Despite no one appearing to be interested, I'm never one to let a thread die!
Official website of this century old institution:
http://www.spanishridingschool.co.uk/The Spanish Riding School of Vienna is the only riding academy in the world where the Renaissance tradition of classical horsemanship is preserved and cultivated to this day. The unique harmony of man and beast achieved here is famous all over the world.
The history of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna dates back 430 years to the revival of the "Haute École d'Équitation" at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries, as the Renaissance was sweeping through the royal courts of Europe. Horses of Spanish origin were chosen over other breeds for characteristics they possessed which made them especially suitable for classical training. Archduke Maximilian started to breed Spanish horses in Austria in about the year 1562.
The date of the foundation of the Riding School in Vienna is taken from documents written in the year 1572, but the wars against Turkey in the 17th century took their toll on a part of the Riding School, and reconstruction work began in 1685. Years passed, however, without mention in any documents of the work being completed.
Charles VI began afresh with the building work in 1729, and in 1735, the building we know today, designed by Josef Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, was completed. Since that year, only horses from the Karst Stud in Lipica, founded in 1580 by Archduke Charles of Inner Austria, have been used at the Spanish Riding School. A portrait of Charles VI still hangs in the royal box of the Winter Riding School at the Spanish Riding School. After the death of Charles in 1740, Maria Theresia became regent. She was the first person to hold 'knights' games' and 'carousels'(playful riding tournaments) in the new Winter Riding School.
Magnificent parties and lavish masked balls were also held at this time. The next major influence on the Spanish Riding School was the Wiener Kongress in 1814 and 1815, when festive riding performances were given to an international audience of the most important politicians.
After some years of turbulence (including the revolution of 1848) there followed the "Gründerzeit" of the late 19th century, a period which saw great architectural change in Vienna. The Spanish Riding School, however, remained untouched and continued to be at the private disposal of the Emperor and his illustrious guests. The very last carousel took place on 28 April 1894.
After the end of the First World War, the Spanish Riding School was placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Austrian Republic. The first public performance took place a year and a half after the end of the war.
In the course of the Second World War, the Lipizzaner horses had to be evacuated to St. Martin in Upper Austria at the beginning of 1945. In February 1946, the school's stallions were transferred to Wels, where they remained until 26 October 1955. It was only on this day that Colonel Podhajsky, the director of the school at that time, was able to announce to the Austrian federal president that the stallions of the Spanish Riding School
were returning to their home in Vienna.
Podhajsky retired in 1964, and the directorship was taken up by Colonel Hans Handler, under whose leadership the 400th anniversary celebrations took place in 1972. On 2 October 1974, Handler fell dead from his stallion Siglavy Beja during the performance. His deputy of many years, Kurt Albrecht, took over direction of the school, continuing to give performances. He also achieved improvements in the social standing of the riding staff. In 1985, he retired, to be succeeded by Dr. Jaromir Oulehla.
At the beginning of 2001, the Spanish Riding School was privatised, and since 1 February 2001, Dr. Werner Pohl, a highly trained equestrian vet and horse breeding specialist, has been the company director.
source:http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=287&c=2