Quick day trip to Chicago...to see Cavalia!

A couple years ago Brian and I took a whirlwind weekend trip to Fort Worth, TX to see the show Cavalia, and we were not disappointed! It was the most amazing show with horses I had ever seen....so we decided to do it again once we heard they were in Chicago, and we only had two weekends to choose from - so we went on 8-1-09! Woo hoo! Chicago here we come! Left at 6:00 a.m. and was home by 1:15 a.m.

I read a lot of horrible reviews about the show, and I have decided that it depends on what a person is looking for as to whether they like the show or not. I was not expecting 'tricks'...I was expecting the same thing we got the first time...'Magical'! And it was. We do believe that certain parts of the show were shortened a bit, and we did miss one of the trainers, Frederic. The replacement does alright, but there was just something about Frederic and his big long maned white/silver stallions. We missed him a lot, but the rest of the show was great! Would we do it again! In a heartbeat!



The following pictures are the only things we were allowed to photograph.

Just to keep the excitement boiling....



The big top is set up in Chicago...exactly where you would not picture them setting up! Wow! People walking down the streets saw this....



And this....




As you walk in they have these huge posters attached to the chain link fence...inside and out!

This part of the show was so beautiful. They would have 8 horses in the ring, then all of a sudden there were 10 and you never saw them come in...then there were only 8 again, and less....and you never saw them leave. Amazing!



This was the inside patio area...



Wow!



This was part of one of the shows...



I think I might apply to work with this group...I think I can do this!



Am I allowed to say that this is just plain sexy? Yes I can! It is my blog. :-)



This was my favorite part of the show...The Mirror...



Along a walkway...



I want to do this...



The same two gals who did The Mirror. They were beautiful to watch ride, and one of them was also a trick rider! She rocked! She was whooping and hollering during the trick riding - it was fun!



When you go inside the Big Top, depending where you sat depended how you got there. It was kind of dark and there were stairways that went to different areas. A couple years ago we got to walk up the neat stairway, and our seats were up high but still good. This year we were 2 rows back. At first I thought we would be too close, but nope, it was perfect! :-) The people who put on Cirque du Soleil also did this show, so parts of it have a flare of acrobats with lots of crazy make-up. Some critics did not like it, but we loved it! Like I said earlier, it depends what you are looking for...

Here is a banner they have hanging up on each side of the curtain area...



When you walk in, there are several horse statues, rocking horses, and stuffed horses that are spotlighted. That is the intro to the show once it starts. It is a celebration for the horse...












Part of the show focuses on having fun with your horses...you run and play, and they did! We were very glad we decided to see the show again. OH! With our seats we also got to tour the stabling area. That was disappointing because they said "If you have any questions, just ask." Well, it would help if we had people who were involved with the show to answer questions instead of local help. There are several different breeds of horses and I was wondering about some of the brands that looked like symbols. As of now, I still don't know what some of them mean and if they brand their horses or if they get them that way. Some of the QH's that were used for the trick riding had numbers on them like they came from a big ranch, and they had additional brands on them. We were also instructed not to touch (one horse touched me...hee hee...and I fought not to touch back!) or talk to the horses. Now how am I supposed to walk by a horse and not talk to it? You stick close to the drunk people who are louder than you! HA HA! The upper level seating served food and alcohol, and several partook! :-) The horses were already tucked in for the rest of the afternoon until the next show that night.

That is our whirlwind day!

Until later...Karen and Brian who I love sharing things like this with! I know, I know, I have never had anybody's name but Tripp's, but Tripp understands. :-)