A Childhood Dream Come True

       A Childhood Dream Come True

Suzanne Marsh

“Grandpa tell me the story about the Lipizzaner stallions, how you helped keep them alive

during World War II?” It was Anna’s favorite story, she loved her grandfather, and the stories he told about World War II, there were so many but the horses interested her more than anything else. Her grandfather smiled down at her as she smiled up into his bright blue eyes:

“Ze var vos not a goot thing for Germany Anna, we were losing, a member of the general

staff came to ask for volunteers, it seemed that a Colonel in the German Army was the

head of the Spanish Riding School and he needed soldiers who could ride to help exercise

the stallions. I had some riding experience so I volunteered. I did not know at ze time about

Lipizzaner and the traditions of the riding school, my first thought was at least I would

be safe and not on the front lines, especially the Russian Front. The Colonel’s name was

Alois Podhajsky, he spoke very softly as he listened to our qualifications. I was just

eighteen then. The six of us left with the Colonel, and vell my adventures began.

The following morning we began to learn Haute Ecole or advanced dressage. I can not

fully describe the feeling of a horse underneath leaping into the air, och what a feeling.”

Anna was asleep by then, her grandfather smiled as he turned off the light in her bedroom, Anna had a dream that night that she would one day ride one of those dancing horses, a dream she wanted to be true, more than anything else she could ever want. She had never seen a Lippizaner, even though she lived in Piber Austria, she would convince her grandfather to take her to watch these horses. That was her plan, first to see the horses perform, then find a way to learn dressage, when she was competent enough she would seek entrance to the Spanish Riding School.

The stallions and mares were sequestered in Piber but Vienna was where they performed, Anna knew if she could convince her grandfather to take her, her dreams would somehow come true one day. Sunday simply could not get there fast enough to suit Anna, grandfather had consented to take her to Vienna to the Spanish Riding School Hall where the dancing white horses performed. Anna sat watching the white horses intently. After the performance, her grandfather took her to meet an old friend of his from his army days:

“Hans it es goot to see you again.” Hans Holdner turned with a look of shock and happiness:

“Heinrich mein Gott im himmel and who is this young lady?”

“Hans this is my granddaughter, Anna, she wants to be the first woman to train and ride

the Lippizaner stallions.” Hans smiled at Anna, as the two men spoke Anna snuck into the stall of one of the stallions, Hans looked at Heinrich as both men blanched:

“Anna, come out of there immediately.” Hans turned ot Heinrich:

“She has no fear; das es goot, besides Mercurio loves attention.”

Heinrich did not want to ask a favor but for Anna, he would:

“Hans, Anna wishes to learn dressage, actually she wants to learn at the Spanish Riding School

I know that would violate over four hundred and fifty years of tradition.” Hans, scratched his chin as he thought about what Heinrich was asking of him. Then Hans had an idea:

“Heinrich, Anna can learn dressage but the Airs Above Ground I am not sure if it would

be proper to allow a girl to do such things, that have always been done by men like you and I.”

Heinrich felt as if this might have been the wrong approach with Hans after all it had been many years since they rode the stallions attempting to impress US General George Patton, and then Patton agreed to rescue the mares; that were still in Czechoslovakia. Ve ver so young riding the stallions, Podhajsky was so brave standing up to the SS to preserve the horses. Hans turned his attention back to the young girl in the stall with the white stallion Mercurio. Hans turned to Heinrich:

“I vill teach her dressage and if and when she es good enough ve vill go from there. Bring her

here on Friday night, ve vill begin.”

Heinrich felt tears glisten in his eyes, Hans would help to make Anna’s dream come true.

Anna and Mecurio became inseparable as time went on. She learned to communicate with him with her hands and her legs. Mecurio had a sensitive mouth; Anna learned to be as gentle as possible with the stallion.

Anna began growing up into a teenage girl, and a very dedicated horsewoman. She rode in the Olympics winning the dressage events easily. Hans was very pleased now he could help her attain her dream to ride her beloved Mecurio and become the very first woman to enter the all-male world of The Spanish Riding School. Hans marveled as he watched the lithe young woman and the dancing white stallion move together as one being.

Although Hans was unsure of the welcome Anna would receive from the rest of his staff he knew she deserved the opportunity to try. Anna took the exams that were required for entrance into the famed school. She felt pride in herself, and she drove home to tell her grandfather that she was going to break a four hundred and fifty-year-old tradition, what more could she say that she was happy and thankful to her grandfather and Hans for believing in her.

Several months later Anna rode out to the music of Schubert’s Marche Militar. Mecurio his head held high danced to the music. Anna sat erect in the saddle and smiled ever so slightly at her grandfather. Her childhood dream had come true, a dream that had doubts and fears and took a great deal of time and practice.

***Writer’s Note:

Anna is a fictional character, however, she is a young woman who trains and becomes the first woman to ride at the Spanish Riding School her name is Hannah Zeitlhofer, well done Hannah.