Are you one of the millions who’ve seen the hit movie Avatar? And are you ready—now—for a real 3-D adventure?

Then come watch the Galway Downs International Horse Trials on March 26-28, where real horses bravely gallop across the countryside to jump over more than 30 imposing obstacles they’ve never seen before.

At Galway Downs, you can actually get so close to some of the country’s best horses and riders that you’ll be able to see the intense looks on their faces and practically feel their sweat as they contest the Olympic sport of eventing. The centerpiece of the competition takes place on Saturday, when competitors take on the 2 ½-mile cross-country course, and you can be just yards away as they splash through the two picturesque water jumps or leap back and forth across the race track at the Southern California Equestrian Center just east of Temecula, Calif.

Or you can stand or sit on higher ground and cheer for the horses over the dozen or so fences you can see from your vantage point. Either way, it will be more exciting—and less expensive—than going to a 3-D movie.

But cross-country isn’t all these extraordinary horses have to do. On Friday they have to be relaxed and attentive to show off their best paces before two respected international judges in the elegant dressage phase. And on Sunday they have to be sound and fit for the fingernail-biting show jumping phase, where one lowered rail can be the difference between first and fourth place.

For both of these phases, once again you can be so close you’ll feel as if you could reach out and touch the sleekly muscled and generous horses.

During breaks in the action, you can sample the food, wine and equestrian-themed merchandise available at the trade fair just a few yards from the ring and the cross-country course. If you’re looking for a horse to buy, you can bid on one, or more, in the Elite Event Horse Auction that will be going on throughout the event. The horses offered for sale will be publicly presented on Thursday evening, with the bidding concluding on Saturday evening.

More than a dozen generous sponsors provide prize money, prizes and other support to the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event. Those sponsors include: American Wood Fibers, Auburn Laboratories Inc., Custom Saddlery, CWD Saddlery, Doug Hannum Equine Therapy, Equine Insurance of California, Point Two Air Jackets USA, Riding’s Publications Inc., SmartPak Equine, Sonoma Saddle Shop, Succeed Digestive Conditioning Program, and Toklat Originals.

General admission for the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event is $5 in advance, $8 at the gate. VIP tickets—which include seating in the ringside tent, lunch and a full selection of beverages—are also available for $55 per day in advance. For advance reservations, go to www.galwaydowns.com .

For more information on the Galway Downs International Three-Day Event, visit www.galwaydowns.com or call 951-303-0405. To learn more about eventing, visit the U.S. Eventing Association’s website (www.useventing.com).