Washington International Horse Show

Last night I went behind the scenes at the Washington International Horse Show. You could call it backstage, the area before the horses and their riders enter the arena to compete, but I didn't get a jittery vibe by the schooling ring, a tiny oval shaped ring with two five foot jumps set up so that riders can warm up before they compete. Everyone looked calm and collected as they navigated the tiny ring together.

Here are links to two short videos. This video shows the schooling area and this video is of a stall, where a horse named Skyline is getting his mane braided in preparation for the event.

It's quite a production to put the Washington International Horse Show on at Washington DC's Verizon Center. Imagine horses in the city! A street in downtown DC beside Verizon is blocked off and filled with stalls. The logistics and timing of getting horses in and out of the city in giant trailers is also a lot. Because the downstairs schooling area is small, many riders have odd times to warm up, like a midnight to 3AM lungeing session or Children's Jumpers at 4AM. That's a dedicated child!

The event is from October 20-25, 2009 and includes Dressage exhibitions, Jack Russell Terrier Races, Saturday evening's $100,000 President's Cup Grand Prix, a Sunday afternoon barn day and more. I watched the Adult Jumper Championship last night and met various people for whom horses are a huge part of their lives.

Wadi Rum Desert, Jordan

On our second day of riding in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan, (see Wadi Rum Desert Jordan for initial ride we rode into what Atallah called Lawrence Canyon, so named after Lawrence of Arabia. The first day’s ride was spectacular, but this was even grander, as I got to see petroglyphs that were over 2500 years old and amazing rock formations. We rode into the shade of a quiet canyon where we again saw Jordan’s national bird, the Senai Rose Finch.

Sunrise Camel Ride, Jordan

Riding a camel as the sun rises in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan requires you to get up early, really early. I was up at 5 AM to meet the camels after a late night in the desert camp. We slept in Captain’s Desert Camp, which has an active party atmosphere. As live music was played, I ate plentiful mansaf for dinner. Mansaf is a popular Jordanian dish made with lamb, yogurt, rice, egg and spices. It was served on a big platter and to my surprise there were no plates or silverware. Everyone dug in with their right hand, rolling the rice, sticky with yogurt sauce, into a ball and sticking it into their mouth. Think of it like eating buffalo wings or BBQ chicken with your hands. You want some sort of hand wipes or something afterwards.

We hiked out to meet the camels in the morning. Riding a camel isn’t like riding a horse. I think camels are a lot harder to control, but maybe these camels weren’t that well trained, just as horses can be. My camel was better than Ibrahim’s, my guide’s, but he kept wanting to sit down! We took off from Captain’s Camp toward a higher ridge, where we could film the sunrise. It was beautiful.

Right beside Captain’s Camp is a racetrack where they hold camel races, something that would be funny to see. Camels can run pretty fast, 25 mph for a longer stretch and up to around 40 mph in short bursts. Our camels were simply walking, enough for me on camelback at 5am.

Create TV Great Outdoors Marathon

Watch Equitrekking on The Great Outdoors marathon tomorrow, Sept 19, on Create TV with episodes from Scotland and Belize.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts from Jordan and Turkey.

Around the World Radio

Yesterday, I spoke with veteran radio broadcaster Arthur von Wiesenberger on "Around the World Radio." It's been over a year since we spoke, so we had a lot to catch up on in a little amount of time. You may listen to the show and me talking about riding around the world at this link from Around the World Radio. Also, learn more about Around the World Radio's sixty-minute travel talk show, which airs three times weekly in Southern California on AM 1290 KZSB and is syndicated on around the world, on their website.

Equitrekking Wins a Daytime Emmy

We are so excited to announce that Equitrekking has won a Daytime Emmy!

Over the weekend in a star studded gala in Los Angeles, Equitrekking's small, but mighty three person crew, including me, Greg Barna (Equitrekking's Director of Photography) and Chip Ward (Equitrekking's Executive Producer) accepted a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Single Camera Photography.

Equitrekking was also honored with a nomination for a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Special Class Series. Alex Trebek, one of the hosts for the event, gathered with other celebrities including Susan Flannery, star of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, celebrity chef Ming Tsai, Nancy Cartwright of “The Simpsons,” child star Bindi Irwin, talk show host Wendy Williams, members the cast of Sesame Street and television industry veterans to present the Emmy awards.

We are so glad that our horsey travel series has been recognized for this outstanding achievement. View more photos from the event and become a fan of Equitrekking on Equitrekking's Facebook page. Also, watch a short video on my Twitter page @DarleyNewman or at Tweetreel.

Equitrekking's DVDs, hats, shirts, jewelry and more are available in our store at ShopDarley.com

Académie du spectacle équestre, France

I am researching for a few France episodes, so if anyone has had any good experiences riding in France, please let me know. (Also India and Germany).

A friend of mine just gave me a DVD that she purchased on her trip to Versailles. It's of the Académie du spectacle équestre, where there is a show directed by Bartabos of beautiful horses dancing to music. I've been to the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez, Spain and seen that amazing show and would like to go to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna as well, so watching this footage makes me also want to visit in person! (some friends have a possible way to make the Austria trip happen. It's being talked about on Twitter. See @KempEquine @lovemyponies @LostockBestman @pinwingirl) It would be great to tour the Grand Stable!

Here's a clip of some of the show on YouTube. Actually, on their website, they say they are recruiting riders...

Stable Scoop Radio Show

If you haven't heard about it, there's a weekly online radio show (podcast) with horse news, interviews and talk about horses. I had a great time speaking with hosts Glenn the Geek and Helena on the Stable Scoop Radio Show. Please listen to Stable Scoop Episode 49.

Buzzards Restaurant Calgary

If you visit Calgary, there’s a very unique experience at Buzzard’s Restaurant. Besides the really good food, you can try well-prepared Prairie Oysters, known by some as Rocky Mountain Oysters. It was once a delicacy in Alberta. You might be able to guess where they come from. (They are bull testicles.) If you are one for not letting things go to waste, then prairie oysters might be something you’d like to try.

Chef Aaron sautés them and then makes a sauce with rum, butter, brown sugar walnuts and serves them atop corn bread with strawberry sauce and strawberries. It’s sort of a dessert style prairie oyster. These were a little too pure for my liking, but the prarie oyster meatballs were pretty ok. I had a good time at Buzzards just hanging out with Chef Aaron, who seeing that I wasn't eating mass amounts of the prarie oysters, cooked me up BBQ ribs, garlic mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. I filled up on that after the Stampede, and it was tasty!

Calgary Stampede

The Calgary Stampede... There is a lot going on at this 10-day summer event that around 120,000 people attend each day.

I was able to see the working cow horse classic, where the horse and rider must do a sort of combination before the cow is brought into play, including lead changes, figure eights and sliding stops. I watched the younger horses, who wore only a hackamore, and interviewed a rider named Rose, whose four-year-old mount was competing for the first time. When the cow is brought out, the horse and rider must control the cow. They are running after the steer, leading it along the fence and to the middle of the arena. Men and women compete in this event, as they do in many events at the Stampede. It will get your heart moving just watching.

One event that I got to meet the very large horses for but didn’t get to see is the Heavy Horse Pull. This year, a horse named Jim pulled over 13,100 pounds!

Equitrekking in France

We are very excited that Equitrekking is airing in France and French speaking territories through AB Groupe. It's kind of fun to hear my name said with such a nice accent.

You may watch a promo for Equitrekking in France at Escalestv.fr (it plays automatically) and learn more about the episodes and watch a different trailer on a page dedicated to Equitrekking's Sunday night 8:30pm (20:30) broadcasts.

Alberta Impressions- Day One

I am sitting on the porch of Idle Spurs B and B in Black Diamond, Alberta. The sun is shining. It's probably 65 degrees Fahrenheit and the clouds are rolling by in the sky as I sip fresh lemonade. I hope that it's this beautiful tomorrow when we film a ride into the high country.

The Calgary Airport screamed cowboy flavor today. It's Calgary Stampede week, so the city and airport are buzzing with people. There was a western band playing as we exited the gate and someone tried to lasso me, literally! It was funny.

We drove the start of the Cowboy Trail on the way to our first destination. It's really pretty outside of Calgary. The farms that we passed on the Cowboy Trail seemed well kept. There's a lot of open grass with cows and horses grazing. I had heard about cute towns and antique shops, and we passed a really cute antique store in Turner Valley.

We arrived to meet Beverly, the owner of Idle Spurs. She offered us her homemade oatmeal cookies and made us feel really welcome. I've been spending time just looking around at all of the Western art and antiques that she has collected. Beverly and her husband are having a BBQ tonight and invited us. I can't wait to try their grilled steaks!

Mongol Derby

I've heard from Long Riders in the past who have taken amazing treks on horseback. To be in The Long Riders Guild, one has to have "ridden more than 1,000 continuous miles on a single equestrian journey." That's no small feat!

Yesterday, a friend emailed me about The Mongol Derby, an extreme horse race this summer (starting Aug 22) in Mongolia. 25 riders are going to race 1000 kilometers through Mongolia. They'll be riding those strong, tough Mongolian horses and changing horses every 30 to 40 km. The website makes it sound downright dangerous, which if you could imagine, it probably is. I know I'd love to ride in Mongolia, but trust me, when I go it will be a much more leisurely ride.

DC Week for the Animals

In Washington DC, my home area, this week is DC Week for the Animals. There are over 70 events celebrating animals, including horses!

A few notable organizations in the area... ReRun, Inc., which helps rehabilitate ex-racehorses so that they may go on to second careers. On our visit to the Secretariat Center in Kentucky, we were able to learn more about life for Thoroughbreds after they leave the track and the challenges trainers face in retraining them. Check out our video from the Secretariat Center.

The amazing Caisson horses at the Walter Reed Medical Center are celebrated this week. They will do their usual therapy session with wounded soldiers on Thursday morning from 9am-12pm. You may read an article about the Caisson horses on Equitrekking.com. Susan Seligman visited the stables to write about the program for Equitrekking.com. This week especially, the program is requesting that we all write letters of appreciation to the Caisson horses and their handlers.

Tune in Oregon, Wed. 6pm to Equitrekking

Oregonians, please tune in to Equitrekking's new season starting next week on Wednesday 6/10 at 6pm on OPB. If you're watching Equitrekking on OPB now, you're in for Equitrekking's Utah episode tomorrow night at 6pm (Wed 6/3). Bryce Canyon National Park, Snow Canyon State Park, Capitol Reef and Antelope Island are explored.

Equitrekking new season includes stunning episodes from Southern Spain (June 10), Scotland (June 17), Quebec City and Beyond (June 24), Central Turkey (July 1), Wales (July 8) and Alaska (July 15). Please tune in to watch Equitrekking's Emmy nominated series! You can watch video previews at Equitrekking.com

Grid Work in the sunshine

I usually have my riding lessons on Wednesday and for the past few weeks/months, it always seems to rain on Wednesdays. I don't mind riding in the rain so much, but you can only do so much when the footing is bad. I've been working a lot on dressage basics in my lessons, so was overjoyed today to be able to jump.

Today I rode Dirk, a horse that I would call the perfect teacher. He is so smart that he basically gets the exercise after one or two rounds and then I am the one who gets to work on my form. We did grid work and Dirk bounced right along. At first, I had to give a bit of leg, but after a time or two, Dirk was excited, so I didn't have to work too hard to do some fun gymnastic jumping.

Hoping for continued good weather!

Please may follow me on Twitter @DarleyNewman and check out our newly posted behind the scenes and bloopers in honor of Equitrekking Daytime Emmy nominations at Equitrekking.com and EquitrekkingTV on YouTube.

Equitrekking Bloopers and Tweets

I've just added some fun Behind the Scenes and Bloopers videos to Equitrekking.com and EquitrekkingTV on YouTube.

In honor of our Director of Photography Greg Barna getting nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Single Camera Photography for Equitrekking, check out the Greg Barna video on YouTube. You'll see a bit more about how we film Equitrekking on horseback.

In Belize, we had an interesting experience finding medicinal remedies on horseback with local Albert Garbutt, so that's up on YouTube as well.

Finally, I had to add this clip from filming in the underground city in Guzelyurt, Turkey at Equitrekking.com and YouTube. When the lights went out and I was two stories underground, my heart definitely skipped a few beats.

Also, I've just started Tweeting. You may follow me on Twitter @DarleyNewman.

Equitrekking on PBS Nominated for Two Daytime Emmy Awards

We are very excited to announce that Equitrekking on PBS has received two Daytime Emmy nominations! Equitrekking is nominated for Outstanding Special Class Series with Chip Ward as Executive Producer and me, Darley Newman, as Producer and Host. We were also nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Single Camera Photography for the work of our talented cinematographer Greg Barna.

Equitrekking is broadcast on PBS, the network that brought home the most nominations with a total of 56.

Read more about the Daytime Emmy Nominations and check out the other nominees.

Great Kentucky Trail Rides

In Kentucky, I went trail riding at Shaker Village, the Land Between the Lakes, Barren River State Park and the Big Red Stables. Here's a web only video clip from Equitrekking's Great Trail Rides in Kentucky. Happy Trails!

Equitrekking Wales Sneak Peak

The Gower Peninsula in Wales is a really neat place to explore on horseback, as the beaches are very wide and dramatic, surrounding by huge, mossy cliffs. In this short video, Olive Edwards of Parc le Breos and I did some faster riding on Three Cliffs Beach. After that, we visited an old supposedly haunted church and a beautiful old castle, all within riding distance of the beach.

This segment is part of our Equitrekking Wales episode, premiering now on PBS stations across the country. The song that we used in this segment is an original composition by Jennifer Crouser, a native of Minneapolis, where the Equitrekking Wales episode is premiering on tpt LIFE Tues, 5/12 at 11:30am and 9pm.

Crouser studied composition and theory, with a concentration on chamber music. She is currently completing a CD of original songs called "Caiffage & Sopp." You may learn more about Jennifer Crouser and listen to samples from her new CD on her new website.

For those of you who are not in Minneapolis, you may check your local listings using Equitrekking's station finder. New York City folks may tune in tonight to WLIW, Channel 21, to watch Equitrekking Southern Spain at 7:30pm to see some beach riding action and riding in the Seville Countryside. We've added more videos to EquitrekkingTV's Channel on YouTube from Spain and beyond.

Happy travels and stay tuned for more riding info and video clips from around the world.

Loch Ness, Scotland video

In this video, I went searching for the Loch Ness monster on horseback in Scotland as part of our Equitrekking Scotland episode (on PBS now). The sun was shining. I was on a spirited horse, normally used for endurance riding, and though we didn't see Nessie, I enjoyed this scenic area of Scotland.

Ireland Riding Resources and New Video Clips

We've added lots of great riding vacation destinations to Equitrekking's Travel Guide, which has been featured in the Chicago Tribune and other great media, including many new destinations in Uruguay and Ireland. Equitrekking's Travel Guide and Equitrekking.com, the companion to our PBS series, serve as a resource for travelers who want to try horseback riding on their next vacation.

Over the weekend, we also put up some fun Behind the Scenes video podcasts available for free download in the iTunes music store. We've got a "Behind the Scenes Cabalgata" from Costa Rica and "Behind the Scenes Quebec" clip to show you how we filmed our snow riding episode. You can also watch clips on Equitrekking.com and Equitrekking TV on YouTube.

I'm always looking for new places to ride, so was excited to learn that there's a new website that serves as a directory of tourist friendly riding centres in Ireland at www.discoverireland.ie/equestrian. The site also has information on equestrian events, museums and fairs. It was created by Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Authority that promotes Irish tourism, and is a good source of all things horsey in Ireland.

When we visited Ireland to film our two Ireland episodes, I did a big loop around the country starting and ending in Dublin. I was able to visit the Irish National Stud, ride on the beach, in the countryside and some lesser visited destinations on the Cooley Peninsula. If you're interested in seeing some footage from some of these rides, check out our video podcasts in the iTunes music store which features a "Best of Ireland's Coast" and "Donegal Beach Ride."

I'll keep looking for other great riding resouces to send your way and continue adding new video clips to Equitrekking.com this week.

El Charabon Cattle Drive, Uruguay

This morning the rain subsided at the estancia where we are riding, El Charabon, so we headed out for a cattle drive. I rode a wonderful, smooth Criollo out to the far fields, where we five of us, including Jorge, me, Paola and El Charabon’s gauchos would gather cattle to move them to another pasture. Jorge let me borrow his wool poncho, which is what the gauchos typically wear when it’s cooler here in Uruguay. At first, I didn’t want to wear it, as it didn’t seem totally fashionable, but once I had it on, I was very glad. As the rain poured down on us once again, I knew that I would sleep well on the flight back to the USA this evening, after riding horses and herding cattle in the rain.

I did have fun though, as we headed up the cattle and moved them on out. They were a pretty easy bunch, but that’s probably because their gaucho has trained them so well. We had more pastries back at the house before leaving.

Check out our new station finder, which will help you search for Equitrekking episodes on your local PBS station, on Equitrekking.com's website.

Torta Frita Recipe from Uruguay

Estancia El Charabon is a lovely working ranch in Rocha owned by husband and wife couple Jorge and Graciela Zuasnabar. Graciela is an artist, whose work populates the walls inside the estancia, giving it a unique, eclectic feel.

We arrived in the rain to find Graciela, who gave us a tour and then presented us with a medley of decadent pastries and teas. We had one amazing pastry called Torta Frita, which I was told by several people in Uruguay is typically made on rainy days. It’s like a light funnel cake sprinkled with powdered sugar or a big airy donut. Greg, our cinematographer, and I each had three!

Alicia from La Salamora has been so kind as to email us the recipe so that we can make this decadent pastry at home in the USA. Here it is for all you Torta Frita fans like me.

Ingredients
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tbsp. vegetable shortening (or beef lard)
3/4 cup of milk or water
2 cups flour
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder (Royal is suggested)

Approx. 2 cups shortening (or beef lard) for frying.


Preparation
Melt the 2 tbsp. butter or margarine and 1 tbsp. of shortening together in a pan or in the microwave. Heat the milk (or water) until hot, but not boiling. Combine the melted fat with the milk (or water).
In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well. Make a hole in the mound and pour the liquid in the middle. Gradually incorporate the flour mixture. Once mixed thoroughly, turn the dough out onto a flat, clean surface and knead well. Separate into 12 equally sized balls. Roll out each ball into a circle 1/2 cm thick. With your finger, poke a hole in the middle of each circle. In a large frying pan, melt 1-2 cups of shortening or lard over medium high heat. Fry each circle to a golden color in the melted shortening or lard. You might need to lower the temperature to medium while fying the batch. Transfer tortas to a plate with paper towels or paper bags to remove excess oil. Eat while still warm with dulce de leche spread or mermelada. Enjoy with coffee, tea, or better yet, yerba mate.

Guardia del Monte, Uruguay

We traveled to Guardia Del Monte, a historic estancia in Rocha owned by Alicia Fernandez. The estancia is over 100 years old. Surrounded by marshland, interesting Ombú trees and palm trees, it seemed like a nice setting, though we mainly rode right around the ranch because of the rain. Today we had a lot of rain, so didn’t get to do much riding. That’s the problem with filming a show like ours, where you are always outside. The weather does dictate what you can do. Yes, you can still ride in the rain. It’s just not as pretty.

We were able to explore the estancia buildings, where Alicia houses guests. Alicia has collected interesting items from area shipwrecks, like old tiles and a big wood burning stove recovered from a English ship that wrecked off the coast in the 1870’s. Alicia still uses it to cook and it is huge! Alicia cooked us shrimp from the Castillos lagoon for lunch and told us stories of her history. These tiny shrimp are tasty. We’ll be staying at Estancia El Charabon tonight and hopefully the rain will go away so that we can film tomorrow.

Travel'n On Radio on Tuesday

Tuesday afternoon, March 31st, at 4pm EST, I'll be on the Travel'n On Radio Show talking to hosts Ian and Tonya Fitzpatrick about Equitrekking on PBS and my adventures horseback riding around the world. Ian and Tonya are travel experts who have traveled to and lived in numerous countries around the world. Tonya also has a special interest in horseback riding travel.

Travel’n On is heard in all 50 states and over 75 countries worldwide. You can listen live @ 4pm EST on the Talk Zone Radio channel.

Valle del Hilo de la Vida, Uruguay

Alicia and I headed to an area called Valle del Hilo de la Vida, the Valley of the Thread of Life, where there are a series of stone cones. The stone cones may have been created by native people over a thousand years ago, but researchers are not sure exactly why. The valley is thought to be sacred and hold a special energy.

Before entering the valley, where we would walk to avoid disrupting the historic stone structures, Alicia and I had to first ask permission. Alicia led me to a stream where we dipped our hands in the cool water and then took a sip to see if we would be able to enter. I wasn’t sure that drinking from the stream was a good idea for a traveler like me, so let my local guide Alicia do that part. This was sufficient to get us the good energy we needed to hike into the valley.

I have been in many places, where the locals believe that the land is special. In remote Kipahulu on the island of Maui, I waited on horseback as Keoni, my guide, chanted, sang and prayed a traditional oli or call to his ancestors before we were able to enter the upper part of a pristine forest. In Ireland on mythical Omey Island, I gave a an offering of my horse’s hair at the holy well. If the locals say it should be done, I am not one to mess with rituals, especially when there are sacred places involved.

We seemed to have passed muster as we hiked into the valley. All around us on the hills, I could see the stone cones. At first you don’t really notice them, but once you see one, you pick out more, sort of like those pieces of artwork made of thousands of dots where you have to look closely for the images to appear.

There are around 100 of these stone formations here in Valle del Hilo de la Vida. Alicia and I hiked to a large cone to see how big it was close up. You can see from the photo that it is quite large and that there are these almost stair like stone appendages that jut out around the formation.

It was quite hot out there under the sun with not many trees around, so we hiked back to the welcome center by the entrance. The stone cone site is owned by a husband and wife team whose family makes amazing pizzas in their wood fired ovens. We enjoyed cold water, coke and a myriad of pizzas as we met the family and learned more about what they know about this interesting archeological site. They certainly have a passion for ensuring its preservation and hiking around those stone cones only made me want to know more.

La Salamora Castle, Uruguay

A castle in Uruguay, you might ask? Well yes. Just over the hill from La Salamora lies a stone castle built in 1928 by an eccentric lottery winner. Why he decided to build a castle amid the rolling grasslands of Uruguay surrounded by cattle is why I am labeling him eccentric. It is really interesting to see it in the distance (it looks like it comes out of nowhere) and ride around it. The castle itself looks far older than the 1920’s to me. It’s still privately owned but at this point in need of some repairs. The views from its high point are stunning and I thought that the castle would make for a very cool boutique hotel- only if it is environmentally friendly though, in keeping with everything else that is around here.

Leaving the castle, we rode through herds of cattle under a beautiful blue sky decorated with puffy white clouds. We did a bit of trotting to make up time and that’s when I realized that my stirrups were a little too long for me, as I felt a little off balance. I told Alicia, I would need to raise them a bit when we stopped. There’s no posting in the saddle here. They ride more like American cowboys, and I have found that how well I ride here does depend on the smoothness of my Criollo horse. I’ve had a couple of bouncy ones and a couple of smooth so far and definitely some that like to go fast!

One of the great things about riding with people when you travel is that you do chit chat as you ride. I was curious to know more about what life was like for people in Uruguay, so as we rode, Alicia filled me in. Uruguay is a small country, with only a little less than 3.5 million people. Many of these people live in Montevideo, the capitol. Alicia explained that one reason that so many people live in Montevideo is because of the schools. If you want to attend high school, many times you have to move to the city because you can’t get that level of education everywhere in the countryside. Another reason is that the university in Montevideo is free to anyone in Uruguay, a definite perk.

Back at the ranch the sun was setting. We set our horses free for the night and Alicia and I walked back towards the ranch. As we climbed over one of her fences to avoid having to walk anymore than we had to, we encountered an armadillo. Armadillos are so random. I have seen them in the most unlikely places, like Cumberland Island, Georgia, so I was both surprised and not to see one slinking across Alicia’s fields. There are also ostrich’s on the farm.

After taking a shower in my wind powered shower with surprisingly good water pressure, we all settled down at Alicia’s table for a dinner of abundant grilled meats. Life in Uruguay is good.

Morning Mate, Uruguay

This morning I enjoyed a drinking a morning mate with Alicia at La Salamora. No, not latte, mate, the national drink of Uruguay. Mate (pronounced mah- tay) is like a tea and to me it tasted like an oolong or green tea, if you have ever had that. It is strong and is said to keep you alert and awake. Many people in Uruguay drink it all day long. It is sipped through a metal straw called a bombilla. The straw has a sieve at the end and the cup is filled with leaves and then hot water is poured in. Because so many people drink mate, you can fill up your mate thermos at the gas station, where they have hot water dispensers that are made to fit thermoses.

Drinking mate is a social thing and it’s meant to be shared. That means that Alicia made a mate and passed it to me. We would be drinking the mate, passing it back and forth, out of the same straw. This was a little strange to me at first, because I am very American when it comes to thinking about germs. I asked Alicia about this and she said that people in Uruguay are very healthy and then laughed. I took a sip from her straw.

I was feeling the caffeine as Alicia and I rode out from La Salamora with Daniel to visit a nearby castle. A castle in Uruguay, you might ask? Well yes.... more to come

Finca Piedra Horse Riding, Uruguay

Jason, the owner of Finca Piedra, Pedro, Finca Piedra’s gaucho, and I took off on our Criollo horses. I have never ridden a Criollo horse before and never in Uruguay, so had to adjust to the way of riding and the tack.

The traditional style saddles here are flat and wide and covered with sheepskin, making them comfortable to sit on, but since they are so wide I also felt a bit unstable at first. I am used to American English and Western saddles that have a more rounded seat. You really have to find your balance on the sheepskin saddles. They ride with longer stirrups here in Uruguay, and I opted to have mine brought up a bit, but still had some trouble gripping with my legs at first. My horse Manteca, a ten-year-old white Criollo horse was well seasoned and fast. Jason rode Indio, a 15-year-old Criollo, and Pedro rode Torrito, an eight-year-old Criollo.

We left the farm and headed towards Sierra de Mahoma, a rocky hill that stands out amid the rolling farmland of the area. I watched Pedro ride as we trotted through the cornfields. He rode what I thought was a bouncy trot with total ease, while I posted to avoid bruising my bum too much on day one of my riding. Pedro laughed at me, as I tried to sit Manteca’s trot.

The gauchos are still alive and very important in Uruguay. Like our American cowboys, they are there to work with and protect the cows, sheep and horses on the farm, lassoing sick cattle, moving the animals from pasture to pasture and more. In Uruguay, I have seen people all over riding horses that they are using for their work and for transportation. It is an agricultural society where horses still have a vital role.

We reached Sierra de Mahoma and rode up the rocky trails amid huge granite rock formations to a high point where Jason said it looked like a sea of stones. It certainly did. From there, we galloped part of the way back to the ranch for a quick lunch, before riding to the vineyard, where I learned more about tannat, a red wine grape that grows very well here in Uruguay. It came from southwest France.

Next it was time to help Pedro herd some cattle, which was not an easy task. The three of us had a good time, working the cattle and moving them in various directions so that we could film it and I could attempt to learn the art of moving cattle in Uruguay.

I was very glad to take a nice hot shower at the end of today. There’s a party at the ranch with a band, so we’ll be enjoying some good food and music before we rest.

Finca Piedra, Uruguay

We arrived to Finca Piedra at sunset, the perfect time to see Pedro the gaucho gathering the horses and taking them to another pasture. This is an estancia (ranch), where you’ll enjoy eating many of the products produced right on the farm. There’s wine from their vineyard, honey from their bee hives, fresh vegetables and fruits which they preserve to make jams and limoncello. They also raise sheep, cows, and horses. Run by a French and South African couple, Sandrine and Jason, the ranch sits among the rolling grasslands of Uruguay’s countryside.

On our first night, we prepared for the filming the following day by talking out by a big bonfire, eating cheese and chorizo and trying some of the wine from the vineyard. For dinner, we moved into the new, big dining area of the main lodge to feast on lamb filled ravioli.

Sandrine and Jason told us about their decision to leave their lives in London and move to Uruguay, a bold move for the young couple. The two are very hands on and have worked hard at building their estancia and guest business. I would imagine that it would be very hard work to run a farm that produces so many things, but also very rewarding to sit down at the end of the day and literally eat the fruits of my labor.

Learn more about Finca Piedra and other estancias in Uruguay and riding opportunities around the world in Equitrekking's online travel guide.

Montevideo, Uruguay

We just arrived to the small South American country of Uruguay, after flying about three hours from DC to Miami and then 9 hours from Miami to Montevideo. I slept on the plan, thankfully, which I almost never do. Alicia, a guide to owns La Salamora, an estancia that we are visiting in Uruguay, met us at the airport. Alicia is a native Uruguayan woman with a magnetic smile and sure demeanor. She would be our guide for most of the trip and a great one, as she loves her country and knows a lot about its history and culture.

Every time we fly somewhere internationally, there is some baggage incident and this trip was no exception. Greg, our cinematographer’s, bag didn’t make it, so we got creative and rigged the equipment that we had to make things work for our first shoot in Montevideo.

We left the airport and drove into Montevideo, a port city, and headed to the Mercado del Puerto for lunch. This market is a real meat market with lots of restaurants that serve grilled meats cooked on these massive, wood burning grills. Barbeque or asado is eaten all over the country, and Alicia told me that many people don’t consider it a meal unless there’s meat. All around travelers and local Montevideans were enjoying meat and medio y medio, a refreshing combination of sparkling and white wine. Alicia and I walked around a bit and then sat down to enjoy a variety of meats. I was getting hungry just walking through the market because of the smells.

Cattle ranching is huge in Uruguay, making meat abundant and relatively inexpensive. People here don’t let any parts of the cow go to waste. Alicia and I tried a lot of different things. We had sweet and salty black sausage and many bits of different grilled cow organs. I boldly tasted cow stomach, which was pretty good, cow intestine, which was chewy and also good, the throat (which was kind of mealy or something-hard to describe the consistency, except to say that I didn’t like it). I did like the atmosphere of the market, where a man dressed as a gaucho was playing guitar and the locals were drinking and singing.

We then drove up to an old Spanish fort overlooking the city to see all of Montevideo. There are lots of beaches in the city and many people can walk right out of their apartment building and be on the beach, which I would love. We drove through many different neighborhoods before heading to Finca Piedra, the first ranch where we are filming.

National Geographic Intelligent Travel Blog

Rachael Dunlap, who blogs for National Geographic's Intelligent Travel blog, just posted her take on our PBS travel television series, Equitrekking. Check out what she has to say in The Intelligent Travel Blog.

Also, check out our Costa Rica video clip in the new issue of Ralph Lauren magazine. In Costa Rica, we had a great time riding with Monica and Esteban of Centaura. This clip shows our beach ride and the ride to the famously furious Arenal Volcano.