Sound of Music - BreyerFest 2009

When the Haflinger Owners of Wisconsin (HOW) was formed in 2003, the aspirations of its members were simple: to promote the Haflinger breed and provide educational and entertaining outings for its members. Through the years, the club has expanded in members and in functions. A group within HOW regularly performs with Haflingers at the Midwest Horse Fair, Minnesota Horse Expo, Northern Illinois Horse Fest, and in 2009, at Breyerfest, an international celebration of Breyer model horses.

Sixteen horses, 45 people, and a lot of Wisconsin enthusiasm were brought to the Kentucky Horse Park July 18-20 to perform. HOW's performances are something to behold. Each performer has an individual task such as jumping, dressage, carriage driving, or western, and each enters the arena separately. After performing individually, the group does maneuvers together and works as a giant team. This is set to music and a theme, complete with costumes.

At Breyerfest, the theme was the Sound of Music.

This would not have been realized without one member who has been dreaming of the "big stage" for the duration of the club's existence: Brenda Strack. While Strack does not hold a position on the board of directors, she is the creative genius behind the golden performers and created the Haflinger Sound of Music performance several years ago for the Midwest Horse Fair.

"This was a combination of two of my favorite things: the Sound of Music and Haflingers," Strack said. "I saw the idea and knew what it would take to make it happen."

While Strack humbly insists that she's a small part of the show, without her brilliant mind and foresight such productions would not be possible. She creates the themes, the costumes, the cast, and when necessary, the drill patterns. Countless hours of planning and creating are spent on Strack's end for a mere ten or twenty minutes in the arena.

"It's just something I can do with and for my kids, and the thing is, people of all ages can enjoy themselves," Strack said. Her goals in performing are to bring people in HOW together, to draw attention to the Haflinger breed, and to entertain, all three of which were done spectacularly in Kentucky.

HOW performed all three days at Breyerfest and showcased nearly every song and character from the Sound of Music. From flying nuns to thundering Nazis and many versions of Maria, the act was complete and showcased most riding and driving disciplines. All performers were dressed in authentic costumes and the crowd loved every performance.

"I've been all over the world performing and your act is one of the best I've ever seen," said Arnold Warmels who was performing at Breyerfest with Fryslan Valley Sport Horses. "In fact, I told some friends of mine about your act, and they came to Breyerfest to see you and didn't even come to my own performance!"

Two other Haflinger acts were also showcased at Breyerfest. The Strack family performed a comedic skit to Alvin and the Chipmunks music using a mare with a colt named Alvin at her side. The children, aged 14 and younger, literally used the kind mare as a sort of equine jungle gym, really displaying the quiet nature of the breed. Alvin and his chipmunks performed for two days.

The Lion King was also present in the form of Bill, a Haflinger gelding owned by the Meek family. Bill was the vaulting horse that three little lion "cubs" (otherwise known as seven year-old girls) performed on, doing everything from hanging off his sides to standing to cart wheeling off his back while Bill patiently walked and trotted. It was truly touching to see a beautiful big Haflinger taking such wonderful care of his tiny children, and this act was asked back to perform every day of Breyerfest.

"These performances have definitely shown the diversity of the breed," said Susan Koos-Acker, Executive Director of the American Driving Society. Koos-Acker has been a HOW member since the club formed and drives a Haflinger gelding, Aspen.

"They have the temperament to do so many different things ... the Haflinger is simply a family horse," Koos-Acker said. She feels that HOW is the perfect club to promote the Haflinger breed.

"We have such enthusiasm and work so well together," Koos-Acker said. "We have a united philosophy when it comes to promoting the Haflinger, which makes these wonderful performances possible."

Koos-Acker was introduced to both carriage driving and the Haflinger breed through her neighbor, Ingrid Krause, who has been breeding Haflingers for almost 20 years. Koos-Acker describes Krause's horses as the "best behaved, most willing to work horses I've ever known." Krause brought one mare to Breyerfest, Leps Vanessa, two-time AHR jumper champion who demonstrated the jumping capabilities of the breed in the Sound of Music.

"I don't think the performers themselves even realize the beauty of their show," Krause said. "I was able to view the act in its entirety from the sidelines, and it was so moving to see the different styles of Haflingers combined with the costumes, music, and variety of people."

"For me, the greatest part of the act was the ending," said Krause. To the touching song Edelweiss, a dressage rider, Stefanie Preisler, entered the arena in a traditional dirndl carrying the Austrian flag. She was followed by the other riders and the six performed a drill, ending with Preisler's gelding standing on a pedestal and the other riders saluting the flag in a circle around her. Shortly thereafter, Dave Kraus rumbled with the Nazis into the arena with his four-in-hand and toured the arena. The Nazis in the back of the wagon stood at attention in full army attire and the entourage galloped around the arena before leading all the performers around the coliseum and out the door to the song Climb Every Mountain.

"The camaraderie between the HOW members was palpable," Krause said. "The entire club pitched in to make this possible, and the result was fantastic."

Even the canine members of the show put their differences aside for show time. In the Adele Bodden's wagon with the children (dressed in drapes, of course) rode Pixie, the Stracks' rat terrier, outfitted in a dirndl. The bride and groom were driven by Peter Heck and his helper Jack Russell, Jackie. Both Heck and Jackie were elegantly outfitted in matching tuxedoes.

Getting all the horses, people, and equipment 1,200 miles from Wisconsin to Kentucky was no small feat. To help with gas, lodging, and food, HOW hosted the Haflinger Horse Day Gala, an afternoon of performing Haflingers, a silent auction, and food. Proceeds from the ticket sales, as well as sponsorships and donations from AHR, HOPE and other organizations, helped HOW raise over $10,000 to get to Kentucky.

After three days of successful performances, HOW returned home with tired, happy members and horses. This was the big summer vacation and show for many performers, who are now content to hone their skills at home and enjoy HOW's trail ride/drives and clinics. While performing is only a fraction of what HOW does, this is an exceptional way for the club to show the public the athleticism, personality, and temperament that defines the Haflinger breed.