Herrmann's Royal Lipizzans Leap in Myakka City

Herrmann's Royal Lipizans Leap in Myakka City

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On a recent visit to the Bradenton area, I was thrilled to meet Gabby Herrmann, an amazing equestrian and owner of Herrmann's Royal Lipizzan Stallions, at her ranch in Myakka City. A sunny Saturday morning brought out a crowd eager to watch Herrmann and her deft team of women equestrians lead 1,500-pound white stallions through an incredible display of strength and dexterity showcasing agility and power as they rose high on their haunches, jumped and soared.

I’ve never seen anything quite like it—other than perhaps in art—especially classical equestrian sculpture. As part of the outdoor performance, the stallions show off classical dressage as well as their military lineage as war horses, with stances and leaps indicative of their posturing in historical battleground settings. Impressive! The Royal Lipizzan’s are in Herrmann’s blood, having been in her family for 300 years (the original Royal Lipizzan’s of Austria). She emcees in-between rides, telling the crowd about the stallions, their history and their range of talents.

Be sure to stick around when the performance concludes, that’s when you can head to the barn and get up close and personal with the equestrians and meet these social beautiful horses—the true stars of the show—including Argentos, Apollo and Antares, or have a photo of yourself taken with one. Performances are scheduled for 10 a.m. at the ranch on Saturdays, November 27-December 18.