However, this night was not anything like the traditional
opening functions you may find here in Thailand, as here the debutant took a
back seat to its equestrian stars and their riders. A buffet dinner was
provided for guests at poolside, which resides at the far end of the hotel
complex overlooking the main arena. Yes, the unique design that is the
Horseshoe Point Resort and Country Club presents a huge indoor riding arena
in the centre of the complex to which most of the hotel surrounds and
overlooks.
Korn
Dabbansri and Porthep Dejapaiboon cut the ribbon to officially open the gala
evening
Shortly after dinner the formalities came first, courtesy
of the governor of Chonburi Jadej Insavang, assisted by General Khanit, and
his excellency the Portuguese Ambassador Jose Soaref amongst other
dignitaries, to present the appropriate tributes to the founding brothers
Chaikiri & Chainarin, and declare the Horseshoe Point Resort open. Then
it was on with the show. Princess Ongpaah was one of the many distinguished
guests to be present for this event, and guests came from all over Thailand,
as well as the UK, USA, Australia, the Philippines, and a contingent of
horses and riders from Portugal.
The two emcees for the evening were former jockey David
Smith and Kook, who was previously one of the resort’s assistant managers.
The two kept the crowd informed both in English and Thai, of the journey
throughout history aboard Lusitanian horseback.
For the first feature Cherry Srifungfueng, who recently
participated in Thailand’s silver medal winning dressage team at the SEA
Games, partnered an imposing grey Lusitano Stallion named Hexagano, and they
dazzled the crowd with a solo performance of exercises from the Grand Prix
Freestyle Competition. I’m no expert in such things, but if their
performance was a window on Thailand’s equestrian competitive future, then
there is sure to be an abundance of success and more medals in the not too
distant future, in my humble opinion.
The
Capriole
One of the many ‘firsts’ for Thailand was a
performance called “Sound Light and Movement” and for this the lights
were extinguished until pitch blackness engulfed the stadium. Then in strode
a horse and rider with small battery-powered lights strung through the top
of its mane and banded around its fetlocks and hind quarters for a dance in
the dark. The spectacular array of lights danced their way through some
contemporary tunes, in the very first time such performance had been seen in
South East Asia. There is no wonder such shows are booked out for almost a
year in advance in Europe.
A duet presentation of the Pas De Deux (a Dance for Two)
from the twin brothers Chaikiri and Chainarin aboard Dragao & Incauto
respectively, displayed the impressive extents that these riders, trainers
and even horses had gone to, in achieving performances such as this, which
choreographed their horses in a dance of mirrored symbiosis.
The Portuguese riding traditions of, “Lightness and
balance, combined with brilliance” were to the fore all evening long, as
were the horsemanship skills of Federico Cardoza who had flown in from
Portugal for this event to give a display of exercises with the long
rein’s along with a superb solo performance where his stallion Guaopo
bowed to her royal highness and the crowd, as well as assuming a seated
position, and many other impressive horsemanship feats.
Another Thailand ‘first’ was the demonstration from
Mario Miguelle, one of the world’s leading bullfighters. The La Corrida,
or bullfight, is a time honoured tradition that dates back some 1,000 years,
and Mario entertained the crowd with some light relief from a ‘man-made’
bull called Somchai, and a cute cameo appearance from young Louis Valenca
jnr who at almost 4 years of age I imagine, would be one of the youngest
matador’s assistants ever.
The commentary explained that the Lusitano is the master
of the bullring, as his skill and light-footedness is barely a match for
‘el-torro’. However, the Lusitano’s characteristics were not exploited
so that he could escape the bull, rather that he could tease it, break it,
master it and hail it. This was the quarteio on horseback.
Further performances featured the whole Valenca family:
Filipa, Louisa & Federico in the Pas De Trois, followed by Mario and
Federico in a display of the Portuguese equestrian classic the Capriole,
where the stallion launches itself from a crouched position and kicks out
mid-air in a ballet like exhibition.
The finale witnessed all the riders and horses back in
the arena for a beautifully choreographed performance called Carrousel, and
then 25 year old dream that motivated the evening’s creation and the
magnificent surrounds that is the Horseshoe Point Resort and Country Club,
was explained, as the trio of the Srifungfung twins and their long time
friend and teacher Mrs Mitos Sison strode proudly through the standing
ovation to honour humbly, the realization that was once just their dream.
The whole evening was a splendid genesis for Thailand’s
Equestrian renaissance, and surely a worthy Thai welcome to the ‘Son of
The Wind’.
“I’m
a lumberjack and I’m OK...”
Bruno
Keller (2nd right) won the beer holding contest. There is no truth in the
rumour that he won because his stein was full of ‘light’ beer!
Marion
Vogt’s father Heinz (right) came all the way from Germany and brought with
him his ‘Schnupfmaschine’, an infernal contraption that shoots snuff up
both nostrils simultaneously, which here he shows to Amari GM Michael Vogt.
