Adventure Clydesdale
Tel: 00 44 (0) 7901 943038
Mob: 00 44 (0) 1208 850205
Tim Ancrum

emai:info@adventureclydesdale.com
www.adventureclydesdale.com

Adventure Clydesdale, Treswigga, Bodmin, PL30 4LD, United Kingdom

Adventure Clydesdale's founder, Tim Ancrum, talks about his involvement with Clydesdale Horses and why he has brought them all the way from Scotland to settle in the South West!

Tim says: Our business is based on the amazing adaptability of the Clydesdale breed. In our changing world, many breeds, including the Clydesdale, have lost their purpose as agriculture has moved on, but we at Adventure Clydesdale can demonstrate to you that these wonderful horses still have a role in the modern world as very special riding horses, who inspire confidence in their riders as they stride out through the countryside. Their adaptability as a breed, I believe is second to none, and their ability as a riding horse earns a living for them thereby enabling their continued existence as a breed.

My life with Clydesdales goes back to my involvement with West Highland Heavy Horses, based on the Isle of Skye in the far Northwest of Scotland. We were awarded the Talisker tourism award for 2003, a prestigious trophy for tourism in the Scottish Highlands. In 2006, we made a decision to move from the Scottish northwest to the Lake District of Cumbria. To make this move we decided to journey on the backs of our big friendly giants the 450 miles from Skye to Cumbria and our new base in the Whicham valley. We journeyed with 12 of the horses with clients riding and the horses performed fantastically over the most difficult of terrain through the Highlands, lowlands and borders of Scotland and northern England, getting to our destination after six weeks travel exactly on time.

This journey, dubbed The Great Clydesdale Migration confirmed to me the horses ability to do long journeys, giving their riders a safe and comfortable ride. Cumbrian Heavy Horses as we called ourselves, established itself in the Lake district over the next five years, taking all levels of rider on short hacks to 6 day journeys through the world class scenery of Cumbria and we were featured on the BBC Countryfile program.

In so doing it has become a top tourism attraction and in 2010 we won the Best Tourism Experience, firstly in Cumbria, then in the NW region and finally at the National finals in Birmingham this year. Cumbrian Heavy Horses continues to thrive in the Lakes but I decided to bring some of my big friendly giants down to the south west and show off their abilities in this beautiful part of the world and to particularly concentrate on their longer journeying abilities. I am now based near Bodmin where we are taking riders out to enjoy this captivating area on rides of 1 1/2 hr to multiple days.

Adventure Rides
At Adventure Clydesdale we don’t just stick to routine rides but go out further afield to ride different and interesting trails. We have within reach Dartmoor, Exmoor and many other beautiful parts of the south west of England to ride in.

Daily rides
Rides are beginner level, mixed or experienced only and having spoken with you we will only book you on the type of ride which is within your capabilities and fulfils your expectations. Rides are from one hour to full days and we also offer schooling lessons and sessions on a Clydesdale:

Riding lessons on a Clydesdale
How about coming for a lesson on one of the BFG’s. We can offer you a fun lesson and an opportunity to hone your riding skills on one of these big movers. Becky Kennen will put you through you paces in one of our schooling areas and it’s a great addition to your riding experience alongside a ride out.

We have three recommended accommodation options in this area.These are all within easy access of our riding facilities, although there are many more available online.

We also have an own bed and breakfast and self catering arrangement available exclusively for clients of Adventure Clydesdale. Please enquire with us directly. We have riding options associated with this accommodation.

Tim Ancrum
I am Tim Ancrum and one of those people who are puzzled when somebody asks them where they are from. I have lived in so many different places I do not belong anywhere but many places have had a great influence on my life and have brought me to the place where I am today. I have always worked with animals in a variety of capacities, managing wildlife and livestock, because I believe in the fundamental importance of the relationship to animals of human beings.

I have come to working with horses relatively late in life, having been preoccupied with many other outdoor activities such as sailing, wind surfing, skiing, hunting and fishing for many years as well as a long career working as Estate Manager for the Clan Donald Lands Trust on the remote Isle of Skye. For the last 9 years I have been preoccupied with the heavy horses and particularly the Clydesdale, which has become a passion for me as its rewards are unending. There is so much to learn with horses, one lifetime would not be enough. I love my job; when i get up I think horses, I look after them, I ride them. Coupled with this I am an adventurer and in my business we are putting the two things together. This makes me very happy!!

Becky Kennen
I have been into horses and riding since I could stand up. Our mother kept horses and I caught the bug. We have a very long history of horses in our family, both in England and Australia. There was only one career for me and when I left school at seventeen, I went straight to work in a lively equestrian establishment. It was hard work for not much pay but horses are a passion, especially fast horses. In the mid 1980s’ I moved down to Devon and started a business as a freelance trainer and rider, competing in eventing.

I met my husband, Phil, whilst in Devon and we moved on down to Cornwall where I settled down to training point to pointers and raising children. I’ve had a lot of success with the horses!! These days I do a good deal of teaching; working with children and adults who want to improve their riding skills and their horses. I have also been chief instructor for N.Cornwall pony club on and off for about fifteen years. I really enjoy passing on the things I have learnt. It’s satisfying to see people improving and enjoying themselves as they go.

Karina Simpson
My first horsey job as a gangly young teenager was to daily ride out round and tend our large flock of Scotch Blackface sheep on Dartmoor. After this I escorted rides for local riding stables and then went on to groom in Cornwall for point-to-pointers and hunters. My own horses over the years have given me the most wonderful and rewarding relationships and there is no doubt in my mind of the benefits horses can bring to people from all walks of life and of all ages.

I recently worked as an Instructor and Operations Manager in a behaviour school teaching disadvantaged children that had been expelled from school. We had a farm on the edge of Bodmin Moor with a horticulture unit and it was plain to see that animals have a profound and calming effect. The deep joy on a previously sad and troubled face was a terrific boost to one and all. Our horses never fail to produce these huge smiles and their characters are so engaging that it is hard to pack up and leave the yard! I would like to develop the equine assisted therapy and also incorporate my passion for art and photography with our merchandising opportunities. Coupled with all of that I also hugely enjoy riding in this beautiful area and grudgingly assist with the inevitable paperwork that a business produces!

Please contact Adventure Clydesdale for details of all rides, lessons, adventure treks and holiday options.

Adventure Clydesdale
Tel: 00 44 (0) 7901 943038
Mob: 00 44 (0) 1208 850205
Tim Ancrum

emai:info@adventureclydesdale.com
www.adventureclydesdale.com

Adventure Clydesdale, Treswigga, Bodmin, PL30 4LD, United Kingdom