Gonzalez takes trip to Vienna's Spanish Riding School
10/10/2008 17:01
Chilean Fernando Gonzalez took time out from the Vienna Open yesterday to
visit the Spanish Riding School, which is home to 73 Lipizzan stallions.
The
28-year-old visited the stables to meet a 15-year-old Lipizzan stallion called
Conversano Tiberia. Afterwards he watched the morning practice show at Vienna's
Imperial Hofburg Palace.
Gonzalez said: "It was very nice. The horses are
really taken care of perfectly. I've never seen this many white horses at once!
"
"My sister loves horses and has taught me a lot about them. I've been
riding a few times and it's really fun. I have to be careful though because it
can be dangerous for my career but in the future I'm going to ride more for
sure."
"The buildings in Vienna are unbelievable. There is a lot of tradition
here dating back to the 16th century."
The Spanish Riding School is the only
institution in the world that continues to cultivate classical equitation in the
Renaissance tradition. The Lipizzans are Europe's oldest breed of horses, with
their origins dating back to the 16th century.
Gonzalez, who reached the 2006
Vienna final, is the No. 2 seed this week and will meet No. 8 seed Gael Monfils
of France in the quarterfinals today.
Xinhua
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