A Little Update…

We’ve obviously been far too busy riding to update our blog… 🙂

So – what’s been happening at QPA?

Well, first of all we were lucky enough to have some amazing photos taken – have a look in the photo gallery! It will make you want to rewind the clock back to winter and head for the west coast! However, with winter now fully behind us, we are getting ready for another summer season.

The horses and ponies have finally lost their winter coats (is it just us or does anyone else contemplate keeping all the excess hair to fill some pillows and duvets?) , the sky is blue, the sun is shining, the temperature rising…

Spring is a lovely time of year at QPA – there are flowers everywhere and the rivers are so full that on some parts you will get your feet wet! Lucky for us our horses love going through the rivers and some even enjoy a good splash (if you have ever ridden Ruby you will know what I mean)!

Since June is just around the corner, so is the Summer … We can get very busy in the summer … so if you are heading to the Algarve this year and want to join us on one of our many amazing rides, please make sure you book in time to avoid disappointment. We have something on offer for all levels!

Looking forward to welcoming you at the yard!

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Summer 2013

Hello from the Hot Sunny Algarve!

Summer is here! We have a lot to look forward to:

Two Day West Coast Rides

We organize the two day west coast ride on a regular basis throughout the next few months. Please send us an email or enquiry on the contact page to see what the next upcoming dates are. This ride is an amazing adventure for the experienced rider: we ride from QPA to Carrapateira through stunning scenery to a lovely farmhouse where you and the horses spend the night. You will have a home cooked (and mostly home-grown!) dinner that evening. After some breakfast you will head towards the beach and if the tides are in our favour, have a gallop on the beach before returning to QPA. You will ride for approximately 3.5hrs on each day with a lunch stop in between.

FETAAL

Fetaal is a horse festival in our local village of Bensafrim. There are many stands with local handicrafts and tasty cakes, honeys, jams and other local delicacies, as well as the horse-side of the event. Dressage on the first day, showjumping the next and every evening our own special carrousel! The carrousel consists of 4-8 riders from QPA. Our own pony club kidos train for weeks to get every move spot on – not to be missed!

Four Day West Coast Ride

The ultimate horse adventure: four days of riding with overnight stops. We are in the process of organizing the next two rides, which will take place in September and October. Please contact us for more details.

Remember if you aren’t up for two or four days we also offer easy hacks of one or two hours!

Then the sad part of our news: we had to say goodbye to our lovely big boy Humphrey. He spent many years at QPA and once excelled at dressage and showjumping before retiring a couple of years ago due to a hock injury. Unfortunately age took its toll and we had to let him go. He will be dearly missed by all.

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Hope to see you soon out riding!

Winter 2013

Yes, Portugal has four seasons too. Luckily for us our winters are a lot milder than most of the places our clients come from! We don’t have to worry about snow or ice, the little rain we get is very welcome to give our horses the pleasure of having grass in their paddocks! See these two happy ponies:

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The new year has brought along a bit of change for us at QPA. First of all we had to say farewell to Nikki and Emma. Nikki is now working at a showjumper’s yard in Germany and Emma has gone to live her dream in Africa where she spends her days photographing lions, giraffes and elephants… we’re not jealous at all. Since their departures we have welcomed new staff members Jamie and Catharina.

We’re busy getting ready for the FOUR DAY WEST COAST RIDE (have you booked your place yet?), with the first ride starting on March 18th. The horses (and Jamie) are in training, the tracks are being checked and we guarantee you it will be an experience of a lifetime. The Algarve is so beautiful at this time of year; lots of flowers out, green hills and flowing rivers. It can even be warm enough to ride in a t-shirt! (this picture was taken 09/02/2013)

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Of course if you don’t fancy four days of riding we can also take you on a one or two hour hack through our stunning countryside.

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Happy Riding!

Four Day West Coast Ride 2013

Here are the dates for the Four Day West Coast Ride for 2013:

MARCH 18th – 21st 2013

APRIL 22nd – 25th 2013

MAY 19th – 22nd 2013

We only take small groups so spaces are limited. Please contact us for availability.

If you would like to come with a group of friends we can adjust the dates to suit you!

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Fetaal 2012

QPA Summer Champion Tournament

School holidays means more time for lessons and training. Pony club kids have been working hard all summer for the Fetaal carousel (see “Fetaal” post) and also for our local showjumping competitions!

Swim Time!

The best bit about almost-summer is it’s perfect swimming weather! We’re not sure who had more fun: Freddie or Fiji!