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K ATANO IS A 14-YEAR-OLD CHESTNUT Quarter Horse. He'll be my buddy for the next hour and a half. My wife is riding Midnight. Our wrangler from Los Padres Outfitters is leading the way from atop Serena. We mounted up at the Greenwell Preserve in the Santa Ynez Mountains and are leisurely descending along a forested Montecito trail that slopes down to Summerland Beach. It's a glorious afternoon to play urban cowboy. Katano snacks on shrubbery as we pass private homes and sprawling ranches. We spy a threesome of wild deer munching on grass. Wrangler Emma points out an owl perched on a felled tree trunk. We also pass by the Santa Barbara Polo Club where Prince Harry practices the sport. Carry on, then. To get to the beach we've got to cross Highway 101. Over an access ramp bridge, thankfully, not through nonstop north-south traffic. Emma assures us the Quarter horses aren't spooked by cars. As if on cue, Katano demonstrates his nonchalance. (Remember the scene in A League of eir Own when Tom Hanks stands at a clubhouse urinal for what seems like an eternity? In an endurance race, Hanks loses to Katano.) ROSEWOOD MIRAMAR BEACH HOTEL EXTERIOR: COURTESY PHOTO King of e Castle e Santa Barbara Royal Treatment: Summerland horseback riding, Montecito e-biking, and a Rosewood Miramar Beach Hotel bungalow BY RON DONOHO detour destinations ranchandcoast.com 100 SEPTEMBER 2023 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE