Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain (December 17, 2010) – Ten horses and eight riders braved a 16-hour plane ride to the Middle East this November to present the King of Bahrain with a demonstration of classical dressage. King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa staged the Bahrain Animal Production Show this month and brought in the Lipizzaner Stallion Show as the headliner. Also known as the Mara’ee, the agricultural show featured animal trainers, breeders and performers from around the world.
Holly Johnson, a marketing associate for JRPR, Inc, was one of the eight riders to perform in Bahrain. The 23-year-old joined the tour immediately after graduating from the University of Miami in May of 2009, and was thrilled to be asked to ride overseas. Johnson works as a marketing associate for Johnny Robb Public Relations (JRPR), an equestrian focused PR firm based in Wellington, Florida.
“Bahrain was quite an experience. We had to ride the stallions through hordes of people, as well as past camels, goats, donkeys and Arabian horses in full traditional dress. But the stallions are used to intimidating situations and were very well behaved, for the most part,” Johnson added with a laugh. “It was also wonderful to see all of the Lipizzans again since you get so attached to them when you’re all traveling and showing on the road.”
The Lipizzaner presentation included two, three, four, and eight horse drills, in addition to solo performances, all presented in the classical style and featuring Grand Prix level dressage. The “airs above the ground” were also demonstrated; these maneuvers, where the horse balances on its haunches or leaps into the air, require a terrific amount of strength and training. Once used on the battlefield, the ‘airs’ are now preserved as an ancient form of equestrian art.
Despite having been on tour for the past 40 years, the Lipizzans had never before performed in the Middle East. In addition to the horses and riders, the crew included two grooms, an announcer, a tour manager, a production manager and stage crew. The riders came from an eclectic background of equestrian experience and hailed from Algeria, Vienna, and the United States. Anthony Jackson, who joined the Lipizzaner tour for the first time when he was 18, was one of the premier riders in Bahrain. Having ridden dressage for almost 20 years, Jackson spent most of his time with the show as the head rider. He also trained in Vienna with the riders of the Spanish Riding School, which was founded in 1572 as a hub of classical horsemanship and continues that tradition today. While he is an experienced Grand Prix rider and trainer, when he is off tour and living in Washington state Jackson starts and trains barrel racers.
“People are always surprised when I tell them I ride western at home. To me the basic principles are the same, no matter what discipline it is you’re riding. Whether your horse is going to run barrels or do one tempis, either way it needs to be started correctly and allowed time to develop the physical and mental strength to perform well,” Jackson said. “Riding in Bahrain was very much like riding for crowds in Europe or the United States. They really enjoyed the ‘airs,’ which are a rare spectacle, and we were very well received by not only the king, queen, and prince of Bahrain, but also by the thousands of people that visited the Mara’ee that weekend.”
While the Lipizzan breed was the highlight of the performances, another star shone in one of the solo demonstrations. The only gelding brought with the troupe was a 17.2-hand Friesian who performed to the big band music of the 1940s. Aptly named ‘Elvis,’ he was ridden by Jackson and drew applause and gasps of amazement from the crowds with his long flowing mane and impressive gaits. “The crowds in Bahrain really enjoyed Elvis,” Jackson said. “After watching the elegant white Lipizzans who barely top out at 16-hands, people are really blown away when Elvis enters the arena.”
One of the Lipizzans who performed in Bahrain did not come from the famed Piber Stud Farm in Austria, where the Lipizzaner breed was originally developed nearly 400 years ago. Pluto Valdamora, affectionately referred to as “Pete,” was actually a rescue horse. The breeding operation that owned Pete and seven other Lipizzans went under. The stallions were severely malnourished and had not been handled for a long period of time. “Its really a credit to the trainers who worked with all of those horses, that they were able to turn them around and successfully prepare them to perform in such a high stress environment. Pete now performs the courbette, the most difficult of the ‘airs’ maneuvers, and was ridden in the grand quadrille for the King of Bahrain,” Johnson said. “Tony was instrumental in Pete’s success. He’s a talented rider who really brings out the best in the horses he trains. Tony tells it how it is, and the horses seem to pick up on that straightforwardness and respond to it.”
The riders who performed in Bahrain also included: Redha Gharsa of Los Angeles, California; Brigitte Guion, of Ocala, Florida; Mat Steenhuizen of Stafford, Virginia; Fewzi Sekkal of Vienna, Austria; Amy Ewing of Canton, Ohio; and Kristine Partin of Newport, Rhode Island. Eric Martin and Jack Rainwater were grooms to the stallions and oversaw the quarantine procedures. Billie Hoyt acted as tour manager and liaison between the Bahrain production staff, and James Moore and Franklin Armstrong ran sound and managed the stage. The show was announced by Paul Floriano, and the stallions and show are owned by Gary and Elizabeth Lashinsky of White Stallion Productions, Inc.
For more information contact:
Johnny Robb – JRPR, Inc.
561-753-4608
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