The “World Famous” Lipizzaner Stallions will be prancing through North Alabama soon to show off their maneuvers of battle and of ballet.

The third longest running world tour only behind the Globe Trotters and the Ringling Brothers Circus, the Lipizzaners and their riders have been amazing their audiences for decades, said Troy Tinker, master of ceremonies for the show. He is the only American to host the Spanish Riding School of Vienna’s touring presentation, as well.

The leaps and jumps are powerful, but their history is just as intense. The Lipizzaner bred of horse has been noted throughout history as a war horse, trained to perform maneuvers in battle for more than 400 years in Europe. The bred is responsible for the lineage of horse for more than 2,000 years.

The Lipizzaners are known best to Americans for their rescue by General George S. Patton and the United States Army’s 2nd Cavalry during World War II. Walt Disney’s motion picture, “The Miracle of the White Stallions,” even shares the story of Patton’s rescue to save the horses for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

The Lipizzaner Stallions take years to train, Tinker said. They are not trained until they are about four years old.

“We want to watch them playing with other horses… to see their talents,” he said.

Not every horse does every maneuver. Each horse is “schooled” for about 45 minutes a day for six to nine years before they perform in a show. Each horse is also given at least an hour of “heel work,” where the trainer spends working the horse on core-balance and strength and bonding.

The Lipizzaner Stallions for the show are trained in Oviedo, Fla., just outside of Orlando. When a horse is ready to tour they are assigned a trainer on the road. There are extensive records kept on each horse.

A young stallion without any training will sell for anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000, while a fully trained stallion will sell for at least $150,000.

However, the audience will enjoy the show even it they don’t know much of the stallions or their history, Tinker said.

Tinker guides the audience through the training process while intertwining history about the horses. The horses will perform traditional drills up to the quadrille, which features their famous leaps and jumps. The Spanish Audalusian will perform in a solo number.

“At its heart our show is about the partnership with horse and human,” Tinker said. “The horses really love their performance time.”

The “World Famous” Lipazzaner Stallions will perform two shows, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 11 in Huntsville at the Von Braun Center Arena. Tickets are available at the Center Box Office at (256) 533-1953 or at All Ticketmaster Outlets by calling (800) 277-1700 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com.