A scene from rehearsals of horse show Troy. [Photo/youth.cn]

With investments of nearly 300 million yuan ($45 million), horse show Troy will premiere at Beijing's National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, on Friday, after preparations of over three years.

Featuring 72 world-famous horses, Troy inserts animal performances into the storyline of Greek mythology The Trojan War.

"We use horses to tell the mythology. That means they are our actors," director Liu Xiao told China News Service.

Species including the Shire horse - the world's largest horse in size, which can dance to rhythms - and the small miniature horses will participate in the performance.

Actors for the show are selected from 12 countries in auditions spanning six months. The performing costumes will also recover the characteristics of ancient Greek clothing, designed by Italian fashion designer Simona Morresi.