Catalina Riding Club
Catalina Riding Club is a horseback riding service serving Tucson, AZ.
About Catalina Riding Club
Catalina Riding Club is a Tucson horseback riding service offering trail rides, riding lessons, and outdoor experiences in the Sonoran Desert. Owned and managed by Rose and Robert English, the club welcomes families, visitors, local riders, beginners, and advanced equestrians. Its rides take place on scenic desert trails, with horses selected for each rider and saddles fitted for comfort. The club describes its approach as beginner friendly while also accommodating experienced riders.
The trail ride offerings include daytime walks, walk and trot rides, and sunset rides. Riders can also book two to four hour adventure rides in the Tucson area from October through April. These longer rides are intended for intermediate and advanced riders and explore settings that include mountains, canyons, riverbeds, and the Saguaro forest. Approved helmets, a short safety lesson, and water are included with the regular rides, and ride photos are available. The club also emphasizes that its horses are not saddled all day, reflecting its attention to the animals' comfort and care.
Catalina Riding Club provides lessons for all ages and skill levels, with instruction in horsemanship, Western riding, and English riding. Private and group lessons are available, along with Kinder lead-line lessons for children ages 2 through 5, who must be accompanied by an adult. Other offerings listed by the club include horse camps, seasonal fairs and family events, music events, birthday parties, private events, cowboy barbecues, and family gatherings. These activities extend the club's role beyond trail rides, creating opportunities for people to spend time around horses in different settings.
Rose English brings a long history in Tucson and in the wider horse community to the club. Born and raised in Tucson, she got her first pony in fifth grade. She later worked as a Texas barrel racer and turn-back rider for Tom Lyons cutting horse ranch in Grandview, Texas, taught riding lessons, and guided trail rides for Lazy K Bar Guest Ranch in Tucson. Rose also owned and managed Rockin' B Riding Club, identified on the club's website as the number one horse camp in Anchorage, Alaska, for 17 years. She was a Certified Horsemanship Association instructor in both English and Western riding and studied with several natural horsemanship trainers.
After 30 years in Alaska, Rose returned to Arizona with Bob and some of their school horses. The couple started Catalina Riding Club at Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort & Spa and now spend time with family and a new community of students and riders. They continue to own Rockin' B Ranch and return each year to serve its summer camp program. At Catalina Riding Club, Bob serves as the main caregiver for the horses, as well as drag rider on trail rides, maintenance manager, lead mechanic, and groundskeeper of the stables.
The club's stated values center on treating every horse like family, with health, happiness, and comfort coming first. Its safety practices include matching riders with suitable horses, fitting saddles, providing helmets and safety instruction, and welcoming riders across experience levels. To get started, visitors fill out the online booking form, receive confirmation and payment codes, pay to secure the reservation, and are matched with a horse. The club asks for at least two hours' notice when booking and requires riders to cancel if they cannot attend. Catalina Riding Club serves Tucson and the surrounding area, offering a way to experience the Sonoran Desert on horseback with local guides and carefully managed horses.