Agriculture Minister Assunção Cristas, has declared her passion for the Lusitano breed of horse and its part in Portugal’s growing equestrian tourism market.
Cristas said this weekend the government wants to boost equestrian tourism in the country, and can help do so by visibility to the Lusitano horse, an animal that she considers to have "an extraordinary and unique quality."
"We have many wonderful products that are well recognised, the Lusitano horse is one of these, but sometimes we do not do enough to push its potential," said the minister.
Cristas was in Monforte, Portalegre at the start of the new ‘Luisitano horse route’ in order to highlight the "potential and the importance" that the equestrian tourism can play in Portugal’s tourism development.
Cristas visited the Torre de Palma Wine Hotel in the northern Alentejo which in addition to wine, focuses on equestrian tourism with activities including horseback riding, jumping lessons, and the scary sounding ‘Torre de Palma endurance riding.’
For the history of the Lusitano horse, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lusitano
http://www.cavalo-lusitano.com/en/lusitano-horse/history-of-the-lusitano-horse
