- April 26, 2025
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The movement is called the courvet, where a horse jumps forward from the levade position.
Not familiar with it?
No worries. These are terms that horse people know.
But if you do want to know more, your perfect opportunity is April 26 at Herrmann's Royal Lipizzan Stallions in Myakka City.
It's closing day of the season at Herrmann's, the family that brought the rare Lipizzans to the United States from Europe in 1962. Generation after generation of the Herrmann family continues to ride the majestic horses and show the form that made them legendary in Europe.
The April 26 show will have a different focus other than closing day. The 80th anniversary of Operation Cowboy is April 28 (1945) and Herrmann's owner Rebecca McCullough and her daughter Sydney wanted to honor that history.
Among the battlefield moves that will be on display will be the levade and the courvet.
The levade, in very simple terms, is when the horse rears up on its back legs, tucking in its front legs in an almost standing straight up position.
The position was important to allow the rider to survey the battlefield, but it was also dangerous because a misstep or loss of balance by the horse could lead it to fall over backward, crushing the rider beneath it.
Now take the levade, and raise the difficulty, and the danger, by getting the horse to move from the levade by launching itself forward off its two back legs — a courvet. The loss of control by the rider is stunning and complete trust has to be given to the horse in such a situation.
It is an extremely dangerous movement, and one that was last seen at Herrmann's Lipizzan Stallions performed by Gabby Herrmann, the family matriarch who ran the family business from 2004 following the death of her father Col. Ottomar Herrmann Jr., until her death at age 66 in 2021.
Gabby Herrmann had prompted her stallion to do the courvet in shows until a few years before her death when age stopped her from doing the dangerous move.
But only a week before closing day, the move was being executed in the practice arena — by 16-year--old Sydney McCullough, Gabby's granddaughter and Rebecca McCullough's daughter.
Sydney has been working with Achilles, who has been a longtime show horse for Herrmann's, but also one who was a bit wild in his younger years. Sydney never like riding when Achilles would act up.
As Achilles has aged, Sydney said he has adopted a much calmer personality, which has made him her favorite and "go-to" horse. Although Rebecca McCullough said 19 is a bit old to be teaching an old horse new tricks, Achilles seems very willing to please Sydney by trying new maneuvers.
So those who attend the season finale are likely to see not only the levade, but the courvet as well.
Rebecca McCullough said the overall show itself will be a much more patriotic show than is her ranch's typical offering.
"It's going to be everything USA," she said.
Two different riding routines have been added for the grand finale, which will focus on Operation Cowboy and the stallions' uncanny ability to perform war maneuvers.
Lipizzan Stallions were uniquely built to perform such maneuvers. They could do movements such as the levade repeatedly because of their heavier bone structure. Lipizzans generally weigh about 1,000 pounds and are about 15 hands on average.
Among the movements, will be Rebecca and Sydney riding with lances, hitting the targets, which are quintains (practice aides in jousting). Rebecca McCullough said the Lipizzans were valuable in battle because they were so aggressive.
She also is hoping for a nice sendoff after another season of trying to advance the family business following the death of her mother.
The family's website notes, "We are now in our fifth generation of Herrmann riders. Our children are raised alongside the horses who have provided us with our American dream. Here people and animals alike are all family.
"The Lipizzans have performed for dignitaries, royalty, and military leaders. Now these horses perform for you."
While some slow performance seasons have threatened the ranch over the years, positive strides have taken place as well. Rebecca McCullough said she is moving into breeding her fine line of horses, especially since Lipizzans have become more popular in the U.S. to use as show horses.
She said that popularity could also move Lipizzans from being considered "endangered."
"We've made it to the point where we don't have to import horses from Europe, with more of them being used in dressage," Rebecca McCullough said.
The European breed gained fame since it was developed in the Habsburg Empire in the 16th century. Due to its importance of being used as a war horse, the Lipizzans were almost wiped out during World War I and World War II. The rescue of 400 Lipizzans (Operation Cowboy) by American troops, with help from Allied prisoners of war, in 1945 was captured in the Disney movie "Miracle of the White Stallions" in 1963. Gen. George S. Patton approved the mission in the Czechoslovakian village of Hostau, (now Hostouň, Czech Republic) to save the horses from the advancing Soviet army, which would have used the horses for food.
