Classical horsemanship at its best: Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts opens with mesmerising horse ballet

Riders from Austria, Spain, Portugal, France and UAE perform together at gala event

- Haneen Dajani

Nestled amid the mangroves of Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi Royal Equestrian Arts (Adrea) opened its doors on Thursday with an immersive horse-ballet gala that brought classical horsemanship back to the Gulf in spectacular fashion.

The new Andalusian-style dressage facility - described by organisers as the first of its kind outside Europe - was inaugurated by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice-President and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Chairman of the Presidential Court. It is being billed as the fifth major school worldwide dedicated to the centuries-old art of classical horsemanship.

The opening gala united the world's biggest classical schools: riders from Austria, Spain, Portugal, France and the UAE performed together, fusing Andalusian guitar music and Arabian melodies with striking light projections and choreography.

Two riders from each of the four European schools joined Adrea's own company in group set-pieces that included sweeping, Swan-Lake-like formations and solos that made the horses appear to dance like flamenco and ballet performers as they did splits in the air, swayed their bodies as they stood on two legs, and one horse sauntered out of the arena while dramatically stretching its front legs ahead of each step.