French riding holidays with Dordogne Riding

Our horse riding holidays in France are centred in and around the spectacular countryside of the Dordogne in south-western France, near the town of Bergerac, and we think they are the best rides in Europe!

From the moment you leave the stables (in the grounds of the beautiful manor where you will be staying) you will be riding through thousands of hectares of the region's most beautiful private estates.

Following trails which take you through a countryside of thick forests, hidden valleys, vineyards and meadows, you will soon be convinced that you are the 'duc' or 'duchesse' of all you survey; and to prove it, you'll come across no other horses or riders, and hardly a gate to open all day long.

We have taken great care to plan the rides - different each day - to ensure that experienced riders have the opportunity to enjoy long energetic trots and exciting canters, as well as lazy relaxing walks, when you'll have time to share your experiences with your guide and companions. (Please note that we are trying to keep riding on tarmac to a minimum, although there is some on quiet country lanes.)

Each ride allows for approximately 3 hours riding in the morning and 2 1/2 hours in the afternoon, and as one would expect in France, one of the highlights of each day's ride is lunch!

A typical one week holiday will consist of 5 full days riding and 1 rest day for the horses. We also do shorter stays of 3 and 4 nights which include 3 and 4 days riding

With between 4 and 6 hours spent in the saddle each day, riding across varied terrain, riders need to be reasonably fit and competent, and confident at walk, trot and canter in open country.

We are convinced that if our horses could talk they would agree with us that they live a charmed life. Their home is a recently converted 18th century barn. There are 11 spacious loose -boxes, with deep straw beds and open bars in between so they can see and talk to each other. They also spend a great deal of time grazing in the paddocks behind the house and paddling in the lake.

They are mainly a mixture of saddle horses and arab crosses, specialised in trekking, with pretty calm temperaments, but very reliable and not easily spooked. We can assure you they are definitely not 'nose-to-tail' trekking types. The saddles are either specialised trekking saddles ( Forestier, Gaston- Mercier etc) or standard UK saddles.

On each ride you will be accompanied by Antoine Delpit and either Olivier , Manuel or David. All are experienced, accomplished riders, who have spent all their lives with horses and know the local countryside, regional culture and history well. They are your "moniteurs" and they have total responsibility for your safety and enjoyment at all times.

The safety of our riders and horses is of paramount importance to everyone. It is essential therefore that you follow the instructions of the guides at all times.

Antoine can teach group and private lessons during your stay.

Our prices include:
* Seven, six, five, four, three or two nights accommodation based on a double room with private bathroom
* Five and a half, five four, three, two or one days riding as per the programme including use of guides (4-6 hours per day)
* Continental breakfast, picnic or light lunches and dinners
* Wine, beer and soft drinks are included with lunch and dinner
* Use of facilities at the house including tennis, swimming, a lake for boating and fishing, a classified trout stream, mountain bikes, table tennis and croquet.
* Local transfers to Bergerac airport and train station

Welcome to Le Bourdil Blanc, your home for the duration of your holiday.

From the moment you turn into the tree-lined drive that leads up to the house, you'll feel your body and mind relax as you realise your holiday has really started.

As you drive up to the house you will glimpse through the trees on the right the tennis court and swimming pool, and to the left you will probably see one or two of our horses looking out from their stables in the barn.

Le Bourdil Blanc is a beautiful 18th century manor house, recently restored to its former glory and now a warm, friendly and elegant home comfortably set in its own private grounds extending to over 7 acres

Aside from the pool, tennis court and stable barn, the grounds also feature an ancient pigeonnier, and behind the house is a huge meadow garden, a small fishing/boating lake, a croquet lawn, some lovely mature trees, all bounded by a delightful trout stream. From the house one can enjoy beautiful views over woodlands and fields.

At the entrance you will be met by Bernadette, who, with a welcoming glass of kir will make you feel instantly at home in the spacious, comfortable and warm interior.

Although Le Bourdil Blanc is a private house we encourage all guests to treat it as his or her own. Guests quickly settle in to a 'house party' mode, relaxing around the log fire with a glass of wine and enjoying each other's conversation.

The stables are only a stone's throw from the house, allowing for maximum bonding between horse and rider.

The Bourdil Blanc is ideally situated for exploring this area situated 11kms from Bergerac and 2 kms from the Dordogne river

There is much to see and visit, to name but a few:

* The morning food markets full of regional food delicacies
* The bastide towns (mediaeval walled cities) and churches
* Sarlat "the best preserved mediaeval town in France"
* Lascaux caves and their underground prehistoric cave paintings
* Canoeing trips on the Dordogne
* Shopping visits (antiques, Limoges porcelain)
* Wine tasting at nearby chateaux

We have a local guide who can plan and spend a day with you showing you the highlights of this area or you can explore by yourselves but you will need a car.

The Dordogne is an area of outstanding natural beauty, one of the most beautiful in Europe, not dissimilar to Tuscany. This is a green land of farms, lovely wooded hillsides and gentle winding rivers. It is still unspoilt, it is really rural France at its best. Long let it remain this way.It is one of the gastronomic centres of France after Lyon, famous for its foie gras, duck, truffles, mushrooms and seafood. There are many excellent inexpensive restaurants in the area using traditional cooking recipes.

It is also well known for its wines. The world famous vineyards of Medoc and Saint Emilion are close by and the local wines of Bergerac, Pecharmant, Montbazillac and Cahors are also excellent.

The Bourdil Blanc is very accessible from the UK. The house is literally 20 minutes from the airport. Ryanair fly from London Stansted, Liverpool and East Midlands to Bergerac. Flybe flies from Southampton, Bristol, Birmingham, Exeter and Leeds Bradford to Bergerac There are also direct flights to Bordeaux from London Gatwick and from Manchester using BMI Baby as well as from Dublin using Air France and Aer Lingus. Bordeaux airport to the Bourdil is quite straightforward, either by cab, or by bus and train taking between one and two hours.For more information click the links

Trevelling by train: From Waterloo International (London) you can either take a train to
(a) Paris Gare du Nord and then cross Paris by metro or cab and take a train from Paris Montparnasse direction Bordeaux, changing at Libourne to then catch a train to Bergerac.
(b) Lille and change to a train to Bordeaux, again getting off at Libourne and changing trains to Bergerac.