by Toni Leland
For me, almost anything can be an inspiration to write about
horses. As I said in my Amazon Author Profile, there is no known cure for
horse-crazy. But plotting the newest mystery adventures of Kovak & Quaid landed me in the
middle of something I'd loved for years – theatrical and artistic presentations
with horses.
Evolving from something known as hippodrama at the turn of
the nineteenth century, the use of horses in theatrical storytelling has
endured through the centuries, changing, maturing, becoming ever more beautiful
and awe-inspiring.
Those early shows blended circus-type horse riding and
tricks with melodrama. The first such event opened in 1803 in London, a
spectacle that included 36 horses and riders performing at the same time. The
genre became popular and the story subjects usually centered on tales from
the Far East or about European military feats. These performances were often billed
as circuses, as evidenced by the first American theater building in New York
(1825) – Lafayette Circus, and The Circus of Pepin and Breschard which
presented Don Quixote de la Mancha in New York City in 1809. By the late 1890s,
the genre had all but disappeared, replaced by moving pictures as entertainment
for the masses.
But horses are still a huge draw and millions of people love
them, own them, ride them, or simply turn out to watch them perform. My own
first experience with horses in artistry was an amazing evening of costumes and
beautiful riding skills, provided to hundreds of horse-folk and spectators at
the large horse show in Springfield, Massachusetts in the late
80's. For someone who'd spent her life dreaming about being on horseback, these
performances were thrilling. I wanted to do that!
My next encounter with this specialty entertainment was the
Pfizer Fantasia at Equine Affaire. Okay, now they really had my attention! I
can't tell you how many plots and ideas I dreamed up about the things I saw at those
events. But more than that, the skill and care that was so apparent between the
handlers, riders, or dancers and their horses was very emotional. Watching
Sylvia Zerbini orchestrate 9 white Arabian horses with only hand and voice commands
was an almost spiritual experience. The horses watched her every move, dancing
around the arena to the strains of beautiful music. Or the black Friesians
with their flowing manes and tails – carrying Carnival-costumed riders with
feathered headpieces and glittering masks – moving in perfect cadence, each
footfall in exact time to drums and a stirring beat.
Is this not the stuff of inspiration? So, on to my new mystery, Balancing Act.
Quite by accident, I came across a Facebook post about the
Noble Horse Theater in Chicago. Now there's
a great idea, I thought. And indeed, it is a fabulous place, housed in the oldest
livery stable in the Windy City. Performances on horseback thrill thousands of
people each year as they come to see The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Nutcracker,
or Quadrille.
So...what if a mystery were to unfold in such a place?
See? Inspiration!
And so an idea was born. It grew and evolved and changed
many times. As I wrote, I researched, and my ideas exploded as the list of
artistic equestrian venues grew. The Dancing Horse Theater near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
performs year around. The Alizee Horse Show is an amazing event, and Cavallo Equestrian Arts performs around the country. Cavalia and Odysseo are world
famous attractions and – lucky me – I will be attending Odysseo in New England
the week after Balancing Act is released.
After all, my inspiration
well needs to be refilled, right?
