tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286224782008-05-14T10:49:43.087-05:00EquiSearch.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12671815112903432584noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-87377761552475050502008-05-14T07:00:00.000-05:002008-05-14T07:00:02.956-05:00

Today, Catalina, Esteban’s sister, and a guide for Serendipity Adventures, took me out tree climbing. We hiked into the rainforest to this giant Fichus tree named Abraham, so named because he watches over the entire forest. I would be climbing up 120 feet (think a 10-12 story building) to a large platform that would take me into the forest canopy. Climbing up was like climbing the rope in gym

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-28232027600204007872008-05-09T09:00:00.000-05:002008-05-09T09:00:01.855-05:00

Today, we went to a frog farm that is not open to the public with Esteban of Centaura. The owner, raises rare frogs, but the neat thing is that the frogs are left to hop along in the rainforest, so if you walk quietly through, you can spot many of these neon colored frogs . We stealthily walked through the rainforest in search of these small frogs. Beside the trails, there were a lot of them.

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-58931494209051846022008-05-06T21:43:00.003-05:002008-05-06T21:51:53.200-05:00

13 episodes of Equitrekking are starting on Sunday, May 11th in the Washington, DC area (reaching parts of Northern VIrginia and from DC to Baltimore, Maryland) on WHUT, Channel 32, on Sundays at 2:30pm! The series kicks off with Coastal Ireland this Sunday. Please tune in. You may read a quick interview from the DC Examiner about the upcoming series and check your local listings for other dates

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-23547173459087732672008-05-06T14:55:00.000-05:002008-05-06T14:55:02.008-05:00

Today, we took a sunset beach ride on the Central Pacific Coast, which was beautiful. Monica and Sebastian of Centaura and I headed off through flat marshland and pastures on the way to the beach. I was on Pinata and Monica rode Perla. The Pacific beaches are a bit more calm and less rocky than the Caribbean side beaches. Cantering and galloping along the beach is a freeing experience, once you

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-19584128032200734512008-05-04T14:40:00.000-05:002008-05-04T14:40:00.773-05:00

Today was my first riding day in Costa Rica. We started at the farm and Esteban of Centaura helped me pick out the horse that I would be riding. The horses here are different breed mixes. Some have more Paso Fino in them then others, meaning that they are gaited and very smooth. After trying a few horses, I settled on riding Pinata, an Appaloosa mixed with Peruvian Paso. Pinata is a wonderfully

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-47487853937039395982008-05-01T08:00:00.000-05:002008-05-01T07:28:41.110-05:00

We’re riding from the Pacific Coast to the interior with Centaura, a horseback riding adventure travel company run by Monica and Esteban, a Costa Rican husband and wife team, and Serendipity Adventures, an adventure travel company that offers a plethora of outdoor adventures around Costa Rica. Centaura’s horses are amazing. They are well trained, responsive and riders can have their pick based

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-63564618436058429102008-04-27T06:48:00.005-05:002008-04-27T06:59:57.308-05:00

We're in Kentucky, filming a half hour episode in various destinations across the state, including Lexington. I just left the Rolex Three-Day, one of the most exciting equestrian sporting events in the world. The horses and riders in this competition, especially Karen O'Connor and her horse, Theodore O'Conner, are truly amazing. I can't imagine the exhilaration they must feel as they take on

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-59906495771661542502008-04-14T14:23:00.000-05:002008-04-20T08:25:42.831-05:00

I haven’t been skiing in years. As a child, we used to go every winter, but I definitely did not have confidence in my abilities going out today at Mont Tremblant. So, I took a lesson, and it was like riding a bike. It was great. Braham, my instructor went through the basics again with me. He picked a nice, easy, long trail. On a normal run, it would have taken us 20 minutes to get down.

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-41646886056560837142008-04-09T08:30:00.000-05:002008-04-09T22:54:04.502-05:00

In Montreal, we were fortunate enough to be able to visit the mounted police in Quebec’s Mont Royal Park, which is like New York’s Central Park. There are twenty Canadian horses that the park police use when patrolling, not only the park, but the entire city. The horses and their stables are well taken care of. They ride all year round in the park, except when it is very, very cold and sleeting.

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-80463459054989447252008-03-28T08:20:00.001-05:002008-03-28T12:56:57.736-05:00

Jacques Robidas got Mimi and Jackie, two Belgian Draught horses, ready for my driving lesson. I would be learning to drive a horse drawn sleigh- so nice in the winter snow! We took off at a good clip into the forest. Jackie and Mimi are related, Mimi being Jackie’s daughter, and get along like two peas in a pod. I had driven a cart in Vermont, so knew a few of the commands (haw go left and gee

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-80349448545014287002008-03-24T09:27:00.002-05:002008-03-24T09:34:20.123-05:00

We are excited to be giving away airline tickets to Iceland and a Grand Prize Trip to ride horses in Iceland, courtesy of our sponsor Icelandair. This is an ongoing contest. We will be picking one winner each quarter for four quarters (that means that you and a friend can fly to Iceland for free) with a final grand prize trip (for the winner and a friend) to ride horses and soak in the Blue

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-68333098789422538712008-03-23T14:26:00.003-05:002008-04-04T08:37:07.241-05:00

Dogsledding is hard work. Who knew! I stood on the back of the sled with my guide, from Adventures Banquise, who was commanding the dogs. You have to balance yourself on these boards on the back of the sled and really shift your weight as you travel, especially around the turns. Nine huskies, led by Flipper, took us on a wild ride through the woods, across a vast lake and back. I was even able

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-60197215709090871472008-03-23T08:32:00.007-05:002008-04-14T14:57:43.895-05:00

Josée and her husband started Ranch Mont Tremblant, a Western style guest ranch in the ski area of Mont Tremblant, 18 years ago. The ranch has a mountain lodge-like atmosphere, with warm fireplaces in the main lodge, which like all of the five buildings on the ranch property, was once a barn. Josée and her husband started small with the ranch and has continually expanded, moving horses and guests

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-57432301717908652842008-03-18T23:03:00.000-05:002008-03-18T13:25:49.746-05:00

Today we went horseback riding in an area of Quebec known as the Eastern Townships. This part of Quebec is close to the U.S. border and many of the townships were originally settled by Loyalists to the crown, who sympathizing with Britain, fled the Northern most colonies. The town of North Hatley is set on a beautiful lake. This sleepy hamlet is surrounded by small ski resorts and filled with

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-79356358603588431332008-03-13T10:13:00.000-05:002008-03-13T21:22:00.802-05:00

I just spent a couple of days riding and eating at Wildcatter Ranch outside of the small town of Graham, Texas. I was able to ride a couple of different trails with some nice trotting and cantering, as well as take part in a wild cattle drive. I say that it was wild, because we had fresh cattle, who hadn’t been worked a lot on horseback. A group of four of us led by the head wrangler Jay Brewer

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-16496808697883531902008-02-29T10:12:00.000-05:002008-02-29T12:31:11.428-05:00

We next went to the Fort Worth Stock Show (FW SSR), reputed to be the oldest stock show in the country. I was interested in seeing the Pony of Americas show, where ponies of all coat colors, including one that looked like a Dalmatian, were shown on a lead line. The little girls who led them were dressed in glitzy Western outfits. The stock show runs all month with lots of animals- cattle,

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-77854964649379033702008-02-26T10:11:00.000-05:002008-02-26T23:55:32.978-05:00

I was pleasantly surprised by Fort Worth. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I loved the cool, old west feel of some parts of the city, the friendly people, good food and diverse attractions. I visited the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame, which was great. I could have definitely gotten pulled into the gift shop for a while, had I more time. The museum is dedicated to women who have

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-44496578787552106932008-02-24T13:47:00.000-05:002008-02-24T13:47:42.130-05:00

We drove up to Hill Country Equestrian Lodge just before sunset. The main house is a 100-year-old home on the grounds of an old cattle ranch. Guests here stay in new cabins, fully equipped with kitchens and fireplaces. This is an intimate, 9-room ranch that focuses on riding technique, as well as taking riders into the Hill Country Natural Area and on the varied terrain surrounding the ranch.

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-81933592586399601352008-02-23T09:44:00.000-05:002008-02-23T07:09:01.163-05:00

Owned by German couple Irish and Ralph Kutchner, the Running-R Ranch is a small guest ranch in the Hill Country of Texas, just outside of the small town of Bandera, self-proclaimed as the Cowboy Capital of the World. We picked this ranch out of many in the Bandera area, as it takes a smaller number of guests (up to 50) and focuses on horseback riding above all else. There are big family style

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-24997489162521660352008-02-14T10:08:00.000-05:002008-02-14T11:14:11.214-05:00

Today I rode with Ron, a true cowboy and character, from Rancho del la Osa, a historic ranch right beside the border of Mexico. I picked this ranch because of its unique history and location. You can see the wall, built on the border here between the Mexican and American towns of Sasabe, from the ranch. We also rode up to a high overlook to see the beautiful rolling mountains of Mexico. I rode a

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-88565758099111809472008-02-09T10:06:00.000-05:002008-02-09T09:00:08.127-05:00

Today, I rode a beautiful horse named Pressley, a Foxtrotter owned by Terry Smith, a Cave Creek local who is an avid horse trail preservationist. In fact, a lot of Cave Creek residents are into preserving trails and making life in their town horse friendly, including Don and Cathy Peterson, who also came along on our ride. You can ride into town and tie your horse to a hitching post to eat at

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-29333759064798383532008-02-06T07:49:00.000-05:002008-02-06T10:02:01.596-05:00

Today we rode with Joseph Milton of Windwalker Expeditions in the Bradshaw Mountains outside of Phoenix. With views of large, Lake Pleasant juxtaposed with the dry, high Sonoran desert, sprinkled with saguaro, cats claw, prickly pear, palo verde, jojoba, mesquite, hedgehog cactus, jumping cholla, ocotillo and vegetation and rolling mountains, this is a beautiful ride. Donna and Bill, two local

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-68839718948346811812008-02-01T08:16:00.001-05:002008-02-01T08:58:57.293-05:00

Hi from Arizona, where we are filming a new episode for our third season. We're traveling from the Northeastern part of the state down to the border or Mexico. I was definitely reconsidering my choice for riding in Canyon de Chelly in the Navajo Nation in the Northeast in the winter, as I stuck my cold, gloved hand in my pocket to feel for the warm pouches that I used to use on ski trips as a kid

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-42250738280226371732007-12-30T18:46:00.001-05:002008-01-05T17:46:47.409-05:00

Starting in January, we are excited that stations across the nation are scheduling a new season of Equitrekking. You may watch a video promo at Equitrekking.com. Some listings of note include: Albuquerque airs season two on KNME onThursdays at 7:00pm beginning January 10th and repeating on Saturdays at 7:00pm, also simulcasting the HD version on the HD channel on Saturdays at 7:00pm.

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28622478.post-17186582819749657732007-12-28T11:34:00.000-05:002007-12-28T11:39:16.733-05:00

Our new series begins broadcasts on PBS stations this winter. We have just put up a season two video promo, so that you may have a sneak peak at some of our adventures. Happy New Year!

Darley Newmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06983029886353806838noreply@blogger.com