A three-time Grand National Champion American Shetland Pony was recently donated to the Arabian Nights dinner show in Orlando, proving that the Shetland Pony can be a star going from the show ring to show business. The pony was donated by the American Shetland Pony Club (ASPC) and will join more than 60 other horses at Arabian Nights, becoming the first-ever ambassador of the Shetland Pony breed to appear at the attraction.

Tap Dance Kid, known as Dancer, was the 2008 American Shetland Pony Grand National Champion Gelding and had a successful show career at top pony shows across the country. Dancer will now have the opportunity to endear people of all ages to the American Shetland Pony, as up to 1,600 people visit Arabian Nights daily.

“We were really excited to get a Shetland Pony for Arabian Nights,” said Audrey Padgett, Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing. “We like to showcase different breeds and their variety of talents. Dancer is our 15th different breed in our show.”

Dancer will become part of the Christmas show at Arabian Nights, making his grand debut on November 17. “We are thrilled to have Dancer demonstrate the versatility of the American Shetland Pony as he is trained to join the cast for the Christmas show,” said Zona Schneider, Director of Operations for the ASPC, who actually donated the pony to the ASPC for the Arabian Nights effort.

Padgett said Dancer will have a role in the Gingerbread Man act in the Christmas show where he will be led into the show in hand and will jump over Christmas lollipops. “He is the cutest thing, he jumps so high. I think people are really going to like it. I don’t think a lot of people know that small breeds can jump,” Padgett said.

As the first American Shetland Pony to team up with the impressive array of multitalented horses that perform at Arabian Nights, Dancer will join gypsies, cowboys, Indians, genies, acrobats, princes, princesses, charioteers and equestrians of every discipline to make storybook tales of romance and intrigue come to life.

“Dancer is a beautiful and talented pony,” said Johnny Robb, Director of Marketing for the ASPC. “He was a standout show pony and will no doubt be an excellent ambassador for the breed in his exciting new role at Arabian Nights.”

Robb visited the dinner show last spring and was excited to see two Miniature Horses in the act, but was disappointed that there was not a Shetland Pony. She contacted Arabian Nights and they were receptive to incorporating a Shetland into the act. Dancer’s trainers, Gary and Marcia Yeager, along with Schneider and Robb recently presented the pony to Arabian Nights.

Arabian Nights is a celebration of horses from around the world, and each night more than 60 horses and riders perform a unique and wonderful show with all the spirit and pizzazz of a Broadway production. For more information on Arabian Nights visit their website at www.arabian-nights.com. For more information about Shetland’s, contact the American Shetland Pony Club at www.shetlandminiature.com.