Friday night my family and I had the opportunity to see something we had never seen before. In fact I’d be willing to say that few people in Vicksburg had ever seen anything like it.

The Gala of Royal Horses troupe gave Vicksburg a unique show and the opportunity to get up close to some of the best-trained horses in the world.

Now I’m no horse expert, having ridden only a few times, but have you ever seen a horse wave or take a bow? Ever seen one rear back on two legs and then jump 5 feet into the air and kick its hind legs?

Before Friday neither had I.

The star of the show is a seventh generation horse masters, who grew up around horses “and pretty much began riding before I could walk,” said show creator and producer Rene Gasser.

Gasser trains the horses himself, adding the work begins when the horses are young.

“That was amazing,” Vicksburg Convention Center executive director Annette Kirklin said after the show. “And it was right here in Vicksburg.”

The show was an introduction of the breeds of horses, their origins and their performances. Skilled horsemen directed their steeds around the arena as a small ensemble of musicians performed.

The program provides people an opportunity to see some of the most celebrated horses in history give the same performances given at riding academies in Vienna, Austria, and Spain.

A world-class event was held within the small confines of the convention center and as VCC sales and marketing director Julie Ford said, “You can’t see this anywhere else. It is truly a one-of-a-kind show.”

“The horses are introduced into performance when they are five years old,” Gasser said, “but we sometimes now start them younger. We give them a small job just to see how they go with the audience.”

“Sometimes, you practice, practice, with a horse and then they’re unwilling to perform for the audience,” he said. “Sometimes we perform before 10,000 people, and if the horse can’t take that pressure, it’s not good for us and it’s not good for the horse. It’s a long process.”

The work that these horsemen put into training and bonding with their animals was evident from the beginning and through to the end. After the show, the guests in the first three rows were invited to remain behind and to show the horses their appreciation. The announcer stated that this was a very rare moment when the audience is invited to pet the horses.

It was rare moment for our community and the staff of the VCC deserves some recognition for all the hard work they put into bringing such a great event to town.

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Paul Barry is the managing editor and can be reached by email at paul.barry@vicksburgpost.com or by phone at 601-636-4545 ext. 123