Special to The Laker/Lutz News

It may sound like the stuff of dreams, but there’s a place in Florida where horses with sunlit manes dance for sugar cubes, and tourists seeking a break from glitzier and expensive attractions are welcome to watch.

Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzan stallions have settled back into their winter home, a 25-acre ranch in rural Manatee County, following nearly six months of performances at fairs and special events throughout the Northeast.

Now, as they have for more than 50 years, the stallions will rehearse three days a week for upcoming shows, until it’s time to go back on the road in the spring.

A spacious arena at the ranch in Myakka City is flanked by rows of bleachers to mimic the venues the horses typically encounter on tour.

Ranch owner and horse trainer Gabriella “Gabby” Herrmann hopes that Florida visitors will fill those bleachers and help keep the equine entertainers accustomed to performing in front of an audience.

“The audience is a very important part of the training here,” she said. Not only do the stallions perform better when they hear an audience applaud, but they also break bad habits that they pick up on the road.

During formal shows, Herrmann explained, the trainers don’t correct mistakes. In the tradition of showmanship, the performance continues, even when a horse fails to perform the proper maneuver, and some of the horses learn to take advantage of that.

During the rehearsals in Myakka City, however, the show stops and trainers repeat their commands until each horse performs properly, even though there’s an audience watching.

With the exception of costuming, the Florida Lipizzan rehearsals include the same performance elements of the touring show, said Herrmann, who serves as emcee. Individually and in groups, the stallions demonstrate the dance-like movements that have made them famous, accompanied by a mix of popular tunes and traditional drill team music.

The show is choreographed anew with fresh music each year, Herrmann said. But, it always includes a review of the Lipizzans’ noble origins in Austria; how they were brought to the United States after a daring rescue during World War II; some information about the care and training they receive; and, an explanation of their “airs above the ground” and other maneuvers.

The Lipizzan Legacy
Lipizzan horses were bred for war during the 16th century, and many of the kicks and rearing movements that audiences today perceive as ballet-like were originally designed to frighten the enemy or even deal a fatal blow.

“The stallions themselves were the weapons,” Herrmann said.

After gunpowder was invented, the battle role of the Lipizzans diminished, but the royal Hapsburg family of Austria continued to favor the breed for its grace, beauty and athletic ability.

Later, the performing Lipizzans so captured the imagination of Gen. George Patton that he helped rescue the animals from danger in the final days of World War II, a drama re-enacted in the 1963 Walt Disney film, “Miracle of the White Stallions.”

Herrmann’s father and grandfather, both now deceased, were part of that effort and were among others who brought the horses to America and began featuring them in shows.

Herrmann said after the rehearsal that her family bought land in Myakka City in 1962 for the Lipizzan breeding and training program because of the area’s reputation as the winter home of circus performers.

“The weather is really ideal for us,” she said. “That’s why we settled here.”

Gabby Herrmann grew up riding the horses and learning showmanship from her father. She took the helm of the operation when her father, Col. Ottomar Herrmann Jr., died in 2004. The stables now hold 29 horses, including mares and foals.

“These horses, they’re like our children,” Herrmann said, adding that each of the horses has its individual personality. “We’re allowed to take our time with our horses because this is not a competition or show barn.”

During the rehearsal, Herrmann explained to the audience that training at the ranch depends on a three-pronged reward system for the animals – carrots, apples or sugar cubes for a job well done, along with praise from the trainer and applause from spectators.

As the winter season progresses, there may be hundreds of people in the stands, Herrmann said.

About 30 people – some from as far away as Wisconsin, Ohio and Missouri – found their way to the ranch for the opening day of winter rehearsals on Dec. 14.

Cathy Widen, who splits her time between Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Orlando, was there with her friend, Linda Schmit, also of Waukesha.

Widen said she recently saw an exhibition of Lipizzan horses in Vienna, Austria, and she was eager to see an American version.

“They’re just so majestic,” she said. “And, it’s amazing how well-trained they are.”

Elizabeth Dodge, 15, who lives in southern Missouri, was visiting her grandmother, Susan Ludwig, a Manatee County resident. She said she saw the show a few years ago and described it as “horse ballet.”

“I just love horses,” the teen said. “I think it’s neat that they’ve been able to keep this line pure.”

Herrmann’s daughter, Rebecca McCullough, has joined her mother in the family business and is a featured performer in the show. Herrmann’s granddaughter, Sydney McCullough, 8, is taking her turn in the show ring this season, putting a rescue pony, Willie, through his paces.

Herrmann said she is gratified that, after so many years of opening the rehearsals to the public, people who visited the ranch as children often return with their own children or grandchildren in tow, wanting to share a special experience with the next generation.

In addition to the show, she noted, visitors are welcome to stroll through the barn, see the stallions in their stalls and enjoy the beauty of the ranch, where wild turkeys and deer sometimes make an appearance.

“What brings people out? They know the history behind these horses,” Herrmann said. “And, in these times that we live in, it’s a place where you can still bring a family and wander around and take your mind off of what’s going on in the world. To me, it’s just serenity out here.”

Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzan Stallions
What: Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzan Stallions off-season rehearsals
Where: Herrmann’s Royal Lipizzan Ranch, 32755 Singletary Road, Myakka City
When: Thursdays and Fridays at 3 p.m., Saturdays at 10 a.m., through April
Cost: $5 donation requested for admission, optional costs for concession stand and photos with the stallions
Info: (914) 322-1501, or HLipizzans.com

By Susan Green

Published January 31, 2018