Everyone knows how majestic and magical the horses are that march diligently along the Rose Parade route during the main Tournament of Roses event.

But these same animals, coupled with their experienced riders, display a remarkable range of talents, which were showcased Sunday afternoon at the 34th annual Equestfest.

More than 200 horses from more than a dozen units showed their stuff at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank.

“This is a good way for us to celebrate our equestrian units that will be riding in our Rose Parade,” said Amy Garrity, director and chair of the event, who has been with the parade for 28 years.

She said the participants have “worked so hard,” as well as made the financial commitment to partake in the Tournament.

“So it’s a way to celebrate them and to showcase all of their skills — their riding skills, their roping skills, and their beauty,” she said.

More than 2,200 people came to see the Equestfest, at which food trucks and vendors added to a picnic atmosphere.

“I love the fact that the kids and the public get to see what the horses really do,” said Terry Walsh, who has served on the Equestrian Committee for 23 years. “In the parade, although they’re pretty and they go down the parade route, here you get to see what they really do. ... You’ve got the drill teams. You’ve got the stunt riders. You’ve got the mounded shooting. You get to see the historical reenactments.”

Hundreds of people filled the indoor arena, where an enormous dirt floor served as the stage for an array of elegant Arabian, Friesian, Lusitano and quarter horses.

Wayne Williams, a show producer from Whitewater, Wisconsin, who rode a horse in the Rose Parade of 1979, served as the master of ceremonies.

“In the parade they have to go down the street in forward motion,” he said of the horses. “They can’t do a lot because of the confines of the street and the crowd.

“You get to see all of their talents here,” he said. “In the parade you just get to see them go by.”

Williams described Equestfest as a “theater of horses.”

“We try to stage it and make it happen like it’s changing acts on a vaudeville stage,” he said.

He said organizing the show gets easier each time, with particular attention paid to knowing the riders and what their abilities and limitations are for a live performance.

He said they also want to make the riders and their horses all look good in the process.

“He’s known in the rodeo world and we just enjoy having him,” Garrity said of Williams. “He makes sure we have a beautiful and on-time event.”

The event opened with Tournament of Roses President Ed Morales and the 2025 Rose Queen, Lindsay Charles, brought into the arena in an antique 1880s British road coach called The Comet, thanks to the Scripps Miramar Ranch of San Diego.

“I just want to thank all of the equine units for participating in the parade,” Morales said. “We really, really appreciate you.”

Sierra Holtz of the Scripps Miramar Ranch said their team had spent many hours preparing the coach, trying out different flower arrangements, polishing the vintage lanterns and just making sure it was the most beautiful it could be.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said. “It’s pretty spectacular, the size and the detail, and just the community of the Rose Tournament.”

She said Equestfest was also nice because it gave all the participants a chance to spend time together, admire each unique team and bond over the experience.

“That’s kind of the fun part of Equestfest,” she said.

Kathryne Baldwin of Lodi is participating for the second year, riding her Arabian stallion Psax.

“We have a lot of different horses that can do a lot of different things,” she said.

She said her unit, which is known as the Versatile Arabians, is unique because it is experienced in costumed exhibition, endurance, search and rescue and more.

Baldwin and Psax have worked together since 2017, and she became his owner in 2019.

“We love these horses more than anything, so it means a lot to be able to share them,” she said.

Parade equestrian units

Arabian Horse Association Versatile Arabians — Greenwood Village, Colorado

Blue Shadows Mounted Drill Team — Lake View Terrace

Budweiser Clydesdales — St. Louis

First Cavalry Division, Horse Cavalry Detachment — Fort Cavazos, Texas

International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association — Birmingham, Alabama

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department-Sheriff’s Museum Foundation — Los Angeles

Los Hermanos Banuelos Charro Team — Altadena

Mini Therapy Horses — Calabasas

Northwest Spotted Drafts — Ferndale, Washington

Painted Ladies Rodeo Performers — Sacramento

Scripps Miramar Ranch — San Diego

Spirit of the West Riders — Arcadia

The New Buffalo Soldiers — Shadow Hills

The Norco Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team — Norco

The Valley Hunt Club — Pasadena

Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard — Barstow

Jarret Liotta is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and photographer.