S. Patton and the 7th Cavalry Division, many Lipizzaner mares were rescued in Eastern Europe from invading troops. Although that enabled the breed to survive, its numbers were severely decreased. There are presently fewer than 4,000 Lipizzaners in the world, with not more than 500 mares available for breeding. A global band of devotees remain dedicated to keeping the Lipizzaner legacy alive. For information on the breed’s international governing body, the Lipizzan International Federation (LIF), go to: www.lipizzaninternationalfederation. eu.com. These spectacular white horses, steeped in antiquity, are among the breeds vying for an opportunity to perform in exhibitions at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010™. The next issue of EQUINE INTERNATIONAL will spotlight another such breed, with a news report on which breeds have earned a spot to perform in the Games breed demonstrations.
The Lipizzaner was formally introduced to the United States in the late 1950s by Tempel Smith, founder of Tempel Farms in Wadsworth, Illinois. There haute ecole and airs above the ground, centuries-old movements for which the Lipizzaner has come to be known, are still practiced. Under Tempel’s chief trainer, Jochen Hippenstiel (World Equestrian Games national coach for Luxembourg, pictured here and on facing page), the Tempel Lipizzans remain ambassadors for the breed, performing public demonstrations in formal attire. For more information: www.tempelfarms.com.
About the Author Felice Vincelette, a longtime breeder and trainer of Lipizzaners, writes widely for equine magazines. Induced by Kentucky’s longer training season and the prospect of showcasing her Lipizzaners at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010™ in Lexington, she moved her operation, FireHeart Lipizzans, from New Hampshire to Kentucky in the summer of 2008. Her farm includes stallions, mares and geldings from three of the six major Lipizzan bloodlines. Inventor of the Creating Freedom ™ method, Vincelette is an ecuyere (trainer) who employs the French classical school of training, which she has found effective in mentally and physically preparing horses of all breeds for any discipline. She is completing a book on her methodology, entitled Creating the Horse You Want to Ride. A popular clinician, Vincelette gives mounted clinics and long-lining demonstrations in North America and abroad. For more information, call (502) 8396805 or (603) 289-8600. Vincelette will discuss Lipizzaners and the draw of Lexington, Kentucky, for sporthorse breeders at the April meeting of “Equine News & Brews,” a monthly series sponsored by Alltech. Reports of the meetings will be published in future issues of EQUINE INTERNATIONAL. (For more information email: equinenewsandbrews@alltech.com). PHOTOGRAPH BY SUSAN SEXTON
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