History

from Battle Maneuvers to Ballet

The Lipizzan (or Lipizzaner) breed dates to the 16th  century.  The Hapsburg Royal family of Austria gifted a number of Lipizzans to Knight Ritter von Schoevel so that he may lead his finest officers into battle atop these great white steeds.  The Herrmann family, descendents of von Schoevel, have trained and rode Lipizzaners for the Royal House of Hapsburg for six generations spanning nearly three hundred years.

The Airs Above the Ground that the Lipizzan breed is so famous for were originally battle maneuvers. 

The Capriole:   The most famous of the "Airs".  When a soldier found himself surrounded in battle, he would give his horse a signal, and the stallion would leap high into the air, his body parallel to the ground, kicking out at the pinnacle of the leap, reaching a height of approximately six feet off of the ground. 

The Courbette:   The stallion will rear and leap forward on his haunches striking with his front legs and biting shielding the rider as they advanced on the enemy and the rider fought with his sword. 

These two Airs are the most famous maneuvers that the Lipizzans were taught. 

There are a number of Lipizzan trainers in the world today, but most of them exhibit the airs from the ground, cueing the stallions with driving reins.  The Herrmann family shows you the Airs under saddle, and lets you experience first hand what it looks like to see the rider and horse perform these very difficult feats.

Colonel Ottomar Herrmann who is our host and historian for these performances was by his father's side during World War II when they smuggled their horses over enemy lines riding at night and resting by day.   This world renowned rescue was depicted in the Walt Disney movie, Miracle of the White Stallions.

Join us in June to see Colonel Herrmann, his family, and these magnificent horses perform the breathtaking ballet that many say no other breed can duplicate.

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