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How General Patton and Some Unlikely Allies Saved the Prized Lipizzaner StallionsBy Karen Jensen | World War II | 14 comments | Print This Post | Email This Post  General Patton, a host of American officers, and troops of the 328th Regiment, 26th Infantry Division, watch a performance of the Lipizzaner stallions on August 21, 1945. (Photo by National Archives) Subscribe Today
May 7, 1945, was an important day by any measure. For Gen. George S. Patton, it started early, with a call just after 4 a.m. from Gen. Omar Bradley, who said, “Ike just called me, George. The Germans have surrendered.” This was mixed news to Patton, who was convinced the war was ending too soon, leaving the Russians as a future threat and, in any case, leaving Patton, a man who lived to fight, without a war. “Peace is going to be hell on me,” he had complained to his wife, Beatrice, four days earlier. The commander of Patton’s 2nd Cavalry Group, Col. Charles Hancock Reed, was with his unit in western Czechoslovakia, where they were forming a defensive line southwest of the large city of Pilsen. The 2nd Cavalry had been spearheading the Third Army’s advance, the deepest American penetration of the war. But as of 8 that morning, they and the rest of Patton’s Third Army had been ordered to “cease fire and stand fast.” None of this was on the mind of Col. Alois Podhajsky as he prepared for what he regarded as the most important day of his life. Podhajsky, a tall, aristocratic Austrian of extraordinary single-mindedness, was looking for a way to guarantee the safety of the riding school and horses he supervised as the Third Reich collapsed around him. And on that sunny Monday morning, as a preoccupied General Patton strode into his exhibition arena, he thought he’d found it. Lt. Gen. Walton H. Walker’s XX Corps had captured the renowned Spanish Riding School of Vienna several days earlier at its temporary quarters in St. Martin im Innkreis, a small town in Upper Austria, and Walker, a protégé of Patton’s, requested a performance of its white Lipizzaner stallions especially for him. As Patton watched, the horses and riders went through the precise, balletlike maneuvers they were famous for: a demonstration of controlled power and ritualized elegance, set to music, that was beautiful to watch and incredibly difficult to execute. When it was over, Podhajsky halted his horse before Patton and removed his hat in a traditional salute. “In a little Austrian village in a decisive hour two men faced each other,” he wrote in his memoir, My Dancing White Horses, the basis for the 1963 Disney film Miracle of the White Stallions, “the one as triumphant conqueror in a war waged with such bitterness, the other as a member of a defeated nation.” He asked Patton for protection for the centuries-old school during the uncertain postwar period and for help in retrieving its breeding herd from Czechoslovakia, where the Germans had sent the horses to a Wehrmacht-controlled stud farm. Patton, an expert horseman himself, described the exhibition in his diary that day, calling it “extremely interesting and magnificently performed.” Ever the soldier, he added, “It struck me as rather strange that, in the midst of a world at war, some twenty young and middle-aged men in great physical condition…had spent their entire time teaching a group of horses to wiggle their butts and raise their feet in consonance with certain signals from the heels and reins.” More telling for Podhajsky, though, was what Patton noted next: “On the other hand, it is probably wrong to permit any highly developed art, no matter how fatuous, to perish from the earth—and which arts are fatuous depends on the point of view. To me the high-schooling of horses is certainly more interesting than either painting or music.” Standing to address the man on horseback before him, Patton replied that he was putting the Spanish Riding School under the special protection of the U.S. Army; he later told Podhajsky he would do what he could about the horses in Czechoslovakia. Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6Help HistoryNet by bookmarking to
            Tags: 20th - 21st Century, Historical Figures, World War II
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14 Comments to “How General Patton and Some Unlikely Allies Saved the Prized Lipizzaner Stallions”
As much as I’ve read about “operations” during WWII, I had never heard of “Operation Cowboy”. Indeed, an extremely interesting article. Goes to show what good deeds the human race is capable of if you put aside the insanity of war. Thank you for posting.
By John Rodriguez on Sep 21, 2009 at 10:34 pm
I saw the Disney movie ” Miracle of the White Stallions” on TV and later was able to find it on VHS. Robert Taylor played the part of Colonel Podhajsky in the movie. I really enjoyed reading the article. I have not thought of that movie in a long time. Thanks again for printing the story
By Tim on Sep 25, 2009 at 1:12 pm
My wife had to almost drag me to see the descendants of these magnificent horses when we visited Austria in the early 70’s. I just was’nt interested in horses. However,I was captivated by their performances snd have seen them several times since in Austria and America. Many thanks to Gen. Patton and the others who saved them.
By Clyde Meyers on Sep 25, 2009 at 6:01 pm
My uncle, Guy French, served as General Reed’s driver during this time and lived in one of the buildings shown in this article. Needless to say, he was thrilled beyond belief to receive his Nov. issue of World War II magazine and see an article about a time in his life that was so special to him. Now in a nursing home in Oneonta, Alabama, Uncle Guy entertains all who will listen with WWII stories and still tears up at the mention of General Patton, his hero. Thanks for this GREAT article about “the greatest generation”.
By Phyllis Galbreath Ratliff on Oct 4, 2009 at 7:40 pm
It was wonderful to read this article. Captain Tom Stewart is my uncle. His brother Fricks also served in the Army. My father Paul Turner served in the Navy. It is an honor to read and know that Uncle Tommy had such an important part in that daring and adventurous rescue. I have always known of the rescue, but not to this detail. Thanks for publishing this account of history.
By Shayne Stewart on Oct 5, 2009 at 10:42 pm
There is a painting of this rescue action – does anyone know where I could find a copy?
Mark Ballard
MAJ, USAR, RET
guarddat@yahoo.com
By MAJ (RET) Mark Ballard on Oct 7, 2009 at 10:11 pm
I have read several accounts of this operation but none with such detail. Wolfgang Kroll, the German veterinarian mentioned was a good friend of mine for over 25 years. He often spoke of the horses and even accompanied some of them when they were shipped to the U. S. Later he emigrated here and at one time was veterinarian of the San Diego Zoo. We travelled together to Vienna and to the breeding farm in Piber in 1966 and he actually remembered some of the horses and grooms.
I would like to know if anyone has any personal recollections, pictures, or accounts of him. I would like to share them with his children who still live in Germany. I can be contacted at: jgrobarek@cox.net
By Jacqueline Grobarek on Oct 8, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Mark-
‘Rescuing the Lipizzaners’ by Don Stivers appears to be sold out at most websites, but you might try ebay or craigslist.
By roger king on Oct 15, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Glad to see this story is finally getting the attention it deserves. I know I’ve done my part to get the ball rolling. Hoping to build interest in a remake of the Disney movie, this time telling the REAL story.
Wanted to note that the two from Troop A that were killed during the operation, Pfc Raymond Manz and T/5 Owen Sutton, were honored in 2006 with permanent monuments in the Czech Republic and that annual joint ceremonies are now held at the sites of the monuments with the Czechs and the 2nd Cavalry.
By Dave Gettman on Oct 16, 2009 at 5:20 pm
For more details on “Operation Cowboy, Colonel Reed and the 2d Cavalry Group [and Regiment] go to: http://www.dragoons.org then click on history.
For any veterans of the 2d Cavalry Group in WWII the 2d Cavalry Association is very interested in contacting you and helping you connect with other veterans.
Please contact me at: adjutant@secondcavalry.com
By Chris Golden on Oct 17, 2009 at 11:31 am
What an incredible story.
I was deeply moved by this tale of co-operation between former enemies who all cared for such magnificent and gentle animals that horses are.
Thank you for this.
By Tyrone Lambert on Nov 5, 2009 at 4:25 am
I attended a Lipizzaner event in Boston, MA on 11/08/ It was fantastic! The master of ceremonies commented that a few of the stallions had been rescued from a farm, and that they had been rehabilitated, trained and were now part of the show. Can someone tell me where the farm was located?
Thanks.
By Barbara McGonagle on Nov 10, 2009 at 12:00 pm
You might be interested to see some backstage photos from this performance, from the personal collection of PFC Frank Wayne Martin, who was a forward scout for General Patton. Martin (no relation to me) was involved in this Lipizzaner operation and was assigned to guard the trainers backstage during this show. He has just published a book of his memoirs, called Patton’s Lucky Scout (Crickhollow Books, October 2009). I’m the editor, and we’re in the process of posting photos (not included in the book) on a blog for that book at:
http://luckyscout.wordpress.com/
Thanks, Karen and HistoryNet, for this great article on the operation!
By Philip Martin on Nov 11, 2009 at 1:55 pm
This is a story that will alway resonate in my family’s history.
Pfc. Raymond Manz was killed in this action and like the thousands of U.S. soldiers that gave their lives in WWII his life is but one of the stories
of selflessness that has shaped our world. My father Lawrence Manz is Ray’s first cousin and best of buds. Larry was 16 when the family learned of Raymond’s death and was finally able to visit the the site in Rosendorf and pay his respects.
Please see the posts by David Gettman of Chris Golden for more information on 2nd Cavs sacrifices.
Thank you Karen for publishing this incredible story.
By paul manz on Nov 17, 2009 at 12:35 pm