One example of the breed's fantastic endurance was the ride made by the Swiss-born Argentine rider Professor Aimé Félix Tschiffely (1894–1954) between 1925-28. Tschiffely took two crioulos, 16-year-old Mancha and 15-year-old Gato, on a trek from Buenos Aires to Manhattan, New York, crossing snow-capped mountains, the world's driest desert, the thickest tropical jungles, riding in all types of weather. Alternating the riding and packing between the two horses, the trio took three years to finish the trip. Although Prof. Tschiffely went through many hardships on the trip, including a bout of malaria, from the Pampas across La Quiaca, from La Paz, to Cuzco, Lima, Trujillo, Quito, Medellin and Cartagena. They rode up to 5,900 metres above sea level, through Passo El Cóndor, between Potosi and Chaliapata, (Bolivia), the horses did wonderfully well in a wide array of extreme topographies and climates. Gato lived to be 36 and Mancha, 40. They lived the last years of their lives as celebrities in La estancia El Cardal (El Cardal Ranch), the breeding establishment of the man most credited for developing the crioulo breed, Dr. Emilio Solanet.