A hush falls over the usually boisterous crowd at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament as a magnificent Andalusian stallion glides into the spotlight. The rider, an elegant man with ramrod straight posture and a crown of silver hair, gently guides the horse in front of the platform where the King and his daughter, Princess Esperanza, wait to see what magic the pair in the arena will conjure up.

The music morphs into a delicate and elaborate staccato. To the delight of the captivated audience, the huge horse defies gravity to step delicately and precisely in time to every eighth note, effortlessly moving its 1100-pound body in the graceful equestrian ballet that is dressage. Banks of lights catch the gold trim on the rider�s traditional Spanish Riding School regalia while the powerful alabaster horse dips, turns, rears up and sidesteps.

As the flawless performance concludes, the audience bursts into applause, and the Princess turns to the King. �Father,� she says in an eager voice, �may I keep him?� At that point in the new Medieval Times show, the rider, David Jay, allows himself a slight smile. �Everyone knows she could only be talking about the horse,� Jay joked later. As the horse trainer for the Buena Park Castle, Jay�s gentle, self-deprecating humor parallels his total devotion to his 30 charges.

�Each horse is unique,� Jay said, �with its own personality. When I arrived here, my first responsibility was to learn each one, and let them learn me.� During his 36-year career training horses, Jay�s built a reputation as a patient, respectful �mentor� who brings out the best in every animal. �If a horse needs a particular kind of hand or sensitivity, I�ll pick up on that and give it the reinforcement it needs,� he said. �Sometimes I�m working with a particular horse for weeks, and nothing happens,� Jay said. �But I�ll adjust my personality accordingly and not push. Then, one day, a light bulb goes off, and the connection is there. The horse gets it.�

His technique, Jay said, is to first get to know the individual horse, adjust to the horse�s particular needs, then get the horse to think the intricate moves involved in both dressage and the rest of the Medieval Times show are the horse�s own idea.

�You use an intellectual approach rather than force,� Jay said, �and the horse will be enthusiastic and eager to perform.� He shrugs off the idea that this type of respectful teamwork is anything new. �Xenophon, a Greek general, wrote the definitive book on horsemanship 2,500 years ago,� Jay said. �Since then, we�ve all been using the same techniques.� The son of a house painter, Jay grew up on horseback. �My father and grandfather did very well in the family business,� Jay said, �and they built a riding stable.� Private trainers lived with the family, Jay recalled, and he was showing in Madison Square Garden and the Cow Palace in San Francisco when he was only 10. He was named California State Junior Champion for all-around horsemanship at the tender age of 13, and in the following decades did exhibitions with Andalusians, Friesians and Lipizzans all over the country.

In his position with Medieval Times, Jay is thrilled to work with �the old breeds,� the white Andalusians and coal black Friesians. Both trace their bloodlines back to ancient times, and were favorites for royalty and knights because of their striking appearance, agility in battle and ability to carry great weight. Many of the choreographed moves the horses make in the new show are literally thousands of years old, and were detailed in Xenophon�s extensive writings.

The Friesian stallion ridden by the Master of Arms in the new Medieval Times show is a recent addition to the Castle�s stables. He adjusted quickly to the activity and commotion of the arena, Jay said, and works well with the veteran Andalusians. Even after over three and a half decades in the business, Jay still feels great pride when a horse he�s trained confidently shows off its new skills with its new rider. He sees it as a mutual learning curve. �Every horse is going to teach you something new every day,� Jay said. �If they don�t, you�re not good at what you�re doing.�

Even after over three and a half decades in the business, Jay still feels great pride when a horse he�s trained confidently shows off its new skills with its new rider. He sees it as a mutual learning curve. �Every horse is going to teach you something new every day,� Jay said. �If they don�t, you�re not good at what you�re doing.�

The Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament spectacle unfolds daily inside a fully enclosed European-style castle. Admission for Adults is $45.95; Children 12 and under are $31.95. Admission price includes show, dinner and two rounds of select beverages. Sales tax and gratuities are additional. Reservations are required. Please call 1-888-WE-JOUST or 714-521-4740 for reservations or additional information. In addition to its Buena Park location, Medieval Times is also located in Kissimmee, FL; Dallas, TX; Lyndhurst, NJ; Schaumburg, IL; Myrtle Beach, SC; Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Hanover, MD. More information about Medieval Times is available on the company�s website at www.medievaltimes.com.

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Media Contact: David Manuel +1 714-523-1100 dmanuel@medievaltimes.com