For nearly two decades, Equine Affaire’s signature evening event, the Fantasia, has showcased the beauty and diversity of dozens of breeds of horses, the excitement of a great variety of equestrian disciplines, and the extraordinary talent of many of the foremost professional equestrian performers in North America. This year’s show will be no exception. “Our Fantasia production team has worked hard to develop a show that will include just the right mixture of action, drama, and comedy—along with fantastic horses and plenty of great music,” reported Eugenia Snyder, the President of Equine Affaire. The 2016 Fantasia will take place at 7:30pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, April 10-12, in the coliseum at the Ohio Expo Center and is made possible through the generous sponsorship of Absorbine.
What to Expect this April
The 2016 Fantasia will highlight the brilliance, grace, and athleticism of horses and the special connections that we share with them and be an evening of quality entertainment for horse enthusiasts of all ages. Many of the equine performers who will be participating in this year’s event will be natives of the Midwest, while others will travel to Columbus for the event from as far away as Florida, Colorado, and Canada. The cast of equines will include breeds as diverse as Friesians, Arabians, Haflingers, Paints, Percherons, Quarter Horses, Warmbloods, and, of course, the ever-popular Miniatures.
Fantasia fans can expect to be wowed by yet another compilation of outstanding equine and equestrian talent including a freestyle reining performance by champion reiner, Aaron Ralston; two all-new drill team routines developed by the incomparable Canadian Cowgirls; a grand prix musical freestyle dressage ride by Angela Jackson aboard her Dutch Warmblood mare and a special jumping drill routine featuring Ohio’s own Haflinger Drill Team. Sylvia Zerbini will amaze the audience with her herd of ten stunning Arabians working simultaneously at liberty, and Lisa Dufresne will showcase her extraordinary trick training skills with her collection of “lion-hearted” miniatures. Horses in harness just may steal the show this April—with so many breeds and so many driving disciplines scheduled to perform at the upcoming Fantasia.
Get your tickets now! Tickets for the Fantasia range in price from $14 to $25 plus a shipping/handling/seat selection fee. Advance tickets may be purchased through March 30th online with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover) at equineaffaire.com or by calling (740) 845-0085. Any tickets not sold in advance will go on sale at 9:00am on Thursday, April 10, at the Information Booth in the Bricker Building at Equine Affaire.
Equine Affaire will take place April 10-13, 2016, and feature an unparalleled educational program; the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition on Friday; the largest equine-related trade show in North America; a Breed Pavilion and Horse & Farm Exhibits; and additional specialty pavilions and activities. Visit equineaffaire.com or call (40-845-0085 weekdays from 9:00am–5:00pm Eastern for detailed information on all event features, advance tickets, area hotels, opportunities to ride in clinics and participate in the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition, and the clinic and seminar schedule.
