An introducer in Chile of purebred horses, chosen Cattleman of the Year in Spain

It was more than 5 centuries ago that purebred Spanish horses, which came to America from the hands of the conquerors, were not seen by Chile. He endeavored to reconstruct history and raise again in the confines of the world one of the most beautiful and noble animals.

Huiscapi (Chile), Nov 14 (EFE) .- It was more than 5 centuries ago that purebred Spanish horses, which came to America from the hands of the conquerors, were not seen in Chile. back, an equitable entrepreneur endeavored to reconstruct history and re-raise in the confines of the world one of the most beautiful and noble animals.

Today the effort and the illusion of Chilean Felipe Ibáñez are rewarded with the highest award given by the National Association of Purebred Spanish Horse Breeders (ANCCE), the Livestock Breeder of the Year.

The prize will be awarded on the 17th in Seville, during the International Horse Show (SICAB), the most important event in the world of this equestrian category, where every year 200,000 visitors from 60 countries arrive.

The first Spanish purebreds, as Andalusian horses are historically called, arrived in the New World on the second trip of Columbus, who by order of the Catholic Monarchs disembarked in 1493 on the island of Hispaniola with 24 stallions and 10 mares that began the equine colonization of America.

Cinco Centuries later, in 1995, Felipe Ibáñez Scott and his wife, Heather Atkinson - another great fan of horses - traveled to Spain to learn about the upbringing of these animals of pure race.

Subsequently they imported three stallions and three high-tame mares that Ibáñez bought from the Spanish breeder Manolo San Miguel. from the time of the colony.

Although its initial purpose was to introduce the purebred Spanish horse into the country, Ibáñez ended up founding the first Chilean school of the art of Classical horse riding.

And he did it almost by chance, when he was helped by a tractor driver named Johnny Enríquez, whom Felipe had taught to ride, and he organized an equestrian show in 2002 to entertain his friend

Ibáñez, self-taught equestrian training, has instructed his employees who barely knew how to ride and today are prominent riders, such as Cristián Rosas, truck driver of forestry tasks that today is the horse riding director of the school, or Carlos Fernández, a former reponedor of merchandise in a chain of supermarkets.

Last 15 of October, Fernández won two prizes in a training test held at the San Cristóbal Polo Club, in Santiago, where Felipe Ibáñez won the third of the four prizes en liza.

A great success for the first time that the riders of the school competed before international judges.

The School of Equestrian Art of Chile was constituted in 2002 in a 700 hectares farm located in a small town in the south of Chile called Huiscapi where the native vegetation of the Araucanía abounds.

The vision of its founder was to realize a contribution to the art and cultural richness of Chile, and to promote the projection of Hispanicness in the South American country.

Today, the Yeguada Nobleza del Parque has 160 horses, including broodmares, stallions, foals and fillies, which live in freedom in the green meadows of the El Parque farm.

Daily, 80 specimens are assembled and trained, of which 55 are of dressage, 15 hitch and 10 of classic school jumps. the Spanish horse, an animal that is the source of three of the four schools mythical Jerez (Spain), Cadre Noir (France) and Vienna (Austria), as well as the Royal Portuguese School, dedicated to the Lusitanian horse.

The School of Equestrian Art of Chile, inspired by the Royal School of Jerez, has several shows, such as the gala exhibition entitled "Fantasy Andaluza ", and various dressage and dressage numbers, as well as snags, mare cobras and school jumps.

Although 95% of the animals have been born in Chilean lands, all they are registered and certified by the National Association of Purebred Spanish Horse Breeders (ANCCE).

Felipe Ibáñez knows each and every one of them by heart. history, its characteristics and even its manias. Fills the soul is knowing that we are doing things correctly. hard and with humility, "he confesses.