The year was 1945, and Allied bombs were raining down on Vienna. While civilians and German troops alike took cover, a man named Colonel Alois Podhajsky worried only for the safety of his horses.

Afraid his valuable Lipizzan stallions would be lost, Podhajsky, Master of the famed Spanish Riding School in Vienna, hurriedly arranged for the horses to be taken 200 miles away by train, to a town called St. Martins, in upper Austria. German forces had already taken control of the mares and foals two years earlier, and had shipped them to the German Remount Depot in Hostau, Czechoslovakia.

The stallions’ journey to St. Martins was treacherous. Starving refugees saw the Lipizzans as a source of food, and Podhajsky came close to losing them. Meanwhile, the stallions themselves were wanting for a meal, as feed was as scarce for animals as it was for people.

After arriving in St. Martins and securing the stallions at the stables of a friend, Podhajsky witnessed a division of the 42nd U.S. Cavalry march into the city. When one of the U.S. officers recognized the Lipizzans and their famous master, he sent word to General George Patton, a devoted equestrian. Patton knew Podhajsky because both men had competed with one another in international equestrian events, and he understood the value of the majestic white horses.

Patton paid a visit to St. Martins to access the situation, and after watching a performance by the stallions that ultimately saved their lives, the general proclaimed the horses wards of the U.S. Army. The army’s goal was to protect the horses throughout the remainder of the war and ultimately return them to their home at the Spanish Riding School.

Soon after, events were unfolding that would affect the fate of the mares and foals being held in Hostau. When 42nd Squadron commander Colonel Charles. H Reed captured a German general near Hostau and befriended him, the German confessed that the Lipizzans were being held at the German Remount Depot in town. He reported that Allied prisoners of war were caring for the horses, under German orders.

Patton gave the word to attack Hostau to free the horses and their POW caretakers, but before it could happen, Russian takeover of the city became imminent. The soon-to-be-defeated Germans made an agreement with American forces to allow the U.S. to enter Hostau peacefully and rescue the horses from the approaching Russians, who were likely to kill the horses for food. It seems the German officers at Hostau greatly admired the Lipizzans and did not want to see them destroyed during the invasion.

On April 28, 1945, the 42nd Squadron marched into Hostau, and were greeted by surrendering German troops with an honor guard and salutes as they came to rescue the 150 Lipizzans under German control.

World War II ended shortly afterward, although the struggle over the horses was not over. Although the Lipizzans were in U.S. possession in Hostau, the Russian and Czech governments each claimed ownership of the horses. Troops moved quickly to smuggle the horses across the border into Germany where they would be out of reach of either government. Soon afterward, all the Lipizzans—stallions, mares and foals–were returned to Colonel Podhajsky.

Because of Austria’s long post-war occupation, the Spanish Riding School was in exile in Wels until the country became sovereign once again. In 1955, the Lipizzans finally had their homecoming, to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

Medieval Beginnings

The story of the Lipizzan rescue of World War II is a dramatic one, with soldiers on both the American and German sides placing their lives on the line for these horses. What could be so special about a breed that men would go through such lengths to preserve it?

Take a look at the history of Europe’s most ancient breed and it’s not hard to understand why horseman over the past 450 years have treasured these amazing animals.

The Lipizzan’s beginnings stretch back into Medieval times, when the main function of horses was to carry men in battle during war and to pull carriages during times of peace. In order to create horses exclusively for his royal stable, Austrian Archduke Charles II imported Andalusians, Berbers and Barbs from Spain and crossed them with the now extinct Karst breed, a rugged, high-stepping, light-gray horse native to Austria. His brother, Maximillian II also founded a stud at Kladrub in Austria, and used Spanish horses crossed with native animals. The elegant and powerful horses that resulted—eventually called Lipizzans—were known for being heavy carriage horses (the Kladrub stud) and riding and light carriage horses (the Lipizza stud). The brothers exchanged breeding stock at times, crossing the lines to create aristocratic animals that were more than just war and work horses: they were partners in what had become a highly revered art: classical riding. Classical riding combined maneuvers used in battle with exercises that emphasized the horse’s athletic ability and obedience to the rider.

Charles II and Maximillian were members of the Hapsburg family, rulers of the most influential monarchy in European history. Connoisseurs of fine horses, the brothers created the Lipizzan breed for their own use. In response to the growing admiration for classical riding during the Renaissance among the aristocracy, the Hapsburg family established the Spanish Riding School in Vienna to teach horses and riders these fine skills. Over the next two centuries, more Spanish and Arabian blood was infused into the breed to help strengthen the Lipizzan’s foundation breeding.

Six of the stallions used during the 18th and 19th century established the family lines still seen in the Lipizzan today. These stallions, Conversano, Favory, Maestoso, Neopolitano, Pluto and Siglavy, all came from lines that originated outside of Austria. To this day, Lipizzans are marked with an ancestral brand representing their family line.

Lipizzans Today

There was a time when Lipizzans lived exclusively in Austria, the stallions performing classical dressage the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, while mares and foals resided in the Austrian countryside at royal studs. Today, the breed has a wider distribution, and can be found in Europe, South Africa, Australia and North America. The Lipizzan is still considered rare, however; only around 3,000 individuals exist throughout the world.

The Lipizzan today is much like the horse of Renaissance Austria, thanks to strict preservation of the breed. The international organization that represents the breed and is supported by 19 member countries (including the U.S.) is the Lipizzan International Federation. Started by Belgian dressage trainer Hildegarde Gekiere in 1984, the Lipizzan International Federation strives to maintain the purity of the Lipizzan breed throughout the world. As part of that goal, the LIF has established a breed standard for the Lipizzan meant to preserve the breed’s ancient heritage and athleticism.

The standard calls for an overall appearance of nobleness, with an inborn talent for dressage and carriage work. Good disposition is essential. The breed has a profound ability to concentrate on the work at hand, and is bred to do collected work for long periods of time.

By the age of six years, Lipizzan stallions stand an average of 14.2 to 15.2 hands in height, and sport a rectangular-shaped body that bears rounded outlines. The Lipizzan head is medium in length and well proportioned, with a rounded cheek. The profile is slightly convex, and the eyes are large, dark and expressive. The Lipizzan has a medium-length, well-arched neck that is deep at the base.

The breed features a distinct round and elevated action, and shows complete balance and elegance at the walk, trot and canter.

The breed’s traditional pale gray coloration is the result of centuries of selective breeding. Foals start out black at birth and lighten over time. Some Lipizzans are born black or bay, and stay that color into adulthood. These two colorations are permitted by the LIF standard, although any other color is discouraged.

Lipizzans are known for their slow maturity rate. A Lipizzan is not considered full grown in body and mind until the age of 10 years, and individuals in the breed tend to live longer than most other horses. Lipizzans have been known to survive beyond 35 years of age with good care.

The Lipizzan in the U.S.

Lipizzans were first brought to the U.S. in 1937 by Austrian opera singer, Madam Maria Jeritza, who imported two stallions and two mares to California. In 1945, General George Patton imported a Lipizzan stallion named Pluto XX and a number of mares, for use by the U.S. Cavalry. Since that time, Lipizzans have been imported in small numbers to the U.S. by various individuals.

In the 1960s, the breed became well-known in the U.S. despite its small numbers, no doubt the result of the breed’s romantic history and sudden visibility in traveling classical dressage troupes. These troupes put on shows for the public highlighting the breed’s talents at classical dressage.

Currently in the U.S., the Lipizzan breed is represented by three organizations that are working together in conjunction with the Lipizzan International Federation: the United States Lipizzan Registry, the American Lipizzan Breeders Association and the Lipizzan Association of North America. Each of these organizations has the same goal for the Lipizzan: to preserve the breed in the U.S. Joined together in a conglomerate as the Lipizzan Federation of America, these three groups support the Lipizzan International Federation in its preservation of the breed worldwide.

Although the modern Lipizzan was bred primarily for carriage work and classical dressage, today’s Lipizzans are versatile. In the United States, the some 200 individual Lipizzans are being used in competitive dressage, trail riding, jumping, cutting and vaulting. Their excellent temperament makes them particularly suitable for therapeutic riding programs. Horse lovers can also see Lipizzans perform airs above the ground and the classical dressage for which they are so famous in several commercial shows that travel around the country.

The Lipizzan is one of the oldest breeds in the world, and one of the most noble. Although their numbers are few, the breed is bound to grow in popularity as more people discover the great history and athleticism that is the Lipizzan horse.