ITINERARY FOR THE GREAT DIAMOND JUBILEE RIDE
Updated Thursday, 21 June

The general route in France can be followed on the IGN R02 (Régionale routière et touristique)and better still with the various IGN  maps for “randonnées”

Monday 4 June day 1 Chantilly – Le Tillet 17 kms

Tuesday 5 June day 2 Le Tillet – Valdampierrre 26 kms (halt 14h00 at Le Petit Fercourt just outside Ste Geneviève (on the otherside of the D1001 (N1) on the D46). A little confusion as horses and riders arrived in good time but no logistics in sight. Sandwiches for the riders, no drinks for the horses and off they set again towards  Valdampierre and eventually the logistic team was found trundling through these tiny villages.

Weds 6 June day 3 Valdampierre – Flavacourt 28 kms Le Vexin Valdampierre : Night spent at the farm of Monsieur Maillard, La Ferme de la Tremblay. Monsieur Maillard owns another property in  Bordeaux.

Thurs 7 June day 4 Flavacourt – Lyons-la- Forêt 31 kms Le Vexin Normand At Flavacourt night spent on the property of  Monsieur Hué

Friday 8 June day 5 Lyons-la-Forêt at the Château de la Croix Mesnil
the property of Monsieur Leverd who is passionate about horses and regretted not to be able to accompany Lindy and Francesca part of the way due to lack of time. A day of rest for horses and riders. On Thursday evening the horses were a little weary and perhaps the
riders too but the latter wouldn’t admit it.

Saturday 9 June day 6 Lyons-la-Forêt, Château de la Croix Mesnil – Blainville Crevon (26.5 kms) to stay the night with Monsieur Asselin who is a cider maker

Sunday 10 June day 7 Blainville Crevon – Mont Cauvaire The night was spent at the farm owned by the municipality.

Mon. 11 June day 8 Mont Cauvaire – Mont de l’If (near Yvetot)

Tues. 12 June day 9 Rest day at Mont de l’If

Weds. 13 June day 10 Mont de l’If – Lintot

Thurs. 14 June day 11 Lintot – St. Romain Colbosc. The night was spent on M.Prudhomme’s property

Fri. 15 June day 12 St. Romain Colbosc – Ruelle (close to the port of Le Havre) The distances between each stage are not always available, but they rode 20 to 32 kms per day

Sat. 16 June day 13 Horses boxed to Bolleville north of Lintot to the property of the de Beaunay family. They have horses and enjoy showjumping at small shows. Lindy, Francesca, Susanna and Mary Ann took the de Beaunay’s out to a good French dinner with their 5 children aged between 16 and 4 years old.

Sun 17 June day 14 Arrival at Portsmouth and then all went to Lizzie Pannett’s near Lymington in the New Forest. Lizzie participated in the
Compostella ride in 2006. A nice day to rest in the sunshine and partake of a barbecue of magrets de canard cooked by M. de Beaunay

Mon. 18 June day 15 Nitchevo was shod. At 3 p.m. horses and people left for Le Havre to catch the ferry for Portsmouth at 5 p.m. Horses boxed back to near Portsmouth where they officially start the English side of the ride. This is a fairly long  stage of 37 kms, leaving the coastal band of towns and villages, going towards the South Downs to stop at a small village, Owslebury (near Winchester). The route is best followed on English ordnance survey maps.

Tues. 19 June day 16 Owslebury – North Waltham. They spent the night on a farm.

Weds. 20 June day 17 North Waltham – Oakley off the A339. After a long ride, the team was accommodated in great comfort by Sophie and Ross Walker. Having lots of hot water was much appreciated.
 
Thurs. 21 June day 18 Oakley – Ramsdell (near Basingstoke) where they will spend the night with Mrs. Sheila Richards and her groom Clare Griffith. I spoke to the team before they left this morning. Nietchevo was having a lie in as he is tired after the long ride yesterday. We also got an update on changes to itinerary.

Fri. 22 June day 19 Ramsdell – Hartley Wintney West. They spend the night at Inholmes belonging to Mrs. Peppy Rowse.

Sat. 23 June day 20 Hartley Wintney West – Sandhurst. Night spent at Sandhurst by kind permission of Colonel Morton. Corporal Powell, who is Corporal of the Horse, will be there to see horses and people comfortably installed. This is an Open day at Sandhurst where there will be great parades in full regalia

Sun. 24 June day 21 Sandhurst – Winkfield near Windsor. They spend the night with Mr. Mark Emerson, Vet and polo player.

Mon. 25 June day 22 Arrival on Windsor racecourse in front of the stands accompanied by a coach a four, a polo player, an eventer and
a racehorse. The races are on that day so there will be a big crowd to greet Lindy on Nitchevo and Francesca on Marquise.

 

 

I will be riding from Chantilly to Windsor with Cesca in June to pay a tribute to our Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her 60th Anniversary on the throne.

This ride will commence at the Chantilly Racecourse, accompanied by a carriage pulled by a team, a jockey, an eventer and a polo player, all on horseback.

Our arrival in Windsor is planned for afternoon of the 25th June, where we will enter the racecourse again accompanied by a carriage pulled by a team, a jockey, an eventer and a polo player, all on horseback.

For my part, I would like to raise money for the Eloise and Katie Memorial Trust, a charity which funds small projects that directly make a real difference to the lives of young people. It was created in memory of my nieces, Eloise and Katie Plunkett, who both died of cancer before they were 30.