Spanish Riding School is coming to Cave Creek

From Vienna with love
by LeeAnn Sharpe

They were bred for both ballet and for war.

They dance, strut, and make breathtaking leaps.

They are Lipizzaners, a unique breed of horse dating back 450 years. Their tradition continues through the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.

Come January, a unique opportunity to train with one of the masters of the Spanish Riding School is coming to Cave Creek. Assistant Bereiter Florian Zimmermann of the Spanish Riding School will conduct a clinic in the fundamentals of classical horsemanship from Jan. 10‑14 at Silver Spurs Equine Academy, 5725 E. Lone Mountain Rd.



All levels of horses and riders are welcome, and the clinic is open to all breeds of horse. It promises to be five days of hard work and good fun. Even if you don’t ride a Lipizzaner, you and your horse will come away with new skills and confidence.

Zimmermann will be teaching classical riding, lunging, and work in hand. He will teach 8‑10 sessions per day, 30‑45 minutes each, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a break for lunch. Cost per session is $150 with a limit of five lessons per horse. Stabling is available.

If you won’t be able to bring a horse, but still would like to attend the clinic, there’s plenty of room for spectators. The cost to audit the class is $20 per day, or $75 for all 5 days if paid by Dec. 30. The cost at the door is $25 per day. Spectators are asked to bring chairs if they wish to sit.

Will your horse learn to do those amazing dance moves and breathtaking leaps? No, but a session can only benefit your horse, and your handling skills.

“Horses and riders alike improve visibly during the week, and better yet, many have been able to take their newfound skills home and continue their improvement,” says Judith Tarr speaking of a past clinic.

“The instructor was unfailingly patient, demanding yet kind, and endlessly encouraging of both riders and horses, many of whom had never ridden in this level of clinic before. This truly was a cut above, but no one needed to be a Grand Prix rider to benefit from it. All levels of riders and horses, from all sorts of backgrounds, came and learned and went away with a whole new set of skills.”

For information and sign‑up forms, e‑mail Judith Tarr at capriole@gmail.com. Or call Joni Bockisch at (520) 682‑8136 or 404‑8824; Kathryn Spangler‑Norby at (480) 595‑3281; or Melani Harris at (480) 216‑2886. The deadline for registration is Dec. 30.