From: jlevy@cbnewsd.cb.att.com (janet.s.levy)
Subject: Horsey Dinner Theater (and question)
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 19:17:02 GMT
Keywords: Andalusians knights


Have any of you ever gone to "Medieval Times"?  They
apparently have about 5 or 6 locations around the country.
Anyway, I just went to the one in Schaumberg, Illinois (just
NW of Chicago) and thought I'd give a report.

The basic concept is a trip to the days of the knights.  It's
somewhat like a dinner theater in that you get dinner while you
watch the entertainment.  The place was custom-built, the outside
appearing to be a castle made of stone.  Inside is festooned with
suits of armor, banners, etc.  You sit at long tables which all
face the arena.  The audience is divided into six color sections,
and there are six knights matching the colors.  You root for your
knight.  The dinner is served without silverware - a la the olden
days.

Now to the equestrian part!  Most of the many horses used in the
show are Andalusians, many of them stallions.  They had many of 
them fitted with hoods and matching blankets, but not armored.
The knight's saddles were built up in the back for support - I
don't know if this is an authentic copy????
The entertainment included:

An Andalusian stallion on long lines, who performed a cariole and 
levade among other movements.

An exhibition of Spanish training technique with one horse being
ridden, and the horse being trained on long lines, driven in front
in a tandem arrangement.

Two riders performed a riding exhibition including half passes at
trot and canter, the Spanish walk, and canter pirouettes.

A quadrille of eight riders on gray Andalusians. (editorial comment:
they did a nice job, although the overall performance was more
circus-y than the precise dressage work you would see with the Spanish
riding school, for example).

A trick horse routine with a really cute little dun horse with a big
white blaze and hind stockings.  He did stuff like acted drunk,
lay down and wouldn't get up, pulled off his blanket, pushed his
rider, bowed, that sort of thing.  I thought he was a show-stopper
with his cute looks and hammy personality.

Then there were the knights, who rode some Andalusians and some other
horses (maybe Arabs?).  They did some jousting at rings, targets,
and each other.  They also did sword fights from horseback which
were very impressive.

Overall, the show was very much fun and got the audience involved.
Your knight would throw flowers to the ladies in his section, etc.
and everyone would cheer for their knight.  

Lastly, a question.  Although there was a lot of "dressage" work,
it seemed more showy than precise, as I said.  I have seen this before
in circuses and other horse exhibitions.  My question is about the
headgear - all the horses in the show seemed to wear a curb bit
with a medium shank, fairly severe.  I would expect this for the "gaming"
type actions of the knights, but was surprised to see it on the
riding exhibitors, especially the horse in training in tandem.  The
trainer could really haul this horse into sidepasses and backing
with that bit.  Question (at last): is this bit a part of Spanish
training of Andalusians, or is this more just this particular
trainer's method for producing the horses needed for the show?

Janet Levy
jsl@ihlpm.ATT.COM