Seville and stunning Spanish horses
In the city of Seville, only the April Fair and Easter week cause more excitement and are more spectacular than one of the most important events in the equestrian world, the ‘Salón Internacional del Caballo de Pura Raza Española’ (SICAB), which is taking place next week.
From Tuesday 15 to Sunday 20 November, the FIBES exhibition centre in Seville will be hosting the 26th edition of this event, during which people can see and learn more about the world of horses and how important they are for Andalucía.
One the most important parts of this event will be the World Championship, when the winners of the 68 competitions which have taken place in the different countries in which Spanish thoroughbreds are bred will be competing for the title.
In addition to this major international competition, the programme for SICAB includes other sports events such as different types of dressage, carriage driving and jumping. The agenda also includes an equestrian show, social events and a great deal of commercial activity. In fact, SICAB these days is the meeting point par excellence for all horse lovers in general and lovers of thoroughbreds in particular.
Although SICAB will be officially inaugurated on Wednesday 16th, those who can provide evidence of being registered as unemployed can enter free of charge on the day before. Tuesday is also Children’s Day, and primary and secondary school pupils from Seville will be visiting.
Entrance will cost between 12 and 13 euros on each of the six days the event takes place. Separate tickets are needed for the shows, and these will cost between 15 and 16 euros each, apart from Saturday night, when they will be between 18 and 19 euros. All tickets can be purchased at the FIBES ticket offices or via the website www.sicabentradas.com
This year’s International Horse Fair, which will be open every day from 10am to 9pm, will include para-equestrian competitions; this is a Paralympic discipline in which the harmony between the rider and the horse goes beyond a person’s disability.
Food donations
There will also be a charitable aspect to SICAB this year, as the Food Bank will be installing donation boxes in different areas of the FIBES centre. Thanks to these, for every two euros which are donated, five litres of milk will be given to people in need.
This year’s SICAB is also dedicated to the Foro Iberoamericano de Ciudades (the Ibero-American Forum of Cities), an organisation which is based in Spain and promotes the design and construction of more sustainable cities. From this year until 2018, this institution will be organising eight events in different countries, and the Spanish thoroughbred horses will be performing shows at all of them.
Two cycles of free conferences have been organised for those attending SICAB this year (one indoor and one outdoor), covering many interesting aspects of the world of horses, such as equine therapy, animal nutrition, dressage and training.
Something else which is also new in 2016 is a focus on the relationship of the equine world with the audiovisual one. This year, the equestrian show will include images and props from films and TV series in which horses have played an important role.
Among the titles from the small and big screens are the outstanding ‘Gladiator’, ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’, ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Águila Roja’ and ‘Isabel’, among others. Actors from the latter two Spanish productions will also be present in this new section of the SICAB.
Those who attend the event will also be able to enjoy seeing some of the best riders in the world, such as Alizee Froment.
Over its quarter-century of history, the Salón Internacional del Caballo has become one of the most important equestrian events based on Spanish thoroughbreds in the world.
Famous names
Every year, this famous equestrian event not only attracts more than 200,000 visits from horse breeders and enthusiasts, but also captures the attention of numerous Spanish and international media.
Nowadays, the SICAB is also a meeting point for some well-known names. During its history some very famous faces have been seen here, including the actors Charlton Heston, Bo Derek, Keanu Reeves, Sofía Loren and Catherine Deneuve; artists such as Alfredo Krauss and personalities including Isabel Preysler, the Duchess of Alba and Kalina of Bulgaria, among others.
It was the National Association of Spanish Thoroughbred Breeders who began SICAB in the early 1990s. It began under the shadow of African Horse Sickness, when horses from elsewhere were not able to come to Andalucía during a two year period. However, from 1993 onwards, the event began to open up to the world and it was then that the SICAB took on an international dimension and gained fame outside Andalucía.
Years later, its heyday was somewhat diminished by the consequences of the economic crisis, but the organisers handled the situation in such a way that the image of this prestigious event was not affected.
As a result, SICAB is now in its 26th year and is bigger and better than ever before, reinforced by the experience of 25 years of uninterrupted existence.source surinenglish