This morning, at the Foreign Press Association in Rome, the presentation to the press of “Cavalli in Villa” was held, a unique event in Italy that brings equestrian sports inside some of the most prestigious historic homes in the Veneto region: an unprecedented container that unites the excellence of our country’s history and art with the territory, thanks to an animal that is the perfect emblem, the horse, chosen as the standard bearer of culture. Present at the press conference, among numerous guests and authorities, the Undersecretary for Culture Vittorio Sgarbi (in connection), patron of Cavalli in Villa, dr. Simone Perillo, Fise National Secretary General, Katia Ricciarelli, godmother of the initiative, Clara Campese, president of Fise Veneto, prof Amerigo Restucci, president of IVV, the lawyer. Andrea Cartoni Spinelli, president of the Gaia Von Freymann Foundation, Adriana Volpe, TV presenter and representative of the Title Sponsor Emma Alice and Jesusleny Gomes, institutional representative of the international Raid “Fire of Friendship”.
The Hon. Elisabetta Gardini, who opened the presentation of the initiative to the authorities the previous day in the Senate Chamber, said: “I am happy to have hosted in the Chamber, as a Venetian, the institutional presentation of Cavalli in Villa. An event that has already grown from last year, going from five to eight stages”, argued Gardini: “I see an important and rewarding future for this project, an initiative that undoubtedly has the power to create a precious synergy between “beautiful things” of which there is a deep need. The horse», added the Honorable, «is something that strikes my imagination and creativity, capable of uniting many valuable activities and projects with the excellence of the territory. I am also thinking of the Venetian villas, a heritage that needs to be better valued, communicated and shared”.
“Cavalli in Villa” will debut in Lonigo (Vicenza) with the first stage in 2023, bringing the noble animal beyond the fences of its circuits, close to the general public and at the center of eight memorable free events open to the public. The horse is confirmed as the fascinating animal capable not only of exciting but also of educating, raising awareness and helping: around the numerous competitions, shows and baptisms of the saddle will revolve a very rich and new book of initiatives and events, such as E-Bike tours, on horseback and with historic cars, up to activities related to informing young people on fundamental topics, thanks to the involvement of local schools at every stage.
We will talk about safety on the roads linked to the use of alcohol, with the arrival in the various villas of the blue bus of the Traffic Police thanks to the Gaia von Freymann Foundation, up to the knowledge and protection of the environment, with live lessons by Horse Emergency, and again the Children’s Village, which will welcome children and their families to be christened in the saddle through an innovative play-educational approach and in total safety, thanks to the presence of federal instructors. The equestrian disciplines present in the various villas, in a competitive or amateur and recreational form, will be seven: from Show Jumping, with competitions ranging from categories B1* to A5*, up to Dressage competitions, the elegant test that highlights the horse training, and Attacks, where carriages and marathons of various kinds will parade at full speed in circuits set up ad hoc. And again the Suiting, which brings to light the versatility and completeness of horses and riders in three different trials whose management is managed by the Olympic rider Roberto Rotatori, the Vaulting, a sort of artistic gymnastics with the horse, up to the Polo, an ancient and noble team game born in Persia or now practiced all over the world, and Horse-Ball, also played in teams with the objective shared with Polo- of scoring a goal into the opponent’s goal.
Cavalli in Villa 2023 will also be the scene of the spectacular military ceremony put in place by the 4th Carabinieri Regiment on horseback, the historic carousel of the Carabinieri with fanfare and picket, at the end of which the historic charge of Pastrengo is reproduced, which took place during the homonymous battle in the first Italian war of independence. Many prominent riders present at the event: from Fabio Brotto to Luca Moneta, riders of international caliber in show jumping, to Andrea Giovannini, absolute Italian dressage champion riding “The Best” and winner of the Iberian Horse Master, who will bring the horses from Francesca Mittiga’s El Palo Borracho stud farm to the field. Also present are the magnificent Arabian Thoroughbreds, elegant and proud horses that will make the public dream thanks to morphology parades organized by Arabite Horse Events.
The itinerant event “Cavalli in Villa” is promoted by the national FISE (Italian Equestrian Sports Federation) and FISE Veneto, with the support of the IRVV (Regional Institute of Venetian Villas), the patronage of the Ministry of Culture, the Veneto Region, the Province of Padua and Vicenza as well as all the Municipalities involved. An important partner of the project is FieraCavalli, with which the organization shares values and objectives related to the world of horses, while a novelty this year will be the twinning with the International Raid “Fire of friendship”.
“Cavalli in Villa” will also concretely help the Lions Club Vicenza La Rotonda on a project linked to autism, through the production and sale of watercolors, which will be made live at each stage by different artists, with the horse and the relationship at the center with the human being. Concretely supporting inclusiveness is another important value of the event which, in this edition, hosts the association “Cuore Oltre l’Ostacolo” whose Paralympic athletes, riding their horses, will stage impeccable paradressage footage.
Vittorio Sgarbi is confirmed for the second year patron of “Cavalli in Villa” and will present some of his latest books including “Rome”, from the Renaissance to the present day, taking the public on a passionate journey through history seen from the luminous and penetrating eyes of the ‘art. Godmother 2023 of Cavalli in Villa Katia Ricciarelli who, thanks to the synergy with the various Conservatories of the area, will be at the center of numerous shows that will see young musicians perform first on stage then in the field with the horses, including concerts of strings, piano and voice. There will be a substantial part dedicated every weekend to equestrian shows, with the team of the artist Rudy Bellini, the Equestrian Theater Trophy, a unique excellence in Italy with the FISE Veneto license plate and made up of children riding their ponies, and numerous other artists who will show the elegance and training of particular breeds, such as the Q-Arab and the Italian Agricultural Horse for Fast Heavy Shooting (CAI TPR).
Cavalli in Villa 2023 will finally see the first concrete synergy between two sports federations: Fise, the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation, and Fci, the Italian Cycling Federation of which cycling tourism is a branch: during each stage it will be possible to book E-Bikes for trips, open to all children included, departing both from each villa and from the nearest town to reach each historic residence through safe and pleasant roads. Finally, the debut of the “Gran Tour Cavalli in Villa 2023”, a circuit that connects all the villas of this edition and which can be traveled by bicycle or E-Bike, as well as on horseback and by car.
Source-www.adnkronos.com