I have brought many artifacts back with me from the steppe. My favourite is a 90-year-old Kazakh saddle decorated with silverwork in traditional motifs. It symbolises the deep relationship between man and horse on the Eurasian Steppe. Tim Cope artifactbackbring share on social
My three-year ride by horse from Mongolia to Hungary was the most difficult, most revealing, and interesting of any of my travels. Travelling by horse, you're far more engaged and dependent on the land and other people than by any other means. Tim Cope dependentdifficultengage share on social
Learning of my father's passing at age 55 not only shattered the world, far from home, that had become my reality, but catapulted my childhood and relationship with family - which had felt like another lifetime - into the present. Tim Cope agecatapultchildhood share on social
In wider spaces, people bearing historical grudges with each other were separated by the muting qualities of distance. Tim Cope beardistancegrudge Change image and share on social
I am struck by the wild character of this land and, as the Kazak herders often do, I have the urge to sing. Tim Cope characterherderkazak Change image and share on social
From the rugged cliffs of Cape Liptrap peninsula jutting bravely into the swells of Bass Strait, the coast arcs southeast, hugging the waters of Waratah Bay with sweeping flat lines of fine pale sand and knotty scrub. Tim Cope arcbasbay share on social
Many times, I thought the sat-phone was just a hindrance because it can become a crutch. You can call someone in Australia or Europe and talk about what you're going through, but it doesn't actually help. Sat-phones and GPS can't show you where the grass or the wells are. Tim Cope australiacallcrutch share on social
In Kazakhstan, once you're someone's guest, it's really hard to get away - everyone wants you to stay. They believe that if you invite a guest, luck will fly into your house. Tim Cope flyguesthard Change image and share on social
Had I not stepped into the saddle in the first place, entire cultures, histories, and most importantly, profound connections with people and animals whom I now counted as my friends would have otherwise passed by, invisible. Tim Cope animalconnectioncount share on social
Bakhchisaray was formerly the capital of the Crimean khanate and once an important crossroad of the Silk Road, where traders met from across the Black Sea, the steppes of Central Asia, Russia, and eastern Europe. Tim Cope asiabakhchisarayblack share on social