|
In
1562, Emperor Maximilian II brought a number of Andalusian horses to Kladrub in
Bohemia, where he established the Imperial Stud. However, this was not an ideal
location as the land was often flooded.
In
1580, Archduke Charles established the Lipizza Stud, north of Trieste, on the
Karst tablelands, famous for breeding horses and asses since Antiquity. The
nature of the climate (the region is swept by icy winds in winter) and of the
soil (very limey) forged the Lipizzaner whose hardiness is legendary.
The Stud was intended to restock the
Spanish Riding School of Vienna. Because of their special talent for dressage
work, Charles VI promptly imported nine stallions and twenty-four mares from
Andalusia. These horses made up the first replacements for the Stud and were
interbred with descendants of the ancient local breed.
Thereafter
the Royal Court of Vienna, with a view to improving the new breed, continued to
buy Spanish horses. As of 1700, new blood was brought in via Italian, German
and Danish stallions of Iberian/Arabian descent.
By
1735 when the Imperial Winter Riding School was inaugurated, the essential
traits of the Lipizzaner type had been fixed and its function as a parade and
war horse was already largely established . These horses were to replace the
Andalusians and remain to this day the lead actors of the grand jousts and
magnificent festivities.
The
Austro-Hungarian dynasty founded the Spanish School of Vienna in 1572; it owes
the word Spanish to the fact that the horses originated there and the riding
academy at the time was made up of Andalusians. The famous Winter Riding School,
a masterpiece of Baroque architecture, was completed in 1729.
It
was during the reign of Empress Marie-Therese that bloodlines began to be
distinguished. Breeding was restricted to first five, and then six pure lines.
PLUTO:
Grey Andalusian, born in 1765 at the Royal Danish Stud of Frederiksborg
CONVERSANO: black Neapolitan, born
in 1767,
MAESTOSO: Grey, born in 1773 at the
Kladrub Stud
FAVORY: dun, born in 1779 at the
Kladrub stud
NEAPOLITANO:
Bay Neapolitan, born in 1790
SIGLAVY: Purebred Arabian, born in
1810, was the foundation sire of one additional, last line.
Although
three of the foundation sires of these lines were white, it was the
introduction of Arabian blood that genetically favoured the white coat, i.e.
the colour considered to be typical of the "imperial horses". In the early19th century, this colour became
predominant and was established as one of the breed's characteristics. Today,
there are black and brown Lipizzaners in Hungary, but they derive from a
genetically different strain - the TULIPAN and INCITATO lines ( that are
assimilated to the six classical bloodlines).
These
six stallion lines and the eighteen classical families of mares (grey Karst
mares) formed the foundation stock for Lipizzaner breeding.
At
Lipizza, the number of horses grew continuously, reaching 150 broodmares under
Empress Marie-Therese.
The
various wars that raged through central Europe for four centuries caused the
Lipizzaners to migrate on several occasions. The Lipizza stud was moved several
times during the Napoleonic and Ottoman wars, without much loss apart from the
archives. Following the First World War and the collapse of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Treaty of Versailles required that the province of
Lipizza be handed over to Italy. Some hundred horses were entrusted to Italy,
while others were returned to Yugoslavia. Only 87 horses remained in Austria
and were sent to the Piber Stud in Styria, set up for that very purpose. We owe
the preservation of the breed in Austria partly to Count Van der Stren who used
some of his personal fortune to provide for the Lipizzaners’ future.
In
1921, the Ministry of Agriculture regained control of breeding. In 1938, when
the Anschluss was proclaimed by Adolph Hitler, the Vienna School came under the
command of the German Army. From 1941 to 1942, the Ministry of Agriculture for
the Reich transferred the Austrian, Italian, Hungarian, Czechoslovak, Yugoslav
and Macedonian Lipizzaner studs to the Hostau State Stud in Bohemia. In April
1945, the Second Cavalry Regiment of the US Army, under Colonel Reed's command,
placed the stud under its protection. But the stud grounds were in the zone
assigned to the Soviet forces under the Yalta agreement. General Patton decided
to place the horses in safety inside the American zone at Schwarzenberg. The
rescue of the Lipizzaners by the American troops in May 1945 inspired Walt
Disney to make “The Miracle of the White Stallions”, a film that contributed to
the popularity of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna the world over. Thus, the
Lipizzaners of the Spanish School too were subjected to the experience of war.
Alois Podhajsky, the director of the school during that period, had put the
Lipizzaners in safety in Saint-Martin, where a memorable performance was given
in the presence of General Patton. It was on this occasion that Colonel
Podhajsky asked the General to place the School under the protection of the US
Army. The Spanish School was hence quartered at Wels in Upper Austria, inside the
American zone. In 1947 the Italian Lipizzaners were soon brought back, as well
as the Yugoslav horses and returned to their home country. The Austrian horses
were gradually taken back to Piber
The
leading centres for breeding Lipizzaners today are spread over several
countries: Piber in Austria, Lipica in Slovenia, Jacovo in Croatia,
Szilvasvarad in Hungary, Topolcianskiy in Slovakia, Kladruby in the Czech
Republic, Simbata de Jos in Rumania, and Monterotondo in Italy.
  |
