Apassionata – the love of horses

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Every year the 02 arena in London is home to a horse spectacular show called Apassionata. I am a horse lover and try to attend as many shows as I can to indulge myself in these wonderful creatures. A friend suggested we attend as she has been before and assured me whilst she could not describe the event it was well worth it and quite frankly, for £70 a ticket it truly wanted to be!

The 02 surprised me as an event centre which (in case anyone has not seen it) looks like an upturned wok. I did not expect the street inside the building which is full of restaurants and coffee houses. There is also a gallery which stages various exhibitions and at the time of our visit was showcasing the British Music Industry and Gibson Guitars which had an entrance fee of £10 so we opted for the free section which included the exit through the shop, which for once was very reasonably priced and very well stocked.

The restaurant selection was excellent and the disabled facilities are some of the best I have ever seen although getting a wheelchair around in some of the restaurants would be a little tricky as some have tables too close together, but overall I rated far higher than I expected to. Our seats were high up (Row U) so not for those with vertigo however it was not as bad as I had heard and yes, the stairs were hard to master but, with some guiding from my friend, we found our seats with relative ease.

The show itself was like nothing I have ever seen before and although some parts are a little lacking, it really is a show for those who believe it is all about the horse. Based in the main arena with an ever changing backdrop the show tells the story of Daniel who is a young man coming of age and his journey from his home village out into the big wide world in order to find himself. To be honest the story was irrelevant as were the dancers, but the solo violinist was brilliant.

All the music is of a classical nature and really suits the show well. The range of horse breeds, all of which have their own little traits, was huge. My personal favourite was the Icelandic ponies who run in a special way unique to the breed, so the little ginger chappy that showed so much character really made my day! The Friesian horses, which are the ones you normally see pulling a hearse, came across as the “Kings of the Ring” all pomp and showing just how magnificent a horse can be with their long wavy manes and tails. The human aspect with stunt riders and a guy who controlled several horses with hand commands showed not only excellent control but also that all of these horses love what they do.

If you are expecting a show with excellent chorography with a structured and rigid performance, then this is not the show for you. If you enjoy a show that has rough edges but shows the outstanding horsemanship of the people involved and the fact the horses clearly love what they are doing then get your tickets now for next year and I will see you there!

Parking by the way is £28 so go by tube!

Have you been anywhere that surprised you?

Take care people

Angie

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