Derosa Daily
On The Scene at the FEI Las Vegas World Cup for Dressage and Showjumping

Getting in the Groove

At some point they did their Kiss and Cry – surprising couples in the audience and expecting them to kiss right on camera. The reactions were hilarious and were a way to get the audience involved with the show.

And they used a technique to wake the audience up just before the show began. They did a very short fireworks display which ended with a bang that sounded like a cannonball. That bang was so loud and powerful that it made you jump out of your seat. And that was the bang that started off each class.

And for those of us who have been to many an endless horse show, here there was no such thing. The sessions were kept tight and ended on time. The evening performances were done by around 9:30, which meant that everyone could leave at a reasonable hour and still have some energy left to talk about what they had seen.

So, while the horse world got introduced to Vegas – the Vegas world got introduced to the excitement of horses. And so both groups won. I’m sure that many of us will go back to Vegas one day soon and enjoy the fun and excitement that town has to offer. I also feel certain that those who had never seen a horse show before will be there the next time.

And Vegas had its impact on the horse world as well. Known as a place to go where couples go to get hitched – it served that purpose this time as well when Anky Van Grunsven married her fiancé Sjef Janssen at the Elvis Chapel and Tineke and Joep Bartels were witnesses to the wedding. It was the perfect cherry to the weekend.

And you can bet that anyone who was at this World Cup in Las Vegas will be there the next time it happens. That’s what every show should be like.

As always, it’s been fun bringing you the news. I hope I made you feel like you were there enjoying the show with me because this was a show worth being a part of.

Until the next time, give your horse a kiss for me … Vegas Style.