A WEST Sandford rider has won one of the UK’s most iconic long-distance horse riding challenges on his first attempt at the event.

Julian Johansen and his nine-year-old grey Arab gelding, CF Samuel, won the two-day 80km class at the Golden Horseshoe Ride, held on Exmoor.

The event, which is widely regarded as the oldest and one of the toughest endurance rides in the UK, saw riders take on challenging terrain during an exceptionally hot year.

The achievement was made even more impressive by the fact that this was Julian and Samuel’s first multi-day endurance class.

Before the Golden Horseshoe, the pair had only competed up to 40km in a single day. They only started endurance riding together in 2025, making this just their second season in the sport.

Endurance riding is a long-distance equestrian sport where horse and rider complete marked routes over set distances, with veterinary checks to ensure the horse is fit, healthy and recovering well throughout.

The sport is governed in the UK by Endurance GB, the National Governing Body for endurance riding, which runs competitions from local pleasure rides through to national and international championship level.

Julian said the win had come as a complete surprise.

“It hasn’t quite sunk in,” he said. “I was so focused on helping Sam do the distance, his longest so far, across challenging terrain in a heatwave, it never occurred to me that we might win.”

Julian and Samuel prepared carefully for the step up in distance, building a strong base of fitness through long, steady work before the season began. They also completed three early-season rides with plenty of climbing, including Wadebridge, Cerne Giant and Polesden Lacey.

“I was confident that Sam would cope,” Julian explained. “We built a foundation through long slow distance work before the season started, and put in three early season rides with a lot of climbing.”

Managing Samuel in the heat was a major priority across both days. Julian gave him extra electrolytes in the days before the ride and encouraged him to drink from troughs, rivers and crew stops along the route.

“I tried to ride him as lightly as possible in order to let him do his job, guiding him along the route but allowing him to choose where to place his feet,” he said.

Julian has owned CF Samuel since he was a two-year-old and has brought him on himself.

Now eight, the 15.2hh Arab gelding has proved a natural for endurance.

“He loves people and is very laid back, but he loves a competition,” said Julian. “When we did our first Endurance GB pleasure ride on Dartmoor last year, I sensed his relief that I had finally understood his job, as he ‘locked on’ to the route, cantering from flag to flag.”

Julian did not grow up with horses, but was drawn to riding whenever he had the chance. After retiring three years ago, he was keen to swap office work for more time outdoors, including helping to look after sheep and spending more time with horses.

“I was drawn to the idea of spending hours in the saddle, and realised that endurance would give me the chance to do that,” he said. “Endurance is as relaxed or as competitive as you want it to be, and everyone is very friendly and supportive. And I just love riding for miles across open country on a horse that loves to run.”

The Golden Horseshoe had long been on Julian’s radar. He and Samuel had completed the 25km pleasure ride there in 2025, which was only their third ever endurance ride, and he felt the 2-day 80km class would be a natural next challenge.

“Golden Horseshoe is the oldest and perhaps the toughest endurance ride in the UK, and I felt that Sam would enjoy the challenge, as a large part of his training is hill work,” he said.

The result also marked a proud moment after a few early-season lessons.

“This result is a huge relief,” Julian said. “While Sam has performed consistently strongly this year, poor navigation on my part pulled our performances down on a couple of early season rides. It’s wonderful to see what Sam can do when his human doesn’t take him off-piste!”

Julian paid tribute to the team who helped them complete the challenge, including his wife Alison, who crewed for them across the event, Maggie Pattinson of On The Hoof DT for training advice and support, and Nigel Gatesman for keeping Samuel’s hooves in excellent condition, enabling him to complete both days barefoot and without boots.

He also thanked fellow competitors Emma Miller and Larissa Whiley, who he rode with during the event, as well as the Golden Horseshoe organising team, vets, stewards, farriers and volunteers.

“I’m just beginning to understand how much work goes into organising a ride like this: planning the route, agreeing access with landowners, and ensuring rider safety across some of the wildest terrain in England,” he said.

Samuel is now enjoying a well-earned break before the pair look ahead to their next goal.

“Later this season we’d like to try our first one-day vet gate ride; perhaps 64km and, depending on how Sam goes, a one-day 80km ride,” Julian said.