Latest news with #horsebackriding
Vogue
11-08-2025
- Vogue
This Sleek, Serene Resort in Santorini Offers Respite From the Crowds
Sandblu also has relationships with a variety of local vendors who can cater to your various travel whims. Tell the front desk that you want to go horseback riding, and they'll make a call so that you're trotting along the beach and through the mountains in no time. You can also rent a boat for a sailing tour of the island, where your own personal captain will take you to some of the best swimming spots that Santorini has to offer and even cook a fresh seafood lunch onboard. If you're in the mood for some self-guided exploration, on the other hand, the resort's entrance is right across the street from a charming scooter rental agency called Santoride Rent-a-Moto. The owner is a spirited Greek woman named KiKi whose cropped and colorful haircut reminds me of the singer P!nk. (I had a feeling her music must have reached the shores of Santorini, and further research on P!nk's Greek chart numbers supports the fact she was a likely inspiration for the 'do.) While there are multiple means of transportation for getting around Santorini, including taxi services and a public bus system, motor-bikes came most highly recommended by Sandblu staff and locals. Depending on your preferred mode of transportation—ATV, scooter, buggy—a rental at Santoride will run you anywhere from €40 to €70 a day if you include fuel and insurance. KiKi will even provide a map where she circles her recommendations for the best beaches, restaurants, and hidden gems on the island before sending you off. A sampling of dishes from Kaliya. Photos: Courtesy of Keaton Bell A view of Oia at dusk. Sandblu's discreet location is a welcome refuge from tourist-dense hubs like Thira, where you could easily waste a day sampling olive oils and fine linens at the variety of shops. After buying ashtrays and soaps for friends back home, I ended my day walking around Thira with dinner at the Greek fusion restaurant Kaliya, which came highly recommended by the Sandblu staff. Built out of a 1950s-era building at the top of a caldera overlooking the Aegean Sea, it's worth braving the crowds for some fabulous food and jaw-dropping views. My table sampled everything from the wild lobster spaghetti to the braised lamb over rosemary potatoes, with each dish more decadent and perfectly seasoned than the last. Located on the northern tip of Santorini, the village of Oia is famed for the blue-domed homes built directly into the cliffside (the type you see on the cover of every Greek travel guide). Compared to the relative serenity of Sandblu and its surrounding villages, both Thira and Oia are where the bulk of restaurants, resorts, and shops are located. Home to less than a thousand permanent residents—but always bustling with the nearly three million tourists estimated to visit Santorini each year—the village is somehow even more picturesque than its popularity as a postcard would suggest. It's delightful enough just to walk through Oia soaking in the views, but the village also boasts some of the best shopping on the island. Whether you're looking for a locally made pashmina or a stack of Greek Playboys from 1996, there's a variety of treasures to be found.
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Rams rookie Jarquez Hunter forged his 'super power' on Mississippi's rolling greens
In 2020, inside the clang-and-clatter of Neshoba Central High's powerlifting gym, Jarquez Hunter's coach laid down a dare: squat 645 pounds on three counts. With a nod and quick coat of chalk, Hunter went to work. Challenges don't faze him. At a Mississippi water company three years prior, Hunter's co-workers coaxed him into a pickup basketball game. Still in his button-down shirt and cowboy boots, the 5-foot-9 Hunter went airborne. And dunked. In those same boots, the Rams' rookie running back completed more delicate tests: He patiently broke and nurtured a horse that he eventually rode across Auburn's campus. Read more: Matthew Stafford 'looks good' in workout; Rams hopeful he returns from injury soon 'Stay true to the thing you're doing,' Hunter said. On Saturday at SoFi Stadium, Hunter made his NFL debut in a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, Lining up behind quarterback Stetson Bennett, he took a handoff on a third-and-six play and mimicked a sprinter stealing a head start — his shoulders low and knees churning. Hunter knifed through the defense and broke for an 11-yard gain. 'That was a great run,' said Rams coach Sean McVay. 'He's knocking guys back and finishing forward where what might be a four-yard run ends up being an eight-yard or seven-yard run.' That bruising style helped Hunter rush for 3,371 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns in four seasons at Auburn. The Rams selected Hunter in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft, adding him to a running back corps that features starter Kyren Williams and second-year pro Blake Corum. 'He's definitely laser-focused on what you're saying,' Rams running backs coach Ron Gould said during training camp. Or, as McVay illustrated it: 'He can stare a hole through you.' Gould dubbed Hunter's speed as his 'super power,' a gift confirmed by a 4.44-second 40-yard dash. But Hunter's ability to twist defenders out of position mid-chase is his calling card. Proof? He amassed 278 yards in 23 carries last October against Kentucky. 'Since I was in middle school growing up, I did a lot of squatting,' Hunter said. 'I do a lot of leg workouts. I run hills and pull sleds. That's really how I get the power in my legs.' Rams linebacker Chris 'Pooh' Paul Jr., a fellow rookie, played against Hunter three times at Arkansas before Paul transferred to Mississippi. Every matchup against Hunter's Tigers, Paul said, was the same headache. 'We knew he ran hard,' the Rams linebacker said. 'We knew he was hard to bring down. We knew he had speed. Very good in pass [protection]. … Man, he's very dangerous.' But that danger vanishes once the pads come off. They're replaced by the patience of a country boy. Hunter, who also stashes party tricks like leaping out of a swimming pool, grew up in the rolling greens of central Mississippi. And back home, Hunter's most loyal running mate doesn't wear pads. Danger, a chestnut quarter horse with a white blaze down his face and a deep copper coat, was born the same summer Hunter first wore an Auburn jersey. The colt was born while Hunter was driving home for a short break before fall camp, its spindly legs still wobbly in the pasture. The patience to break a horse, the stubbornness to work one until it trusts you, the dawn-to-dusk commitment of tending to something that can't speak back — Hunter said he swears it all bleeds into his game. 'When you're out there working with animals, you gotta stay true,' Hunter said, 'you gotta go with the training. You still gotta work with them.' Read more: Rams vs. Cowboys preseason takeaways: Blake Corum ready for larger role That same discipline shows when Hunter rides his ATV up a steep hill, hauls in catfish by hand, or waits patiently for a buck in the woods — and it's the same grit he'll lean on as he pushes for a place in the Rams' running back rotation. For now, Hunter will line up again Saturday against the Chargers, with a chance to outpace the 41 yards he logged in 11 carries in his debut. 'Pretty decent,' Hunter said, 'but it's things I got to fix.' Because for Hunter, the fixes are the fun part of challenges — whether it's mending a missed block, pumping out another squat or winning the trust of a restless colt. Staff writer Gary Klein contributed to this report. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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Travel + Leisure
10-08-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This Lesser-known Mountain Range Is One of Montana's Best-kept Secrets—With Dramatic Peaks, Wild Goats, and Some of the Best Hiking in the State
Spend a week horseback riding up mountains, along rivers, and through meadows at Sweet Grass Ranch. Use Livingston as a base camp, staying overnight at the historic Murray Hotel. Attend a rodeo in one of the gateway towns to the Crazies. Challenge yourself by hiking the Twin Lakes trail, an 8.5-mile out-and-back route near Big Timber. Visit between mid-June and early September (before the snow) for the best weather. While popular tourist destinations like Big Sky, Whitefish, and Glacier National Park might top your list of places to go in Montana, they're far from the only ones worth visiting. As you shift your focus east, specifically toward the central part of the state, you'll find there are dozens of other small towns, rivers, and mountain ranges to see, each as interesting as the next. On a recent weeklong road trip, I discovered a few of these hidden games—one of which was the Crazy Mountains, a dramatic mountain range defined by the inimitable ruggedness and raw, natural beauty that are deeply woven into Montana's identity. 'The Crazy Mountains, or 'the Crazies,' seem like they rise out of nowhere,' Finn Cullen, the co-founder of Crazy Mountain Ventures, a nonprofit outdoor education company based in Livingston, tells Travel + Leisure . 'They are jagged peaks in the middle of wide-open rangeland, totally unexpected and gorgeous.' Often referred to as an 'island range," the Crazies are about 30 miles long and 15 miles wide, and dozens of those aforementioned peaks reach over 10,000 feet in elevation; Crazy Peak, which measures at around 11,214 feet tall, is the highest. 'There aren't many roads or trailheads, which makes it feel pretty remote. It's the kind of place where you can really disappear into the backcountry and unplug,' he says. Long before pioneers and ranchers of European descent made their way west, creating a landscape that Adam Wagner of Sweetcast Angler describes as a 'checkerboard pattern' made up of 'private property intermixed with public lands,' the area was part of the traditional land base for the people of the Apsaalooké Nation, commonly referred to as the Crow. (The 'Crow' name stems from white settlers misinterpreting Apsáalooke, which translates to 'children of the long-beaked bird.') 'Throughout our Crow history, men and women have gone to the Crazy Mountains to seek visions, to fast, [and] to pray,' says Luella Brien, tourism director with the Crow Nation Office of Tourism. But, she notes, there is a common misconception about the Crazies, which some have said are especially sacred to the Apsaalooké. 'All of our land bases are held sacred. To the Crow people, not one mountain range, not one valley, not one body of water holds more significance than the other. They're all held in the same regard,' she explains. With that in mind, she asks travelers coming to this region to be responsible and mindful. 'Understand this is a place of reverence. When you step on Crow land, that land is sacred … Conduct yourself in a manner that is appropriate, similar to how you'd conduct yourself if you'd walk into a church, temple, or synagogue,' she says. 'If you visit the area, please do so with a stewardship mindset,' echoes Cullen. In order to enjoy the wilderness of the Crazy Mountains—and all of its forests, alpine lakes, and wildlife (including mountain goats, elk, black bear, and moose)—for decades to come, it's best to heed the "Leave No Trace" principles and do your research before heading into the mountains. Scenes from Sweet Grass Ranch. Lydia Mansel/Travel + Leisure 'When visiting Montana, it's best to stay at one of the incredible guest ranches, lodges, or hotels rather than a short-term vacation rental. To stay in a place where you can share stories, a meal, or a drink with fellow travelers, as well as locals, will give you a more authentic Montana experience,' says Cullen. You can find just that at Sweet Grass Ranch, a family-owned and operated guest ranch in Sweet Grass Canyon, about an hour outside Big Timber. Rustic but cozy, the ranch is a haven for those looking for more than a trail ride. Each day is spent traversing the varied landscape, summiting peaks, riding to waterfalls, and getting a true taste of the West. 'The Murray Hotel was built in 1904 and is a historic landmark in Livingston. There are about 20 rooms that are all unique, and you are close to Gil's Goods, 2nd Street Bistro, and the lively Murray Bar for coffee, dinner, or live music,' says Cullen. Each room is outfitted with air conditioning and Wi-Fi, and select accommodations are pet-friendly. Wagner says there are many places to camp within the Crazies, but adds that it's important to 'check out the details of specific spots to make sure it provides the opportunities needed—size, accessibility, etc.' Halfmoon Campground, for example, has 12 campsites and does not use a reservation system (it's first come, first served). Street scenes in Livingston, Montana. Lydia Mansel/Travel + Leisure 'The Crazies are rugged and amazing—pick a trail and go for it. But be sure to pack your hiking essentials,' says Cullen. According to Erin Dringman, the manager of Sweet Grass Ranch, 'There are numerous public trails out of Halfmoon Campground up Big Timber Canyon, north of Big Timber.' She's partial to the Twin Lakes trek, which she describes as 'a true alpine lake hike in one of the prettiest places on earth.' Wagner recommends 'Blue Lake on the east side,' which is also reached from Halfmoon Campground. Cullen adds that you can get a copy of Crazy Mountains Outdoor Recreation Map (available in print and digital versions) for even more hiking trails. 'This island range is surrounded by small towns, each with its own personality and offerings,' says Wagner. There are two, however, to definitively add to your list. 'Big Timber and Livingston are both small Western mountain towns full of artsy shops, good eating and drinking, and the nicest people. They're great bases for all your Montana activities, especially in the summer,' says Dringman. Cullen also adds that Livingston makes for a great starting point, as it's just 'about an hour and a half from the trailheads.' Before booking your plane tickets or renting a car, see if you can align your trip with a local rodeo—a real Montana experience. 'Check out the annual rodeos in Wilsall in June, Big Timber the last weekend in June, and Livingston and Harlowton over the Fourth of July,' says Dringman. Montana and the Crazy Mountains might technically be landlocked, but there are also rivers, creeks, and alpine lakes for fishing and swimming. 'There are only so many times in your life you'll have the chance to swim in a pristine alpine lake surrounded by towering peaks. Seize the moment and take the plunge,' says Cullen. If you're interested in fishing, both Sweetcast Angler in Big Timber and Yellowstone River Outfitters in Livingston will be able to point you in the right direction. The views of the Crazy Mountain peaks from atop a horse at Sweet Grass Ranch are hard to beat, but if your schedule doesn't allow for a weeklong vacation, there are a few other outfitters in the area to check out. 'Wide Sky Adventures and Greycliff Creek Ranch also offer beautiful riding options closer to Big Timber,' says Dringman. Dining room inside of 2nd Street Bistro in The Murray Hotel. You're not going to find restaurants in the Crazies themselves, but the gateway towns all have several charming stops to try before or after a day of hiking, horseback riding, swimming, or fishing. Gil's Goods in Livingston is open for lunch and dinner, and the menu consists of hearty favorites, like wood-fired pizzas, burgers, and sandwiches. Recommended by Dringman, Big Timber Bakery is the perfect place to start your day in the Crazy Mountains. You may even want to stash a couple of extra cinnamon rolls or scones in your backpack for a sweet mid-hike treat. 'In many of these small towns, the bar is the cultural center and may even offer food,' says Wagner. He specifically mentions Ringling Bar in the town of Ringling, which is just northwest of the Crazies. It's a casual setup, and the menu includes hot dogs, hamburgers, and pulled pork sandwiches. For happy hour, Dringman has Two Dot Bar & Grill in the town of Twodot on her list. It's your classic relaxing Western watering hole and restaurant, so don't expect anything too fancy, and you'll definitely want to take advantage of the photo op with the fun retro sign out front. Landscape of The Crazy Mountains in Montana. Lydia Mansel/Travel + Leisure 'Summer is the best time to visit the Crazies, by far,' says Dringman. 'These mountains don't have any public skiing and aren't recommended for winter sports unless you have an experienced local guide. Even then, winter recreation opportunities are limited because the Crazies aren't developed.' That said, she recommends coming anytime between mid-June and mid-September, when 'the creeks are full, wildlife is out and about, wildflowers are blooming, and the mountains are at their most hospitable.' Cullen also warns that snow can arrive as soon as September and 'often stays on the trails until mid-June,' so anyone interested in hiking or backpacking should plan their trip accordingly. 'After September, brutal storms make travel tough unless you're fully prepared for wet and wintery conditions. If you're an experienced backcountry skier, you can brave the Crazies in the winter months, but be prepared for miles on a snowmobile or in the skin track to reach skiable terrain,' he adds. Big Timber Road leading to Montana's Crazy Mountains. Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) is the closest major airport to the Crazy Mountains. From there, it's about a 40-minute drive to Livingston and a little over an hour to Big Timber. Of course, it will take you slightly longer if you're headed to a ranch or campsite that's more remote within the Crazies. Montana is not a state you can easily navigate via public transportation, so having your own car (or renting one) is necessary—but the drive is part of the experience. According to Dringman, a road trip to and around the Crazies is the best way to 'make the most of seeing all that south-central Montana has to offer.' Visit small towns, stop at a local brewery or coffee shop, stretch your legs at a particularly scenic spot, and don't be afraid to ask a local Montanan for advice on where to grab your next meal.
New York Times
26-06-2025
- General
- New York Times
The Proper Saddle Can Bring Harmony to a Horse and Rider
When people first started riding horses, sometime late in the first millennium B.C., according to archaeologists, they did so bareback. The evidence for this, experts said, is in skeletons unearthed from the Eurasian steppes of ancient horses and riders, whose damaged bones bear the evidence of the lack of shock absorbers. A few centuries later, as cavalry warfare emerged, rudimentary saddles evolved from pads strapped to horses' backs to something more substantial, to keep riders on their mounts in battle, according to the book 'Early Riders: The Beginnings of Mounted Warfare in Asia' by Robert Drews. Today they can be high-tech works of craftsmanship, blending materials like handcrafted leather work and Kevlar struts. But above all, they must fit properly to ensure harmony between horse and rider. For about 30 years, the Society of Master Saddlers, a licensing association based in England, has trained master saddle fitters to do the job. Custom-made saddles can cost about $4,000 or above. Lizzy Freeman, of North Yorkshire, England, is the marketing, media and partnerships coordinator for the society and a registered saddle fitter. She said it takes three years to become a registered saddle fitter and seven before a person can apply to become a master — if a board of the fitter's peers approves. The society has about 300 fitters across the world. She explained what goes into making the perfect match for horse, rider and saddle. The interview has been edited and condensed. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Times of Oman
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
HH Sayyid Ali Al Said seals FEI Endurance World Championship berth in AlUla
MUSCAT: Oman's endurance rider His Highness Sayyid Ali Ghalib al Said secured a slot in the 2026 FEI Endurance World Championship finals which will take place in AlUla city in Saudi Arabia next year following his successful completion of the prestigious Buchen 160km international endurance race in Germany recently. The race, conducted under the supervision of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), was a crucial qualification milestone and a challenging test for elite riders. This marks the second time that HH Sayyid Ali officially qualified for the World Endurance Championship finals and it is showcasing his remarkable presence on the global endurance stage. HH Sayyid Ali completed the six-phase 160 km course which was divided into several segments including 35 km, 25 km, 35 km, 25 km, 20 km, and 20 km in aboard through horse Attila with a timing of 10 hours, 23 minutes, and 20 seconds. The race, which began at 5:30 AM and concluded by 7:20 PM, featured particularly tough weather conditions with temperatures reaching 31°C and it was demanding strategic endurance, heat management and expert horsemanship. The competition included elite riders from nine different countries and this leaded for further underscoring the international competitive intensity of the event. This achievement followed an intensive training camp that spanned several weeks, focusing on both physical and technical preparation for the rider and the horse. The high-level conditioning enabled HH Sayyid Ali to excel in one of the most demanding endurance races of the season. HH Sayyid Ali dedicated this qualification to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and to His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, in recognition of their unwavering support and patronage for equestrian sports and Omani riders. In his remarks following the race, HH Sayyid Ali expressed his deep gratitude to the organising committee, the veterinary and technical teams, and all those who contributed to the success of this journey. He affirmed his commitment to continuing his preparations and representing the Sultanate of Oman with pride and excellence at the 2026 Endurance World Championship Finals.
