CITY OF INDUSTRY — Neither rain nor hail or freezing cold stopped 700 Spanish horses from dancing on an otherwise soaked Saturday, Feb. 25.
Despite a historic storm bearing down on the area, the Feria Del Caballo En Español went off as planned with a daytime horse show competition and a nighttime dancing horse exhibition.
The fair is held four times a year at the Industry Hills Expo Center, with the next one happening in May. About 5,000 people attend each time, although the wet weather may have trimmed that number down a bit, according to organizer Carlos Jimenez.
“We’ve had the show for the last 15 years, and only stopped once, in 2021, because of the pandemic,” he said. His family has been in the horse breeding business for 25 years.
Jimenez, of La Puente, also runs Rancho Los Jimenez in Avocado Heights. He said the horse show competition judges entries on function, movement and appearance. Competition is limited to purebred Spanish horses only. The dancing horse part of the event allows other equine breeds such as Friesians and Iberians. Each horse stands on a wooden platform and dances, trotting or high stepping to music. Champions in both sections are hailed at the end of the night.
“I love bringing people together from so many different places,” Jimenez said. “They come from Columbia, Spain, Central America and all over the U.S. Our judges come from Mexico and Spain.”
The crowd at the Grand Arena at the Expo Center wore sombreros with styles called “El Jefe,” and “Supremo,” boots and ponchos. People in the bleachers huddled under printed sarape blankets. Vendors hawked elaborately decorated saddles, boots, and leather goods.
Rafael and Nerayda Ortiz drove two hours from Coachella to attend the event for the first time.
“It was a very beautiful drive and the traffic was light,” Nerayda Ortiz said. “We’re here because we love horses. My husband grew up riding them in Guadalajara.”
The couple’s two children,…
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