The Majesty of Cavalia - Sneak Peek San Jose

It's not every day that you have the opportunity to view an array of 49 majestic stallions and male horses descending upon a town. That's just what we were invited to watch when Cavalia, the incredible and magical horse show, came to town.


Cavalia - A Magical Equine Extravaganza from Tina Case Photography on Vimeo


Founded by Normand Labourella, one of the co-creators of Cirque du Soleil, Cavalia is an amazing show that is part equine and part human. It's a tribute to horses and a pure celebration of the loving relationship between man and horse. Cavalia combines fantastic multimedia, equestrian, artistic acrobatics with live music into an incredible fantasy performance.

Due to strong demand for tickets in San Jose, they have extended the dates from July 18 (Premier date) through August 5, 2012.  Tickets can be purchased online here.
Prices start at $39.50 for children to $54.50 for adults.   There are also VIP packages for a full experience.


Last Friday I was invited to watch the stars of the show descend upon the signature White Big Top at the intersection of Hwy 101 and 87 East on the 101 Tech campus across from the San Jose airport. Swarms of media were on hand to record their descent upon the town.  It was immediately apparent how eager the riders/performers were to greet their horses and bond after being apart for a few weeks.  The horses had a holiday after their outstanding performance in Mexico.  After each major performance the horses and performers have a few weeks off to relax and rejuvenate.  The horses get to run free at an expansive horse farm while the performers get to return home for a little while and catch up with friends and relatives.

Fairland Ferguson, our host

When we arrived we watched the last of the 49 horses arrive as Fairland Ferguson, one of the performers, talked about the team. Then we were escorted to their stables and got to meet some of the equine performers.


We were also able to get a hint of the performance as we entered one of the 9 tents.

Everyone loved the minature horse who despite his size, apparently steals the show and gets the most applause.

There is a distinct appreciation for the bond between the performers and their horses.  We met with one of the French performers who was bonding with her horse Golosso who thoroughly enjoyed teasing her with kisses and made a few funny faces for us.

Horse Surfin'