Spanish Riding School, Vienna, Dressage.com

The Spanish Riding School of Vienna

"What's the Spanish Riding School doing in Austria?"
by John D'Addamio

If that question sounds familiar, you may have seen the Disney movie, "The Miracle of the White Stallions" which recounts the evacuation and repatriation of the Spanish Riding School and the Lipizzan breeding herd during World War II. The question is posed by one of the U.S. soldiers in the film. It's actually a good question. My wife and I have spent a lot of time in Vienna and have learned a lot about the Spanish Riding School. I will try to answer the question clearly.

We do not know exactly when the Spanish Riding School was founded or when the first covered riding hall was built. But, there are records for repair of the original wooden riding hall as early as 1572. It is believed that this original riding hall was in the same location that the current outdoor arena of the Spanish Riding School occupies today.

In the Visitors' Center of the Spanish Riding School, there is a large section of a wall displaying the names of all the Chief Riders from the founding of the School more than 400 years ago! The German text on the display says that the Royal Stable Master was given responsibility for the stables in the Stallburg as well as the associated Spanish Riding School by an Imperial Court Order in the time of Emperor Ferdinand I. Ferdinand was Archduke of Austria (1521 – 1564) and, upon the death of his older brother, Holy Roman Emperor (1556 – 1564). The plaque goes on to say that, at least since 1537, the training was under the direction of so-called Rossbereuter (Horse Trainers) which is a role that, since 1709, has been known as Oberbereiter (Chief Riders).

The fact is that the Hapsburg family ruled much of Europe in those days: Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Burgundy (one of modern day France's most famous wine growing regions), the Low Countries (Luxembourg and northern France), Bohemia, Hungary, and Spain. Emperor Ferdinand I was actually born in Spain to the Hapsburg rulers there, King Philip I and Queen Juana. Philip was heir to Emperor Maximillian I but died before Maximillian. Consequently, his sons Karl V and then Ferdinand I inherited the Austrian/German titles and lands.

This was the height of the Renaissance in Europe. All over Europe, horse trainers were rediscovering Xenophon and building on his work. When Ferdinand moved from Spain to Austria, he wanted to establish a training center at his court, Vienna's Hofburg. Apparently, he took along Spanish horses and Spanish trainers! That plaque in the Visitors' Center shows that many of the early Chief Riders were actually Spanish! In fact, there was a dynasty of Spanish riders from the Moreto family. Dynasties of Riders at the School are also something of a tradition at the School. The Von Weyrother family produced three generations of Chief Riders and the family of Director Bachinger has produced three generations of Riders.

So, that is the origin of the name of Austria's Spanish Riding School. It was founded by an Austrian ruler who had been born in Spain and established the School using Spanish horses and riders. Of course, some of the early Chief Riders and some of the horses were Italian. There are also a few Germanic names in the first 50 years of the School's history. But, most of the early Chief Riders and horses were Spanish. The Spanish and Italian names disappear after 1709. Consequently, the school is called the Spanish Riding School in honor of those Spanish men, including Ferdinand, and those Spanish horses.

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