by Keron Psillas | Nov 16, 2011 | classical dressage, Equestrian Tourism in Portugal and Spain |
Here is a small gallery of images that Keron created in Golegã, Portugal, over the last 8 days. If you have never been to the Festival in Golegã, Keron’s pictures will show you what you’ve missed! There are campinhos at Manuel Assuncao Coimbra’s box, people of all ages riding gorgeous Lusitanos, and atmospheric photos to give you the feel that is only Golegã. The history and culture of a horse fair in Golegã, going back nearly 500 years, is known around the world. But as a living festival, it is in a state of constant change. The one thing that does not change is the joy of people celebrating the Lusitano and the connection humans have shared with these remarkable animals for many hundreds and hundreds of years. You can see an even larger selection and read a little about her experience over on her blog: www.keronpsillas.com.
Some other items of interest:
We have secured a reduced rate at the Dry Creek Inn (click the link for their site) for all the January Symposium attendees needing lodging. It’s a very nice place…just give them a call and tell them that you are attending the Barbier Farms event.
There is a new trip on the blog. Click the page above (BRASIL for Carnival) for an outline of the trip. Please contact Debra for further details. Follow the links to see some of the places we’ll be staying. I am so happy to be going back to Trancoso and Toca do Marlin in Bahia.
For all those interested in hosting clinics in 2012, contact me ASAP. Dates are nearly filled for the year already! I’m excited to be going to South Africa, Switzerland, England, and Brasil, in addition to many clinics here in the US and Canada. With our trips scheduled in February and May to Brasil, and and others to be announced, it is going to be a very busy year, but one filled with the culture and passion of the Lusitano and classical dressage. We hope to share part of it with you.
Amities~
DDBarbier
by Keron Psillas | Aug 23, 2011 | Brazil equestrian trips, classical dressage, horses for sale |
We endured some freezing temps (literally freezing!) in Brasil in early August but our guests, visiting friends, and lots of baby horses made the trip truly enjoyable. Here is a small gallery of images to show you a bit of our trip, including a few with Debra and her babies in the herd!!! Visiting Allegria dos Pinhais and seeing the spectacular stallions Tenor, Ventus, and our old friend Mistral (MAC), along with Signo dos Pinhais (prospective Olympic mount for 2012) with Marcelo Alexandre riding was a real treat. Our friend, noted equestrian artist Beatrice Bulteau, just finished a commission there to paint along the length of the arena a mural of dancing Lusitanos. It was a marvelous surprise to find!
During our trip we had some great fun practicing on a working equitation course. And Keron, always behind the lens, finally got to ride! She had a great time on Xerife do Top and Rinete do Top! Those flying changes were a tiny bit contracted but clearly lots of fun for her. We visited Coudelaria Rocas do Vouga and saw ONE -DAY- OLD BABIES!!!! Best of luck to all the team at Rocas do Vouga, along with our friends at Coudelaria Ihla Verde, Fazenda Santa Isabel and Haras Juliana for the Pan Am Games! We finished up with a few days of teaching at Manege Santa Adelaide….and a marvelous dinner at Fogo de Chao. Thank you to all our friends in Brasil, especially Raul Silva, Davi Carrano, and our friends at Japu Top, who always make us feel so welcome.
If you’ve been dreaming of a Brasilian experience, contact us. Flexible itineraries, nature programs, and cultural experiences will satisfy all your family members and you’ll get to see AND RIDE amazing Lusitanos.
Looking forward: we are preparing for another great Symposium here in Healdsburg on September 30 and October 1 and 2. If you haven’t already done so, click on the Symposium link at the top of the blog and sign up! Spaces are going quickly, especially for dinner on Saturday night. Don’t miss this opportunity for in-depth study with both Debra and Dominique…..and an opportunity to ride a number of gorgeous Brasilian Lusitanos.
We’re excited to be going to South Africa for a clinic in early November….help spread the word! There is an email and contact info for our sponsor, Eleen Allison, on our clinic schedule page. She’d be delighted to hear from you and we’d be delighted to see you.
by Keron Psillas | Jul 18, 2011 | blog information, classical dressage, horses for sale |
We are busy preparing for a scouting trip to Brasil, but thought we would share some images of our latest arrival: Capaz do Mito. From the moment Capaz walked into the barn he was at home and at ease. He is super easy to work with, has a very kind demeanor, and is progressing in a very quick way. Now that I think of it, we must replace the “to work with” to a more appropriate “to play with”.
If you haven’t already, make your plans to come to Barbier Farms for the September/October Symposium. From September 30 through October 2, we will offer the third in a series of events designed to answer all your questions about enlightened Classical Dressage, show you stunning horses with correct movements, and teach riders and horses of all levels with plenty of question and answer time. Contact Debra for further information and click on the links for the Symposium and the California A’ La Barbier Week at the top of the page. Join us! All the other events were great successes, each building on the other. This promises to be the best of all.
Amities, Dominique and Debra
by Keron Psillas | Jun 25, 2011 | classical dressage, Equestrian Tourism in Portugal and Spain |
We’ve had a marvelous time in Spain, Portugal, and Bordeaux….so we wanted to share some images and a few of the highlights of the trip with you. Returning to familiar haunts in Portugal was an emotional experience for Debra and I. But taking good friends, old and new, along for the journey made it very special for us. Of course the horses are always at the top of the list of things to see. We visited the Portuguese School for Equestrian Art, right across from our Pousada (Dona Maria I) at the National Palace in Queluz. This was our first activity of the trip and it did not disappoint. Walking through the Palace Gardens to find the old riding ring was delightful….and the horses were gorgeous, putting on a lovely performance in the Portuguese tradition.
After a delicious lunch on the beach at Quincho, we journeyed to the top of the mountain above Sintra to visit the Convento dos Capuchos. It’s a mysterious place with all the cells built into the rocks of the mountain…..all cork-lined (to prevent some of the cold and moisture from seeping through), totally secluded and wonderfully peaceful. From there we made our own pilgrimage to the Manege of my Mestre, Nuno Oliveira. Over 25 years have passed since Debra and I had been there. While much has changed with a succession of owners, the heart of the place remains. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return.
We finished our first day by going into the Alfama district of Lisbon to hear some Fado. It was a perfect ending to a day filled with beauty, poetry, mystery, and emotion. Fado is all those things and more. So this was only our first day and as you can tell it was filled to overflowing with sights, sounds, smells, tastes…..a feast in every way.
We traveled to Santarem for a Portuguese bullfighting exhibition, we visited my friend Luis Valença’s home to watch his students and performers in his renowned Appassionata equestrian spectacle, we traveled to Golega to meet the esteemed breeder of some of the finest Lusitanos in the world, Mr. Manuel Coimbra. We slept in a castle at Pousada de Palmela, played on a beautiful beach in the Algarve region on our way to Jerez, watched gorgeous handmade tiles (azulejos) being created by amazing artisans in the same way that they have been produced for over 500 years.
And thanks to our amazing driver and guide, Marco Sousa, we learned much of the history of Portugal and Spain as we made our way from one stop to the next. Did you know that Lisbon experienced a terrible earthquake and subsequent Tsunami? It happened on November 1, 1755 (All Saints Day) and caused such widespread devastation and loss of life that the philosophies of leading scholars were completely altered … religious thought was forever changed. The naive belief of God as a benevolent power was irreparably changed.
In Spain we were treated to spectacular Flamenco performances on three different nights in three distinct styles, we visited the Terry and Domecq Bodegas to see how fine Sherry has been produced for several hundred years (in the very same barrels and using the very same methods). We enjoyed a performance at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art and a behind the scenes look at the training and structure of the school. We went to A Campo Abierto (The Open Fields) to watch a beautiful show illustrating the history and culture that exists around the horses and the bulls, and then went to Yeguada de Cartuja to watch a different exhibition that told the story of the Andalusian horses that were saved by the monks of Cartuja. Before that we had the opportunity to briefly visit the monastery that housed the Order.
All these activities (and many that are not listed) were knit together by fellowship and amazing meals. The quality of the food, almost always the freshest bounty of the sea, was spectacular. I think all our guests would agree that this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. The opportunity to experience a new culture as an extended family member is the best way to travel. Come with us next time and you’ll enjoy the same rich experiences.
We’re grateful that our entire trip was documented by Keron Psillas, our friend and photographer. We hope you enjoy the extensive gallery.
by Keron Psillas | May 29, 2011 | Brazil equestrian trips, classical dressage, horses for sale |
Though we can’t believe the trip is over, we are so grateful for such a wonderful time! The horses were glorious, as they always are, but the best part of the trip was the old friendships renewed and the new friendships created. With great companions on the trip and marvelous farms to visit….the excitement of the Auction and then the Expo….we’re exhausted but happy. Back to States tonight…then a clinic in Canada this weekend, then off to Spain and Portugal. Debra and I hope you’ll join us soon. Whether it’s a clinic in Germany or England or Chicago or New Jersey, better still the Symposium in September, there are horses to learn from and friends to meet all around the world.
by Keron Psillas | May 11, 2011 | classical dressage, horses for sale |
We’ve put up a video of the wonderful Lusitanos that arrived at our barn last month. It’s about eleven minutes, but hang on til the end as the horses are introduced in two groups; the first is a group of three horses from one renowned breeder in Brasil, and the second group of horses came from two other fantastic breeders. I’ll be posting a full report, with images, from the April Symposium soon. We enjoyed perfect weather, lively discussions, great riding, informative lectures and demonstrations, and fabulous food! Make plans now to join us for the Classical Series, Part 3. We’ll host the last Symposium of the year here in Healdsburg on September 30 through October 2. Contact Debra soon! (707 696 2828 )
You can see a little more about each horse on our Horses For Sale tab…above. Enjoy!
