Once upon a time in Mexico

Come and watch in amazement as clicker trainer Jenku Dietrichsen and his horse jump though a wall of paper at this year’s Equestria Indoor Showjumping Christmas event.

Jenku and his clicker-trained Boerperd thoroughbred horse, Gerona, will thrill audiences with bareback stunts.  To make these even more interesting, no bridle will be used.

The ‘Once upon a time in Mexico’-themed stunts were perfected using clicker training, involving the use of a small device called a clicker. Horses are desensitised to distractions around them and rewarded with food when tricks are completed successfully.

“It has taken five years to get to this level. The training of horses starts at a very early age and is a time-consuming process,” says Jenku.

After breaking his back in a horse riding accident in 1999, Jenku realised that the only way he could continue working with horses would be to do so from the ground.

Through the use of positive reinforcement and incentive training, Jenku has trained horses for specialist acts such the Cinderella pantomime at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre in 2004.

There are only a handful of people worldwide who specialise in clicker training and Jenku is the only person in South Africa to do this kind of work.

So prepared to be awed at Equestria, fun for the whole family.

Notes to editors:

Equestria 2006 – taking place from 8 to 10 December at the Coca-Cola Dome at Northgate – has all the makings of a spectacular Christmas show, with exciting displays, entertaining animal acts and an array of speed and showjumping events of international standard.

25 of the country’s top riders and their horses will once again compete for the Equestria Indoor Showjumping Championship title, exposing horse-lovers and the general public to the thrills and beauty of horse-riding and showjumping.

The Equestria cast have collaborated to create an extra-special pantomime, featuring dazzling horse and dog displays, stunning costumes and a heart-warming script that is sure to make spectators smile and the children wanting to join in the fun.

For the children highlights of this year’s event include an animal petting zoo; pony rides and photo opportunities with Santa himself.

Not to be missed at this year’s show is the South African Shetland Pony Grand National, in which 18 Shetland ponies will compete for the title of the Grand Champion.

Equestria will also launch its new CSI initiative, “Kids raising funds for kids”. A sms competition will give the public the opportunity to select a winner on each Shetland Pony race and winning tickets will be placed in a draw.

Just confirmed for the first time in South Africa - The Endurance Riding Association of South Africa will run an endurance ride out of The Coca-Cola Dome. The process of vetting and monitoring the horses will take place before the performance on the Friday evening. The race will be set off at interval on Saturday and Sunday matinee. The race will finish after each performance and spectators may stay to witness the vet check.

In addition to the non-stop live entertainment, Equestria also boasts a retail exhibition, offering the local equestrian industry and related industries a rare opportunity to showcase its clubs, companies and products in a 1 600-metre hall. The exhibition is open daily through-out the three-day show.

The live performances kick-off at 18h00 on Friday, 8 December. There are two evening performances on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th at 17h30, with the matinee performances on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th commencing at 11:00.

Book at www.strictlytickets.com

Equestria is also offering exclusive VIP Tables situated on the arena.  Please contact Equestria on +27 (0)11 468-2042 for further information.  Seats are limited so members of the public are urged to book early to avoid disappointed.

Visit our website www.equestriasa.co.za for more information and programme details.