HAUTE ÉCOLE Quarterly Publication of the Lipizzan Association of North America Volume 17, Issue 2 LIPIZZAN TEAM WINS a GREAT RACE by Dr
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HAUTE ÉCOLE Quarterly Publication of the Lipizzan Association of North America Volume 17, Issue 2 LIPIZZAN TEAM WINS A GREAT RACE By Dr. Delphi Toth, Huszár Farm Lipizzans, Valley City, Ohio This is a true story, told to me often by my first and beloved riding master, Michael VonDerNonne, an old-world classical horseman who was born in 1897 in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and who came to live in northern Ohio after World War II. The first time I saw Michael, he was atop a mag- nificent gray doing an elegant passage down the barn aisle. “Wow!” was all that my child’s brain could manage in response to this stunning presence. As I watched this wonderful tall man come down from his wonderful tall horse, I saw him become shorter and shorter as his came to the ground and his legs began to bow out, reducing his height by yet another few inches. He was so bow-legged a pony could have been slipped underneath him as he was standing there. Herr VonDerNonne, I learned, was a former VonDerNonne, my first riding master, and Dina, cavalry officer, an Eastern European aristocrat and my professor horse, in 1969 a dressage master. I became his student then his apprentice. Over our years together, Michael shared many stories of his life before the wars, during the The team of Lipizzans consisted of four mares wars and after the wars, always with horses, and es- born in 1923 on the State Stud of Stancic: Gaetana pecially with Lipizzans. One of the best stories was (by Maestoso Biber), Mocskos (a nickname mean- about a great horse race. Michael was the Captain ing “messy” in Hungarian; and she was), Naha and and Trainer for the Lipizzan team in this great race. Bachstelza (the last three by Siglavy Monterosa). The mares had been green broken at three years old, The story telling always began with the same ridden only for a month to test their suitability as words. Michael would say, “On the sixth of Septem- broodmares, then they were bred and returned to the ber in 1927, in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a race pasture. These four mares were not specially selected took place, a race like no other.” He explained that for the race; they were chosen for the race team only the race was designed by the Ministry of Agriculture because they did not get pregnant in their first breed- and the Ministry of War to test the stamina of dif- ing and were therefore of no immediate use to the stud ferent breeds of horses: Thoroughbred, half-bred farm that autumn. Thoroughbred (Stud Lubicevo in Serbia), Arabian (Stud Ilok at Srem), half-bred Arabian (Stud Gorazda The mares were readied for this great race by Mi- in Bosnia) and Lipizzans (Stud Stancic in Croa- chael, then a Cavalry Captain, and three fifteen-year tia). Each of the major State Stud Farms selected a old military cadets who were to be his riders. Michael team of four horses to compete. The race was for a said that for five months he trained the Lipizzans and distance of 255 kilometers (158½ miles), night and the cadets in basic dressage, emphasizing balance, day, through city and countryside, on varying road rhythm and conditioning. The other teams, Michael conditions, each team starting in different parts of the admitted with a mischievous smile, were well-trained Kingdom, and converging in the Capital. No special stallions, even the half-breds. “But my ladies,” he diet was allowed, only the usual work/cavalry diet of said, “Ah, my young Lipizzan ladies, they made me hay and some oats. Tack was uniformly an English happy with their natural balance, strength, enthusiasm saddle with felt pad, simple snaffle bit, bridle without for work, and sweetness.” “How could I resist the any special kind of noseband, no spurs and no whip. ladies’ charms?” said Michael. With a wink and slight twist of thumb and forefinger by his lips, he confessed 2 Haute École Vol. 17, Issue 2 LIPIZZAN TEAM WINS A GREAT RACE (continued) that only rarely could he ever resist the charms of ladies, equine or human. Even in his 80s, Michael was a most charming gentleman. “We had a good dinner with wine, and some nice cognac, then we were ready to begin the race, at 6:00 in the eve- ning,” said Michael. Twenty-five hours and 17 minutes later, riding throughout the night, “My four Lipizzan mares and my cadets, moving side-by-side with me in nice military formation, we all arrived at the finish point together and saluted,” he smiled. The Lipizzans had completed the race, averaging 6.3 miles per hour over the entire course, flat land and mountains. Throughout the race, all of the Lipizzan mares remained sound, with no leg or hoof problems, Michael VonDerNonne in the cavalry, World War II, with a Berber (Barb) from North Africa with no soreness and with good appetites. The other breeds and teams did not fare so well. Michael noted that no other breed had all four horses finish. One purebred Arabian stallion arrived in individual first place, in 24 hours and 23 minutes, but his three Arabian team-mates failed even to finish the race. Of the half-bred Arabians, one stallion arrived five hours after the Lipiz- zans, another seven hours later, and the last two did not finish. One Thoroughbred stallion came in 14 hours after the Lipizzan mares, but his three team-mates were unable to finish the race. The half-bred Thoroughbreds did not finish. Twelve hours after their arrival the horses were asked to gallop a two kilometer-long (1¼ mile) track and then given a veterinary inspection. The four Lipizzan mares, individually and as a group, were declared to be in bet- ter condition than any of the other horses who had completed in the race. Michael was proud of his “four Lipizzan ladies who showed all the others how it could be done.” Michael said many times that the lesson of this great race of 1927 was that correct elementary dressage is the foundation for any horse to learn balance and how to move correctly at all gaits, collected or extended, conserving energy and creating efficiency of movement. He did not view dressage training as limited to only competition hors- es. “All horses, even the simple plow horses, need to learn how to move properly carrying a rider or pulling a wagon or gun or plow,” he explained. “And beauty, do not forget that the horse moving correctly is beauty,” he emphasized. An unbalanced horse is not beautiful to watch or comfortable to ride. Vol. 17, Issue 2 Haute École 3 LIPIZZAN TEAM WINS A GREAT RACE (continued) Michael often commented that conformation, intelligence, balance, energy and an enjoyment of work make the Lipizzan an outstanding and versatile horse which, with the right training, can do amazing things. “Remember the four Lipizzan mares who came out of the pasture and won the race in 1927, defeating all the fancy thoroughbred and Arabian stallions,” he smiled, again twisting the air where his military mustache had been for most of his life. “I love my Lipizzan ladies.” Delphi, riding cross-country with Michael in the early 1970s Michael VonDerNonne, in the 1970s, fifty years after the Great Race of 1927 Lipizzan Association of North America P. O. Box 1133 ♦ Anderson, IN 46015-1133 LANA DIRECTORS www.lipizzan.org John G. Gliege, Esq. [email protected] HAUTE ECOLE International Representative/Legal Counsel Sandy Heaberlin, Editor Melody Hull, Editor 740-967-0038 765-644-3904 Sandy Heaberlin [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Registrar, Advertising Mgr., Co-Editor Haute Ecole RATES (members) [email protected] B&W Full Page, $75; ½ Page, $50; ¼ Page, $30. Melody Hull Treasurer, Co-Editor Haute Ecole Color: Full Page, $195; ½ Page, $125; ¼ Page, $75. Classified Ads: 20¢ per word – 31 word min. - $10 John N. Iannuzzi, Esq. [email protected] Breeder’s Corner: 06/07 - $75 - 4 issues & website International Representative/Legal Counsel RATES (non-members) B&W Full Page, $125; ½ Page, $100; ¼ Page, $80. Gary Lashinsky [email protected] Color: Full Page, $300; ½ Page, $200 ¼ Page, $120. Events Coordinator Classified Ads: 40¢ per word – 31 word min. - $20 Carolyn Proeber [email protected] DEADLINE 2008/2009 Newsletter Advertising 1st Newsletter: Aug. 30, 2008 deadline (pub. Sept.) 2nd Newsletter: Nov. 30, 2008 deadline (pub. Dec.) Dr. Delphi Toth 3rd Newsletter: Feb. 28, 2009 deadline (pub. Mar.) Webmaster [email protected] 4th Newsletter: May 31, 2009 deadline (pub. June) Merchandise Manager [email protected] PayPal/Credit Cards/Checks made payable to LANA, include SASE for return of photos, and send ads and articles to: Dr. Jaromir Oulehla Sandy Heaberlin. 224 Isaac Tharp St., Pataskala, OH 43062 Johann Riegler [email protected] 4 Haute École Vol. 17, Issue 2 For Sale Beautiful, Lipizzan filly Sired by, Pluto Matina & out of Casurina Won 1st at Dressage at Devon 2008 $7500 OBO Contact 443-220-6058 or [email protected] www.lipizzanerhorses.com Tempel Lipizzans to Make Fifth Presidential Inaugural Parade Tempel Lipizzans will once again appear in a Presidential Inaugural Parade. The President-Elect Barack Obama’s Inaugural Parade marks their fifth appearance, Previous Presidential Inaugurals include Richard Nixon in 1973, Jimmy Carter in 1977, Ronald Regan in 1981 and 1985. Linda Leffingwell, the grandaughter of founder Tempel Smith, said that there will be between four and six riders in the inaugural parade who will wear their traditional Renaissance uniform of red, white and blue. Vol.