with his striking spots.
Picasso ~ Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter who arguably revolutionised the art world in the 20^th century.
Safari Cup ~ 2021

DALI: 15hh ~ 2014 ~ Friesian/Boerperd cross ~ Black mare. Dali is a striking horse and is half-sister to Rego with the same dam. She loves receiving lots of attention and is particularly partial to the carrot bucket. She is a smooth ride having been wonderfully schooled at Sirai Stud.
Dali ~ Salvadore Dali, remembered as much for his extravagant persona and comic moustache, as he is for his abstract art.

WAYAN: 16hh ~ 2014 ~ Appaloosa ~ Snow-capped gelding. Wayan is a big gentle giant, who loves attention. Like his brother, he has a relaxed and personable attitude to work. He loves safari life and is turning out to be a fabulous back-up lead horse.
Wayan ~ Balinese word for ‘eldest’.
Safari Cup ~ 2021

ASTRO: 15hh ~ 2015 ~ Percheron/Boerperd cross ~ Grey gelding. Astro has come a long way from the wine-lands of Cape Town in South Africa. He is a stunning chap full of presence and a good little jumper. Tyga has ear marked him as her future horse.
Astro ~ Greek for stars or celestial bodies existing outside the earth’s atmosphere.
Safari Cup ~ 2023

VESPA: 13.3hh ~ 2015 ~ Ethiopian Cross ~ Grey gelding. Vespa is a kind and flashy-looking pony. He loves to jump and is a fabulous addition for young riders on safari.
Vespa ~ Italian for a winged insect having a sting and a slender waist.

GOYA: 15hh ~ 2016 ~ Friesian/Boerperd cross ~ Light bay mare. Goya is full sister to Dali and half-sister to Rego. They are all from Sirai Stud and we love this bloodline. We are thrilled to have her as part of our team. She is compact and has a lovely attitude. Goya has very interesting markings on her back, known as lacing.
Goya ~ Francisco Goya from Spain, famous for his achievements in etching and engraving.

ZULU: 15.1hh ~ 2016 ~ Boerperd/Nooitgedachter/Warmblood cross ~ Coloured gelding. We found Zulu on a farm in South Africa, he was used for stock work and rounding up wild horses. He is a handsome chap that oozes character, already leading the herd in and out to the plains. He seems pretty fearless.
Zulu ~ The most prominent tribe in South Africa. The word Zulu means heaven. 

MACHAKOS: 15.2hh ~ 2017 ~Thoroughbred ~ Bay gelding. Machakos raced for several years on the flat in Kenya, winning one race. His sire Westonian, won the Kenyan Derby. However Machakos is very happy to be out of racing. He has a fabulous quiet independent personality.
Machakos ~ The first official horserace in 1897 for the Diamond Jubilee for Queen Victoria, The Machakos Challenge Cup.    

DRAKENSBERG: 15.2hh ~ 2017 ~ Percheron/Boerperd cross ~ Grey gelding. Drakensberg came from near Port Elizabeth in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa, where they run a herd of 300 wild horses. Drakensberg is a brave and courageous horse.
Drakensberg ~ Dragon Mountains in Afrikaans.
Safari Cup ~ 2023

CAPE TOWN: 15.2hh ~ 2018 ~ Clydesdale/Boerperd/Friesian ~ Coloured mare. Cape Town loves to be in all the action right at the front. Bred on the same farm as Astro, these horses are hardy and tough. She led the way on her first river crossing completely unfazed by the hippo.
Cape Town ~ The oldest city in South Africa, known as the city ‘where the clouds gather’.

KAROO: 15.2hh ~ 2019 ~ Percheron/Boerperd/Quarter Horse cross ~ Grey gelding. Karoo was born in the Stromberg region of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. Karoo has a great attitude to life and is fast becoming a favourite in our yard. Intelligent, with a kind personality, he has slotted straight into safari life.
Karoo ~ The ancient San word for the land of great thirst. 

AXUM: 15.3hh ~ 2019 ~ Friesian/Boerperd cross ~ Light bay gelding. Axum is the product of four women’s dreams. Starting with Sirai Stud founders who desired to breed and produce the ultimate safari horse on the slopes of Mount Kenya, to Felicia and Joy’s vision to buy him as a yearling. It has been a wonderful four-year project watching Axum grow and be produced so professionally by Sirai Stud. What a treat to have this beautiful horse in our herd thanks to Joy.
Axum ~ A powerful kingdom in Northern Ethiopia during the early Christian era.

KRUGER: 15.3hh ~ 2019 ~ Percheron/Boerperd cross ~ Rose grey gelding. Kruger is a wonderful old fashioned hunter type of a horse, and a gentle giant. He also grew up on a sheep farm in the Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa. We are excited to have him in our string of horses.
Kruger ~ Named after Johannes Kruger, a former president of South Africa, who is famous for leading the Boers against the British in the second Boer War. The Kruger National Park was later named after him.