Cavalcade veterans Dave McAtamney and Jim Hore might have made a comeback this year - but the jury's out on whether they'll be back again.
The Maniototo mates were legends on the trail for many years. Mr McAtamney (70) was a popular trail boss and Mr Hore (65) once described himself as his ''guard dog''.
They came out of retirement to take up their old positions on this year's Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust Cavalcade, taking a trail from Beaumont Station to their hometown of Ranfurly.
During a lunch stop at the Patearoa Syndicate hut this week, both men agreed it had been an excellent week, with a good bunch of people, many of whom were old crew members.
While there were ''a few buggers'' trying to get the duo to take another trail next year, they were undecided, Mr Hore said.
''We'll see how the old body holds up.''
Asked how their bodies were faring, he said: ''Body's average. What's yours?''addressing his mate.
''Mine's all right. The old hips get achy and a bit sore ... they always did. Going to bed early helps a bit. There's no use getting old if you don't get wise,'' Mr McAtamney said.
''The young ones are still performing. Us old ones have been sleeping,'' Mr Hore added.
Mr McAtamney was part of the very first cavalcade in 1991. His first cavalcade as trail boss was in 1995 and he was then a trail boss every year from 1998 until retiring after the Patearoa cavalcade in 2006. He and Mr Hore had since ridden on several trails together.
Mr Hore had seven of his horses on this year's trail, including a mare called Phil, who was ridden by Debbie Kelly from west Auckland.
It was Mrs Kelly's first cavalcade and she felt ''very privileged'' to be taking part, having been invited south by Mr Hore.
Her connection with the Hore family came through her husband, Grant, who drives the All Blacks bus. He got to know Mr Hore's son Andrew - the recently-retired All Blacks hooker - and also Jim Hore.
Mrs Kelly (55), who has been riding since she was a child, had been south for two musters on the Hore family's property, Stonehenge, at Patearoa, and she jumped at the opportunity to ride on a cavalcade.
''This is awe-inspiring and absolutely fantastic. I just can't praise it highly enough,'' she enthused.
While she was unfazed by a steep descent in scorching temperatures on Patearoa Station, grateful for Phil's surefootedness, others struggled in the heat.
One cavalcader described it as ''horrendous'', saying she did not know whether to vomit or cry but she was too tired to do either.
Some riders stripped off and chose to take either a cooling dip or just a splash in the Taieri River at the bottom of the descent.
The cavalcade finishes today, combining with Ranfurly's Art Deco Festival to form Decocade.
