Beads of awareness for Mongolia
KYALAMI - As Inge Rall-Behm leaves hoof prints across Mongolia, she will also distribute beads of awareness for rhino poaching.
Rall-Behm is an ambassador for The Rhino Orphanage, based in Limpopo, and she will be competing in the Mongolian Derby in August, which is dubbed as the toughest horse race.
In May, a fundraiser was held at the South African Lipizzaners in Kyalami to raise awareness for The Rhino Orphanage and Rall-Behm’s endurance ride across Mongolia.
Glenferness sisters Gabriella, Markella, Dimitra and Natalya Michalakis made beaded bracelets with rhino charms for the fundraiser, and handed over the R1 000 they raised in sales to Rall-Behm. The sisters then put their hands to work and made a further 70 bracelets for Rall-Behm to distribute on her travels. They handed the bracelets to Rall-Behm outside the South African Lipizzaner Hall on 21 July.
Rall-Behm said the veterinarians, medical personnel, back-up team and interpreters would each receive a bracelet from her, “so everyone who will be out on the steppe with me will get one”.
As Rall-Behm’s journey draws closer, her time has been consumed with re-packing her backpack to make sure it is under five kilograms. Rall-Behm said, “As something gets added something else has to go!”
She said she was filled with apprehension and excitement for the trip and she, along with the other contestants, were all fighting for the top spot.
