Horse dreams come true when living tradition and the values of the past blend with the passion of the present.
The South African Lipizzaner horses have been delighting South Africans for over 70 years with their world-famous performance “The Ballet Of The White Stallions”.
When most people think about the Lipizzaners it’s about the elegant, white, prancing stallions that flow and glide to the music like professional ballroom dancers and watching the show is a magical experience that you’ll never forget.
These performances are the result of years of training for the rider and the horse. From the young, boisterous stallions to the fully trained School Stallions, they enchant the audience with their performance in the school quadrille and above-ground displays.
These are no ordinary horses, however. Their history dates back to about 1562 when they were especially bred for war, a mixture of Spanish, Italian and Arab-Oriental horses, with special qualities including courage, strength and agility.
The South African Lipizzaners have their own unique history, dating back to World War II, when their owner, Count Jankovich-Besan fled Hungary from the approaching Red Army and, after an amazing journey through Europe, eventually ended up in South Africa.
The South African Lipizzaner Centre was situated in Kyalami, Johannesburg but in 2021 the iconic team of Dancing White Stallions relocated to Mistico Equestrian Centre situated in the picturesque winelands of Durbanville and Paarl in the Western Cape.
In this idyllic setting in the “Wineland Country” visitors enjoy the spectacle of choreographed routines set to classical music; a cultural and historical experience celebrating the history of High School Classical Dressage and show-casing the nobility and beauty of the Lipizzaner horse.
The experience is an intimate one, and audience members join the stallions in the Barn Stables after the show to feed them carrots and meet their riders. The South African Lipizzaners caters to all needs; we host public and private audiences provide educational tours, entertainment for corporate functions and / or family celebrations such as birthday parties.
Our handsome stallions have featured in photo shoots, commercials and popular television series including Dancing with the Stars South Africa.
Aside from Classical Performances the public can also enjoy Special Performances on Public Holidays and days of Celebration. These performances are always advertised on our web site www.lipizzaners.co.za and via our Telegram Group https://t.me/SouthAfricanLipizzaner
Highlights
• The South African Lipizzaners follows the principals of the Spanish Riding School and the Famous “Ballet of the White Stallions” pays homage to Austrian Culture and world heritage.
• The "airs above the ground" are the difficult "high school" dressage movements made famous by the Lipizzaners.
• Classical Viennese Music make a wonderful presentation by the riders and Stallions.
• Foals are born black but turn white with age and occasionally a brown stallion is born that remains brown and is considered “a lucky charm”.
• Stallions need to have the name of the foundation stallion as the first part of his name and the dam must be the second part of his name. Mares are traditionally given names ending with an “A”. Because of this, duplicate names are common and the horses are distinguished with Roman numerals after their names. Part bred Lipizzaners are not allowed to carry on with the naming traditions as explained which is used for the pure-bred horses.
