The Spanish Riding School is
the oldest and last Riding School in the world where classic
dressage is still practised in its purest form. This Institute
was founded in 1572.
It's name was derived from the fact that the horses were of
Spanish origin. The Lipizzaner is regarded to be the oldest
classic horse race in Europe. The horses have been bread in
Lipizza in Slovenia. Tody, there is a stud in Piber, close
to Graz. Young Lipizzaner are black and only turn white when
reaching maturity. They need to undergo elaborate training
before they are able to perform their prancing Renaissance
ballet to the sound of classical music.
The Riders of the Spanish Riding School train the horses and
perform in the Winter Riding School in the Vienna
Hofburg (Imperial Palace) in a splendid Baroque hall built
by Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach between 1729 and 1735.
The magnificient rooms are adorned with chandeliers and set
off the performance to best effects. The presentations of
classical dressage have been open to the public since 1920.
Tickets are expensive but the elegant and complicated performance
will provide exquisite pleasure. The shows are often booked
for months in advance. In July and August the white horses
enjoy their well-deserved summer break.
