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.
Spanish Riding School, Michaelerplatz
1, A-1010 Vienna
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