Around the world on horseback - for Manfred Schulze the dream of a lifetime.
He left home in Rheingau with his two Carpathian ponies Panca and Puschkin in April 1996. Four and a half years later he was back home again. Neither bandits in Kazakhstan nor Texan rattlesnakes were able to stop him. He even got by the German police, who discovered that the mandatory roadworthiness sticker of his support vehicle had expired.

Next to Manfred’s two actual horses, was the 79 HP of his trusty 1990 Mercedes-Benz 208 D T1 van. "What that vehicle went through was unbelievable", Manfred exclaims, "apart from a few spare parts and a new clutch, we didn’t need to touch it." The spare parts were, as promised, sent free of charge by his local Mercedes-Benz dealer in the Taunus region.

Further projects are already in the planning, among them a trip along the silk road. And of course, a Mercedes-Benz van will again be along for the ride. However this time, it’ll be one specifically prepared for the task: a Vario 814 D with all-wheel drive sponsored by Daimler.