The
first public haute école (high school) dressage shows in Jerez were held
by Don Bruno de Morla y Melgarejo in the 17th century, and known as Vueltas
Escaramuzas a la Gineta. However, today's Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian
Art was not actually founded until 1973.
In May of that year, King Juan Carlos I -still heir to the throne at this time-
granted the coveted annual "Caballo de Oro" (Golden Horse) award to
Don Alvaro Domeqc Romero, who celebrated by giving the premiere performance
of his show "Those Amazing Dancing Andalusian Horses" - the foundations
for the Royal School of Equestrian Art had been laid.
The School was run by its founder until the Spanish Ministry of Information
and Tourism took over and bought the "Recreo de las Cadenas" ranch
in Jerez, which includes a nineteenth-century mansion. An arena was built to
hold 1,600 people, with stable facilities for 60 horses.
By 1990, the sheer size and scale reached by the Royal School prompted the Diputación
de Cádiz (Provincial Council) - which had up to that point provided the
institution with its one and only means of support and backing- to ask the Junta
de Andalucía (Andalusian Regional Government) to take the School under
its wing. Following the Regional Government's ministerial level approval of
its new Statutes, that moment marked the start of the institution's new status
as a Royal Trust. The Trust is chaired by the Junta de Andalucía with
the Provincial Council de Cádiz holding the vice chair.
Words
by: Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre, Official site