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8 Day Show Jumping or Dressage Training with Trail Riding in Spoleto, Province of Perugia, Italy
La Somma, Frazione Montebibico, 40, Montebibico, Spoleto, Perugia, Umbria, Italy
Exhilarating Horse Riding Holiday Italy
Here at the Centro Ippico La Somma, they have excellent facilities to enable this special show jumping course and trail riding combination to take place.
Key information
- Rider Weight Limit: 85 kilograms / 188 pounds
- Horse Height Range: From 15 to 17 hands
- Tack Type: English and Western
- Horse Breed: Anglo-Arabs, Argentinians, Arab-cross, and sure-footed Maremannos
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- 6 days of horse riding
- Jumping or dressage lessons
- Approximate daily riding time: 2 - 6 hours
- Day-long trek to the gloriously peaceful spot, Pianella
- Half-day ride through the Butterfly Park
- 7 nights accommodation
- All meals with wine
- Railway station transportation
Skill level
- Beginner
Styles
6 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Italian
Group size: Maximum of 6 participants
Accommodation
Facilities
- Horse riding
- Table tennis
- Bar
- Fireplace
The center has a range of sleeping accommodations available including eight chalets or apartments and bedrooms, all with ensuite bathrooms and furnished to a high standard in traditional Umbrian style. Some have kitchen areas. All of them look out onto spectacular views of the surrounding woods and mountains and all have central heating for the winter. Some have fireplaces.
One sleeps up to four people, while the larger one sleeps four to six people. Both have fireplaces. The stables' clubhouse is a large airy room with beams and terracotta floors and magnificent views from the bar area. A huge fireplace provides the perfect spot to enjoy a drink after a long day's ride. A good-sized open-air swimming pool, with amazing views over the surrounding hills and valleys, is available.
Program
Sample itinerary
Day 1
Upon arrival at Spoleto train station, you will be transferred to the riding center. After settling into your room, you will be able to have a look around the stables, relax in the clubhouse, or sit down to enjoy your first delicious meal.
Day 2
Your horse riding holiday will start on the first day with a three-hour trek. You will pass through shady paths in the chestnut woods and you will have time to admire the magnificent gnarled old trees which have supplied chestnuts to generations of people living in this area and to spot the wild cyclamen as well as other flowers before climbing up into the foothills of Mount Acetella, today’s destination. There are plenty of chances to trot or canter along these paths.
Afterward, you will head up to the top of Mount Acetella itself where you will be rewarded with more stunning views here on top of the world. You will head back to the stables via another series of trails for lunch. In the afternoon, you will make your way to the stables to become acquainted with your horse and instructor for the week and enjoy your first one-hour lesson.
Day 3
Today will be the time to recap on the previous day's lessons with two more in the morning and afternoon. There will be free time in between the lessons for you to relax.
Day 4
This half-day ride will take you through the grounds of a magnificent 600-hectare private estate called La Tenuta dello Schioppo, known locally as Il Parco delle Farfalle, the Butterfly Park. There are wide avenues that are perfect for cantering for those who want to and trotting for those who do not. There are also splendid views of mountains, valleys, and hill villages in all directions. You will ride back for lunch at the clubhouse.
Day 5
Pianella, the destination for this day-long trek of five to six hours (35 kilometers), is a gloriously peaceful spot in the heart of the Umbrian countryside. To get there, you will ride through woods and trails and down into a hidden valley where you can pause to admire the exquisite little village of Castagnacupa, whose old stone houses have all been recently restored.
From here, you will ride past a beautiful Romanesque church and into more woodland before reaching the shady meadow where you will have lunch, tying the horses to a post and rails, and sitting on wooden tables and benches thoughtfully provided for picnickers.
After lunch, you will head on through the old village of Pompagnano, close to Spoleto, and back over the hills via Catinelli, a village poised spectacularly on a rock outcrop and home to just two people, an old man and a woman who can often be seen tending to their animals.
Day 6
After your rest day from school yesterday, today will be back to work with two one-hour lessons in the morning and afternoon.
Day 7
Today will be your final day of riding and the chance to re-cap on your week's show jumping or dressage tuition with a one-hour lesson in the morning and afternoon to round off your week.
Day 8
After breakfast, you will be transferred back to Spoleto train station.
About the program
Lessons are taught by the Centre's main instructor Andrea Bevilacqua, a FISE instructor and regional show jumping champion with years of experience teaching show jumping and dressage. In addition to the invaluable lessons, you will also have the chance to ride out and explore the beautiful surrounding countryside. Beginners and novice riders can also receive lessons appropriate to their level as can children, and dressage tuition is also available, instead of show jumping.
Non-riders
Those who do not ride will find plenty to do. The stables are just a 15-minute drive from Spoleto, with its Roman, medieval, and Renaissance treasures and an enticing array of shops and restaurants. The area is also an excellent base for walking, cycling, and even rafting. Rome is an easy train journey, making it perfect for a day trip or as an add-on to your visit.
Horses
The stables have more than 70 horses including Anglo-Arabs, Argentinians, Arab-cross, sure-footed Maremannos, and smaller ponies for children. All of them are well-schooled and responsive so that experienced riders can be sure of finding a good mount but novice and nervous riders will also feel safe and comfortable.
Instructors
Clare Pedrick
Clare Pedrick is an experienced English guide, though she has lived in Italy for many years. She organises the horse riding holidays and will accompany riders on many of the rides.
Andrea Bevilacqua
Andrea Bevilacqua is in charge of riding tuition. With a string of show-jumping successes to his name, Andrea gives riding lessons to novices and experts alike. He is a FISE instructor and regional show jumping champion with years of experience teaching show jumping and dressage.
Agostino Bevilacqua
Agostino heads the trekking side of the business and was born and brought up in these hills. What he doesn't know about horses is probably not worth knowing.
Valentina Bevilacqua
When not competing with her own horse, Valentina can be found hard at work, putting junior riders through their paces, with pony games and showjumping.
Location
Situated in some of the loveliest countrysides anywhere in Europe, La Somma offers riding holidays exploring rolling mountains, hidden valleys, and medieval hill villages in this unspoiled corner of Umbri where time appears to have stood still. The stables are just a 15-minute drive from Spoleto with its Roman, medieval, and Renaissance treasures and an enticing array of shops and restaurants. The area is also an excellent base for walking, cycling, and even rafting. Rome is an easy train journey, making it perfect for a day trip or as an add-on to your visit.
Distances
- Spoleto, 12 kilometers - 15 minutes drive
- Perugia - 30 minutes
Features
Activities
- Horse riding
- Mountain walking
- Swimming pool (outdoor)
- Table tennis
- Wine tasting
General
- Bar
- Fireplace
Food
Full board meals will be served including breakfast, lunch, and dinner included in the price. Food is high on the agenda in this part of the world and you will eat well and heartily during your stay with home-cooked dishes prepared from the best Umbrian ingredients and accompanied by excellent local wine. Alcoholic beverages are included at meals (but drinks taken at the bar at other times must be paid for). Cater guests with allergies and food intolerance.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
Things to do (optional)
La Somma has a gorgeous pool on site with a hot tub area (the latter for a small fee). You can also do some sightseeing in the area and have vineyard visits, walking, rafting, and cycling, which are all available locally.
Golf is available for riders and/or non-riders at two excellent locations in Perugia. Please inquire.
What's included
- Jumping or dressage lessons
- Ride out and explore the beautiful surrounding countryside
- 7 nights accommodation
- Full board meals including wine
- Pick-up and drop-off at Spoleto railway station
What's not included
- Airfare
- Airport transfers
- Extra drinks from the bar in the clubhouse
- Rafting
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CIA
Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport
95 km
Transfer not provided
FCO
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
103 km
Transfer not provided
PEG
Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi – Umbria International Airport
51 km
Transfer not provided
Driving directions from Spoleto
- Take the main road from Spoleto towards Terni / Rome.
- You will see a tunnel right on the brow of a hill after approximately 6 kilometers.
- Get into the left lane and turn left immediately after the tunnel and a bar called the Bar Belli.
- Find the turning which is signposted Montebibico.
- Take another sharp left immediately and then left again (following signs for Montebibico).
- Follow the winding road up the hill for about 1 kilometer until you see a stone house with wooden shutters on the left.
- Turn in left here.
- Drive up the unpaved road until you reach the stables (about 400 meters).
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO), Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA), or San Francesco d'Assisi Airport (PEG). Ryan Air and Easy Jet both fly into Rome, an easy drive or train ride from Spoleto where La Somma will send a car to pick you up. Ryan Air also flies into Perugia which is just 30 minutes away. Many of the guests add on an extra day or two to visit Rome.
Arrival by train
Pick-up and drop-off at Spoleto railway station are included in the price. La Somma will send a car to pick you up. A pick-up or drop-off at Rome airports is available for 200 EUR per car one way. For more information, please send an inquiry.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 19% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.
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