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Long Rider Gin Szagola: First Solo Horse Ride Across Southern Australia

Published February 10, 2026

I, Bernie Harberts, did not use generative AI to write or illustrate this article. Spell check and grammar check, yes. AI, no.

A little over a year ago, Julia and I visited with our friend the Long Rider Gin Szagola. She was planning to fly to Australia, gentle a wild brumby (which is what they call a mustang in Australia) and ride it across southern Australia.

Last week, Gin became the first person to ride a single horse across southern Australia without a chase crew or support vehicle. It was just her and Fable, the wild Snowy Mountain Brumby she trained herself.

Gin describes what the first day on the road of any Long Ride feels like. This is from a conversation we had on my Travel Grit podcast (which you can listen to here.)

Over eight months and 2,700 miles, Gin and Fable crossed the continent from the east coast to the Indian Ocean, including 1,000 miles of Nullarbor desert. No pack horse, no crew following behind with supplies. Just Gin, Fable, and volunteer-organized supply caches along the way.

Map of Gin Szagola and Fable's solo horse ride route across southern Australia — Map of Gin’s and Fable’s route across Australia

What impresses me most isn’t just the physical achievement, it’s how well Gin cared for Fable throughout the journey. Their story is a powerful example of how you can accomplish extraordinary things with an animal and still put their welfare first.

A few days after Gin reached the ocean, I caught up with her over video chat. The story of her remarkable journey poured out: training a wild horse in three months, crossing the desert with water bladders and hay caches, living roadside 85% of the time, and what it’s really like to spend 24/7 with your horse for eight months straight.

Hear Gin’s complete story on the Travel Grit podcast at TravelGrit.com.

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