Kynren has welcomed an important new arrival to Bishop Auckland as preparations accelerate for the launch of Kynren – The Storied Lands, with Tulipo becoming one of the first horses to join the expanding cavalry team ahead of the park’s opening in July.
Tulipo’s arrival marks the beginning of a carefully phased expansion of the horse team that will support both the award-winning Kynren night show and the new daytime park, where horses will play a central role in a number of large-scale live performances.
He is joined by a small group of new additions already settling into life on site, including Marshall Bugsy, a rare grey Shire, and Jarote Rom, known as Tonti.
Further arrivals are expected in the coming months as the team builds towards one of the UK’s most ambitious new visitor attractions.
All of the new horses have been selected not only for their presence and ability, but for their temperament and versatility, with the team opting for grey horses to also allow greater visibility during night time performances.
Among them, Bugsy stands out as a particularly unusual arrival. The four-year-old Shire, currently so dark he appears almost black, will gradually lighten with age.
With fewer than 200 grey Shires believed to remain worldwide, he joins Cosmo, Kynren’s existing grey Shire, and represents a rare addition to the team. As a relative youngster, he is still in training with plans for him to join the team soon.
Tulipo, a six-year-old Andalusian standing at 16.1hh, and Tonti, a five-year-old Andalusian at 15.2hh, have also made a strong early impression, both described as calm and good-natured horses who have adapted quickly to their new surroundings.
Training is being introduced gradually, with a strong focus on confidence-building and allowing each horse to settle at its own pace before progressing into performance work.
Laurie Robinson, director of Cavalry & Estates, said: “The most important thing for us is always that the horses feel comfortable and settled. Tulipo and the others have all taken everything in their stride so far, which is exactly what you want to see.
“We’ll take our time, build their training steadily and make sure each horse develops in the right way. They’re already proving to be fantastic additions to the team.”
Opening on 18th July, Kynren – The Storied Lands will combine large-scale live action shows with richly detailed environments, taking visitors on a journey through history, myth and legend in a way that blends storytelling with world-class production values.