See horses in action at Danada festival

Just within earshot of the roar of traffic zipping past towering glass office buildings is the Danada Equestrian Center, an oasis of pastures and horses and trails.

This Sunday, the DuPage County Forest Preserve facility will host the Danada Fall Festival, a daylong "Celebration of the Horse," an annual event that has drawn thousands each year since it began in the mid-1980s.

"If the weather cooperates, from 11,000 to 12,000 people is quite the average number," said Matt Trynoski, the center's facility manager.

"It's just gotten bigger every year," said Sandy Slazyk, stable coordinator.

The day will include a parade featuring about 40 horses representing about 15 breeds, hayrides, children's activities, food, and riding and horsemanship demonstrations, Trynoski said.

Visitors will learn about a variety of gaits, from walks, trots, canters and tolts to gallops, as demonstrated by Icelandics, saddlebreds, Tennessee Walking Horses and Paso Fino breeds.

Spectators also will see several Western gaming favorites, including pole bending wherein horses slalom, at a gallop, through a set of poles, and barrel racing, Slazyk said.

"We're going to have a demonstration on click-training a horse," said Slazyk, explaining that this is an effective method of positive reinforcement.

A "trail class" in the arena will show visitors how best to deal with a variety of obstacles commonly encountered on trail rides.

Disabled riders will show off their horsemanship skills during a demonstration by the Friends for Therapeutic Equine Activities, a Winfield-based not-for-profit organization.

And dressage enthusiasts won't be disappointed. The English-style discipline will be part of the festival.

"It's horses performing prescribed maneuvers under the very close direction of the riders … It's a real partnership between horse and rider," Slazyk said. "It's almost like horse ballet."

There also will be jumping demonstrations, examples of "natural horsemanship" on view and wild mustang training, Slazyk said.

Newly added this year is a performance by the Stateline Drill Team, a group that hasn't previously performed at the festival, Slazyk said. The Danada Drill Team also is scheduled to perform.

Expert tree-climbers will demonstrate their skills, an art and photo show will be on display at the Danada House and a variety of children's activities, from face-painting to crafts, will be available, she said.

And, Trynoski said, families will have an opportunity to enroll in the Forest Preserve District's Family Expeditions program, a program that offers "perks" in conjunction with family-oriented district events.

If you go

What: Danada Fall Festival, "Celebration of the Horse"

Where: Danada Equestrian Center, 3S580 Naperville Road, Wheaton

When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Admission: Free

Parking: Free

Call: (630) 668-6012

Visit: www.dupageforest.com