LONDON (Kyodo) A young British woman rode out of London April 1 on an epic pony trek from London to Tokyo following ancient trading routes.
Becky Sampson, 25, and her faithful pony Bertie departed from a stable yard in south London and will ride down to the English port of Dover before heading through Europe, Central Asia and China. They are scheduled to arrive in Tokyo in summer 2012. Her feat will span 15 countries and cover more than 15,000 km.
After initial uncertainty, Sampson is delighted because she thinks her 10-year-old pony will be able to accompany her all the way to Tokyo after he was granted his own animal passport.