The Ballet of the White Stallion
The majestic Lipizzaners – white stallions who have their origin in Lipica in what is today Slovenia – have survived through the centuries against many odds. Their history is rich with tales of royalty and courageous wars dating back to the 16th century, when they were used as military steeds to subdue the enemy on European and Mediterranean battlefields.
Today a more fragile tradition of the Lipizzaner is continued in its purest form at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. They practise not for battle or to entertain royalty, but to preserve the ancient art of man riding in harmony with the natural ability of the horse. A twist of fate and a string of unusual events led a herd of the magnificent Lipizzaners from Vienna to Hungary, England and finally to South Africa in the mid-20th Century.
“The Lipizzaner Centre here in Kyalami became the only other centre in the world besides the school in Vienna that breeds, trains and presents the art of the Lipizzaner,” says Judy Vertue, a National Dressage Judge, who joined the Lipizzaner Centre as a director in 2008 when it was at risk of closing down due to lack of funds.
“For 17 years the Chief Rider from Vienna taught and trained at our centre once or twice a year. On his retirement, the training was continued yearly by top riders from the school, and contact with Vienna continues to be maintained,” she adds.
Grand Heritage
While records of the Lipizzaner ancestry reach back in time to the Iberian horse some 25 to 30 thousand years BC, the only recognised bloodlines of all Lipizzaners today hail from six Andalusian sires born in the late 18th century: Pluto, a dappled grey from Denmark; Conversano, a Neapolitan black; Neapolitano, a brown from Naples; Favory, a dun-hued stallion; Maestoso, a grey; and the last, Siglavy, an Arabian grey, born in 1810.
Their names bear significance, as each descendant assumes the name of his forefather and so preserves the lineage. The bloodlines also explain their most striking feature, namely that they are born entirely black. It is only as they mature that they gradually become lighter. Between their sixth and ninth year they turn a silvery white colour and only mature Lipizzaners proudly showcase a magnificent milk white coat.
To add to local prestige, the centre at Kyalami breeds descendants of all six great sires. During a Sunday performance, for example, you may be treated to Favory Presciana performing the Capriole as he leaps into the air, draws his forelegs under his chest at the height of elevation, and kicks out swiftly with his hind legs.
“During Medieval war times, horses were taught defensive movements to subdue the enemy. The Pesade, where the horse stands up high on his hind legs, was used by soldiers to gain a better view of the battlefield. The spectacular Capriole was used to decapitate foot soldiers. Today, the stallions perform these same movements for their pure aesthetic value, while the handler remains on the ground next to the horse,” explains Judy.
Airs and Graces
While all Lipizzaners learn “school on the ground” – or the precise trots, canters, pirouettes and other movements of ballet – Judy explains that with the exuberance of youth, most young horses exhibit natural talent for “airs above the ground” and “flying changes” while playing in the paddock. These are the great leaps that astound audiences and only a few gifted stallions ever master one or two of the moves. “It is our job to identify talent in each different horse, and to recognise and nurture that talent so that the horse learns to perform these movements ‘on command’.”
They may look like fairytale horses or circus gems as they prance and perform, but Lipizzaners are never taught the absurd tricks and displays of a circus horse. The Lipizzaner is trained using only its natural movements from the wild. They spend years perfecting them in thorough haute école training, the purest form of horsemanship dressage.
One may expect such training to take many hours of discipline each day, yet, true to the highest standards of the Spanish Riding School, Lipizzaners train not for hours but minutes each day. A daily half hour of training demands the horse’s absolute concentration, and for the rest they are groomed, fed and allowed to frolic in the paddock. When they take to the arena for their weekly performance, it becomes all the more fascinating to observe such exacting technique.
“The Lipizzaner horse has an amazing temperament; they are very easy to work with and learn quickly,” says Judy. “We expose them little by little to noise and loud music as part of their education, but always in an environment of trust and patience. Every Saturday the horses go out with their riders so that they become accustomed to dogs, cars, bicycles and the like.”
She adds that the School Quadrille is the highlight of the stallions’ career and demonstrates how training displays the talents of the horse, as well as obedience and trust between horse and rider. It is a true example of superb teamwork, as the horses move in absolute symmetry together.
Indeed, the Lipizzaners perform more than just a show. They present an art of precision and power, a ballet between man and beast, and a subtle display of an ancient tradition of splendour and glory.
Visit www.lipizzaners.co.za for more information.
Story by Bronwyn Burns
