'Spirit of the Horse' area at Royal

For horse enthusiasts, a visit to The Royal is not complete without plenty of time spent at the Spirit of the Horse area, The Royal's biggest feature attraction. A full size show ring hosts entertainment and educational demonstrations throughout the day offering lots to see and learn for the beginner right through to the accomplished rider or anyone who is curious in learning more about horses. Adjacent stalls house the horses when they are not in the ring, allowing people to get up close and personal with their favourite breeds. There are plenty of new features to attract audiences to this year's Spirit of the Horse area. Here are the highlights:

NEW this year!

Equestrian extraordinaire Tommie Turvey and his horse Pokerjoe will entertain visitors over The Royal's first weekend with "The Riding Instructor," a finely executed comedy routine in which the horse frequently gets the upper hand, sure to leave the audience in stitches. Turvey is an accomplished horse trainer and performer with a lifetime of experience who works in all aspects of the entertainment and equine industry.

See Horse-Ball in action

Members of L'Équipe Canadienne de Horse-Ball (The Canadian Horse Ball Team) will demonstrate this fastpaced game that's been described as a combination of polo and basketball. Played at breakneck speed, two teams go head-to-head to compete for a ball that can be grabbed by one of its six handles, in the hopes of tossing the ball successfully through a vertically aligned ring to score. L'Équipe Canadienne de Horse-Ball competed at the 2006 World Cup of Horse Ball held in Argentina this past April.

EquiMania! demos.

Created with youth ages 8 to 14 in mind, the EquiMania! Youth Education Program engages young audiences in learning all about horse health and wellbeing. Equine Guelph, the creators of EquiMania! will organize daily demos in the show ring teaching young horse owners and youth who love horses about their equine friends and how to properly care for these animals. The demos complement an interactive EquiMania! Discoveries area to be located in the Upper West Annex, next to the Ricoh Coliseum....more

Learn from the experts.

It doesn't matter if you are an expert rider or complete novice, there's always something new to learn. Top riders

of varying disciplines return this year to share their wisdom by performing mini-clinics within the show ring. Experienced horsewoman Lindsay Grice will also be sharing her techniques with audiences on horsemanship.

What's in a breed?

Daily breed presentations within the show ring will showcase a variety of types of horses from the "all purpose" Newfoundland Pony to the stunning all-black Friesian to the graceful Paso Fino. Other breeds to be featured include the Miniature Horse, Mountain Saddle Horse, Canadian, Arabian, Standardbred and the Canadian Sport Horse. Equine experts will speak to and demonstrate the competitive sport of driving in which "drivers" manoeuvre their horse team around an obstacle course, and the Ontario Therapeutic Riding Association will share the benefits a therapy horse can bring to a disabled rider.

Action non-stop.

There's always plenty to see in the show ring! In addition to the features described above, performances by the Hunt and the Hounds as well as the Metro Toronto Mounted Police are on the agenda. Riding "bitless" demos are also scheduled which will be of interest to riders, and noted young adult fiction author

Shelley Peterson will be dropping by the ring on Saturday, November 4 to launch her new book Sundancer.

The Spirit of the Horse feature area at The Royal is managed by the Ontario Equestrian Federation and sponsored by the Toronto Star.