A pas de deux can either be a ballet or equestrian performance of two people or two horses. The horses perform dressage movements, mirroring each other, which is almost always accompanied by music. If you have ever attended an exhibition by the Spanish Riding School, a high level dressage competition, or a Cavalia performance, you have witnessed the pas de deux.
At the Calgary Stampede Heavy Horse Show, with the Calgary Philharmonic's accompaniment, spectators were able to witness pas de deux de l'attelage (in hitch). Guy and Pride (above) are our leaders who were captured by photographer, J. Ann Brodland, performing in sync. We share with you this example of what judges want to see in hitch competition -- closely matched horses in size and shape, who work together tirelessly in unison.
To emphasize the mirror image performance in dressage, World Champions Andreas Helgstrand and Jan Brink perform in pas de deux at the World Cup Show in Denmark in 2007. While watching the video above, keep in mind that these gentlemen ride horses they had never before seen nor ridden.
