About 50 minutes north of Chicago in Old Mill Creek, a graceful ballet plays out at a Lake County farm: The dance of the lipizzans.
In 1958 Esther Buonanno’s grandparents visited the Spanish riding school in Vienna Austria and fell in love. They brought he classical dressage and the graceful horses here to Illinois.
20 pregnant horses arrived in the US by boat and the Temple Lipizzans of Illinois began.
Today the farm houses 70 rare horses, the largest privately owned herd in the world.
“Lipizzans were these beautiful white horse that would go and perform at imperial courts and perform cavalry riding,” Ester says. “Then the horse really became the artistic representation of this very important historical bond between man and a horse.”
Visitors can now get a glimpse of the ballet of the white stallion which include beautiful dance steps and dramatic jumps for which the Lipizzans are known as summer performances get underway.
More info:
Tempel Lipizzan Performances
6-8pm select Saturday’s
1-3pm Sunday’s & Wednesday’s
Through Sept. 13th
17000 W. Wadsworth Rd., Old Mill Creek, Ill.
847-623-7272
