Woodlands Equestrian Club participates in Rodeo Parade

The WEC will be representing the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - If you’re going into Houston to see Rodeo Parade, you’re in for a real treat. Two of the world’s rarest horse breeds, the Andalusian and the Lusitano, will be in the parade representing the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association. The Woodlands Equestrian Club will be making their first appearance in the 79th annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Parade, presenting some of the most acclaimed Dressage show horses in the United States, including a National Champion Stallion imported from Brazil.

If you’ve ever wondered why you don’t often see top show horses in the Rodeo Parade, it’s because many trainers believe that participating in parades is harmful to the horse’s show ring performance. That’s debatable. These horses have performed for centuries and have been ridden by royalty in royal processions. It’s inherent in their nature to be paraded before crowds and be admired.

The Andalusian or Pura Raza Espanola (PRE), or Pure Spanish Horse, was formally started in 1567 by King Felipe II of Spain, who sought out the best stock to produce the ideal horse and established the breed standards. To this day the Spanish government has maintained the quality of the breed to ensure that it remains pure. Every PRE has a passport issued by the Spanish Ministry of Defense that signifies that the animal has passed the physical examinations and genetic testing required to be admitted to the Spanish stud book. These horses can trace their lineage back through time to the start of the breed in the sixteen hundreds. Until the 1960s, they were restricted from exportation from Spain. They have since spread throughout the world. Currently there are less than 20,000 Andalusians worldwide. Approximately 4,500 are in the United States, with the largest concentration in Montgomery County, bred by Pablo Vasquez.

The Woodlands Equestrian Club invites you to visit with them before the parade and see these magnificent horses up close. Learn how riders from Woodlands Equestrian Club are enjoying their show horses in many ways aside from performing dressage in the show ring… parades, exhibitions, and just pleasure riding. One of the most admirable traits of these horses are their dispositions. Many of the horses that the Woodlands Equestrian Club will be riding are well-behaved stallions— a unique characteristic of these breeds which makes them ideal for exhibitions and parades.

You can learn more about the Andalusians and the Lusitanos from the Woodlands Equestrian Club located at 10422 Hufsmith Road, equidistant between The Woodlands and Tomball, Texas, 77375-2512. For more information about the WEC and these breeds, please call or e-mail at the button below. Also visit their Facebook page and check out their Web site at the link below.