Fox Equestrian in Colorado??

[EiRide]

Hey, many moons ago (like, 1993) I did a cross country schooling horse riding vacation in Colorado at a place I vaguely recall as Fox Equestrian–it was a gorgeous facility, huge property, tons of different levels of fences, and none of us doing the vacation could figure out how they were going to stay afloat given the expenses of keeping it going vs the number of folks likely to do the vacation ride. I think they also had an event there each year, as well. We rode 2 1.2 hours each morning, had lunch, and then went to a different part of the course and rode another 2 1.2 hours in the late afternoon, then had dinner. Place was lovely, a fancy cabin with a big lounge, a bar, fancy food and comfy rooms.

Anyone hear of this place? I have a feeling it has long vanished as I knew it, but wondered if it was still a riding venue or if anyone knew what happened to it. If you are wondering what brought this on, it was the thread mentioning the event in the Rockies.

[NeverTime]

It is outside of Walden. They had stopped running the annual event there by the time I began competing in the area in 1998, and I would guess that once the event disappeared, the jumps, etc. quickly fell into disrepair. It wasn’t available for schooling or anything else (I wish it was – it was far closer to where I lived at the time than any other eventing venue).

[OhMissLibrarian]

Yes! I remember it well!

I went on vacation there back in the summer of 1995, and it was the best vacation I’ve ever been on! The place was pretty unreal: a combo of beautiful scenery, excellent horses, scenery to die for, lots of wildlife, gourmet meals, beautiful/comfortable rooms, and more XC fences then I’d ever seen (or jumped) before. I have many wonderful memories, pcitures, and even a video from there.

When I was there, one of the instructors I had was Kristin Bachman.

I always vowed to go back, but ended up buying my first horse within a year after going there, so that sort of vacation was not in the budget anymore :o)

From what I heard, Hans (the owner) decided to go back to Switzerland (or wherever he was from), so he sold the place, and now it is a ski resort.

That’s so neat that you brought this up, EiRide, because 99% of the people I tell about it have never heard of it. I also thought it was a wonderful concept, to have such a resort of this type in the USA, but also wondered how they were going to stay in busness.

[EiRide]

[QUOTE=OhMissLibrarian;4303662]

When I was there, one of the instructors I had was Kristin Bachman.

That’s so neat that you brought this up, EiRide, because 99% of the people I tell about it have never heard of it. I also thought it was a wonderful concept, to have such a resort of this type in the USA, but also wondered how they were going to stay in busness.[/QUOTE]

Yes, she was doing one of her first years there I think when I was there, if I am remembering correctly. Which is always a question, LOL!

I had a fabulous time there. You can find XC vacation places like that in Ireland and England, without so much of the luxury I suspect, but NO ONE could be that huge and sprawling for the land available. They had so many types and places to jump.

Did you do The Mound? That giant dirt lump with all the bank combinations up and down and around the side and the skinny between the trees on the edge?? I loved that thing!

How about the water with the island in it, so you banked in, crossed and banked up on the island, banked off, crossed the water and jumped out and then went to a coop or some portable something or other?

I also got to do the Prelim bank complex, which was marvelous. We had been doing it short ways, but she sent me and one other from the group to do it long ways: go along the trees, turn, jump up onto the bank, cross it and jump a gap and up onto a higher bank, then jump off over a slanted rails for a beeeeeg (to me!) drop. I have that one on video.

I rode Fred the first half of the week, who was a chestnut Argentinian TB, and then I rode a big chestnut QH named Doc the second half of the week. He had been packing a very nice man who rode rather ham fistedly and had started stopping and running out, so since Fred and I did OK but not great they switched me over after that guy left and Doc and I hit it off very well. He just wanted a little tact. They had a super cool Anglo-Arab, and a very tall dark bay Morab who was quite handsome.

I had always hoped to return, but that was a big treat to myself during my grad school days and it was gone before I could afford to think about it again.

[VWBug]

Me too! I had a week’s vacation there and thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I’m stunned to realize I think I also had Kristin Bachman as an instructor. I remember a “Kristin” and now I’ll have to go find my pictures to see if it was her. I think she had just gotten a chocolate lab puppy she named Sadie. The other instructor there was a very tall guy, blond hair and I’m blanking on his name. Mark something…?

My favorite horse was TJ McNasty (I’m pretty sure that was his name). He was a grey and took SUCH good care of me. Anyone ride him?

I still have their brochure, it’s sitting on my desk and I’m looking at it right now. 1,500 acres at 8,700 feet, 200 fences, 15 guests…etc.

[VWBug]

This post has jostled all sorts of memories.

I remember when riders were a few strides out from the fence Kristin would say (yell), “Let go of his face!” One woman in particular needed lots of reminding so we heard, “Let go of his face!” a gazillion times. It’s still ringing in my ears.

I completely remember the water complex. And also a crazy downhill log that scared the pants off of me.

[OhMissLibrarian]

Hi EiRide & VWBug!
Ahhh, the memories!!

Yes, I clearly remember doing the bank complex, as well as the water complex w/the island, and a ton of other things.

I got to ride a buckskin paint named Ten Pin, and he was awesome. Laid back and very honest. One of the days, for a little excitement (and no, i didnt ask for it), they decided to switch me onto a pretty hot TB named Capone, or Hoffa (or something like that- I just remember it being a mafia sounding name), he had quite the “gas pedal” and I got unceremoniously dumped in the middle of the lesson when we were about 5 miles away from the barn. I was fine, and he took off like a bat out of hell for the barn. I remember Kristin whipped out her walkie-talkie and radioed back to the barn that there was an “incoming loose horse”. They caught him fine and then eventually someone ponied him back out to me.

I also remember Sadie (kristins chocolate lab), and one or two other dogs. The other instructor that was there when I was was named Jana Easter. She was also very nice and very knowledgable. I heard when Fox was sold that she got married, and then went to work for Mike Huber.

There were also 2 very nice women that were the full time grooms down at the barn.
I remember being very envious of all who worked there, as it was such a gorgeous place/location.

[EiRide]

[QUOTE=OhMissLibrarian;4304003]
Hi EiRide & VWBug!
Ahhh, the memories!!

I got to ride a buckskin paint named Ten Pin, and he was awesome. Laid back and very honest.[/QUOTE]

I think I remember him! Was he a medium sized horse? I think a girl who came with her parents rode him in one of our groups. If it’s the horse I am thinking of, he was just as cute as a button and very point and shoot.

And I remember Kristin shouting “Let go of his face!” at some of my group mates on a regular basis. Funny how these things come back! I still have the video, and now I want to go find it and watch it again!

[VWBug]

Holy carp it was Kristin Bachman then!

How did I forget Ten Pin? I rode him too. He was a cute little guy but he always laid his ears back at people who came by his stall. It didn’t mean anything, he never followed up with any bad behavior. Someone shot a video of me walking up to his stall and the ears went back, I walked away and the ears came up, I walked towards him and the ears went back, rinse, wash repeat. :lol:

Oh, and Hans threw my book in the fire! I was reading after dinner (on those gorgeous leather couches) and casually mentioned I didn’t really care for the book and Hans said, “Well why waste your time?” He walked over to me, plucked the book out of my hands and pitched it into the flames! Everyone just gaped. It was an odd moment to say the least. :lol:

[thedeb]

fox equestrian

I was just cleaning out my office and ran across a brochure from Fox Equestrian in Walden, Colorado and googled them only to find they are no longer in existence. However, I did see some conversation so I thought I’d add what I knew before filing away the brochure for good. Fox Equestrian was a limited liability company located in Walden, Co located on over 1500 acres of open meadows, woods, rolling hills and 200 fences of all kinds and levels built by Paul Popiel. At the time it was the only resort facility of it’s kind in the US. They hosted two daily 2 to 2.5 hours rides daily (morning and afternoon) grouped according to rider’s experience. Once a week they did a day long trailride into the bordering state forest with miles of isolated trails. They requested that you be a reasonably fit, seasoned rider and able to jump a 2’ fence safely. The horses were selected and trained by Andrew Popiel with an emphasis on good temperament and athletic abilities. They provided Tipperary safety vests. The rooms were beautiful and the food gourmet. 1993 was their grand opening season with rates starting at 1,500 and as high as 2,200 during the main season. You could also bring your own horse. The owner of this facility graciously donated a week stay for two for our horse club as first prize for the Nassau Suffolk Horsemen’s Association’s large trail ride that I had organized that year. Unfortunately, the winner of the prize never took advantage of it. I was sorry to see that this location was no longer operating as it looked like a stellar idea with beautiful and organized horses and grounds. Hopefully the owner went on to do more great things for the horse community - wherever he may be.

[Simkie]

Is this the place that’s up in North Park? I went up there maybe 10 years ago to look at some hay they were selling and it was BEAUTIFUL. They’d pulled out the cross country course, I think, but the owners had kids that showed palominos so the barn was still there. They’d turned it into a working ranch with cattle and hay production.

[Holly_Isaacson_Holmes]

2019 now… Just triple checking to see what happened to this paradise near Walden, CO. I visited in 1993 for a complimentary week given to the fox hunt that I once belonged to in MD, NMMVH. No one wanted to use this promotional week, so I lucked out beyond my expectations when the huntsman wife passed the voucher on to me! The riding was wonderful, the new jumps were springing up. Hans and Petra were great hosts. Mark Houghton was one of the instructors. In a previous post, someone was wondering what his name was. I already knew his family from US Pony Club events in Kentucky, small world. I went back several times to volunteer at the events held on the property.All and all it was a magical place stuck in ranch world Colorado. It really didn’t fit there, what a vision that Hans created. I had more fun there than I should have