Shows and Exhibitions in Spain
For the Purebred Spanish Horse - 1999
Reported by Richard Lüst, Stud Director, Yeguada Iberica, Bedford, UK
Shows and Exhibitions in Spain
For the Purebred Spanish Horse - 1999
Reported by Richard Lüst, Stud Director, Yeguada Iberica, Bedford, UK
Many horse enthusiast visitors to Spain will have visited SICAB, the annual show in Andalucia, where literally hundreds (703 in 1998 !) of Purebred Spanish Horses are brought together to compete in hand, under saddle and perform in evening spectaculars. This very popular show is visited each year by thousands of overseas visitors. There are many similar shows held in every region of Spain each year which are unfortunately not so well publicised and consequently not visited by so many overseas guests but are just the same in format and atmosphere, although with fewer horses. Even these smaller shows may generally bring together 100 to 300 competing horses.
The following list shows some of the regular annual Shows more well known in Spain, plus the number of horses that competed in 1998.
Fiecval 99 - Salon de Caballo, Feria Valencia. February (this year 11th to 14th). 271 horses competed in 1998.
III Concurso "Sociedad de Carreras", San Lucar de Barrameda, Cadiz. March (this year 14th & 15th). 92 horses competed in 1998.
V Muestra de Caballos de Raza Puras - Region de Murcia. Torre Pacheco, Murcia. March (this year 18th to 21st). 295 horses competed in 1998.
Concurso de Galicia - Equina 99. Silleda, Pontevedra. March (this year 19th to 21st). 110 horses competed in 1998.
IX Feria Agro-Ganaderavalle de los Pedroches, Pozoblanco, Cordoba. April (this year 15th to 18th). 118 horses competed in 1998.
VII Concurso "Feria de Primavera Y Fiesta del Vino Fino", El Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz. April (this year 15th & 26th). 88 horses competed in 1998.
S'Catur 99. Sariñena, Huesca. April/May (this year 30th April to 2nd May). 64 horses competed in 1998.
Concorso PRE de Tortosa. Tortosa, Tarragona. April/May (this year 30th April to 2nd May). 67 horses competed in 1998.
V Concurso-Exposicion de Ganado Villa de Rota. Rota, Cadiz. May (this year 2nd & 3rd). 103 horses competed in 1998.
Equisur 99. Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz. May (this year 9th to 16th). 339 horses competed in 1998.
Fira de la Ascension de Granollers. Granolers, Barcelona. May (this year 13th to 16th). 90 horses competed in 1998.
Equus. Girona. May (this year 14th to 16th). 124 horses competed in 1998.
Concurso PRE de Camponaraya. Camponaraya, Leon. May (this year 15th & 16th). 56 horses competed in 1998.
Expovicaman 99. Albacete, Castilla de la Mancha. May (this year 20th to 23rd). 188 horses competed in 1998.
II Campeonato de Malaga Caballo Andaluz. Antequera, Malaga. May (this year 28th to 30th). 113 horses competed in 1998.
Concurso Cuidad de Oviedo. Oviedo. June (this year 4th to 6th).
XII Concurso Nacional de Salamanca. Salamanca, Castilla Leon. June (this year 8th to 12th). 186 horses competed in 1998.
Equimar 99. Chiclana, Cadiz. June (this year 10th to 14th). 109 horses competed in 1998.
Concurso de Bilbao. Bilbao. July (this year 2nd to 7th). 98 horses competed in 1998.
X Campeonato de Andalucia de PRE Caballo Andaluz. Malaga. July (this year 8th to 11th). 221 horses competed in 1998.
III Concurso Reus. Reus, Tarragona. July (this year 23rd to 25th). 63 horses competed in 1998.
Dolores 99. Dolores, Alicante. July/August (this year 29th July to 1st August). 120 horses competed in 1998.
XI Concurso Piedrahita. Piedrahita, Avila. August (this year 8th to 12th). 109 horses competed in 1998.
Cuidad de Zaragoza 99. Zaragoza. September (this year 10th to 12th).
VII Concurso Talavera. Talavera de la Reina, Toledo. September (this year17th to 19th). 159 horses competed in 1998.
IV Campeonato Provincia de Huelva. Aroche, Huelva. September (this year 19th & 20th). 77 horses competed in 1998.
Zafra 99. Zafra, Badajoz. September/October (this year 27th Sept to 2nd Oct). 199 horses competed in 1998.
Equus Catalonia. Barcelona. September/October (this year 30th Sept to 3rd Oct). 285 horses competed in 1998.
II Concurso de Gibraleon. Gibraleon, Huelva. October (this year 14th to 17th). 144 horses competed in 1998.
XV Campeonato de Baleares. Inca, Baleares. October (this year 29th to 31st). 117 horses competed in 1998.
Agroganadera 99. Trujillo, Carceres. November (this year 17th to 21st). 128 horses competed in 1998.
Sicab 99. Sevilla. November (this year 24th to 28th). 703 horses competed in 1998.
Campeonisimos 99. Madrid. December (this year 9th to 12th). 40 horses competed in 1998. Note - these were only Champion Horses from each region (all regions), by invitation, for what was and is effectively the Champion of Champions (PRE) event each year.
Fiecval 99 V Salon de Caballo
The 5th Horse Show for the Valencia region as held within the superb facilities of the Feria Valencia from 11th to 14th February. This major event for the eastern region of Spain took up all 30,000m² of the pavillion's halls 3, 4 and 5 plus a further 1,500m² outside.
Throughout the show Morphological classes were held for Purebred Spanish horses, while simultaneously in other arenas there were competitions for traditional dressage and the Lote de 3 Yeguas (named Cobra in Andalucia), where groups of three mares compete, with foals free at foot, held together with just a neck collar and strap.
In other arenas there were competitions for western riding, pulling and drawing, carriage driving and jumping. On the Sunday a National Doma Vaquera Competition was held, featuring some of the region's top 14 riders. A huge area was reserved for trade stands, where, as at all the major Spanish shows, there were stands selling everything to do with tack and costume, food and drink. The local riding clubs all had their stands as well, with typical Spanish hospitality all day.
The Doma vaquera competition was a very close affair with the top riders scoring fairly similar points, but at the end the results were (top 6) as follows:
It is interesting to note in the Morphological results the number of horses taking part in each competition and the predominance of some of the studs, as follows:
Section 3: 2 year old Fillies. 28 competitors
Section 4: 2 year old Colts. 39 competitors.
Section 5: 3 year old Fillies. 34 competitors.
Section 6: 3 year old Colts. 37 competitors.
Section 7: 4,5 & 6 year old Mares. 37 competitors.
Section 8a: 4 year old Stallions (including functionality). 44 competitors.
Section 8: 5 & 6 year old Stallions and Section 9: Mares 7 years and over. Not Available.
Section 10: Stallions 7 years old and over. 29 competitors.
1st 'Manoso II' (Yeguada Ferrero).
Lote de 3 yeguas. 9 entrants with three mares each.
1st Ferrero Rovira. S.A. With: Luminosa IV, Labradora XXI, Legionaria X.
The winners of these competitions would become eligible for the Champion of Champion finals - 'Campeonisimos 99' at Ecumad, Madrid, 9th to 12th December.
V Muestra de caballos de Raza Puras, Region de Murcia
This regional show, held within the magnificent permanent facilities at Torre Pacheco, Murcia attracted 295 competitors in 1998. This year there were no less and the competition was strong between the studs, riders and quality Purebred Spanish Horses from the region. All the standard Morphological and functionality classes were well supported and the class for Lote de 3 Yeguas, with their free running foals, quite literally filled the main ring. A National Doma Vaquera competition was held simultaneously in one of the 3 or 4 halls in used for this event.
There was a huge area for trade stands, as usual selling everything to do with horses and riding, food and drink, regional specialities, horse artwork etc. The local riding clubs and centres of equitation were represented, with riders and trainers handing out as much hospitality as advice and assistance ! Crowds of people were still 'partying' at some of the stands long after the show officially closed each evening at 8.00pm.
This area, on the southern part of the east coast of Spain, not far from the sea port of Cartagena, boasts a number of excellent schools of equitation and this was reflected in the quality of the evening spectaculars. The display included 8 grey stallions working in harmony, then breaking off with individual displays, airs above the ground, including the difficult Capriole and Corbette, mounted and in hand. A team of 8 matching bay stallions put on a superb and precise quadrille. Dressage side-saddle displays were followed by 9 year old Pedro Hernández, son of regional champion José Hernández Peñalver, on his grey stallion 'Taranto' performing an excellent dressage display followed by airs above the ground, including Courbette, Levade etc. Two guitarists then entered the arena and began playing gypsy music, to be joined by 4 riders with the Garocha with a choreographed display of fluid yet precise horsemanship that left the large and appreciative crowd cheering.
Again the best riders in the area competed in the National Doma Vaquera competition. This round saw Manuel Baena Baena winning on 'Martinete', with Juan Garcia Ordinaga a very close second on 'Fandango'.
All in all, a great show and one that is well worth visiting.
Richard Lüst, Yeguada Iberica, April 1999
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