This year Berdymukhamedov did not enter a race, but his grandson, Kerimguly, won a short horseback sprint.
He is the author of a book on the Akhal-Teke breed and took Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on a horseback tour of a giant complex for 400 of the horses outside the capital Ashgabat last year.
A young girl dressed like an angel, her face painted deathly white save for her red lips and the bright pink crescents around her eyes, is led on horseback through a curious crowd.
One of the most infamous photographs of the strike shows Sheffield WAPC's Lesley Boulton at the "battle of Orgreave", raising her hand as a police officer on horseback prepares to strike her with his truncheon.
Alternatively, you can enjoy the scenery on horseback.
· Three-day horseback ride from around £153; an eight-day Andes crossing trip from £363, both with Trekking Travel in Mendoza (+54 261 421 0450, trekking-travel.com.ar).ar
I estimated that it would be six months of near-continuous travelling, largely by bus, but also by train and boat, and even on horseback and on foot.
Fans of the president's equestrian exploits can go for a mounted Putin on horseback, while for something a little more classical, the patriotic fashionista could opt for Putin in watercolours, decked out in full military uniform.
A picture showing police on horseback was from the miners' strike in 1984.
That afternoon, I took to horseback for the first time in my life; the next morning I floated in a hot spring, munching on fresh strawberries.
Activities range from kayaking to yoga, although the best way to admire the scenery is on horseback.
