Page 10 - NagMag November 2014

Ranch Rider
Experience a western adrenaline R rush with Ranch Rider
anch Rider offers an extensive collection of transfers and return flight from £895pp. Departures March ranches where guests can participate in cattle to November.
work, but one of the latest additions to the At The Colorado Cattle Company travellers will
riding holiday specialist’s Colorado portfolio comes with have a shot at becoming a real cowboy, the ranch featured
Slver Spur Working Ranch
a fresh twist on the usual cowboy fare. The tour operator is also introducing an all out western experience in the Centennial state, new Medicine Lodge Winter Horse Gathers in Idaho.
A western adrenaline rush, at Colorado’s Zapata Working Ranch guests are often invited to gather
the 400 strong herd of domestic bison. Once hunted
to near extinction in the nineteenth century, ongoing conservation programs like those at Zapata have helped
to stem their demise and today over 500,000 can be found in North America. The ranch also manages 2,500 head of wild bison, the opportunity to get close to them on horseback an even more thrilling experience. May is a particularly exciting time to travel as cattle branding weeks are available; the bison give birth and the young calves banding together in playful groups. Dramatic landscapes offer no shortage of horseback adventures. Guests can ride across the back of the Great Sand Dunes National Park throughout the season and those travelling in July have
the option to participate in a four night pack trip to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains (19-25 July). Six nights with Ranch Rider from £1,495pp (two sharing) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities (including riding), use of ranch facilities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes
on the back of the City Slickers movie: a collector’s edition DVD released in 2008. Guests can master the art of roping off a horse in just one week as many of the instructors are members of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Situated on thousands of acres of deeded prime ranch land, the wranglers look after over 800 head of cattle every summer. At the cowboy school, guests can learn how to read and work cattle and improve their riding
and horsemanship skills; team penning, team sorting, cutting, reining, cow catch, tag, and other games taking guests from greenhorn to fully fledged cowboy in seven days. Around 70-75 highly trained quarter type horses are provided to suit any riding ability, most registered by AQHA or APHA. Six nights from £1,459pp (no single supplement) including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities (including riding), use of ranch facilities and taxes. Excludes gratuities, transfers from £130pp and return flight from £895pp. Departures from May to October.
The new Medicine Lodge Winter Horse Drive is the ultimate equine challenge. Offered by Idaho’s Silver Spur Working Ranch, guests will be tasked with herding between 30 and 55 head of horses to their winter pastures. A great way to see the Gem state’s
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