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corner BY JOHNNY FENTON, M.A. CONCIERGE, OMNI TUCSON NATIONAL RESORT
AZ Visitors Ask The Expert Q. On our bucket list for this trip out West, we want to experience its horse culture. Any suggestions?
MONUMENT VALLEY
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nswer: You’re here during prime time to saddle up for a dizzying number of directional arrows in Arizona where you’re at a crossroads of choices for those interested in “horsin’ around” in the Southwest. Starting in 1939 with the filming of John Ford’s movie Stagecoach in Monument Valley and Arizona filmed at Old Tucson Studios, more than 20 significant Westerns have been filmed in our state with Hollywood’s finest mounted on horseback taming the Western frontiers and romancing the senoritas. Whether it’s riding, rodeoing or racing, it’s on tap for you in February. NORTHERN ARIZONA “When you’re on a great horse, you have the best seat you will ever have” according to Sir Winston Churchill. If so, you can have no better introduction to horseback riding than with Navajo guide Justin Tso astride one of his Palominos, Paints or Bays on a two, three or four-hour lop through 84,000 acres of colorful sheer cliff walls of Canyon de Chelly. It was formed millions of years ago by land uplifts and stream cutting in Arizona’s Monument Valley on the Navajo Reservation at the sacred epicenter of this Native people’s creation story surrounding Spider Woman, who reigns atop Spider Rock in the Canyon. You will see ruins of cliff dwellings and possible sightings of the wild horses that roam this Canyon and Canyon del Muerto where a prehistoric Indian burial ground was discovered in 1882. Contact Justin’s horse Rentals in Chinle for two, three, or four-hour rides starting at $72. Reservations are required. (928) 675-5575. 96
Arizona KEYMagazine
