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Lippizzaner Stallions.

Lippizzanner3.jpgWe saw this show over the weekend. It was incredible. We actually sat on the floor, in seats that were about 5 to 10 feet away from the horses. The horses were gorgeous.

The Lipizzaner Stallions are on their 37th Anniversary Tour in 2007. In 1970, Producer Gary Lashinsky created a new family arena attraction, starring The "World Famous" LIPIZZANER STALLIONS.

Many horses and riders were brought from Europe to perform in this unique family oriented arena attraction. Over the years, twenty-three million people throughout North and South America, Great Britain, Europe, Australia and Hawaii have seen this internationally acclaimed spectacle.

2007 represents the 37th Anniversary season of The Lipizzaner Stallions. All new music, choreography and routines have been incorporated in this anniversary edition with a major emphasis on the historical background and foundation of the Lipizzaner breed, from its original breeding and use as a horse of war to a horse of nobility and aristocracy to a living form of equestrian art. The show emulates the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria, in its presentation of Lipizzans, and maintains a traditional as well as entertaining performance similar in many ways to what you would see at the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.

Also included in the performance is a segment called the "Airs Above the Ground." These are the spectacular leaps and maneuvers, once used by riders in saddle to protect and defend themselves on the battlefield, which are now preserved as an equestrian work of art. When you see the Lipizzans perform, it is like stepping back four hundred years and viewing one of the greatest equine ballets in history.

The Lipizzan is a rare and unique breed; its history and culture is known worldwide. The Walt Disney movie The Miracle of the White Stallions, depicting General George S. Patton saving them at the end of World War II from certain extinction, created an even greater world-wide interest in the Lipizzaner breed. Had it not been for Patton, there would be no Lipizzans today.

Although the Lipizzans star in this presentation, the ancestral forefather of the Lipizzan, the Spanish Andalusian, is featured in a high school presentation with special wardrobe themed to traditional Spanish music.

Not only is the Andalusian shown in saddle, but also in a unique presentation where the rider performs all the maneuvers of the Grand Prix Olympic level dressage on the longline, while walking behind the horse and guiding him through his paces.

The current tour features 12 to 14 stallions performing selected maneuvers as described above in an exciting presentation.

The conclusion of the performance of The Lipizzaner Stallions is the traditional Grand Quadrille, featuring six to eight Lipizzaner Stallions with their riders performing an intricate, equine ballet, exhibiting maneuvers through the highest level of dressage. The Lipizzans prance, march and intricately weave their way across the floor to the music of the Masters in a spectacular ballet of four-footed white dancers.

Harkening back to time when the horse was a symbol of grace and majesty, the Lipizzaner Stallions are truly a great experience to be enjoyed by the entire family. One does not need to be a horse lover to enjoy "The Equestrian Treat of the Century"!

Lippizzaner.jpg

Posted on 05.5 by Registered CommenterMadison in | Comments3 Comments

Reader Comments (3)

That sounds like a great display of classical horsemanship. Madison, you will have to start pestering your parents to take you to Vienna to see the Spanish Riding School. It is simply amazing to see these horses and their riders performing in the oldest riding hall in the world, built nearly three hundred years ago, situated right in a huge classical palace in the centre of Vienna. From the upper galleries of the riding hall, one can look down almost from above, seeing with a keen eye how the riders apply the aids. There are tours of the stables, where you can see the horses at rest, as well as seeing perhaps the smartest tack room ever. It's also possible to visit the stud that breeds the Austrian Lipizzaners, 200 miles or so south of Vienna in the mountains. There is a large painting there of General Patton accepting the horses, which were then still part of the Austrian army. There are other Lipizzaner studs in Eastern Europe, including Lipica in Slovenia (where the breed started), at Szilvasvrad in Hungary (which specialises in carriage driving), and at Sambata and Beclean in Romania. The last of these is 50 miles from where I live. (Someone called me this week to say that 3yo Lipizzaner mares are being sold for $2,000 - I wish that I had a bit of spare cash right now!) Well, that's a bit of info for you to plan your Lipizzaner tour of Europe:)
All I can say is "WOW!"
Beautiful horses!

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