Lipizzans Perform for President Bush at EU Meeting in Slovenia

On June 10, 2008, Lipizzans from the Lipica Stud Farm Riding School performed the eight horse musical Quadrille for President George W. Bush, the first American President to watch a Lipizzaner performance in more than 20 years.

President Bush was in Kranj, Slovenia for the United States-European Union Meeting at the Grad Brdo near Ljubljana. The Renaissance style Grad (Castle) Brdo was first built in 1510 by a Carniolan aristocrat who was General Administrator of Habsburg private estates in the Duchy of Carniola, long a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Grad Brdo is now an international diplomatic conference center in democratic Slovenia.

President Bush joins President Ronald Reagan as the only two recent Presidents who have been horse enthusiasts and appreciative of the remarkable Lipizzaners. 

Kudos to President Bush for respecting the Lipizzaners and their riders enough to demure when urged to ride one of the stallions.

Source: www.lippizan.org