Jakob Von Plessen
After 20 years leading expeditions on horseback in Kenya and Argentina, Jakob von Plessen is one of the most sought after guides in the world. His Patagonia rides have become a thing of legend. We caught up with the man himself to hear more.
You’ve been guiding for a long time. How and when did you come to set up your camp in deepest Patagonia?
Yes, I started guiding 20 years ago in Kenya with the late Tristan Voorspuy. My family had a farm in Patagonia so I knew it well from a young age and that is what drove me to set up my business there once I had learned the trade in Kenya.
Introduce us to your family. How many are you and where do you divide your time?
There are 4 of us. Zaira my wife, who is a TV presenter, Mali our 5-year-old daughter and Viggo our little boy who just turned 1. We spend our winters between Buenos Aires and the farm where we have a horse breeding programme and where we do all the breaking in. In the summers we move down to Patagonia to run our riding adventures.
How many horses do you own?
We own about 110 horses. There are 35 working horses, 15 polo ponies and the rest are in the breeding herds, so mares, foals and stallions.
Where are you happiest?
That’s a difficult question. I absolutely love the wilderness in Patagonia but we don’t own the land there. We own a little farm in the hills of Balcarce, which is 400km south of Buenos Aires and that is where I grew up, rode to school and where my heart is.
You run one of the world’s finest riding outfits. What do your guests tend to cite as the biggest highlights?
We have very good horses, a very good crew and we still go to places that challenge the safe side and blow people’s minds. We also strike the balance between stylish glamping and extreme adventure.
What do you never travel without?
I feel naked without my hip flask, my Swiss army Leatherman, and my head torch.
What’s the current situation in Argentina in terms of vaccination progress and case numbers?
Sadly we are red-listed for most countries but we have elections
this year so we hope that will help to accelerate the vaccination campaign. Our guess is that borders will reopen in November.
Where in Latin America would you most like to explore on horseback?
Colombia and Ecuador are on my bucket list.
What’s your favourite Argentine expression and what does it mean?
Juiiiiiira!!!! Piss off
Give us a taste of what’s on your Spotify/Apple Music.
I have a lot of 70s rock n roll like Rolling stones,
Creedence and some Argentine folklore like Jose Larralde and Jorge Cafrune.