The "World Famous" Lipizzaner Stallions Show

[windinthemaples]

Let's discuss something cheerier than the big rock rattling around in my kidney, shall we? :D That little medical event dominated my thoughts this weekend, but it didn't start out that way. :)

For Yule, I went a little slap-happy on ticketmaster.com and bought the family tickets to some shows and events for while we were here in Florida. Saturday, our first event, tickets to see dressage down in Sunrise, FL at The "World Famous" Lipizzaner Stallions stadium show. If you can believe my audacity, I played them off as a gift to Daniel. ;) He was not fooled, but very cheerily agreed to go.

I'd gotten the best tickets I could--we ended up on the first row of the floor, about seven or eight feet from the rail.

Despite the dubious "World Famous" quotation marks and the shockingly low attendance, it was a great show. Maybe not the height of polished dressage, but fun and accessible. We were even allowed to take photos and cheer raucously! Graeme cheered on the performers, waving his arms and clapping, "Yay, horses! Yay! Yay!"

The Andalusian featured at one point in the show stole my heart.






I wish I'd gotten better, clearer, closer photos of the airs. My camera battery was dying a quick death and wasn't too fast on the trigger.

Comments

[elfinecstasy.livejournal.com]

Those stallions are gorgeous. When my parents had their 40th anniv. in 1994, we went to Austria. We had hoped to see the stallions then, but they were not available at that time :-( Such grace.

I send you MUCH HEALING. *hugs*

[aerialmelodies.livejournal.com]

How beautiful! The lack of attendance is sad, but that makes it like a private show for your family. :)

I hope that you're in better spirits and so sorry to hear about the stone. May it pass in relative, painless peace. <3

[neva-butterfly.livejournal.com]

Beautiful.

Gee, I really hope they can do something to help the stone though. I did a little reading and ouch! Sending healing energy and happy thoughts!

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

I totally went to see them a few years ago with Kitty!!!! ;-; They stole our hearts...There's something about Lipizzans...they're like angels on earth. It sounds like a wonderful show--I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! These pictures? Freakin' breathtaking. That first one. Oh my goodness.

I'm sending you so much love, darlin'!!!!

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Really? :)

That's wonderful. My mom took me to one in Miami when I was young. I only remember being way up in the back, but the music and the little white horses dancing like mice down below was entrancing. :)

Thanks for the love! I'm on ten days of antibiotics and already feeling better. As for the kidney stone, it is resting quiet and hasn't bothered me. So all's well. :)

[folkchick3.livejournal.com]

They are so amazingly beautiful! I read a book when I was a kid that entranced me, and I wish I remembered the name of it. It was about a girl who loved ballet more than anything, and she injured herself badly while dancing and was afraid to dance again. It was a terrible loss to her and she was heartbroken, and then she met a Lipizzan and was entranced by the movements and the grace he exhibited with his rider. It inspired her to overcome her fear and dance again so that she could create choreography based on those movements, with the horse performing behind her on the stage. It was a wonderful book, I wish I could find it again.
I miss doing dressage... but not as much as I miss showjumping!

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

I dug up the entry of it (http://www.oceanid.org/weblog/2005_06_01_archive.html), because I knew you'd love Legacy. :O I still remember him!!! He was so utterly amazing. ;-;

Thank you so, so much for sharing these pictures, by the way. They made my day. ;-;

Awwwww! ;-; That is the sweetest memory--pure magic~ :)

So all's well. :)

That makes me so, so happy, Rachel~ We love you!!! We can't WAIT to see you!!!

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Oh, happiness!! I loved getting to click through all the great photos you took. :D

Can I confess something? I've never seen that movie about the Lipizzaners. My love for them springs from having The Album of Horses as a little girl and then checking out and memorizing every non-fiction horse book I could find at the library. :D (Good thing we didn't share a library as children or we would have really been in competition. ;) )

I'll have to put it on my someday movie wishlist. :)

I can't wait to see you, either! Any thoughts on what you'd like to do while you're here? :)

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Oh, wow. That sounds like an amazing book! I'm hoping you'll have an inspired moment where you remember the title sometime. :D

I didn't know you used to ride. What made you stop? :)

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

<333333

Do you have a VHS player? It's a wonderful movie--I have a very old copy of it, I could bring it if you like!! <333 I think you'd love it. ;-;

Dude, totally! We'd have to read over each other's shoulders. XD

You wanted to do the lighthouse walk, and we thought that'd be wonderful~ We wanted to go back to the turtle rescue, and do a new age hop and a thrift store hop...other than that, just spend tons of time with our created family~ <333333

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

My mom has a DVD/VCR combo here. I don't have any VCR tapes to test it, though.

Sounds good! I also wanted to go to that waterfront vegan restaurant I sent the link of to you awhile ago. Maybe we can combine that with our trip down to the crystal shop as they're both aways south. :)

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

Yay! I'll bring it (along with Cavalia! We'll have a Horsegasm party XDDDDDDD).

Yeeeeeeeees!!! Sounds completely perfect~ Oh my goodness, Rachel, I can't wait!!! ;-; I've been watching nothing but ocean movies and reading ocean books to give me that oceany feeling, and I'm currently reading The Girl of the Sea of Cortez by Peter Benchley, and it's just so, so happy~ We can't wait to see you!!! :)

By the by... January 31st is a full moon. Do you want to do a ritual on January 30th? :) <3

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

Yay!

Yay!

and Yes!(Yay!)

:) :D

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

I know. I've done a little WebMD research and it makes me feel a little quesy. So far, though, I'm feeling good and whatever caused that attack has ceased. I have my painkillers available, but I haven't had to take any since the night before last. Does that mean I don't have to go to a urologist? I'd like to say, "Yes!", but Daniel is pretty pushy about getting me in there. He doesn't share my "The less medical intervention/pills/surgery the better" philosophy.

[folkchick3.livejournal.com]

I rode and showed (hunter/jumper/equitation and dressage) from the time that I was about twelve until I was twenty-two. (the story of my beloved horse is here http://folkchick3.livejournal.com/497083.html ) I only stopped because I was ready to start college (the first time) and there was only so much time and only so much money, and I had to make a choice between getting an education and keeping my horse and riding/showing. It was an awful decision to make, I cried for weeks. In the end though, I had to move forward and take on life as a grown up, you know? It was the right decision to make. I still miss riding though.

[sugarmaplelife.livejournal.com]

What a story! Thank you for sharing some of that with me. Hank sounds like he was quite a wonderful friend.

[folkchick3.livejournal.com]

Rachel! I finally remembered the name of that Lippizzan ballet book I read as a kid! It was called "Susie and the Ballet Horse", by Lee Wyndham.