Adults and children are invited to come see the world famous Lipizzaner Stallions at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville on April 18. Now on their 41st anniversary tour, they will perform two shows at 2 and 6 pm.

The Lipizzaner Stallions are best known for their unique jumps and their dressage, harmony between the horse and the rider. Through their dressage, the stallions show their beauty while appearing joyous, magnificent, and proud. They also will perform a portion called the “Airs Above the Ground,” where the stallions will perform leaps and maneuvers that were used as a defense mechanism when riders were on the battlefield. The Grand Quadrille which shows six to eight Lipizzans, with their riders, doing an equine ballet where the stallions prance, march and move gracefully across the floor.

The tour features 12 to 14 stallions and their show at the Crown Coliseum will be very traditional. The leaps and jumps they do are educational for the entire family because they show the grace and harmony between the rider and horse.

“I love it when someone says to me, ‘I saw this when I was a child and I had to bring my children to see it,’” said Troy Tinker, narrator and Master of Ceremonies for the Lipizzaner Stallions.

The Lipizzaner Stallions are a breed of horses that date back to 1562, when Archduke Maximilian began breeding Spanish horses. The ancestor of the Lipizzan is believed to have been bred more than 2,000 years ago in the city of Carthage. In 1580, Archduke Karl established a royal stud farm in Lipizza, in the hills of Karst, near Trieste.

There will be a merchandise van where hats, T-shirts and other memorabilia will be sold along with the Walt-Disney movie, The Miracle of the White Stallions. This movie portrays General George S. Patton, who saved the stallions at the end of World War II from extinction, and displays the world-wide interest created in the Lipizzaner Stallion breed.

A lot of work goes into setting up the coliseum for the stallions. The team brings in special flooring that has more bounce to it than traditional floors, in order to protect the stallions’ joints. The stallions’ team also brings in their own lighting and sound system in order to give them an optimum performance.

“The horses must be washed before the shows in order for them to look handsome,” said Tinker.

The stallions have performed all around the world including the United Kingdom, Austrailia, New Zealand and all 50 of the United States.

For tickets to see the Lipizzaner Stallions at the Crown Coliseum call 910-438-4100. Tickets range in price from $22.50 for the upper floors, $29.50 for the ground floor, and $25.50 for the lower floors.

For more information on the stallions visit www.lipizzaner.com.