Rodeo Action in Monterey

THE Pattee Arena at the 2018 Monterey County Fair will go wild when the Flying U Rodeo & the Flying Cowboyz return for four shows August 31-September 2, at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center.  The Flying U Rodeo features exciting, fan-favorite events such as bull riding and American bull fighting, but with the added flair of new events such as bull poker, ring of fire, toro teeter totter and FMX.

Cotton Rosser is a name that has become synonymous with quality #rodeo production. After a ranch accident in 1956 abruptly ended a promising career as a rodeo contestant, Cotton purchased the Flying U Rodeo Company.

For the past several decades, Cotton and his family have worked to make the Flying U one of the most successful stock contracting firms in professional rodeo. Cotton has long been known for his outstanding rodeo productions, including the flamboyant opening ceremonies presented at the National Finals Rodeo, the Houston Livestock Show and the Grand National Rodeo in San Francisco just to name a few.



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Ride off into the sunset

RANCH Rider has some fabulous deals available this summer, including a saving of £2,220 for a family of four at a luxury guest ranch. The specialist tour operator’s discounts cover Arizona, Montana and Colorado so book now and rein in a great value family horseback adventure.

Arizona’s White Stallion Guest Ranch situated adjacent to the Saguaro National Park where there are miles of scenic horseback riding and hiking trails to explore and the Sonoran desert is literally teeming with wildlife; mountain lions, coyotes, javelinas, bobcats inhabiting the ranch’s 3,000 acres. 

Montana’s Lone Mountain Deluxe Guest Ranch is a popular haunt for adventurous families; guided horseback rides, Yellowstone tours (the national park less than 20 miles away), mountain biking, fly fishing and kayaking on the list of pursuits. Expert naturalists, the ranch’s guides have over 80 years combined experience in leading Yellowstone tours, their love of the national park helping younger adventurers to appreciate the wildlife and the world around them.

Colorado’s Majestic Dude Ranch offers a challenge at every turn, horseback riding, mountain biking, ATV off-road adventures, white water rafting (included in the price) archery, skeet shooting, fly-fishing and hiking on the list of pursuits. FREE horse riding lessons are also available and the ranch’s younger guests can show off their new found skills at the weekly summer rodeos. 

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Adventure Iceland

#EXPLORE Iceland's vast network of hidden trails and secluded tracks? Whether you choose to explore the landscape on foot, take an adventurous spin on a mountain bike, or enjoy the region on horseback, #Iceland offers a wide variety of exciting tours and activities.

Snow Mobiles
One activity on the Iceland 'must-do' list has to be to try a little snowmobiling, snowmobile tours can easily take you cruising across glaciers, lagoons, rivers and ice-caps.

Fat Bike Adventures
Iceland has long been a top destination for mountain bikers who love the unexpected thrills this unforgiving land can present, but now it seems that Fat Bikes are taking Iceland by storm. Built to cope with the most extreme conditions these chubby wheeled monsters are proving a massive hit with hardier travellers or for those seeking an adrenaline fueled biking adventure. Capable of coping with ice, snow, sand, dust, lava, mud and water, these robust all-weather bikes are proving a hit throughout the year.

Hike a glacier
The outlet glaciers from the icecaps on the South Shore are easily accessed and provide a whole host of glacier activities, ranging from easy hikes that can be adapted to suit almost everyone all the way up to more extreme glacier adventures.

If you are traveling in the area of the icecaps Myrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull (the biggest icecap in Iceland and the third largest in the world), you should not miss the opportunity to join a glacier hike. The tours are operated on the outlet glaciers of the icecaps i.e. Sólheimajökull, an outlet glacier from Myrdalsjökull and Falljökull and Svínafellsjökull, outlet glaciers in the Vatnajökull National Park in the Skaftafell area.

Sightseeing from the Saddle
Try riding Icelandic horses, sturdy and solid, these beautiful creatures make the perfect companions for exploring the rugged Icelandic terrain. The perfect excursion for friends and family, treks of various lengths can be arranged for both novice and experienced riders.

Where to Stay in Southern Iceland

A touch of luxury whilst enjoying the wilds of southern Iceland, then why not check in to Hotel Ranga. An exclusive privately owned hotel, set in the heart of South Iceland's most magnificent countryside. Hotel Ranga has been voted one of the best places in the world to experience the Northern Lights by The Telegraph and CN Traveller Magazine.

Hotel Rangá is the only 4 star resort in South Iceland and offers luxury accommodation, gourmet food and outstanding views. It boasts all the facilities and services of a modern resort yet is situated in an area of exceptional natural beauty. Located about an hour from Reykjavík between the towns of Hella and Hvolsvöllur, Hotel Rangá lies just off the main road right in middle of South Iceland's panoramic scenery.

More adventurous outlook? then why not book into The Highland Center which provides the perfect base camp for those intrepid guests wishing to explore Southern Iceland's exceptional interior. For lone travellers and larger groups The Highland Center, Hrauneyejar offers great value accommodation, excellent food and an unbeatable location.

www.thehighlandcenter.is 

www.hotelranga.is

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Golf: Terrace Downs named best hotel in New Zealand

THE best #golf course hotel in #NewZealand is Terrace Downs, Canterbury, according to voters who took part in the World Golf awards. 

An hour by road from Christchurch on South Island, the par 72, 18-hole championship course and resort has views of the Rakaia Gorge, and offers a mix of parklands and links golf with 11 lakes, more than 60 bunkers, and a choice of four tees.

The resort isn’t just for golfers. There’s clay bird shooting, archery, horse riding, hunting, fishing, and skiing, too.
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The other side of Tuscany

TRAME DI LUNIGIANA, a non-profit making platform for booking #tours and cultural experiences in Tuscany's north-western Lunigiana region, has launched in the UK, enabling first time visitors to sign up for off-the-beaten track experiences through one central website.

Lunigiana is a less well known region in #Tuscany, stretching from the coastal town of Lerici to the Renaissance village of Fivizzano in the Apennine Mountains. The mountain scenery, more than 100 medieval castles, and the 12-mile coastline can now be explored by visitors with ease.

Central to the platform are experiences that enable guests to take in the highlights of the region on horseback, by foot, cycle, or Vespa tour. These can all be booked directly on the website.

www.tramedilunigiana.it/en

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New in Nevis

THE newly-opened Paradise Beach Nevis is the only beachfront villa resort on the #Caribbean island of #Nevis. 

Stays start from just US$850 (£547) per night plus taxes and service charge for a family of four, including concierge and on-call butler services.

The concierge can organize activities including mountain biking, rainforest hikes with a local guide, kayaking, horse riding, scuba diving, tennis, and day trips to the neighbouring islands of St Kitts, St Barts, Anguilla, and St Martin.

The privately-owned resort has seven two-, three-, four-bedroom Indonesian- inspired thatched villas which have plunge pools and gourmet kitchens.

Nevis – at just 36 square miles – prides itself on being unmarred by modern trappings, with no fast food outlets, coffee shop chains, or casinos.

There are direct flights from the UK to St Kitts with British Airways or Virgin Atlantic via Antigua. Alternatively, guests can travel to St Maarten with KLM from Amsterdam or Air France from Paris and connect to St Kitts via Winair.

*Nevis has a population of approximately 12,000, English is the official language, and the currencies used are the US and East Caribbean dollars.

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Get steamed up in Dorset

NOW in its 47th year, the 2015 #GreatDorsetSteamFair starts on September 2 at Tarrant Hinton, Blandford Forum, where some 200,000 people from Britain and overseas gather (although not all at the same time) on the show’s 600-acre site for the five-day event.

On show will be range of steam-powered kit including heavy haulage road locomotives, tractors, showman’s engines, trucks, road rollers, and ploughing and threshing engines, plus classic cars, military vehicles, and motorcycles. 

There will also be working heavy horses, country crafts displays, and more than 500 trade stands. 

www.gdsf.co.uk

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Life’s a beach house

CASTRO BARONA is a contemporary beach house in Galicia, North-West Spain. The design uses concrete, glass, and wood recycled from the local fishing industry to create a cool atmosphere with large windows looking out onto the sea.

The villa sleeps six plus two children and is on a quiet, sandy beach close to a fishing village. It’s close to a sailing club and diving school, and to the natural grottoes of the Pedras River. There is also hiking, riding, canyoning, quad biking in the hills, and yacht charter from nearby marinas.

Castro Barona – a 50-minute drive from Santiago de Compostela Airport – has daily maid service, WiFi, a music system, and a barbecue. A week this summer costs £592 per person in July and August based on six people sharing.
www.sjvillas.co.uk/spain/galicia-castro-barona-villa-rent.html

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Exmoor events …

· There is a free day out for families coming up at the Minehead Summer Festival (August 13). The Red Arrows will be there, and there will be the chance to ride in a simulator to experience what it's like to fly the skies. Plus a street market featuring local arts, crafts, and food producers. www.minehead.co.uk

· The Exmoor Pony Festival runs from August 9 to August 17. Pony shows, rides, walks and special herd open days – with something on each day, it's the ideal way to discover the unique Exmoor Pony breed and those famous free-running herds in their native landscape, the Exmoor National Park.

· The Watchet Live Music Festival (August 22-24) is West Somerset's largest outdoor performing arts and music festival. www.watchetfestival.co.uk.

www.visit-exmoor.co.uk

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Glamping for the disabled

CLASSIC COTTAGES has introduced safari tents on stilts for disabled children and adults, with an array of on-site activities including hydrotherapy, horse riding, beauty treatments, blacksmithing, pottery, and pygmy pony petting.

Seale-Hayne in South Devon – with Dartmoor to the north and golden beaches a short drive south – is owned and run by the Dame Hannah Rogers Trust, a charity devoted to providing cultural, educational, and physical support for disabled or disadvantaged children and adults.

Here, Classic Cottages offers two safari tents (each sleeping six), built in the trees but fully wheelchair accessible and completely kitted out for less able-bodied guests. Each dwelling has two bedrooms (a double and a bunk-room), a double den-bed in the main living area, a wet room with shower, and a cloakroom with a wash-basin and proper loo.

The living areas have sofas, dining tables and chairs, and wood-fired ranges which not only keep evenings cozy but serve as the main cooking facility. Each kitchen has a Belfast sink, a fridge, a kettle and a power socket for charging iPhones and laptops. They have decks providing views across the Devon countryside.

In the main on-site building, there’s a licensed bistro and a hydrotherapy pool.  

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The quirky and unusual '2do'

Do somersaults in Devon

• The Somersault Festival (July 17-21) is a five-day celebration at Castle Hill in North Devon. There will be music, coasteering, water sports, kite surfing, photography tutorials, theatre schools, cookery courses, trekking, horse riding, and mountain biking on Exmoor.

 www.somersaultfestival.com

Off to the forest with Robin …

• CELEBRATE the 30^th anniversary of the Robin Hood Festival in Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire (August 4-10). Wander through a medieval village, meet strolling jousters and entertainers, enjoy jousting contests and a falconry display, and try your hand at archery in the forest made famous by the county’s most famous son.

www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/robinhoodfestival

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The other show in Cannes …

Cannes, France, is reputed internationally for its film festival....... 

But another popular event – for horse riding and celeb communities, anyway – in this region is the International Show Jumping of Cannes competition (June 12-14).

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Family fun in Cheshire

BOLESWORTH INTERNATIONAL is a four-day show-jumping and entertainment event held in the grounds of Bolesworth Castle, Cheshire, from June 12 to June 15. Now in its seventh year, it has gained three-star international status for attracting riders from all over the world.

It features entertainment for the whole family and free admission for the under 12s, with extreme sports, classic cars, and opportunities to see rare birds and animals. The Bolesworth Food, Fashion and Lifestyle Festival will also celebrate the very best in local food and drink, holistic beauty and lifestyle with fashion shows and family entertainment, including an open-air concert starring the boy band, Blue.

www.bolesworthinternational.com

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Hols for horses

MANY holiday companies cater for dog lovers wanting to take their pets with them, but few offer facilities for horses coming, too. 

New Forest Cottages does. 

This year, it is offering three self-catering properties where guests can bring their own horses or ponies and enjoy the forest's riding opportunities.

All three properties are in the New Forest National Park boundary, two near Fordingbridge while the third is two miles from the village of Brockenhurst.  They come with fields, paddocks or stables attached.

www.newforestcottages.co.uk 

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