Special Equine Guests!

3 Comments

Everyone knows that the horses are the real stars of BreyerFest! Along with the Portrait Horses (guest horses who have a model made in their likeness), there are a variety of demo and breed groups that dazzle BreyerFest guests all day in the Covered Arena for the horse demonstrations. We have some amazing special equine guests and demo groups ready to entertain at this year’s celebration of BreyerFest: Driving Forward! Meet some below!

Alberta Miniature Chuckwagons

The miniature chuckwagons are one-quarter the size a traditional chuckwagon.  The feisty miniature horses that pull these wagons weigh approximately 250-275 lbs. and are less than 36 inches in height at the withers. Don’t tell these mini horses they are little, because they really believe they are racehorses!

Carl Earl, his two adult daughters Alicia and Charlene, his grandson Tyson, son-in-law Clay, and his daytime boss Mike Kiemele are the drivers of these incredible teams and look forward to wowing audiences each morning at BreyerFest! Earl and his family own more than 60 miniature horses at their place, Double Tree Farms, and together are part of the Alberta Miniature Chuckwagon Racing Association. They have been to countless fairs, rodeos, and expos across Canada and the United States.

Owner and head driver Karl says, “These little guys are trained racehorses, they have the stamina. This is a controlled runaway - once the horn blows, they know their job. Once you get around the arena once, it takes arm strength to get them back.” Catch these speedy minis daily in the Covered Arena equine demonstrations!

Sandra Beaulieu and Rovandio

Inspired by art and dressage, Sandra Beaulieu, with the help of her four-legged partner Rovandio, creates beautiful artwork on horseback! Sandra uses acrylic paint, various brushes, paint rollers, water bottles, and her hands on the canvas. The messier the better! 

She imagines there is a joyful, spirited horse on the blank canvas, just waiting to come to life. Her artistic goal is to capture the essence of the horse with minimal lines and uses art as a zen meditation - a way to bring herself into the moment and feel the spirit of the horse. Riding Rovandio while she paints is the ideal opportunity for her to express that. Catch her daily performances in the Covered Arena and in the Annex Arena for painting demonstrations with Rovandio throughout the weekend.

Driving Class Demonstration

Have you ever wanted to learn about how a driving class is ran? Make sure to stop by the Covered Arena each day to learn about a different type of driving class! Hosted by the Carriage Association of America and the American Driving Society, this educational demonstration will answer all your questions, from how a is class judged, what the horses and drivers have to do, what carriages are acceptable, and more! 12 horses, including Haflingers, Shetlands, Tennessee Walking Horses, Friesians, and more, will be on hand to demonstrate the variety driving has to offer! Stop in on Friday to see drivers complete a Reinsmanship pattern. Saturday, watch some fast-paced driving as they take you through a Driving Derby. Finish Sunday by learning about Turnout and see some amazing carriages on display!

Chariot Demonstration

One of the first carriages made popular by the Romans was the Chariot. Stop by to learn all about this historic action-packed sport and watch as a horse and chariot blaze around the Covered Arena! Presented by Miley Friesians. 

Leslie Berndl and Uminco

Leslie Berndl has found much success in the sport of combined driving. Berndl is a four-time FEI Driving World Championship for Single Horses competitor (2008, 2012, 2014, 2016), partnering with Uminco for three consecutive world championships. She has earned numerous USEF Combined Driving National Championships. Uminco has traveled the world with Berndl and is the definition of a talented Combined Driving Horse. Flashy, courageous, and smart this horse has it all! Watch this incredible pair in the Covered Arena as they demonstrate various skills of Combined Driving!

You can see these incredible performances, and more, all day long in the Covered Arena during BreyerFest weekend.  Still don’t have your tickets?  You can get them here!