SICAB is an International Trade Fair, dedicated in full to the Purebred Spanish Horse. Over the past 25 years, this event has grown to become the most important PRE-related event in the world. It is the third most influential event held in the city of Sevilla, as it surpasses the 200,000 visitor mark every year with the participation of both breeders and enthusiasts. SICAB celebrated twenty-five years of history with the creation of the World PRE Championship. This sports event became the final and star attraction for its silver jubilee. In addition to this event, there were a number of other competitions, including the ANCCE Cup Finals for Dressage, Doma Vaquera, Spanish High School, Carriage Driving and Show Jumping. Also, guests enjoyed the exhibition competitions, side-saddle riding, a breeder presentation competition, Concours d’Elegance and of course, the evening show.
In 2015, SICAB surpassed all current records with the presence of 1109 Purebred Spanish Horses from 329 national and international stud farms.
In recent years, SICAB’s growth has been impressive thanks to the confidence and efforts on behalf of PRE breeders. The international successes in sports and Purebred Spanish Horse breeding support the thriving equestrian sector. This, in turn, has direct repercussions for one of the most important single-theme trade fairs in the world, not only for the quality of the competition finals, but by establishing a 25-year tradition. SICAB stimulates synergies with the creation of direct and indirect economic resources and employment.
Representatives from Switzerland, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, England, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungry, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Morocco, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, China, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile and Brazil were on hand at SICAB 2015. This demonstrates the international coverage of this unique event. It proves that this single-theme trade fair, dedicated to Spain’s native breed, sparks ample admiration throughout the world. In fact, PRE horses are bred in more than sixty countries. The numbers attending this twenty-fifth edition broke all prior records: 223,676 visitors, of which 42% came specifically to Sevilla for the occasion.
A mall (commercial stands) houses the many companies and firms involved in the horse and equestrian industry. Once again, the number of stands with commercial firms and stud farms increased; there were 321 stands, including those representing countries such as Hungry, Germany, Italy, England, France, Argentina, and of course, Spain, to cover all available space.
With all of these factors, it can be said that SICAB has become a world-class reference on the international equestrian calendar. It is a venue that offers sports competitions, social activities and ample commercial activities. After all, it is the third most important date on the Sevilla events calendar, behind Easter Week and the April Fair, as it generates some 30 million euros in turnover for the city’s tourist industry.
The best stud farms, with the best horses in the world can be found at SICAB. This is where national and international breeders come together once a year to activate the sales and purchase of the best PRE horses in the world.
In Spain, it has been calculated that the direct business turnover from the sale of Purebred Spanish Horses throughout the year tallies 92 million euros. Under the shadow of SICAB—two weeks before and two weeks after the actual event—47% of all annual transactions are carried out. This is a faithful indication of the synergies created by SICAB for the industry.
Equestrian Show
Since 1992, the Equestrian Show has become a flagship performance at SICAB. It is a must for horse enthusiasts. The impressive arena, with seating for 6000, thrills viewers thanks to the quality of the show.
Medieval jousting, Cossack vaulting, falconry on horseback, Hungarian colts, flaming horses, hunting with greyhounds, scenes from the Rocio Pilgrimage, mares threshing grain, garrocha pole fantasy, Roman
chariots, etc… by the world’s very best equestrian entertainers, all in an almost never-ending sequence of events.
Many of the shows presented at SICAB later tour the world to visit the best stages, including Equitana in Germany and major international competitions such as the Rodeo Final held annually in Houston (USA).
“This is our Horse” was the title of 2016 Show. It included several major national and international performers. This year, France enjoyed special protagonism with acts such as ‘Hasta Luego’ and 'Clemence,’ in addition to traditional festivities from Spain. These various enactments told a fiction-based story about a horse that was born 25 years ago, and that in 1997, was the National Champion at SICAB.
