| Imagine
a sport you can take up at any age, at almost any stage of fitness,
which brings exhilarating adrenalin rush, and is environmentally friendly
at the same time… no, we are definitely NOT talking about golf!
Carriage driving is one of the world’s fastest growing sports. Since the Duke of Edinburgh took it up when he became ‘too old for polo’ thirty years ago, people have been jumping into carriages and racing round all manner of courses. There are now regular international events, marathons, grand prixs, etc. and while, elsewhere, the sport may have various requirements of etiquette and training, here in the Algarve, it is wonderfully relaxed and approachable. Tucked into the rolling Costa Vincentina nature reserve between Aljezur, Bensafrim and Vila do Bispo, a colourful family, (vaguely reminiscent of the Cartwrights in the American TV show Bonanza) have started up a Carriage Driving and Horse Riding Centre which promises fabulous outdoor fun and games, as well as first-class food and, if necessary, very comfortable accommodation. The Fry’s arrived in the Algarve more than 20 years ago, and began by making a name for themselves in seaside Ferragudo, where they started up an arts centre, a gourmet guesthouse and the region’s first nudist tourist resort! Keeping our clothes most firmly on, and further enveloped in thick morning fog, Vivalgarve went to investigate their latest enterprize… How did you get from naked tourism in Ferragudo, to carriage driving in the rural West? David Fry: (Laughter):
Well, the nudist thing all started with a sign I put up by the pool
saying ‘clothing optional’… things sort of steam-rollered
from there - but, the carriage driving, started when I became too
heavy to ride a horse! It’s really not fair to be much heavier
than 95 kilos for most horses – and, you don’t want
to fall off a horse when you weigh that much either! Carriage driving
is a wonderful way of continuing ‘riding’ – and
a lot safer, too. The family are in the middle of restoring the old farmstead on the land – where they already entertain guests with homemade pizzas baked in a traditional bread-oven and BBQs over a charcoal grill, after or mid-way through rides. DF: Some people see an old farm house and think: urbanisation! I think: hay-barns, tool-sheds, animals! I want to plant a renewable forest for my grandchildren, too. I want this to be a centre where people can really appreciate nature – not some kind of cowboy’s paradise. There really isn’t a lot you have to know before you can drive one of these carriages – and the wealth of tracks out here is exceptional. You can ride for two hours without seeing another soul. We’re an hour from the west coast beaches – and, truly, there’s nothing like the adrenalin rush you get when you drive fast over rough ground! Equally, it’s wonderful to let the horse just plot it’s way: you get so close to wild birds and animals. They don’t seem bothered by a horse or carrige in the same way that they are by a car or walker. The various trails offered by the Fry’s New Forest Lodge Equestrian Centre can cater for up to 8 – 10 people at a time. Those who don’t want to ride in the carriage, can take a horse, and David Fry’s son, Manny, and Portuguese son-in-law Milton, always accompany the trails as guides/ grooms. DF: You can liken this sport to ‘giving up tennis and playing golf instead’ – but, what’s so much better, in my mind, is that we haven’t ripped up the environment so that people can play a sport: we present it as it is. It’s a magical part of an Algarve that has all but disappeared elsewhere. A real corner of paradise. Anyone interested
in trying out carriage driving, or just saddling up for one of the
riding centre’s wind-blown rides, should call: 282 461395,
or access: www.horsesinthesun.com.
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Versão Portuguesa