Lipizzaner Stallions Showcased in Colt State Park

A little bit of Vienna came to Bristol this past weekend when the descended on . Over 100 individuals traveled from all over to see the preferred horses of the European Hapsburg dynasty.

The stallions traveled from Florida, where Gabby Herrmann raises the Lipizzaners on her family-owned farm. Herrmann's family brought their first Lipizzaner stallions over from Austria in 1962 and have been performing in shows with their horses ever since then.

Herrmann brings her horses to Bristol every 3 to 4 years, an event that is usually sponsored by .

"There's a little bit of everything in it for everybody," Herrmann said of the show. "We have horses that bow and rear up—the children usually like that. There's a lot of history with these horses that people may know." 

The Lipizzaner stallions historically were only shown to royalty and heads of state. Herrmann's family was one of the first to showcase the horses worldwide.

Equestrian enthusiasts from the area ventured out to the park to see the majestic Lipizzaner stallions. Emily Pelletier of Rehoboth saw a flier for the event at her local barn and decided to check out the show.

"I've been riding horses since I was six and haven't stopped since," she said. "I love animals."

Some of the attendees, however, were new to the equestrian realm.

"I am allergic to horses, so I don't spend too much time around horses, but I am enjoying this," James Pelletier said.