Meet Grégory Morat and Stefano Ferri, international Reining riders

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Meet Stefano Ferri and Grégory Morat, international reining rider and owner of Bo Ranch, Europe’s largest ranch dedicated to international reining competitions.

Grégory Morat: the story of a passionate of adrenaline

Bo Ranch is the story of one man and his passion, which began in 2012. At this time, Grégory Morat, today the owner of Bo Ranch, was a motorcycle racer and took part in numerous Grand Prix events. A horse enthusiast, he discovered Reining that same year, and quickly fell in love with the discipline: a fan of strong sensations, he found in this discipline an impression of driving.

“ During the Dakar Rally, I used to ride my motorcycle in the desert over various obstacles. On horseback, I found the same sensation, but it was even more breathtaking. Galloping at full throttle, managing to understand and communicate with your horse to achieve a perfect Sliding Stop * … that’s impressive! ”

* Sliding stop in a straight line. The horse arches his back, bringing his hindlegs under him and maintaining the forward movement with his forelegs. During the stop, the horse glides along a straight line, keeping contact with the ground with its hind legs.

Convinced by the discipline, Grégory was determined to participate in its development in France, and in 2015 began building Bo Ranch, a space dedicated to Reining, which would last 4 years.

A true success story, Bo Ranch today attracts the best European riders thanks to the numerous competitions held there every year, making it the largest ranch in Europe dedicated to international reining competitions.

Reining, an emerging discipline in France

As you may have gathered, Bo Ranch is dedicated to Western riding, and more specifically to Reining. This discipline, which comes straight from the United States and may seem a far cry from the classical equitation known in Western countries, is nonetheless enjoying great success in Europe.

In this discipline, the focus is on dressage. Reining riders are looking for relaxation and serenity from their horses. To perform their maneuvers, they guide their horses with one hand and the loosest possible reins. In competition, when riders perform their maneuvers, it’s their gentleness, finesse, relaxed attitude, speed and authority that are graded: points may be awarded or penalties imposed.

Renowned for the extreme technicality of its dressage and the beauty of its figures, Reining has been the only Western discipline recognized by the FEI, Fédération Équestre Internationale, since 2000, and was introduced at the World Equestrian Games in 2002.

© Zuzanna Lupa Photography

Horse breaking as a sine qua non for the connection between horse and rider

In Reining, the most important thing is the connection between horse and rider. The rider must be completely connected to the horse and trust him to perform the movements with the maximum delicacy. Horse breaking must never be botched, otherwise this trust will be compromised. It’s a challenge Grégory understands from the outset, and one to which he devotes most of his time at Bo Ranch.

Stefano Ferri, international reining rider, is known for his smooth breaking-in methods and his ability to bring a horse to the highest level. A great admirer of his work, Grégory invited him to join the Bo Ranch adventure. Stefano and Grégory formed an obvious and complementary partnership in breaking and working horses.

For several years now, Grégory and Stefano have been working in harmony to break in young horses. Each in their respective categories, they take them through the competition and then take them to the highest level.

© Zuzanna Lupa Photography

Quarter Horses, true athletes

In addition to the incredible structure of Bo Ranch, the quality of the training and Grégory and Stefano’s devotion to their horses, what impressed us most was the quality of the care given to their horses. A true demonstration of the respect that Grégory, Stefano and the entire Bo Ranch team accord their horses, the latter are treated with the utmost attention.

If you’d like to learn more about reining or discover Bo Ranch’s unique site, we invite you to visit bo-ranch.com.