"Dear Andrew, great, first-class. Everything met our expectations. Your service was very good and we had an excellent time at Charlie Mann's yard," Antony Smithson - Breakfast with Charlie Mann, April 2011.

"Hi Andrew, our breakfast morning with Ann and George was excellent. It was a gift for my father's 80th birthday and as a true racing fan he loved it. From the moment we arrived they treat us like one of the family. Elaine took us up to the gallops whilst Ann came up on horseback with the riders and met us there. We did this four times seeing four different sets of horses ride out. Inbetween we spent time in the office with a coffee watching recordings of previous winners on the television. George spent a lot of time with my dad chatting about the racing game whilst Elaine prepared breakfast and Ann took out another string which we watched on the gallops from the stables. As we said our farewell’s and George gave Dad a signed copy of his autobiography which was a lovely touch. Dad said it was the best day out he’d ever had and said he felt so comfortable with them as they were so down to earth. Since his return he has never stopped talking about it and has even been walking a lot more. He walked more that day than he has walked in years and he now has the belief that he can walk further because he did it all morning at the yard. In summary Andrew it was a cracking day and well worth the money. We'll also be booking it again for next year's Christmas and birthday presents! Thanks for everything," Craig Dickinson - Breakfast with Ann and George Duffield, March 2011.

 

"Hi Andrew, we spent the morning with Jamie Osborne yesterday - I can't tell you how much we enjoyed it! He was absolutely fantastic, it was worth every penny. He showed us all around his stables, gave us a fantastic breakfast in his own home, took us up to the gallops to watch the horses training, it was amazing! He was so entertaining, informative, very good company, and full of knowledge. I'd highly recommend the session with him to anyone - even though I know very little about horses (John's the expert there), he was very patient with my basic questions!! Please do pass on our thanks to Jamie for a fantastic morning, we thoroughly enjoyed it and are really grateful to him for giving us such a great experience for John's birthday. Many thanks also to you for setting things up. Best wishes," Stephanie Nixon - Breakfast with Jamie Osborne March 2011.

 

"Dear Andrew. Sandy and I would like to thank you and the others involved in making our trip to the Velka Pardubicka such a memorable occasion. We do not generally sign up for group tours, but I am delighted that on this occasion we did. Had we tried to organise the visit ourselves we would have missed out on all sorts of goodies such as the course walk, the excellent view from the stand and the experts you had on hand to explain things. It was kind of you to come out to the airport to meet us, and this set the pattern for the rest of the excellent weekend. Thank you very much. Best wishes," Miles Williamson-Noble - Velka Pardubicka 2010.

 

"Hi Andrew. Bridget and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to the Velka Pardubicka. Well done - the tour was well organised, thank you. Please would you convey our thanks to your team, Richard, Robin and Nick - who we felt really went the "extra furlong" to make the trip both fascinating and enjoyable - with their collective in depth knowledge and experience. We look forward to next year's trip to the Gran Premio di Merano, yours sincerely," Bridget and Anthony Cuming - Velka Pardubicka 2010.

 

"Dear Andrew and team. A huge thank you for such an enjoyable weekend, the organisation and hospitality were amazing it was great fun. Looking forward to another trip with you sometime. Best wishes," Tim and Hilary Brockbank - Velka Pardubicka 2010.

 

"Dear Andrew, just wanted to thank you and Nick for organising the most wonderful trip, we all enjoyed it hugely – even if we HAVE put on weight!! It was such good fun and we met so many great people.... Thanks again and keep me posted on future trips..... Best regards," Philippa Downing - Velka Pardubicka 2010.

 

"Hi Andrew, just wanted to thank you all so much for a truly unforgettable experience both Paul and myself had at the weekend. Everything that was laid on was first class and provided for an unbelievable experience. To sit in the bar chatting to our hero jockeys who were so approachable and friendly was our ultimate dream. Please pass on our thanks and congratulations for staging such a memorable trip. Kind regards," Nigel Drake - Velka Pardubicka 2010.

 

"Dear Andrew, Nick, Robin, Richard and Steve, just a quick note to thank you all for organising/contributing to such a good trip last weekend. You look after us so well, it is great fun and so relaxing. Many thanks once again and I hate to tell you but we might see you in Italy next year. Best wishes," Catherine Gabbett and friends - Velka Pardubicka 2010.

 

"Hi Andrew, just to say what a wonderful time Paul and Nige had at the Velka Pardubicka, it far exceeded their expectations, everything ran smoothly from start to finish. Thank you so much for organising such a fabulous trip. They were so full of their experiences when they arrived home, mixing with the likes of Richard Dunwoody and the extra little touches such as champagne on arrival at the hotel and seats at the race track on Saturday added to the experience, every little detail was thought of and done with expertise. They would definitely like to travel with you again to another destination at some time, best wishes," Kathy Staab - Velka Pardubicka 2010.

 

"Andrew, thank you for a great weekend, all the group thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The setting at Merano was probably the most spectacular we have seen in our many racing trips around the world. Karine and Richard were excellent hosts and your tipping was pretty accurate!! Thanks once again," John Gloak and friends - Gran Premio di Merano 2010.

 

"Hi Andrew, what a brilliant weekend!! Everything was well organised as usual and the facilities were second to none. The hospitality was wonderful at the races - lovely food and free beer all afternoon! We were well looked after by Karine and Richard and I can't fault the entire weekend. See you next year! Regards," Bob Dady and Christine Jacks - Gran Premio di Merano 2010.

 

"Dear Andrew, I am writing to say how very much my son and I enjoyed last weekend’s trip to the Gran Premio di Merano. This was my first visit to Merano and it has to be by far the most spectacular location of any racecourse I have ever been to. It also happened to be the most spectacular renewal of the race for many years; having been told beforehand there were likely to be very few fallers we were amazed to see only five finishers out of a field of twelve in what was unquestionably an incident filled race. The organisation of the whole trip was superb, and we particularly appreciated the walk of the course before racing and Richard Dunwoody’s input throughout the weekend. We also really enjoyed meeting the other members of the group, and I think the fact we all got on so well together was due not just to our shared love of racing but also to the light touch of the organisation, which treated us as individuals, not just as members of a tour group. All the best," John Pinfold - Gran Premio di Merano 2010.

 

"Hi Andrew, it was another brilliant C&D trip, thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Karine's organisation was top-class and Richard Dunwoody was a superb ambassador - even back at Gatwick he waited to wish everyone farewell. Many thanks for an excellent weekend. Regards," Chris Pitt - Gran Premio di Merano 2010.

 

"Just a note to let you know how my brother and I enjoyed our morning on the gallops and breakfast with Ann and George Duffield. Well I can honestly say we had a fantastic time as Sun Hill Farm is set in a beautiful part of our country. In between seeing two lots of horses on the gallops, we were treated to a very tasty breakfast - all in all a fabulous morning capped off by me deciding to join one of Ann's syndicates, an unraced as yet unamed 2yo by Araafa! All the very best," Brian Woods - Breakfast with Ann and George Duffield April 2010.

"Hi Andrew, I hope that you are well. Just to say that Bruce and I had a thoroughly enjoyable time at Charlie Mann's stable last Friday. He is, as are all of the staff, very welcoming, helpful and friendly. I would have no doubts in recommending the tour to other interested parties. We topped our day off by a taking at trip to Newbury races, which was very entertaining. Best wishes," Sarah Twilley - Breakfast with Charlie Mann January 2010.

"Dear Andrew, just a few words to thank you very much for the wonderful time at Prague and Pardubice. All your people were wonderful, accommodation and food excellent and service of the best quality. Let me know for any further trips you may arrange and rest assured I together with my friends will follow next year in Prague. Best regards," Antony Evdemon - Velka Pardubicka 2009.

"Dear Graham, Andrew, Robin, Marcus and team. We would like to say thank you for the hospitality you gave us on the trip to the Velka Pardubicka over the weekend, we found everyone great company and with your work and the friendliness of your team and the other guests it was a very enjoyable trip. We'd recommend travelling with you (C&D) to anyone interested in racing and who are looking for an experience not just a different culture, but would like to be part of a group that share their love for the sport. Again thank you and I hope to see everyone again on a future trip (maybe Italy next year). Many thanks," Adam Burrows and Colin Gould - Velka Pardubicka 2009.

"Andrew, hope you are well. On behalf of our group who went to the Arc I would like to express my thanks to you, Graham and his wife for a fantastic time in Paris. Everything thing went very well (apart from having to go back to Doncaster to fly due to the high winds one cannot control the elements) the hotel was great and the session we had with Ray, Kate and Steve was very interesting and informative. Once again a big thank you to you all and hope to see you again next year. Many thanks," Dave Bannister and friends - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2009.

 

"Having had first hand experience with Course & Distance, I would recommend them to anyone with an interest in horse racing and wanting to have fun at the same time," Charlie Mann, Upper Lambourn - Velka Pardubicka 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

"Hi Graham, just a quick email on behalf of the 'Birmingham Six' to thank you and Andrew for another superb trip. It's not just your attention to detail, it's also the fact that you take the time to get to know everyone by name and treat us all as individuals and friends rather than just people making up the numbers. Course & Distance are easily the best racing tours company I've travelled with and I'll make a point of saying so in the next Midlands Racing Club newsletter. Looking forward to travelling with you again soon. Best wishes," Chris Pitt - Velka Pardubicka 2008.

"Thank you for the greatest racing trip abroad that we have ever had! It was great from start to finish and I cannot fault it. Nothing was too much trouble for you guys and armed with advice from the racing experts I was able to back a couple of winners! Thanks again," Bob Dady and Christine Jacks - Velka Pardubicka 2008.

"Thanks very much for a fantastic weekend at Pardubice. We had a wonderful time, we would both like to pass on our thanks and best wishes to you and your staff," Peter and Christine Stafford - Velka Pardubicka 2007.

 

"Hi Graham, just a quick line to say to say thank you for a great weekend. Everyone was very friendly and it was obvious that almost everyone on the trip had a great interest in racing and in experiencing such a unique race meeting. As you know, this was my first racing tour and your efforts have made sure that it won't be so last. I look forward to arranging my next trip in the near future with Course & Distance," Rob Symonds - Velka Pardubicka 2007.

 

"Dear Andrew and Graham, on behalf of the whole group who travelled to Pardubice, I would like to say a huge thank you for looking after us so well. We all had a super time and the trip exceeded all our expectations... We all had a trip we will never forget and look forward to travelling with you again, soon. Many thanks," Zoe Harney and friends - Velka Pardubicka 2007.

 

"We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris with Course & Distance. Over the years we have been racing in Europe with other tour companies, but none provided such excellent value for money. We particularly appreciated having a 'local expert' available in Ben Newton, while the opportunity to walk the course and inspect the fences close up, accompanied by leading jockey Dean Gallagher, added considerably to the occasion. We couldn't fault the company's organisation nor its 'personal touch', by which nothing was too much trouble in ensuring that everyone enjoyed it to the full. We will certainly be going racing with Course and Distance again and would not hesitate to recommend them to others".Chris and Mary Pitt - Le Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris 2006.

 

"Course & Distance made my first horse racing trip abroad a fantastic experience. Nothing was too much trouble and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone, " Geoffery Wilson - Le Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris 2006