RANCH HOLIDAYS
From cowboy cookouts in Colorado to polo in the pampas of Argentina, ranch holidays offer plenty of opportunity for agents to rope in some niche business, says Howard Carr
slickers who think grooming means daily moisturising, there are ranch deals to suit all tastes and riding abilities. Nowhere is this more apparent than in North America, where the choice of ranches ranges from luxury resorts offering a gentle taste of the western lifestyle through to genuine working ranches with real cowboys. North America Travel Service Managing
W
Director Ruby Briggs stresses the importance of matching the right ranch to the right customer. “Just like the cowboy boots that the
hether your clients are ‘Chukka Charlies’ who know their fetlock from their furlong or city
client is going to be wearing, it’s important that the ranch fi ts the customer,” she says. “There are authentic working ranches where you can get involved in cattle drives, fi xing fences and general ranch work. “And some ranches are luxury resorts
offering activities such as trail rides, pack rides, cowboy cookouts and hay rides as well as fi shing, shooting, archery, bird and wildlife watching and Jeep rides. Many even have spas. “They are very different experiences so
it’s key to fi nd out what kind of holiday the client is looking for,” added Briggs. Specialist operator In The Saddle
features riding holidays in more than 30 countries throughout the world. “Many are suitable for families, such as South Africa and the USA,” said owner Olwen Law.
Above clockwise from top left: Ranch holiday experiences in South Africa, Australia, Saskatchewan and Australia
“Some are only for experienced riders,
such as Botswana, which has dangerous wildlife, and Wyoming and Tunisia, where the riding can be fast and challenging.” Holidaymakers unsure about whether saddles and spurs are for them can opt to include just a few days at a ranch as an element of a more general holiday. “One of the most popular options in the US South is to pair up a ranch stay with a city break,” says Hayes & Jarvis US Product Manager Suzanne Harvey. “Austin, San Antonio, Dallas in Texas and Phoenix in Arizona are all within easy reach of cowboy country.” Many ranches continue to come up with imaginative ways to showcase aspects of the western lifestyle. Colorado’s Zapata Ranch, for example, is staging its fi rst Butcher, Baker, Ice Cream Maker Week in July (7-14). Top chefs will show how to butcher different cuts of bison meat, how
20 June 2013
www.sellinglonghaul.com
IN THE SADDLE SOUTH AFRICA
IN THE SADDLE AUSTRALIA
IN THE SADDLE AUSTRALIA
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