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American schoolchildren voted the horse the official
American bicentennial animal. Several Lippizan stallions,
proving worthy of the title, presented a bicentennial show
last weekend at Pershing Auditorium.
The Lippizan stallions are immigrants to the United
States. The horses were bred 400 years ago by Archduke
Maximillian of Austria. He bred the horses for use in a
military riding school in Vienna.
The horses gained Americans attention during World
War II. During the war, the horses were hidden across
Europe for safekeeping from the Russians and Americans.
At the request of a Spanish colonel. Gen. George S.
Patton, commander of the American Army at the time,
sent a tank batafiion across Europe to round up the horses
and return them to the riding school.
The stallions caught the attention of many younger
Americans through Walt Disney's movie, "Pliracle of the
White Stallions".
The horses have been in America for the past 23 years, -according
to John Fisley, director and general manager cf
the Lippizan Stallion Show.
American horse breeders and trrlnsrs buy theza frczx
Austria, he said, adding that there are about 09 Ltpizans
in the United States now. -
Gary LasMssky. who owns the Lippizan Stallion Show,
maintains training stables for the stallions in Charleston.
W. Va., Finley said.
Fourteen stallions and three Andalusian horses are cn
the road for the show, Finley said. Asdahisians are
Spanish-bred horses.
Finley said Lashinsky purchases the horses for about
$10,CCO when they are four years old. After they are fully
trained (at about eight years old) the stallions are
priceless, Finley said.
The stable also provides training for many of the
stallions' riders, he added. The horses and riders are
taught the art of dressage an intricate method of queing
the horse through imperceptible thigh, shin, knee and
iand movements, Finley explained.
The result is a performance less showy but mere
disciplined and refined than circus horse shows, he said.
Finley said it takes about four years to train a horse in
the art of dressage. Rider training time varies, he added.
One rider in the show, Jean-Marc Oppenheim, said he
studied as an apprentice in dressage for three years in
Vermont. He said he has ridden part-time professionally
for the past six years.
"I am about one-third as good as I could be," Oppenheim
said. He described ultimate training as being able to
compete in dressage at the Olympic Games.
But horses are secondary to him, Oppenheim said. He
explained that riding in the show is his summer job.
During the year he is a student at Columbia University in
New York. ,
GettiEg a doctorate degree in history is most important
to him right now, he ssid, but added, "at $225 a week,
traveling with the show is not a bad summer job."
Horses are not secondary to at least one of the riders in
the show. Edith Evans, owner and rider cf the three
Andalusions in the show, said as long as she works, it will
be with horses.
Evans said she began riding horses when she was four
years old. For several years in Mexico, she practiced the
art of rejoneo, bullSghtiag on horseback, she said.
The dangercusness cf the art and several injuries made
her decide to ride her horses in shows, Evans said.
The Lippizan Stallion Show, 25 persons and 17 horses in
all, travel 43 weeks of the year. The show, in its sixth year,
travels throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and
South America, Finley said.