About us

The Riding Academy of Crete was initially founded as «Karteros Riding Centre» in 1979.

At a time when the phrase riding tourism was yet unknown in Greece and even inconceivable on Crete, Anna and Vangelis Grammatikakis started organizing riding excursions at the nearby area. Horse breeding was taking place at the same time.

In the years between 1985 and 1995 groups of 100-120 people per day were taken to daily excursions with horses and carriages.

In 1994 the centre goes on, innovatively once again, with the commencement of incoming riding tourism. With the cooperation of foreign tourist agencies, groups from Germany and the U.S.A. come to make the tour of southern Crete from Castelliana village all the way to Pachia Ammos village on horseback, a riding tour that lasted 7 days.

A vibrant multiplex since its very beginning, with horses, farm animals, school excursions, a living Christmas nativity, a tavern with amazing fresh kneaded bread, riding strolls, riding classes and so much more. This is a riding centre that has been evolving all these years, now serving as a top class riding school offering premium riding services.

Marianna Grammatikaki

Marianna Grammatikakis was born in Heraklion, Crete. Her parental home has always been in the farm with the horses and she has lived each and every day of her life in the company of these amazing animals. Her dream has always been athletic riding as well as founding a riding school on Crete.

In 1998 Marianna commences her training in England and in 1999 she comes back to Greece where she dedicates herself to athletic riding for a period of three years. With a horse of her family’s breeding named Kallikrates, she wins the titles of Polynikes and Panellinionikes (ranked first at national level) at dressage in 2003.

Her dream being the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and following her being invited by the Danish coach (2003 Greece’s national coach in dressage),  Hasse Hoffman, she begins her training in dressage abroad. From 2003 to 2005 Marianna lived in central Europe and intensively trained at premier stables with well-renowned coaches including Alex Fermuth (Germany), Jean Bemelmans Germany) and many more.

In 2004 Marianna competes at the highest level, the one of the Olympic Games GRAND PRIX with her horse FAKIR.

With her baggage full of knowledge and experience she returns to Crete where she makes her dream come true. She founds the first riding school on Crete, the Riding Academy of Crete in 2005.

– Marianna Grammatikaki

FOUNDER OF THE RIDING ACADEMY OF CRETE
RIDING COACH
NATIONAL COACH FOR THE PARA DRESSAGE TEAM
MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN TEAM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARA DRESSAGE WORLD WIDE

No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.
- Winston Churchill
Marianna Grammatikaki
Marianna Grammatikaki