- A private show puts Pura Raza Española horses, the classical Andalusian breed, through dressage and working-riding displays for your group alone, usually for 45 to 60 minutes
- The nearest venue is the Escuela de Arte Ecuestre Costa del Sol in Estepona, with a covered stand for 1,600 spectators and halls for 50 to 1,500 guests
- Yeguada Cartuja in Jerez, about two hours away, stages its show privately on the day and time you choose; its public show runs every Saturday at 11:00
- Neither venue publishes private prices; the quotes our clients shared for 2026 ran from about €1,500 to €5,000 before catering
- SICAB, the world championship of the Spanish horse, takes place at FIBES in Seville from 17 to 22 November 2026
The evenings clients remember are rarely the most expensive ones. A grey stallion moving sideways across a lit arena to a guitar, ten metres from your chair, is one of them, and it costs less than a table at a big Saturday night club. We are an escort agency in Marbella, not a stable, but we have helped plan enough of these evenings to know which venues stage them and what goes wrong; our Marbella escorts guide covers the booking side. A private Andalusian horse show near Marbella is booked through an equestrian centre or stud, most practically the Escuela de Arte Ecuestre Costa del Sol in Estepona or Yeguada Cartuja in Jerez, priced on request, and best held in the cool of the evening for a small group.
Below: the breed, the venues, costs, the public versions, SICAB, arranging it and the evening itself.
What Is a Private Andalusian Horse Show?
A performance by Pura Raza Española horses and their riders staged for your group alone, usually 45 to 60 minutes of classical dressage, Andalusian working riding and sometimes carriage driving or a flamenco dancer with a horse. It takes place in an arena at a stud or riding school, with seating, lighting and often a commentator.
The Pura Raza Española
The Andalusian is officially the Pura Raza Española, or PRE, and its stud book is administered by ANCCE, the national breeders' association founded in 1972. More than 185,000 were registered worldwide by 2010. Stallions must stand at least 1.52 metres and mares 1.50, and most are grey or bay. The Carthusian line, which Yeguada Cartuja traces back five centuries, is prized as the purest strain, although a 2005 genetic study found no clear distinction between the two. Either way, the horses you see in a show are bred for exactly this work.
What the Horses Do
Classical dressage is the core: the piaffe, a trot on the spot; the passage, a slow, floating trot; and the Spanish walk, with forelegs lifted high. Doma vaquera, the working style of the Andalusian ranches, shows tight turns and sudden stops at speed. Larger shows add long-reining, a carriage or a rider with a flamenco dancer. Seen from the stands of a big arena it is a spectacle; seen from ten metres, you hear the breathing and the hoofbeats, which is the point of booking it privately.
Where Can You Book a Private Show Near Marbella?
Two venues publish that they stage shows and private events: the Escuela de Arte Ecuestre Costa del Sol in Estepona, the closest by far, and Yeguada Cartuja–Hierro del Bocado, the historic Carthusian stud in Jerez de la Frontera, about two hours away. Both take enquiries directly and price private shows on request.
Escuela de Arte Ecuestre Costa del Sol, Estepona
The school says it sits ten minutes from Marbella and two minutes from the motorway, on more than 80,000 square metres given over to horses. Its events page describes equestrian shows rooted in Andalusian tradition, galas, weddings and corporate events, a main arena with covered stands for 1,600 spectators and indoor halls for 50 to 1,500 guests, plus outdoor spaces for cocktails. For a group from Marbella it is the practical choice: short to reach, and dinner can happen on site.
Yeguada Cartuja, Jerez
Yeguada Cartuja–Hierro del Bocado describes itself as the oldest stud in the world devoted to the Carthusian horse, with five centuries of history and almost 300 horses on a 260-hectare estate on the Medina Sidonia road outside Jerez. Its shows page offers companies and individuals the show privately and exclusively, on the day and at the time they choose, with rooms for events. Marbella to Jerez is about 170 kilometres, roughly two hours by car.
And at a Villa?
Rarely. Horses need a level arena with a proper sand surface, a safe place to tack up, space for a horsebox and a vet's agreement to travel, which very few rented villas offer. Estates with their own riding facilities are the exception: La Zagaleta's Riding Club has twenty stables, six paddocks and a covered arena for residents, as our La Zagaleta Country Club guide explains. For most groups, bringing the guests to the horses is simpler, safer and kinder.
What Does a Private Horse Show Cost?
Neither venue publishes a private price, because the quote depends on the number of horses and riders, arena hire, lighting, transport and catering. The quotes our clients shared with us for 2026 ran from about €1,500 to €5,000 for a private display of 45 to 60 minutes, before food and drink.
Public or Private: The Options Compared
Public prices from the venue's own site; private figures are the quotes our clients received in 2026.
| Option | Where | When | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday visit and show | Yeguada Cartuja, Jerez | Saturdays 11:00 | Vouchers €13.50–€25 a person |
| Private show at the stud | Yeguada Cartuja, Jerez | Your day and time | On request |
| Private show and event | Escuela de Arte Ecuestre, Estepona | By arrangement | On request |
| Typical private display | Either | 45–60 min | About €1,500–€5,000 before catering |
| World championship | SICAB, FIBES Seville | 17–22 Nov 2026 | Public tickets |
What Goes Into the Quote
Ask for each element separately: the display itself, with the number of horses and riders; arena or room hire; lighting for an evening show; a commentator in your language; music, live or recorded; catering and drinks; and any transport of horses if the show is not at their home stable. A flamenco guitarist adds atmosphere; as a benchmark, The Farm in Marbella's old town lists one for two 20-minute sets at €450 before VAT, and our private concert guide explains the formats.
The Public Version: A Saturday in Jerez
If a private show is more than you need, Jerez offers the public version. Yeguada Cartuja runs a guided visit with an equestrian show every Saturday at 11:00, and the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, founded by Álvaro Domecq Romero, stages its dancing horses in an arena designed in 1980.
The Saturday Show at the Stud
The Saturday morning combines a tour of the stud, where you see how the Carthusian horses live and train, with a show by its riders; the stud's shop sells Saturday vouchers from €13.50 to €25. Book online, arrive early, and plan lunch in Jerez afterwards, a sherry town with no shortage of good tables. It is a two-hour drive each way from Marbella, so it fills a day; our VIP experiences guide lists the coast's other day-long set pieces.
The Royal Andalusian School
The Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre in Jerez is counted among the world's great classical riding academies, alongside Vienna's Spanish Riding School, and also teaches carriage driving, saddlery and farriery. Its show of dancing stallions is staged in an arena designed by the architect José Luis Picardo in 1980. Its website was unreachable when we checked in October 2026, so confirm show days and prices directly before driving there.
SICAB 2026: The World Championship in Seville
The biggest event for the breed is SICAB, organised by ANCCE at the FIBES conference centre in Seville from 17 to 22 November 2026. Its 36th edition hosts the World Championship of the Spanish horse, with breeders' stands, competitions and evening shows. Seville is about three hours from Marbella by car.
What Happens at SICAB
The week mixes the championship's judging, in which horses are shown in hand, with riding competitions and ticketed evening shows. The official SICAB site sells tickets and publishes the programme. For anyone curious about buying a horse or simply about the breed, it is the week when many of Spain's leading PRE studs exhibit under one roof, and the evening shows are the closest thing to a private show you can buy a ticket for.
Going From Marbella
At about three hours each way, SICAB is an overnight trip rather than a day out, best combined with a night in Seville. If the trip includes company, a travel companion booking at €5,000 a day, or €6,000 for a 48-hour weekend, plus your travel and hotel, is the format; travel bookings can be changed free until seven days before. Our Seville to Marbella guide compares the road, train and bus options between the two cities, which matter if you are combining the show with a stay on the coast.
How to Arrange a Private Show
Contact the venue three to four weeks ahead, longer in spring, with your date, group size, preferred time and what you want around the show. Choose a cool slot: early evening from May to September, or late morning in winter. Keep the group small, ideally eight to twenty, so everyone sits close to the arena.
Timing and the Horses
Horses perform best and safely when it is cool. In July and August, afternoon heat around Jerez is punishing, so any reputable stable will push you to evening; under lights, the show also looks better. Do not ask for more than an hour of performance, and let the riders decide what the horses can do on the night. A good stable explains each movement as it happens, which makes the hour far more interesting for guests who know nothing about horses.
Questions for the Venue
Which horses and riders will perform, and how many? How long is the display, and can guests meet the horses afterwards? Is the arena covered if it rains? What does the venue provide for food and drink, and can you bring your own caterer? Is there parking for cars and a coach? What are the cancellation terms? Get the answers in a written quote, and confirm the number of guests a week before, since seating, lighting and catering are planned around it.
Companions for an Evening at the Stables
Book a companion as you would for any evening out, and tell us the venue: a riding school is a country setting with sand underfoot, which changes what she wears. For the Estepona school, the usual €300 an hour applies, with a two-hour minimum outside Marbella and her taxi on top; a dinner date starts at €900.
Dress and Logistics
Smart country clothes, flat or block-heeled shoes and a jacket for an evening show, since arenas cool down after dark. Tell us whether the evening includes dinner at the venue or back on the coast, and the times. Our Estepona escorts are closest to the school, and for Jerez we quote a longer booking, because the distance can add to the price, and say so up front. A Spanish-speaking companion helps with the riders and the commentary, and our Spanish companions page shows who is available.
Rates and What to Send Us
A dinner date runs three hours at least, so from €900, and covers a show and dinner near Marbella; the tickets and the food are paid separately. Group events can be changed free until five days before, dinner dates until 24 hours before. A booking made in advance takes a 25 per cent deposit by transfer or crypto, to her or to us, and you pay her the balance at the start, in cash or by transfer; a same-day booking takes no deposit. Send the venue, the date, the start time and the number of guests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you book a private Andalusian horse show near Marbella?
Yes. The Escuela de Arte Ecuestre Costa del Sol in Estepona stages equestrian shows and private events, with covered stands for 1,600 and halls for 50 to 1,500 guests. Yeguada Cartuja in Jerez, about two hours away, performs its show privately on the day and time you choose. Both price private shows on request.
How much does a private horse show cost?
Neither venue publishes a private price, since it depends on horses, riders, arena hire, lighting and catering. The quotes our clients shared with us for 2026 ran from about €1,500 to €5,000 for a 45- to 60-minute display before food and drink. Public shows cost far less: Cartuja's Saturday vouchers are €13.50 to €25.
What is a Pura Raza Española horse?
It is the official name of the Andalusian horse, the classical Spanish breed whose stud book is administered by ANCCE, the national breeders' association founded in 1972. Stallions stand at least 1.52 metres and most horses are grey or bay. More than 185,000 were registered worldwide by 2010, and the Carthusian line is prized as the purest.
When is SICAB 2026?
SICAB, the international show and world championship of the Spanish horse, runs from 17 to 22 November 2026 at the FIBES conference centre in Seville. It is the 36th edition, organised by the breeders' association ANCCE, with judging, competitions and evening shows. Seville is about three hours from Marbella by car.
Can a companion join a private horse show evening?
Yes. Book her as for any evening out and tell us the venue, because a riding school calls for country clothes and flat shoes. For the Estepona school the usual €300 an hour applies, with a two-hour minimum outside Marbella and her taxi on top; a dinner date starts at €900.
Planning an Evening With the Horses?
Send us the venue, the date, the start time and the size of your group. We suggest a companion who will enjoy a country evening, time her arrival to the show and confirm the price and her taxi before anything is booked.
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