Regina has once again been turned into the Arabian horse capital of Canada since earlier this week. The 47th annual Canadian Arabian Nationals, affectionately known as "The Royal Red," kicked off at Regina Exhibition Park.
This week-long event is amazing, not just because it features top-level horse show competition and a commercial trade fair that drew more than 25,000 spectators and brought in approximately 1,000 horses from Canada and the United States... or because the economic impact to Regina is estimated at $5.5 million (U.S. dollars). It is amazing because of how the Exhibition grounds are used to create a miniature city where the horse is king.
The barns take on the flamboyant colours of stables from around North America. Banners unfurl, benches and plants are artfully displayed in a symphony of landscape productions intended to celebrate the oldest known breed of riding horse. While the Arabian hails from the ancient deserts of the Middle East, it has become one of the most popular breeds in North America.
Sure enough, the people who own such noble animals take great pride in their relationship with them. They will spare no expense. Inside the barns and outside, sod is brought in, lumber is purchased to build walls and partitions. Furniture is rented, light fixtures are installed, and soon, the strangest and eerily beautiful horse-friendly indoor environment emerges. People set up luxury dining rooms, living rooms with television sets, playpens for children. Within feet, a rider puts bandages on the feet of his horse; another adjusts her breeches and boots, while yet another climbs on her mount and heads to the ring.
Royal Red City is not only an amazing display of grace and elegance; it is a temporary human settlement with distinctive rules and behaviours. While the use of cars is discouraged in the alleys and within the barns, the golf cart becomes the wheeled vehicle of choice to shuttle between barns, rings and RV. So many golf carts are needed for the event that they have to be imported from as far away as Calgary.
Royal Red City comes with various amenities. Vendors for straw, hay and wood shavings are conveniently located on site. A sheltered sitting area is established and daily newspaper dispensing boxes are brought in to occupy the more leisurely moment of these honoured guests who come mostly from the United States.
There is real joy for us local folks in walking on these beautiful grounds and in asking these passionate horse people what they think of Regina? Why they like coming back here? Their answers: "people are extremely friendly everywhere"... "We go to restaurant and people are very polite"..."when the show is hosted in other cities, sometimes nobody watches us in the ring. Here they cheer for us".
It is fascinating how the Royal Red enables this city to show its best side to the rest of North America. Perhaps it is not that surprising, given that the horse has historically played such a significant role in the settlement of the City.
There are many yet undiscovered aspects to this annual influx of equine fanatics we don't really understand. We are hosting another society in our midst with its own cultural system. How fortuitous that it is compatible with ours. May these guests come back and mingle with us for many, many years!
This week-long event is amazing, not just because it features top-level horse show competition and a commercial trade fair that drew more than 25,000 spectators and brought in approximately 1,000 horses from Canada and the United States... or because the economic impact to Regina is estimated at $5.5 million (U.S. dollars). It is amazing because of how the Exhibition grounds are used to create a miniature city where the horse is king.
The barns take on the flamboyant colours of stables from around North America. Banners unfurl, benches and plants are artfully displayed in a symphony of landscape productions intended to celebrate the oldest known breed of riding horse. While the Arabian hails from the ancient deserts of the Middle East, it has become one of the most popular breeds in North America.
Sure enough, the people who own such noble animals take great pride in their relationship with them. They will spare no expense. Inside the barns and outside, sod is brought in, lumber is purchased to build walls and partitions. Furniture is rented, light fixtures are installed, and soon, the strangest and eerily beautiful horse-friendly indoor environment emerges. People set up luxury dining rooms, living rooms with television sets, playpens for children. Within feet, a rider puts bandages on the feet of his horse; another adjusts her breeches and boots, while yet another climbs on her mount and heads to the ring.
Royal Red City is not only an amazing display of grace and elegance; it is a temporary human settlement with distinctive rules and behaviours. While the use of cars is discouraged in the alleys and within the barns, the golf cart becomes the wheeled vehicle of choice to shuttle between barns, rings and RV. So many golf carts are needed for the event that they have to be imported from as far away as Calgary.
Royal Red City comes with various amenities. Vendors for straw, hay and wood shavings are conveniently located on site. A sheltered sitting area is established and daily newspaper dispensing boxes are brought in to occupy the more leisurely moment of these honoured guests who come mostly from the United States.
There is real joy for us local folks in walking on these beautiful grounds and in asking these passionate horse people what they think of Regina? Why they like coming back here? Their answers: "people are extremely friendly everywhere"... "We go to restaurant and people are very polite"..."when the show is hosted in other cities, sometimes nobody watches us in the ring. Here they cheer for us".
It is fascinating how the Royal Red enables this city to show its best side to the rest of North America. Perhaps it is not that surprising, given that the horse has historically played such a significant role in the settlement of the City.
There are many yet undiscovered aspects to this annual influx of equine fanatics we don't really understand. We are hosting another society in our midst with its own cultural system. How fortuitous that it is compatible with ours. May these guests come back and mingle with us for many, many years!
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