Review: a spectacular display of horsemanship

Yesterday marked the final day of The Festival of the Iberian Horse and the end of a spectacular display of Iberian culture and expert horsemanship. 

The event took place across four days and was divided into daytime and evening experiences. 

A selection of retail tents and food and drink vans were set up outside of the 7,500-capacity Westpoint Area, filling the air with the enticing smell of Iberian delicacies. 

A Spanish guitarist played alongside a small elevated stage, where a group of flamenco dancers clapped and danced in unison to the iconic fingerpicking music.

Although the event celebrates Iberian culture, its central element is a uniting of national and international equestrian communities, sharing in their love of horses.

Around the food and drink traders, small corrals had been erected for presentations of the horses, with riders giving live demonstrations and letting attendees meet and stroke their companions up close.

Elysian Designs, a designer goods maker from Cornwall, was there selling one-of-a-kind handmade leather bags created with donated and repurposed equestrian leathers, including saddles and reins.

A Cornish alcohol brand called GandTea created limited edition rum, vodka, and gin especially for the event, decorating the bottles with photography taken by the festival’s production photographers. 

Aga Karmol, the highly acclaimed UK-based photographer regularly featured at the festival, had a room selling her equestrian photography, which blurs the line between photograph and painting.

No matter where you turned, you could see evidence of the intimate and historical bond between human and horse, which the evening extravaganza took to another level.

The two-and-a-half-hour-long performance consisted of parades, fast-paced dressage, flamenco dancing, side-saddle displays, humorous tractor appearances, and some of the most beautiful horses you could hope to see.

Above: Familia Frederic Pignons Iberians from the 2023 show. Image: Aga Karmol

A personal highlight was a performance by Ramon Ruiz, the UK’s leading flamenco guitarist, who played an intricate and rapid acoustic song while a mounted horse cantered powerfully around him. 

Audiences were particularly captivated by the two performances put on by headline act and equestrian icon, Clémence Faivre, whose total adoration for her horses was breathtaking to witness. 

A particular shout-out must also go to whoever designed the playlist for the event, with well-timed appearances of huge hits by Shakira and the Prodigy as well as iconic tracks from the film Love Actually.

As dialogues around the ethical practice of high-level dressage become more pressing, it was truly wonderful to witness an equestrian event where horses and riders alike appeared comfortable and happy. 

A spokesperson for the festival said: “And that’s a wrap! Four extraordinary shows are complete. We extend our love and gratitude to every single person that has made this enormous event possible.

“It is the sum of many, many, many parts and many teams of people. The incredible feedback and reviews from thousands of guests are filling everyone’s hearts with joy. See you next year.”

You can follow the festival's social media to stay up to date with future events and performances.