One of my favourite stories about the origins of these Wild Horses is that they are the descendants of a shipwreck off the coast near Gansbaai in 1852. The ship was the British naval frigate HMS Birkenhead, which had been converted into a troop carrier. The ship was en route to Algoa Bay, carrying troops to fight the Xhosa. There were 643 people aboard, mostly soldiers but also civilians and children. As well as nine horses from the 8th Calvery.