Established by Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 Entrepreneur Emmanuel Margolin, El Caballo Blanco was a theme park that operated at Catherine Field on the outskirts of Sydney. Its main attraction was its Andalusian

Andalusian horse

The Andalusian, also known as the Pure Spanish Horse or PRE , is a horse breed developed in the Iberian Peninsula. Its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years. The Andalusian has been recognized as an individual breed since the 15th century, and its conformation...

 dancing stallions, but the park also featured miniature Fallabella

Falabella (horse)

The Falabella miniature horse is one of the smallest breeds of horse in the world, seldom taller than eight hands in height at the withers. The Falabella is a rare breed, with only a few thousand individuals existing worldwide...

 horses, and a number of non-equestrian related amusements such as waterslides, train rides, and a small wildlife zoo.

For many years after its closure the complex was used for storing items such as carpets, until a fire engulfed much of the building housing the main show arena. The Andalusian horses remained on the site, cared for by a group of horse enthusiasts.

Another El Caballo Blanco park operated near Perth

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

 in Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

.

In June 2007 a new El Caballo Blanco show paying tribute to the Spanish dancing horses re-opened playing regular shows at Horseworld Stadium, located at Maraylya in Sydney's north-west. This new show was put together by Rene Gasser, the "Master of unique equestrian entertainment" who boasts 7 generations of horse-care and showmanship.

In September 2007, equine flu made its way to El Caballo Blanco show with three horses showing clinical signs of equine influenza. This caused the suspension of all shows.
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External links

• Photograph of the carpark area, circa 1980-1989
• Article referencing the park, even though by 2005 when the article was published, El Caballo Blanco had been closed for some time.
• Brief biography of Manolo Mendez, who directed the shows at El Caballo Blanco.
• Article by the Andalusian Horse Association of Australia on the Perth operation