Travel series scores 2nd award

"Equitrekking" continues to add to its impressive list off plaudits.

The North American Travel Journalists Association announced this past week that, for the second consecutive year, "Equitrekking" won Best Travel Broadcast in the 2009 NATJA Awards Competition.

"It's quite an honor to win two years in a row," said Darley Newman, "Equitrekking" host, creator and producer and a native of South Carolina. "I think it shows that we are getting better and better at producing the series and really shows our strength as a team."

The show is an Emmy Award-winning Public Broadcasting System travel series shot in high definition and seen in more than 30 different countries including France, Italy, Turkey, Russia and Belgium.

"Equitrekking" provides the viewer with an in-depth look at the places they visit, said Newman.

"It's so wonderful," he said. "What's great about being recognized as Best Travel Broadcast is that it demonstrates the wider appeal to our series. The show is geared toward horse lovers, but people who enjoy learning about history, culture, international food and seeing these off the beaten path destinations, many of which are hidden gems, really enjoy Equitrekking as well."

The show received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Camera Photography in May 2009. The series had also been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Series.

"'Equitrekking' is a beautiful show to just sit and watch because we film in these amazing destinations, and Greg (Barna) does a great job of capturing this wild, natural beauty," said Newman. "The locals that we meet really make the series special. They are so engaging and make people want to watch more and learn more about the places we visit. I know that I want to go back and hang out with friends I've made as we've traveled."

The show is now filming its fifth season and will continue to explore exciting locales on horseback, Newman said.

"Viewers can expect that we'll continue to tell these stories with the same depth and energy, using locals as our guides to find information that's just not available in other places," said Newman. "You can also expect more dream destinations because there are so many great places that we still have to visit."

Contact Ben Baugh at bbaugh@aikenstandard.com.