My name is José Ramón Casas. Since 2012, I am the owner of Catalonia Horse Trails, a horseback-riding agency from Catalonia, my home country of which I am deeply in love. For the last four years, since I decided to take on Can Jou – Catalonia Trails, our team has catered over 1200 customers from around the world. Their feedback has always expressed a high degree of satisfaction, which encourages us to always keep improving even further the experience we offer.
ABOUT US
I am involved in the equestrian universe since 1986. I travelled more than 80 thousand kilometres across Europe and North Africa on a horse. For many years, I participated in events and competitions on horses I trained myself, obtaining excellent results in Europe and abroad. In 2003, my experience with equestrian tourism began, founding a centre in Camprodon in Pyrenees.
Our club near Barcelona, in Sant Fruitós de Bages, is our current officially approved centre for training future equestrian tourism guides. The club also serves as a logistics hub and horse-training centre, where we have over forty horses fit for working. Finally, our main base is Can Sort, a reference equestrian centre for more than thirty years located in Alt Empordà.
Our exciting program for 2016 has 11 different trails, taking you through the most beautiful regions around Girona, namely l’Alt Empordà, la Garrotxa and Ripollès. You can chose among four special exclusive trails, three beach trails, two mountain trails and two “Long Weekend” formulas for an amazing three days getaway. This year, we also included a new trail in the Berguedà region, 80km away from Barcelona that will take you to Pedraforca, the magic mountain.
Each route has been designed for you to enjoy a safe and relaxing horse-riding journey. Each day is unique, taking you through new landscapes and with different riding rhythms. On the other hand, we have chosen the most charming hotels and rural houses and the staff is professional and experimented. Come and enjoy a relaxed holiday journey through dreamy landscapes!
Catalonia Horse Trails is defined by three cornerstones:
Safety: In the riding our fist priority is always safety.
Professionalism: more than eighteen years of Equestrian Tourism experience.
Welcoming: “We enjoy what we do and we are very happy to share our passion with you”.
OUR TEAM
Ramon
Born in Barcelona, Josep Ramon Casas entered the horse world more than 35 years ago, and more specifically within the discipline of Raid. President of the Club Hípic Sant Fruitós de Bages, he created in 1990, the center l’Hípic Sant Fruitós de Bages, as a riding school and training center for horses and riders for competition. Along the same lines, in 2002, he inaugurated a second center in the Catalan Pyrenees, l’Hípic Llanars-Camprodon, completing the facilities with a hotel and a bar / restaurant suitable for organizing riding camps, routes and equestrian stays in an environment privileged. Under the HIPÍC HOTEL brand, this center quickly becomes a benchmark in the field of Catalan tourism, but also for many other equestrian and horsemen throughout the national and international territory, who find there a service adapted to their stays and activities by horse. As of 2009, he decided to specialize in equestrian tourism. The result of this change in orientation is the adherence to the Itinerània program, the network of routes and trails of Ripollés, Garrotxa and Alt Empordà, as well as the 3mons route, which connects the three natural parks of Montseny, St. Llorenç del Munt i Obac and Montserrat. It creates and inaugurates the routes in stagecoaches, based on a Franco-Catalan project for the recovery of animal traction in the field of tourism, the Transhumance route is recovered, carrying a herd of 200 cows on horseback between the Alt Empordà and the Valley of Camprodon, and also happens to lead the Equustur program of the Valles del Montcau. He is a member of the Catalan Horse Riding Federation, integrated in the Equestrian Tourism Commission
Anne
French architect pensioned by nature and botany, her enthusiasm for horses started in her childhood. Her long involvement on managing complex international projects guarantees the continuous improvement of Catalonia Horse Trails.
She speaks French, Catalan, Spanish and English. She is in charge of managing bookings, marketing, brand image and customer support while organizing the route picnics. Her communicative skills reflect her long experience in horse trails across Catalonia, both as a rider and as a support unit.
Lluis
Lluis is our Catalan guide, and has been at Catalonia Trails the longest. He worked with and learned all about horses and equestrian trails with the founder of Can Jou, Mick Peters, and he obtained the qualification of riding instructor at the Manas de la Hoz stud farm in Liendo, Cantabria, with Maria Angeles Bravo as his teacher.
He has fifteen years of guide experience on trails, riding on Catalonian mountains, meadows and beaches with all our horses and international groups.
He speaks perfectly Spanish, Catalan, English and some French. He loves his own country and can explain you so many histories about horses and nature, he knows all the secrets to the trails and you’ll surely enjoy his pleasant company on the Mountain to Sea, Catalonia Wild Coast, Shepherds & Meadows or Beaches trails.
Anabel
Over 10 years ago, in 2002, Anabel entered the professional equestrian world, peeked by her interest in natural horsemanship and a course she’d taken with Parelli Patt of Colorado and Robert Miller of California. She then took a two-year course in “Expert Care and Handling of the Horse” at the Agricultural Equestrian Training School of the Catalonian Government. In 2004 she obtained the “A.B.R.S. Association of British Riding Schools Certificate”, in 2007 the “Formation Attelage” title at the French equestrian centre Camp de Loste in Montesquieu de les Alberes. She went on to complete the Equestrian Sport Monitor Level I course at the Agricultural Equestrian Training School, followed by the Equestrian Sport Monitor Level II course in 2011, specializing in guidance, endurance and equestrian tourism. She has been in charge of the Hípic de Sant Fruitós de Bages riding school since 2007, giving classes and conducting outrides, as well as caring for the horses stabled there. She has an Animal Welfare certificate as well as a lifeguard license and a DEA license issued by the Red Cross. She is a Riding Examiner, recognized by the Spanish Equestrian Federation for obtaining official riding levels. Anabel speaks Catalan and Spanish and basic German and English. She will be your guide on the Royal Path Trail, a cultural and gastronomic tour on horseback along the beautiful unspoiled countryside of the Barcelona province.
Lucy
She was born in the Czech Republic and is a great lover of horses which she has been moving and riding since the young age of 7. She competed in jumping up to 1.20m, mostly with young horses and has been working with horses in England, Germany and Portugal. In 2016 she moved to Spain where she entered the world of endurance racing (raid) competing at an international level throughout Europe including in CEI *** category races. She has also been training, riding and grooming PRE horses in the classic Spanish style “dressage cowgirl”. She speaks Spanish and English and works at Catalonia Horse Trails, since the summer of 2020 as an Equestrian Guide, mainly for long and fast Endurance routes, but also to care for and train road horses.
Anton
Born in Catalonia, Anton is passionate about animals in general. He started riding horses at an early age and touched on different disciplines. Catalan is his native language, and he is also fluent in French- his mother tongue- and Spanish. He has a degree in Business Commerce, Administration and Finance, as well as a diploma as a level I and II Equestrian Sports Technician, which allows him to work both as an instructor and an equestrian guide. He has always had the opportunity to pursue his passion for horses and started working professionally in this sector about six years ago. He did so as a riding school assistant, during which he was responsible for the equestrian camps organised by our company, combined with the role of a guide on medium and short distance trails.
Albert
Born in Barcelona, he is responsible for logistical support during the horse riding trails, including caring for the horses and arranging the client picnics. He speaks Catalan, Spanish and English, and has some knowledge of French. He has a very special relationship with horses and loves nature. He has worked in different equestrian centres and has taken courses in dressage with Beatriz Ferrer Salat, natural horsemanship with Susanne Lenk, Lucie Rees and Leslie Desmond, equine feed and nutrition with Marga Navarro, and handling and breeding of the Spanish horse with David Llobera (Yeguada la Resclosa). He has been working for Catalonia Horse Trails for three years now.
Karin
Born in Tarbes, France, Karyn has lived in Spain for over 30 years. She is our French guide, but she also speaks English and Spanish. Her life is horses but she is also a lover of nature and adventure, she is enthusiastic about meeting people from all over the world. She has been riding horses since she was seven years old and has worked in equestrian centers in Andalusia and on the Costa Brava, Girona, as a tour guide and equestrian tourism guide. She has taken equestrian Technician courses in Mont Marsan in France, in Alahurin de la Torre, Malaga and in Benalmadena. She took several courses on Horsemanschip with Michelle Peschk, Freddy Vermelein (Parelli) and Lucy Rees and on equine podiatry with Rafael Caparrós. Her experience as a guide with Catalonia Horse Trails dates back to 2015 and with Cabacci Andalusia since 2020.
Petra
Born in Hannover, Petra lives in Spain from more than 30 years. She is our German guide and she speaks also English, French, Spanish and Catalan. Loving horses, nature, adventure and meeting people from all over the world, she has been working in Ibiza, in Barcelona and the Costa Brava, as a riding instructor, touristic guide and manager in equestrians centres.
She had a great experience with us on the Cattle Herding trail, riding from seafront to the mountains with 200 cows. From now on Petra is looking forward to guide you through the beautiful countryside of the Alt Emporda in Mountain to Sea, Catalonia Wild Coast, Cattle Herding and Beaches horse-trails and “Happy Weekend” in Can Sort.
Carla
From a very young age, Carla has been immersed in the world of horses. Her preferred discipline was the T.R.E.C. for the values that imply respect for the horse and contact with nature. But the funniest moments for her were outdoor horseback riding, hiking and enjoying nature. She began working professionally with horses about two years ago as an assistant at a riding school. Little by little, she realized that she was able to transmit her knowledge to all those who wanted to learn and she began to work as a monitor, which she has been doing for the last years, combining it with medium and short routes.distance. She is certified as a Level II Equestrian Sports Technician, which allows her to act both as a teacher and as an equestrian guide. She speaks perfect Catalan, Spanish and English.