BREED PROFILE

DEFYING GRAVITY

With fewer than 4,000 purebreds alive today, the Lipizzaner is rare. Thankfully, many organizations and dedicated people have helped with preserving the breed over the years.

BY MONIQUE NOBLE

The darkness was not as scary as it should have been, only because of the smell of popcorn and my mother’s hand in mine. A light appeared and music washed over us accompanied by a tide of gleaming white horses rushing into the arena. The next hour was a whirlwind of grace and skill as gorgeous creatures leapt and danced like playful waves on the ocean. The Lipizzaner is world renown for their classical dressage manoeuvres of the Haute école and the “airs above the ground.” I enjoyed their performance – oddly enough – in Saskatchewan but the Lipizzaner is a horse known for seeming somewhat out of place. A Spanish breed being trained at the Spanish riding school in Vienna, Austria.

The origins of the Lipizzaner are traced to a 1580 invoice for the first three of six stallions and 24 mares brought from Spain to Austria. Archduke Charles the II was establishing the Imperial Royal Court Karst Stud Farm Lipica in Lipica (Lipizza in Italian), Slovenia – which was part of Austria at the time. Prudent husbandry of these horses intended for military, royal and civilian use while being raised in the rugged Karst Plateau created a powerful, intelligent animal with an impressive carriage and presence.

Breeding to mares from local stock such as the Karst horse, and the now extinct Neapolitan horse brought a distinct and colourful hardiness to the line, while keeping the elegant physique and intelligence of the foundation lines strong. Lippizaners originally had many coat colours with even a few Paints here and there. However, in the 16th and 17th centuries, horsemanship and dressage became noble and desired skills for the upper classes of the renaissance and striking “white”

was the preferred colour of horses for royalty and nobility.

Widely known as white, Lipizzaners are technically gray. Most are born black or bay with darkly pigmented skin and eyes, their coats turning gray with maturity. The graying process finishes between six to ten years which coincides with their training, which is why most horses that perform their world-famous acrobatics are the shining “white” steeds we have come to admire. As gray is a dominant gene, other colours rarified, as the breed was refined to cater to the times. All the same, there is a long-standing tradition for one bay stallion to reside at the Spanish Riding School to honour their colourful ancestry.

Centuries of selective breeding has resulted in a horse that exudes strength. Their heads are large and long with small alert ears and a straight or slightly roman nose. Large expressive eyes reveal their depth of intelligence and character and are complimented by well flared nostrils and a powerful jawline. Ranging in height from 14.2-16.2 hands they are strongly built, with a thick elegantly arched, extravagantly maned neck, set into a wide and deep chest. Their withers are low and flow into broad muscular shoulders that are balanced by wide, powerful hindquarters with a high set and proudly carried luxurious tail. The legs have fantastic depth of bone, well-developed muscles and tendons carried on small but strong hooves. Athletically graceful in movement they are a hardy and long-lived breed,

the Lipizzaner has been repeatedly endangered by the ravages of war and time

The Lipizzaner is a breed that has inspired centuries of passion for horses. The script on this photo is from the receipt for the first three stallions imported from Spain to Austria 441 years ago. India and her Alberta-born 2021 colt Favory India can be traced backed to foundation sire Favory foaled in 1779. With conscientious breeders like Jocelyn Garneau Davies of Devon Ridge Farm making sure that purebreds are produced and remain true to the traditions and quality of the breed, the legacy of the “White Stallions” is perhaps safer now than it ever has been.

frequently continuing to perform well into their twenties and retiring into their thirties. As such they tend to mature a little bit later than other horse breeds. Built for war and refined for royalty, they look like if they could talk to you, they wouldn’t. However, they are very smart, have incredible memories and are surprisingly friendly if a bit stubborn.

Their tenacity is well earned; the Lipizzaner has been repeatedly endangered by the ravages of war and time. Considered a cultural treasure by many Europeans whose lives have revolved around the breeding and care of these horses over centuries, they have been ardently protected. Between 1796 and 1815 the herd of over 300 horses were moved four times from the stud farm in Austria to various locations in Hungary and Slovenia until it was safe to return. While many horses were saved, many were lost, and so were 200 years of breeding records when the studbook was destroyed.

Upon the Lippizaner’s return to Lipica, the studbook was restored as best it could be. Fortunately, enough documentation remained that five bloodlines could be traced to studs from the 1700s and entered into the new studbook for the breed.

A new entry into the studbook and into bloodlines was an Arabian stud from Syria named Siglavy. Brought in to strengthen the dwindling herd, Siglavy became the foundation sire for the sixth established bloodline of the breed.

The Imperial Lipica stud farm prospered the following century. Recovering from the loss of many purebreds to natural disasters and warfare, Arabians and Thoroughbred mares were introduced to strengthen the gene pool. Of the foals produced, as always, only the finest of stallions were allowed to represent their breed by training at the elite Spanish Riding School (SRS) in Vienna.

The SRS has three schools. These include: the Remontenschule, the first year of training starts at four years of age; The Campagneschule, riding the horse in all gaits with balance (there is no set timeline for this school as horses are only progressed to the next school when they are ready); and The Hohe Schule, here stallions learn classical dressage such as the piaffe, passage and pirouettes. On

Eight foundation “dynasties” are recognized by the various registries, six of which can be traced back to the original stud farm in Lipica.

PLUTO: a gray Spanish stallion, foaled 1765. CONVERSANO: a black Neapolitan stallion, foaled 1767. MAESTOSO: a gray half Spanish stallion foaled 1819. FAVORY: a dun stallion, foaled 1779. Neapolitano: a bay Neapolitan stallion, foaled 1790. SIGLAVY: a gray Arabian stallion, foaled 1810.

Two other stud lines, while not bred at Austrian farms, are recognized as equal to the six “classic” lines.

TULIPAN: a black Spanish stallion foaled around 1800 in Croatia. INCITATO: a Spanish stud foaled in Transylvania in 1802.

These traditional stud lines were complimented by 20 “classical” mare lines, 14 of which are still producing today alongside 35 more recognized maternal lines.

average, a stallion will attend for about six years before they can perform the School Quadrille and become a school “professor.”

The famous Airs Above the Earth manoeuvres harken back to the Lipizzaner origins as a horse of war and a weapon in their own right. The Levade, Courbette and Capriole are mastered by only a few exceptionally talented stallions. Once a stallion has successfully completed their education, they are permitted to contribute to the breed at the Lipica stud farm. The SRS, which has been training Lipizzaners and riders in the Spanish oral tradition in Vienna for over 450 years, was added to UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritages of humanity in 2015 and is still training today.

Sadly, after World War I and 339 years, the Imperial Royal Court Karst Stud Farm Lipica was dissolved, the remaining herd was broken up – the spoils of war – and sent to different stud farms. Only 109 horses returned to Lipica. Lippizaners were again threatened by World War II. At the end of the war over 200 Lipizzaners were saved in a heroic joint effort named “Operation Cowboy” spurred on by Austrian Col. Podhajsky, head of the school and U.S. officers Col. Charles Reed and General Patton – both accomplished horsemen who were charmed by the Lippizaners when they performed for them in a bid for protection.

Nine Lipizzaners were gifted to the U.S. army remount, these horses imported to the U.S. later went to private homes. Since then, many owners have imported and started breeding them and there are now two performing troupes of Lipizzaners bred and trained in the classical style located in North America. Loved universally for their regal bearing and versatility, they are successful competitors at all levels of dressage, driving and endurance. Their pleasant nature and hardiness also makes them suitable for other equestrian pursuits such as pleasure and trail riding.

With fewer than 4,000 purebreds alive today, the Lipizzaner is rare. Many organizations are dedicated to preserving the breed. Most owners are loyal to the cause, admiring the breed for its cultural significance, classic beauty and athleticism. One such owner Jocelyn Garneau-Davies has welcomed a new purebred colt to the world this year at Devon Ridge Farm in Alberta. Jocelyn was thrilled when Favory India was born to her purebred mare India in 2021.

While she bought India to breed to her Connemaras she states, “…because she’s a premium Lipizzaner mare I felt obligated and responsible for her to produce some purebreds too. She’s had a filly by Pluto Virtuosa and this colt by Favory Fantasia III. I kind of fell in love with this breed, they are incredibly loyal and smart. It’s no wonder they call them ‘the perfect horse’. ” With such dedicated supports, it appears that the romantic Lipizzaner – a seemingly out of place breed – has won the whole world as its home. AB

LEFT: Devon Ridge Farm’s Mare India and 2021 Colt Favory India sired by Favory Fantasia III. RIGHT: India’s 2020 filly Indhira is sired by Pluto Virtuosa. Owner, Jocelyn Garneau Davies, believes that breeds with small numbers need to leave purebred descendants. They especially, “need to leave a filly to carry on the breed.”

WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS INCLUDING;

3X4 STALL MATS 4X6 MULTIPURPOSE ARENA /KENNEL MATS SIGNATURE TILE KEYSTONE EQUI CRUMB