Dakota Beacon

For more than 450 years Vienna has been home to this magnificent tradition.  The incredible artistry, the skill, the power and strength, the grace, the spirit, and the colorful history of this special art form must really be seen to be appreciated.

I am not talking about the opera, nor the ballet.  I am referring here to today’s Sunday Special great performance - by Austria’s Lippizaner of the Spanish Riding Academy in Vienna.

These magnificent and beautiful animals have survived, in part thanks to General George Patton.  The first time I ever heard of Lippizaner was in about 1965, when Walt Disney Studios produced a film about the rescue of the Lippizaner during World War II.  Like most girls I grew up loving horses. The presentation of these performing horses was beyond amazing to me. I later had an opportunity to see them perform in Grand Forks twice, once with my sister, a great equestrian herself, and then later, with my children.  I’ve already said these horses must be seen to be appreciated. No description does them justice. So here for our special Sunday performance, The Lippizaner of the Spanish Riding Academy. Prepare to be astonished.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8QAfXYKCEY&t=331s

And watch the early part of the next one for some “airs above the ground”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84Ii_Xdk6jI

And

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DWC3mIyDqQ

Meanwhile, back in Vienna:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2I1rx166Xs

Doesn’t this just make you smile?

To learn more about the rescue of these wonderful horses, look for the movie, The Miracle of the White Stallions!

Gotta add one more video - this is just "how to dance with your horse".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVX8pAuGKI4

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