WELCOME ABOUT US LIPIZZANS THE FARM THE STALLIONS THE MARES THE FOALS BREEDING HORSES FOR SALE TRAINING/LESSONS RIDING VACATIONS PERFORMANCES CALENDAR of EVENTS ARTICLES STARS of WHV REFERENCE HORSES LINKS CONTACT US Painting of Ambrosia by Genna Panzarella Conversano Mima ridden by Shana Ritter	Lipizzans by White Horse Vale - About Us White Horse Vale has been breeding purebred and part bred Lipizzan horses since 1984 making it one of the oldest Lipizzan breeding programs in North America. In April of 2006, Shana and Thomas Ritter of Ritter Dressage joined forces with WHV. With a combined purebred population of approximately 75 individuals, WHV is now also the largest. Each spring sees the production of between nine and twelve purebred foals by White Horse Vale and Ritter Dressage stallions, as well as, stallions from other breeding programs . The goal is to produce baroque Lipizzan horses from classical bloodlines. Horses from all six classical lines: Maestoso, Neapolitano, Favory, Conversano, Siglavy and Pluto are represented in the breeding herd. Located on the Eastern slopes of the Cascade Range in Washington State, WHV's 117 home acres plus additional summer pastures make it possible for the mares, foals and young horses to experience life in the herd. In the tradition of the great European Lipizzan studs of Piber, Austria and Lipica, Slovenia, WHV believes that young horses develop the best when they are allowed to develop their bodies and intellect in a healthy natural setting. Foals are handled regularly and learn to trust in their human caretakers. As the Lipizzan is slow to mature, formal training is not begun until the horse reaches the fall of his three year old year or sometimes later. Since the Lipizzan is also long lived, the horse has many years to reach his potential and give pleasure to his rider or driver. The Lipizzan horse is extremely rare with only about 3,500 to 5,000 true purebreds in existence worldwide. This rarity makes it necessary for the serious breeder to take great care in selecting suitable stallions for each brood mare. Not only must the best conformation and movement be considered, but inbreeding must be avoided in order to keep the horses free from genetic defects. In order to avoid inbreeding, no matings take place between horses that have a common ancestor in the first three and preferably four generations. For these reasons, WHV works with other breeders to trade or purchase breedings of outside stallions. At the onset of the WHV breeding program, owners Leonard and June Boardman recognized the necessity to find a knowledgeable mentor to guide them. With so few Lipizzans in the United States, there were even fewer, if any, experts available. At about the same time that WHV was founded, a new director was selected to head the breeding program at the Austrian Federal Stud Farm at Piber and, eventually, the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. Dr.Jaromir Oulehla was willing and interested in sharing his expertise with interested Lipizzan breeders in other countries. Several other breeders in the U.S. who had also seen the need for an outside expert, joined together to invite Dr. Oulehla to judge Lipizzan shows and, then, to eventually evaluate breeding stock. WHV has hosted five breeding stock evaluations since 1995.

WHV believes that the beauty, strength, and talent of the Lipizzan can only be retained and strengthened if breeders can make intelligent breeding decision. Driven by that belief, WHV has also hosted four two-day Lipizzan Breeders and Judges Seminars which are linked with the evaluations. Lipizzan enthusiasts from as far away as Germany, France, and Slovenia have participated, along with breeders from across the U.S. and Canada. June Boardman is not a professional rider. She and her late husband, Leonard Boardman, have both been school teachers in the local Goldendale School District; therefore, it is natural for them to be interested in the humans, as well as, the equines. Throughout their 20 years of experience with Lipizzans, they have been active in regional and national Lipizzan organizations, and most recently in the foundation of the Lipizzan Federation of America, an umbrella organization which will represent U.S. Lipizzan interests here and abroad. They have visited most of the government stud farms of Europe, attended three international Lipizzan meetings, and visited many private breeding farms in North America and in many other countries. Due to their dedication to children and to the Lipizzan breed, Leonard and June have hosted several working exchange students including students from Hungary, France, Germany, and Slovenia. It is their strong belief that the future of the Lipizzan is held in the hands of our young riders. Early in their experience with Lipizzans, the Boardmans discovered that, although these wonderful horses had great name recognition, most riders never considered the possibility of actually owning one. Even knowledgeable dressage riders thought the Lipizzan was too rare or too expensive for the average competitor. With the popularity of the larger European warmbloods, a few riders also believed that Lipizzans could not be successful in dressage competition. Of course, there is nothing further from the truth, but someone needed to prove that to the American rider. By now many WHV Lipizzans have entered boldly at "A" ridden by professionals, amateurs, and youth. In the fall of 2003 Maestoso II Gaetana, owned by Gayla Edwards won the Oregon Dressage Championships for Intermediare I. Other horses who have reached international levels are Conversano II Pirouette, Maestoso II Athena II, and Maestoso II Catrina. Several young horses are on their way up the dressage ladder with wins at the lower levels. WHV Lipizzans have won numerous USDF All Breeds Awards over the years; but, according to June, who trains and shows her own horses, the real success of the Lipizzan is that the average amateur lady competitor can ride one, be safe, have fun, and win. (June received her USDF Bronze Medal in 2002 with all her rides on Lipizzans.) To complement the growing WHV Lipizzan and Dressage program, dressage trainers Shana and Thomas Ritter of Ritter Dressage moved into WHV in the Spring of 2006 and a great partnership was born. Within a few short months, despite a huge personal tragedy and against all odds, WHV and RD were able to pull together a grand Open House Performance and Celebration, featuring an evening of classical dressage performances including quadrilles, work-in-hand, and more. By Summer of 2007, the Open House Performance was doubled and a beautiful tradition was set into cycle. Shana and Thomas Ritter have built a strong, comprehensive classical dressage lesson and training program out of WHV, and now welcome visitors from all over the country and the world regularly for lessons, training, and riding vacations on the horses of WHV amidst the wondrous scenery of Goldendale, Washington. The show season of 2007 welcomed Shana and Thomas with a splash. Successfully competing six Lipizzan stallions from First Level through Intermediare I, the Ritters have been making quite an impact with the Lipizzans of WHV. 2008 Calendars featuring photos of the White Horse Vale and Ritter Dressage Lipizzans are available now. Hey - Great Gift Idea!

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