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Back in the mid “noughties” when serving with the British contingent of the NATO Stabilisation Force (SFOR), here in the north of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I came across a story regarding a Lipizzaner stud near the town of Prnjavor.
A British cavalry unit had stumbled upon it during routine patrols.
The stud back then was rather run down, and well, dilapidated. The cavalry decided to offer what help it could. After all, horses mean so much to them.
Help has come in the unlikely form of soldiers from the multi-national forces in Bosnia, who have provided the stud with an army vet.
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The name of the breed derives from that of the village of Lipica (Italian: Lipizza), which was part of the Habsburg empire at the time the breed was developed, in todays Slovenia, one of the earliest stud farms established; the stud farm there is still active.
The breed was developed by the House of Habsburg from Arab, Barb, Spanish and Neapolitan horses.
Today the breed is associated with the nations of Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, and Slovenia.
The Lippizaner stud farm "Vučijak" dates back to 1946. In the first years, it was owned by the SFRY and served the needs of the Jugoslav People’s Army (JNA). Since 1990, the ownership structure has changed four times, and in 2010 the Republika Srpska (RS) Government became its owner.
Since 2015, conditions have been created for its competitiveness on the market and the ability to independently provide part of its income and provide services in education, tourism and catering. and recreational-medical activities.
The stud currently houses 110 pure bred Lipizzaners, cared for by 13 workers.
The stable was formed mostly from breeding material originating from the stud farms "Lipik" and "Đakovo" from Croatia, while a smaller part originates from the stud farm "Lipica" from Slovenia. It was named after the Vučijak hill.
This is the only stable in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which breeds the world-famous breed of horses – purebred Lipizzaner, with all the necessary pedigrees and DNA analysis of each head,
The International Committee for the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage entered the tradition of breeding Lipizzaner horses in Bosnia and Herzegovina and seven other countries into UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Lipizzaner is closely associated with the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria, where the horses demonstrate the haute école or "high school" movements of classical dressage, including the highly controlled, stylised jumps and other movements known as the "airs above the ground".
We had a really enjoyable visit. The staff are very hospitable and we could walk around at our leisure looking at these magnificent horses.
If you are in the Prnjavor area at all its worth a visit ⬇️
If you would like to find out more then check the video below.
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The Lipizzaners of Vučijak.