Greetings from Ricochet Ridge Ranch

Summer has blossomed along the beach and on the verdant trails in our redwood forests, where wildflowers are still in bloom in abundance while the berries are rapidly ripening. Our forests are festooned with purple iris, orange monkey pad, magenta digitalis, bright pink rhododendron, lavender lupine, and brilliant white trillium. We are amazed by the bounty of riches nature provides us here on the Mendocino Coast, and love sharing that fortune with you from the back of our fit RRR horses!

Lucky as I am to have lived this life, riding all day along magnificent trails,

Rascal and Lari on their way to winning Best Conditioned Horse award at the Cooley Ranch 50 Endurance Ride

working in this incredibly beautiful place in a great community of people, I am ready to pass the RRR reins on to the right person. I have been running this business for the past 33 years, but now it's time for me to join my husband, Harvey, in retirement! Over the years I've met so many folks as clients who have become dear and close friends (including Harvey) that I am looking forward to spending more time with them, as well as other friends, family, and my personal horses. And yes, I plan for more time endurance riding!

For those of you who have dreamed of living this life, the opportunity can be yours. I have restructured the sale of Ricochet Ridge Ranch to make it quite affordable, reducing the overall price, and offering the successful turn-key business including horses, with a lease/option on the property. I will remain as a consultant for two years to train the new owners, giving them time to develop relationships with the surrounding landowners, other businesses and staff that help make RRR flourish. Ricochet Ridge Ranch will continue under a new manager until the sale is effected. For more information, please visit my sales page or contact me directly.

Harvey and I are almost ready to move into our dream home together at the top of Simcha summit. As you may know, Harvey and I met in a bar in Nairobi 21 years ago, bought Simcha together in the late 90's, and then rode horses to the mountain top to be married there. But we've continued living in separate houses all this time, until now. So, this is also an opportunity for you or anyone you know to buy Harvey's

For Sale in Westport

unique, beautiful house and horse property on 24 acres on another ridgetop with spectacular views over the ocean and surrounding mountains in Westport, CA. This elegant and quiet 3600 square foot residence has gorgeous ocean vistas, backed by towering redwoods and grand fir, with stables and fenced pastures for horses and goats, and a separate garage/workshop. Westport is 2 miles south of the Lost Coast and 20 minutes north of Fort Bragg. The drive from Fort Bragg on Highway One, overlooking beaches, crashing waves and redwood forests, is considered one of the most beautiful drives in California. Click here for the listing.

Ricochet Ridge Ranch was recently profiled very generously at Equitrekking.com. Click here to see the article.

Endurance season is off to a grand start! Those of you who have ridden with us in the last eight years might remember Mendocino Fuega, RRR's lovely little orphan filly who was born in my backyard. Her mother, Flame, succumbed to challenges of childbirth, but our "little flame" had a strong will to live. We bottle fed Fuega, and she was adopted by Nature's Tzar, my retired dressage gelding who raised her as if she were his own. Cyd Ross purchased the feisty Fuega last year, after a long love affair with her while working at RRR. This year, they entered the Whiskeytown Chaser, Fuega's first 50 mile Endurance Ride, where they placed 10th and won the High Veterinary Score during Best Conditioned Horse judging. We are so proud of our "little flame" and Cyd!

Baby Fuega, the future endurance horse

Accompanying Cyd and Fuega at Whiskeytown was another RRR trailguide extraordinaire, Elicia Kamberg, riding Forrest Tancer's accomplished mare Terra, who has completed over 3000 endurance miles. Also riding were former RRR Wranglers Aurora Giordano on her own horse, Blaze and Cynthia Ariosta on Blazun Haat Pico, with Forrest on GE Rifle.

Our great friend Sam Yates is visiting us again, telling of adventures she's had riding endurance in New Zealand, becoming an international FEI rider, and competing for Great Britain in South Africa. Sam is the 2nd ranked British FEI rider these days, and hopes to represent her country in the North American Championships later this year.

Many of you were introduced to endurance at Ricochet Ridge Ranch, and subsequently enjoyed your own adventures on the trail. We know Karen Wolfsheimer, Diane Schalberg, Ron Winters, Toby Cooper, Ruth Ann Everet (4,920 miles of completions so far, twice 2nd on the Biltmore 100, dozens of wins and top tens, and SE Champion), Lynda Perry, Jan Hartley, Beth Pardington, Steve Eliason, Delos Putz, David Yount, Catherine Davis, Laura Sloan, Mike Maul (came 3rd on his second 50 miler on Chardonney, now has 13,185 miles, many wins, has been President of the AERC!) and many, many others have ridden endurance after riding with us... How many folks reading this newsletter have ridden a Ride & Tie, 25, 50 or 100 Mile Endurance Ride after learning about the sports while here? We'd love to hear more stories of your participation in these endeavors, so please share them with us!

Ricochet Ridge Ranch produced another wedding on horseback last weekend, this time on the beach. Jamie Buckner, manager of the Mendocino Hotel, rode the beautiful Faraj and conducted the ceremony. The wedding party of 5 are originally from Hungary: Groom, Balazs Orosz on Cloud; Bride, Judit Sirmai on Whisper; Best Men, Csaba Szirmai on Poncho and Otto Farago on Mustard, with Maid of Honor, Krisztina Kerti on Indiana Jones. This family joined 14 others on a Redwood Coast Riding Vacation to celebrate both their wedding and honeymoon on the Mendocino Coast. Other guests had traveled here from Australia, Canada, and all over the United States.

When the moment came for the bride to toss her bouquet, the unmarried women lined up behind her in a semicircle. The horses seemed to understand the importance of the occasion, and when she threw the bouquet back over her shoulder towards them, not one horse spooked. But the truly amazing thing was that Sheila, riding Zvesda, caught the flowers in mid air!

And back at the Ranch, we've recently discovered the new aptly named Panorama Trail, overlooking the Pacific Ocean with views to FOREVER! This incredible loop brings us down off the mountain along a flowing creek, where giant redwoods grace the trail and jumbo ferns and moss covered rocks blanket the forest floor. This will be one of the new trails used frequently on our forest rides, as well as on the Mendocino Magic Endurance Ride this year. Mendocino Magic was so successful last year that Cynthia and Forrest have decided to extend it to a full weekend of competition, with two limited distance rides, two 50 mile rides, and a 75 miler. Base Camp is at Simcha Ranch again. We are looking forward to wine tasting with Esterlina Vineyards and enjoying the wonderful feasts that Forrest and Cynthia always provide at ride dinner.

We have room for one more intrepid traveler to join a riding safari in Kenya this fall. Sixteen of us will ride the Masai Mara during the first week of September to watch the Great Migration. Four others will join Safaris Unlimited the 21st-29th of September, with one more opening for either a rider or non-rider on that trip-of-a-lifetime. Please enquire~~~

~~~ We have many options for longer and shorter riding vacations, including our full tilt boogie, The Redwood Coast Riding Vacation or The Equine, Wine and Song riding vacation, as well as the:

Returning Redwood Coast Riding Vacation guests are welcome to 10% off on any of our scheduled RCRVs this season (that's $229.50 per person!), and special consideration on a custom riding vacation.

We can produce custom "Mendocino Magic Riding Vacations of any duration, from one or two days up to two weeks, with accommodations ranging upwards from $99.00 - 499.00 per night, with or without breakfast, including if you like the Mendo Wine Tour, and suggestions for ocean or river kayaking, golf, hiking trails, free wine tastings and many other local secrets.

And if none of the above entice you... RIDE FOR FREE! Bring 10 friends, and the 11th rides for free on ANY of our private or group trailrides. RIDE FOR 1/2 PRICE! Bring 5 friends and the 6th person rides for 1/2 price on any private trail ride. Ask around at your stables... surely lots of your riding buddies have always wanted to ride in Mendocino and are just waiting for you to get the ball rolling!

And don't forget to follow us on Facebook, where we post fun horse facts, fabulous photos, and share stories of the RRR family - of which you are an important part!

Y'all come!

Happy trails, Lari

other newsletters