Family and Portuguese Nobility. It was established in its current form in 1979 and is based in Lisbon using of course, the exquisite Lusitano horse, all Bay in colour and bred from the Alter Real State Stud established in 1784 by King Joao V of Portugal.


What can I say, I have photographed them numerous times and actually bumped into them in the back garden of The National Palace de Queluz in Lisbon a few years ago. Quite a surreal moment; how often do you accidentally come across extraordinary Lusitano horses and riders in a garden albeit a Palace one… ..the horses wearing the tack designed in 18th Century and the riders looking like they have just stepped out of an historical drama. My faithfulness to Poldark was sorely tested and I grabbed the opportunity to have my photo taken with them, so to see them again perform again in Lisbon was an absolute joy.


The show was to be held in the Iconic Campo Pequeno in Lisbon. The venue itself is an impressive building constructed between 1890 and 1892 and is of a beautifully romantic Arabian style replacing the original old historic Bullring. Inside is a curiously intimate venue for such a large building with the arena sitting comfortably amid the circular seating.


I settled myself in to photograph the event from the Press area. It was impossible to stop my camera as it took on a mind of its own with so much to capture. I am actually going to let my photographs describe the show to you, they can do it far better than I ever could. Painting a written visual picture would fail to it justice, suffice to say it was one of the most spectacular displays of polished horsemanship I have ever seen, all three schools performed effortlessly together in the arena, all very different styles both ridden and inhand.


I was transfixed by the Cadre Noir’s jumping display, right over a laid table and the long reining over an extremely high jump was amazing, afterwards the horse comically turned to the audience after clearing the fence as if to say ‘You think thats good….I can do better’ and then did.


The Spanish solo to music was mesmerising. A beautiful Andalusian Stallion positively dancing does it for me every time…and as for my heroes, The Portuguese School of Equestrian Art, I shall never tire of seeing them. Both horses and riders were refined and performed with great dignity, invisible aids and the greatest example of less is definitely more. Understated theatricality at its finest.


As we flew home I fantasised on the possibilities of Airs above the ground with my Mr D…. Although we once produced a quite passable levade by accident on St Catherines Down, when faced with some cows, we may possibly leave it there. Fortunately BD prelim has yet to include the Capriole and Courbette.


For more information visit, www.lusitanosociety.co.uk/ bapsh.co.uk/ www.ifce.fr/en/cadre-noir/


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THE WINTER SPECIAL 2019


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