Noble warmblood – Lipizzaner enjoys his retirement in the countryside

Désirée Achammer shares her enthusiasm for horses with her mother Sonja. Already as a teenager she knew that happiness on earth lies on horseback. Over the years, the animal hobby has faded into the background, but that would change abruptly recently.

A visit to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna was decisive. “My son Dominique Folie gave me tickets for my birthday,” says Achammer. After the demonstration she was led through the stables by Michaela Elevin. Fascinated by the impressions, Désirée asked if such a horse was also for sale – and was rejected: as soon as a stallion completes his training at the Spanish Riding School, he is actually no longer for sale.

An absolute stroke of luck
But Michaela told her about her favorite horse – 15-year-old Bonavia, who had retired along with his long-time trainer Wolfgang Eder. “Ask me if he can go to Vorarlberg,” the woman from Feldkirch said nonchalantly. And a week later the call came with the promise. That was a stroke of luck, because ‘pensioners’ are often used for work-study programmes.

“You only get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like this,” says the new owner proudly. Because Bonavia is not a normal horse. The Lipizzaner masters all gears and tours – and has already traveled to faraway countries such as Dubai or America for the famous driving school demonstrations. When Désirée first saw him in Vienna, she was all over it: “Driving on Bonavia is like heaven on earth, you float there,” she says enthusiastically.

In January, the castrated stallion was actually allowed to move to the Ländle. The pain of the divorce was great and it took Bonavia a few weeks to get used to it, but now it has really arrived at Désirée. In his retirement home in Vorarlberg, however, he takes a step back. And that fits well with the pensioner: “After half an hour of training, he goes to the exit gate himself. He has a will of his own, if he doesn’t want that, he just stands still.”