A FAMOUS explorer has appealed for a horse riding doctor to join him on his latest expedition.

Dorset's Colonel John Blashford-Snell will be heading to Mongolia in August and he hopes to fill this unique position as soon as possible.

Based at Motcombe, near Shaftesbury, Colonel Blashford-Snell has travelled the world in a huge range of exciting expeditions.

Now he hopes to find the right person to join the expedition, which runs from August 24 until September 13.

The Mongolian Khan Khentil Expedition will take place east of Ulaanbaatar in the Hentii mountain range.

The team will undertake community aid projects including dental and medical help for the local people and perform archaeological, biological and zoological tasks with the help of Mongolian scientists.

Transportation will be provided by horses as well as four-wheel drive vehicles and accommodation will be in tents.

At the end of the expedition, two days will be spent in the Khustain Nuruu National Park (west of Ulaanbaatar) studying the Przewalski horses and further zoological research.

Colonel Blashford-Snell, now in his mid-80s, has organised and led more than 100 expeditions.

In 1968 Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia invited the British Army to send a team to explore and make the first descent of the infamous Blue Nile.

Captain John Blashford-Snell of the Royal Engineers was commissioned to select, train and lead the 60-strong party. The success of the expedition led to even tougher assignments, such as the first vehicle crossing of the complete Darien Gap in 1971/2 and in 1974/5, navigating almost all the 2,700 miles of the great Zaire (now Congo) River.

Both ventures had strong environmental, medical and scientific objectives.

Anyone who wants more details or wishes to apply for the latest expedition is asked to contact Colonel Blashford-Snell by email, jbs@ses-explore.org