A hugely poignant cycling adventure commemorating the 80th anniversary year of D-Day
Ride To Horsa promises to be a hugely poignant, immersive and highly memorable cycling tour which follows a route from Tarrant Rushton Airfield, where the gliders took off on the night of 5th June 1944
The first day's ride covers a challenging and beautiful 49-mile route through the Dorset countryside and along the epic Jurassic Coast to the first campsite in Lytchett Minster
Early the following morning, the group will cycle a short distance to Poole to catch the ferry to CherbourgOnce there, the group will then cycle 25 miles to the historic town of Sainte Mere Eglise for the second night's campsite in the town centre
Day 3 will feature a hugely poignant 72-mile route through key Horsa Glider landing zones and towns including Carentan and Isigny before passing all five Normandy Landing Beaches and stopping at famous locations including the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach and the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer where the group will honour those who served on both Operation Elmira (US) and Operation Coup de Main (UK)The ride will continue along the coast to Ouistreham before then heading inland and crossing both Pegasus and Horsa Bridges, on route to the final campsite in Ranville
Thursday 5th September: Tarrant Rushton to Lytchett Minster (48 miles)
Friday 6th September: Lytchett Minster to PooleFerry to FranceCherbourg to Sainte Mere Eglise (25 miles)
Saturday 7th September: Sainte Mere Eglise to Ranville (72 miles)
Sunday 8th September: Memorial unveiling at Horsa Bridge
On Sunday 8th September, the group will attend the unveiling of a brand new and highly unique memorial which will be situated next to Horsa Bridge and will help to raise the awareness of this strategically critical D-Day objective
Participants on Ride To Horsa are required to raise funds for The Veterans Charity who have created this exciting eventThe funds raised will pay for the memorial and also help the charity to continue delivering vital support to Veterans of the UK Armed Forces
Places are limited to 150 participants and available on a first come, first served basisThe cycling event is being managed by our friends at Sportive HQ!
Ride To Horsa has been created to honour the heroes of two operations which took place on D-Day, 6th June 1944:
Operation Coup de Main
During the opening minutes of D-Day, a small group of just over 180 servicemen from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, Royal Engineers, Glider Pilot Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps and a Liaisons Officer from The Parachute Regiment, flew from Dorset to Normandy in Horsa Gliders towed by RAF Halifax Bomber crews, destined for their objective; two vital bridges which they were tasked with capturing and holdingThese bridges were captured successfully and were later named Pegasus, in honour of the Airborne Forces emblem, and Horsa, in tribute to the remarkable aircraft that carried the men safely to their objectives
The latter of these bridges, Horsa, spans the Orne River in RanvilleThe Veterans Charity is creating a striking new memorial which will be dedicated to the heroes who captured the bridge and to the aircraft after which it is named
Operation Elmira
Part of the planning for the US sector required a large number of troops, vehicles and artillery to be delivered inland from the beachesTo achieve this, the larger capacity of the Horsa Glider was needed, especially to transport vehicles and artilleryOperation Elmira involved 140 Horsa Gliders and 36 Waco Gliders, which landed on LZs just south of the town of Sainte Mere EgliseThe gliders were towed by C-47 'Skytrain' aircaft and took off from four airfields in the UK; Ramsbury, Greenham Common, Membury and Welford
Elmira was considered an essential mission, delivering two battalions of glider artillery and 24 howitzers to the 82nd Airborneo reduce congestion over the landing zones, two serials of mission Elmira were delayed two hours until just before sunsetThese carried both battalions of glider field artillery and their gunsBecause the missions were flown on British Double Summer Time, both were daylight missions, with the first wave taking off at 1907 and arriving at 2104, and the second wave taking off at 2037 and arriving at 2255
Although successful in achieving it's objectives, Operation Elmira casualties are significant because 157 of the 1,190 troop are killed or injured during the landings15 of the 352 glider pilots were killed
It is our intention to honour some of those who are buried at the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach during the Ride To Horsa
The entry fee for Ride To Horsa is just £250 per person!
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/2364682-0?pid=269
Hotels near RAF Tarrant Rushton Airfield Memorial
Staying overnight in England?
Wondering where to stay that's close to RAF Tarrant Rushton Airfield Memorial? We've teamed up with Booking.com to provide the best room rates for hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs near the Ride To Horsa event in England.
The Langton Arms
Serving homemade ice cream and real ales, The Langton Arms has a traditional pub restaurant. The inn is set in a 17th-century thatched house, in the picturesque Dorset village of Tarrant Monkton..
True Lovers Knot
Offering a garden with barbecue facilities, a childrens playground and a sun terrace, True Lovers Knot is set in Blandford Forum in the Dorset Region, 20 km from Bournemouth..
The Lawns
The Lawns is a holiday home is situated in Blandford Forum and is 23 km from Bournemouth. The property is 36 km from Salisbury and free private parking is available. Weymouth is 33 km from The Lawns, while Poole is 17 km away.
Crown Hotel
Crown Hotel sits on the edge of Blandford, with views of the Stour Rivers water meadows and the town. It has a gastro-style restaurant and a stylish, upmarket bar..
Sunnylands Farm
Sunnylands Farm is a holiday home with a garden, set in Cranborne. It provides free private parking. Bournemouth is 16 km from Sunnylands Farm, while Southampton is 40 km from the property.
The Old Dairy
Featuring a garden, The Old Dairy is a holiday home situated in Chalbury. It provides free private parking. There is a dining area and a kitchen complete with a dishwasher and an oven.
WebsiteVisit website
VenueRAF Tarrant Rushton Airfield Memorial
AddressBlandford Forum, England, Dorset,
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