The magnificent white Lipizzan stallions, bred for hundreds of years to dance and delight emperors and kings, captivated Marguerite Henry when she saw them perform in the Spanish Court Riding School in Vienna.
Now she makes this unique spectacle the focal point in her story of Borina, one of the most famous stallions of this famous breed. It was Borina who, at the height of his career, took a fling in the Vienna grand opera. And it was Borina who, as a mature school stallion, helped train young apprentice riders, and thus became known as the Four-footed Professor.
One of his pupils was Hans, a baker's boy. Day after day Hans had watched with longing eyes the parade of the Lipizzaners as they crossed the street from their stables to the Palace Riding Hall. Impossible as it seemed, Hans felt that he must become a part of that world. He must become a Riding Master. The story of his single-minded efforts to achieve his goal moves with sensitivity and humor to a climax of glory.
Into this warm and sympathetic tale of Hans and Borina, Marguerite Henry weaves authentic details of the patient and skillful training of both horses and riders, and of their almost unbelievable feats-the capriole, the courbette, the leuade. The brilliance of the public performances and the riders' devotion to the art of classical riding make a book rich in history and horsemanship.
