Viewfinder: Cavalia Horses Trot in for Puget Sound Area Engagement

A small group of media representatives and horse enthusiasts had the chance Thursday to meet some of the four-legged stars of , a large-scale horse show that will premiere at  next Wednesday.

The show includes 46 horses representing 11 different breeds from France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Canada and the U.S. They arrived in semi-truck-sized trailers that had traveled from Sherwood, Ore., where the horses enjoyed a two-week "vacation" after Cavalia's run in Portland.

At Marymoor, the horses were led into their stables under Cavalia's big white tents. Fairland Ferguson, a trick rider from South Carolina, said all the horses are taken outside for a minimum of one-hour each day, and Cavlia representatives create special outdoor space at each performance location to make this possible.

"It's really important to us," Ferguson said.

After a tour of the horses' stable, several Cavalia riders and horses demonstrated tricks inside the show's warm-up tent. Katie Cox, another of the show's trick riders, said the horses are fully aware of when the audience likes what they're doing.

"They're huge hams," Cox said. "They really absorb the energy from the people." 

Vanessa Kuhlman of Puyallup was at Marymoor on Thursday with her two children and other horse enthusiasts from Highpoint Equestrian Center in Tacoma. Inside the stable, a horse reached out several times to nuzzle Kuhlman's 10-year-old daughter, Sydney. 

"She's like a horse whisperer," Vanessa Kuhlman said of her daughter. "There's not an animal that doesn't take to her."

Cavalia's run at Marymoor goes from Jan. 18 through Feb. 12, although more dates could be added later on. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cavalia.net.