SICAB, Andalucia's famous annual horse show, returned to Seville for its 26th edition. The Andalucian capital hosted one of the equestrian world's most exciting events at the FIBES exhibition Centre from 15th to 20th November this year.
Salón Internacional del Caballo de Pura Raza Española, or SICAB, is not just popular with horse breeders and those who buy horses, but regularly attracts a large number of tourists owing to the spectacular competitions and show events held every year. 2016 was even bigger and better than previous years, but that's not surprising in an event that's been around for a quarter of a century and has been at the heart of Andalucia's equestrian show events since its inception.
The event allows people to learn more about the equestrian world and to understand what horses mean to Andalucian culture. SICAB's highlight is the World Championship, where the winners of 68 international competitions will be battling it out for the title. All of these competing horses are Spanish thoroughbreds, even if some of them were bred in different countries around the world, they are still Spanish “at heart” and through their bloodlines.
Multi-media Equestrian Event
New for 2016 was the focus on how horses are portrayed in an ever-increasing multi-media world. The show included a display area where images and props from films and TV programmes appeared that had the horse starring in important roles next to human actors.
Horses that had appeared in Hollywood movies like “Gladiator”, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
for example, or the hugely successful TV hit series “Game of Thrones” featured in the multi-media display area. Actors from Spanish productions “Águila Roja” and “Isabel” also attended this part of the SICAB show, as did some of the finest horsemen and women in the world, for example Alizee Froment.
Famous Faces in the World of Horse Enthusiasts
Among the 200,000 plus visitors that the show attracts every year there are invariably quite a few famous faces. In the past SICAB has welcomed artists like Alfredo Krauss and famous actors like Bo Derek, Keanu Reeves, Sofia Loren, Catherine Deveuve and Charlton Heston.
Something to thrill everyone in the Equestrian World
Other highlights in the annual programme are sporting events like carriage driving, show jumping and dressage, various social events and an equestrian show that has horse lovers and those who'd like to become one gasp with amazement at the beauty of the horses and the showmanship of the riders. Naturally, there are numerous sales stands in the commercial area of the exhibition centre.
One day out of the whole SICAB event is dedicated to the youngest horse enthusiasts: Children's Day this year took place on the Tuesday and saw hordes of exciting primary and secondary school kids from Seville gawping at the lovely thoroughbreds. Also every popular were this year's free conferences, which focused on horse-related subjects as diverse as animal nutrition, dressage and training and equine therapy.
Promoting Design and Construction of more “user-friendly” urban Spaces
2016's SICAB event was dedicated to the Foro Iberoamericano de Ciudades, the Ibero-American Forum of Cities. The organisation is based in Spain, promoting the construction and design of more cities that are more sustainable environmentally speaking and more “human and animal friendly” all round. From now until 2018, the Ibero-American Forum of Cities will be hosting eight events in various different countries, where Spanish thoroughbred horses will be the highlight of each show.
This year's International Horse Fair at SICAB included much-anticipated para-equestrian competitions; this Paralympic discipline proves that riders with a variety of impairments can achieve the same, if not better, harmony and closeness between horse and rider as their non-disabled counterparts can in the Olympics.
Tickets for next year's SICAB event will once again be made available via Seville's FIBES ticket offices and via the show's own portal at www.sicabentradas.com, where spectacular photographs of this year's event will no doubt serve to whet the appetite of equestrian fans from around the globe.