If You’ve Never Seen Westernaires, Start Here
If you've never seen Westernaires perform, Horsecapades is the place to begin.
Forget whatever you might picture when someone says “youth equestrian performance.”
Imagine instead hundreds of horses and riders moving through the National Western Events Center arena. Precision drill riding. Trick riding. Chariots. Flags. Elaborate costumes. Music. Fire. Specialty acts. Dramatic arena lighting. Around 20 different performances, all presented by young riders who have spent years developing their horsemanship.
At one point, approximately 300 horses and riders fill the arena together.
And those performers are not professionals brought together for one production. They’re teenagers and preteens.
They are young people who practice throughout the year, often in challenging Colorado weather, learning the patience, responsibility, physical skill, teamwork, confidence, and judgment that genuine horsemanship demands.
Most of our riders don't even own horses.
Westernaires maintains approximately 200 rental horses, ponies, and draft animals so young people can participate in horsemanship regardless of whether their family owns a horse.
That accessibility is part of what has made Westernaires extraordinary for more than 75 years.
Westernaires is built on family participation, since its founding in 1949. Parents, grandparents, alumni, instructors, and other volunteers work alongside young riders to care for horses, maintain facilities, transport equipment, teach skills, produce performances, and sustain the organization from one generation to the next.
Approximately 1,000 young people participate each year.
Horsecapades is where much of that work comes dramatically to life.
Highlights include the Freedom Riders trick riding team; rarely seen equestrian chariot performances; the world-famous Varsity Big Red Team; and the remarkable Firelight Finale, featuring precision horsemanship, LED-lit costumes, and dramatic lighting effects.
3 Performances:
Saturday, Oct. 17
10:30 AM Preshow | 11:00 AM Horsecapades Grand Entry
3:30 PM Preshow | 4:00 PM Horsecapades Grand Entry
Sunday, Oct. 18
1:30 PM Preshow | 2:00 PM Horsecapades Grand Entry
Come early -- the show starts before the show. Preshow entertainment begins 30 minutes before every performance. Tickets are good at any of the three shows.
General Admission is $15 for anyone needing a seat; lap children do not require a ticket. Seating is general admission, so guests are encouraged to arrive early for the best selection. Advance ticket purchase is recommended.
Come see the spectacle.
You may leave talking even more about the young people who created it.
https://www.westernaires.org/support/horsecapades
Event venue
Events Center at National Western Complex, 1515 E 47th Ave, Denver, CO 80216, United States
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