General Description

Dordogne, Perigord and Quercy
These rides explore the Lot and Dordogne valleys in south west France, an area boasting some 1200 Chateaux and steeped with Anglo French history dating back to the Hugenot era. Beautiful oak forests, river valleys and rolling hills make it a wonderful area to explore by horse and the region’s superb cuisine and its renowned Cahors and Bordeaux wines, all add to its attraction. Three of the longer ride itineraries for 2008 follow routes from village to village, whilst the Haut de Baran Ride and Chateau de Rouffiac Ride are based at small, secluded chateaux. For those with only a weekend to spare, another option is the three night St Emilion Weekend, riding across the famous wine growing region between Bergerac and St Emilion. All rides include visits to fortified bastide towns, set in imposing positions along the river valleys, and to castles and chateaux dating back to the Renaissance and Middle Ages. There are picnic lunches to enjoy along the way and classic French food and wine is served at your hotel at night, a welcome indulgence after a day in the saddle. Of the long ride itineraries, the Quercy Ride includes the most riding; the Perigord Ride is a little more relaxed with visits to local sights of historical interest after riding, and the Vineyards & Chateaux Ride is a leisurely ride combined with wine tasting and tours of some local Cahors vineyards. The Haut de Baran and Chateau de Rouffiac Rides include five relaxed days riding with time to enjoy the comfortable chateau and explore the local area.

Summary

2008 Dates:		Perigord Ride 5th to 12th April* 3rd to 10th May* 7th to 14th June 5th to 12th July 26th July to 2nd August 2nd to 9th August 6th to 13th September 18th to 25th October* *low season - please enquire for details Quercy Ride 25th to 31st May 22nd to 28th June 24th to 30th August Vineyards & Chateaux of Cahors 11th to 17th May 15th to 21st June 3rd to 9th August 20th to 26th July 14th to 20th September 28th September to 4th October Haut de Baran Ride 18th to 24th May 17thto 23rd Augus Chateau de Rouffiac Ride 20th to 26th April 21st to 27th September St Emilion Weekend 13th to 16th March 20th to 23rd March 27th to 30th March 30th October to 2nd November 6th to 9th November 13th to 16th November
Season:		April to October (March & November for St Emilion weekend)

Horses and Riding

The horses used are mostly locally bred French saddle horses of between 14.2hh and 16hh. They are well schooled, good-natured and a sensible but forward going and responsive ride. Saddles are either English, 'Maclellans' (which are a comfortable cross between an English and western saddle), with western style also available for those who wish. Most of the horses are ridden western style and are used to neck reining and to a light contact with the mouth. Saddle bags are provided when necessary. The horses are tacked up / prepared for you by the local staff. Rides are normally limited to a maximum of 7 guests and are lead by Michel who is French and owns the horses. He is an experienced, knowledgeable guide and speaks fluent English.

Hours: There is usually between 4 and 6 hours riding a day (it varies with the itinerary, the Quercy ride including the longest riding hours), broken up with rests and for lunch and sightseeing.

Pace and experience required: To join these rides you should have a reasonable amount of previous riding experience and should be secure and comfortable on a well-schooled horse at a walk, trot and canter over varied terrain. The pace is fairly slow to moderate overall and quite relaxed. There is a weight limit of 95kgs (15 stone) on Perigord, Vineyards and Chateau, Haut de Baran and Chateau Rouffiac rides; 86kgs (13 stone 8lbs) on the Quercy Ride.

Accommodation

Accommodation on the rides is in a variety of good quality 2* and 3* hotels. Hotels are comfortable, chosen as far as possible for their character and all rooms have their own bathroom. Most have a good restaurant and several have their own swimming pool for a relaxing dip after the day's ride. The Vineyards and Chateaux Ride also uses a lovely 13th Century chateau which is a 4* hotel. The Haut de Baran & Chateau Rouffiac Rides are based from historic chateaux in the heart of the Dordogne. Haut de Baran has 7 beautiful bedrooms, all with individual bathrooms, and there is a swimming pool and jacuzzi. Chateau Rouffiac has 4 lovely double rooms, with en-suite bathrooms. It also has a swimming pool and is surrounded by its own vineyards. Rates assume accommodation in twin rooms but single rooms are available at a supplement.

Rates & Travel

Travel
The meeting point for most rides is Agen (meeting for Haut de Baran ride is Cahor and for St Emilion weekend Bergerac). Meeting at Bergerac airport can usually be arranged on request at no extra charge.

The nearest international airports to Agen are Bergerac, Bordeaux and Toulouse and there are good train services from both Bordeaux and Toulouse to Agen, taking about an hour. There are also trains to Agen from Paris or London Waterloo. For flights from London to Bordeaux / Toulouse budget around £150 economy return (varies with the airline and season). We can arrange for you to be collected from either airport for an extra charge.

There are also flights from several regional UK airports to Bergerac with low cost airlines. This is the meeting point for the St Emilion Weekend but we can also arrange transfers from here to Agen for those joining any of the other rides.

Itinerary in Brief (Perigord Ride)

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