For nearly two decades, Equine Affaire’s signature evening event, the Pfizer 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 2012 Pfizer Fantasia will take place at 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday, April 13th and 14th, in the coliseum at the Ohio Expo Center, and ticket sales for this hugely popular show are already under way.
“We’re producing the show on just two nights at the upcoming Equine Affaire in order to make room for the qualifying rounds of Equine Affaire’s Versatile Horse & Rider Competition on Thursday night in the coliseum,” explained Snyder, “The ‘VHRC’ has become such a popular event that we need to present the qualifying rounds at a time that Equine Affaire attendees won’t be forced to choose between attending the competition and attending one of their favorite clinics, demos, or seminars.
Having the qualifying rounds of the competition on Thursday night in the coliseum will be ideal for the VHRC—but it will mean one less night of the Pfizer Fantasia and an increase in the demand for tickets for the Friday and Saturday shows.”
What to expect this April. The 2012 Pfizer 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, Texas, and Canada. The cast of equines will include breeds as diverse as Andalusians, Arabians, Haflingers, Paints, Percherons, Quarter Horses, and, of course, the ever-popular Icelandics.
“I always hate to ‘spill the beans’ about the specific performers who will be participating in the Pfizer Fantasia because I believe that the element of surprise is part of what makes the event so entertaining,” explained Eugenia Snyder, “At the same time, we want to share news about the lineup because we’re pretty excited about the performers we’ve contracted.”
Fantasia fans can expect to be wowed by some of the best performers and acts featured in the 11-year history of the event including a freestyle reining performance by champion reiner, Aaron Ralston; two all-new drill team routines developed by the incomparable Canadian Cowgirls; vaulting and aerial acrobatics on horseback featuring members of the Zoppe family; and a special driven drill routine featuring Ohio’s own Haflinger Drill Team.
The show will be rounded out with a grand prix freestyle dressage ride, some awe-inspiring Cossack trick riding, Icelandics blazing their way through the arena, and Andalusians bringing the baroque period to life.
“We anticipate that the highlights of the show will be three very special and very different liberty performances presented by Australia’s own Guy McLean, Double Dan Horsemanship, and the incomparable Sylvia Zerbini—fresh from Cavalia. Be prepared not only to be entertained, but to be truly amazed as these three equestrian artists present their various horses at liberty—in presentations that will run the gamut from humorous to dramatic—and remind us just how intelligent our equine companions are . . . and how special our relationships with them can be,” Snyder advised.
Get your tickets now! Tickets for the Pfizer Fantasia range in price from $12 to $25 plus a shipping/handling/seat selection fee. Advance tickets may be purchased through March 18th online with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover) at http://www.equineaffaire.com or by calling (740) 845-0085.
Any tickets not sold in advance will go on sale at Equine Affaire at the box office located in the center lobby of the Celeste Center at 9:00am on Thursday, April 12th. “To make the event even more enjoyable for our youngest attendees (and for those who are taking in the show after a long day at Equine Affaire), we have scheduled the show to begin 30 minutes earlier this year than in past years,” Snyder reported. “The doors to the coliseum will open at 7:00pm and the show will begin at 7:30.”
Equine Affaire will take place April 12-15, 2012, and feature an educational program of more than 230 different clinics, seminars, and demonstrations by renowned trainers, competitors, coaches, and other industry professionals; a Youth Pavilion; Breed Pavilion and Horse & Farm Exhibits; the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition; and the largest equine-related trade show in North America.
Visit http://www.equineaffaire.com or call (740) 845-0085 weekdays from 9:00am–5:00pm Eastern for detailed information on advance tickets, area hotels, opportunities to ride in clinics, and the clinic and seminar schedule.