Tribute to Álvaro Domecq Romero

This special gala performance followed by a fund raising dinner set the stage for the honouring of Alvaro Domecq Romero, the founder of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. He was born in Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz) in 1940.

His father, Don Alvaro Domecq y Díez already bred horses and bulls, and was a renowned sherry producer. Horses, bulls and sherry are deeply embedded in the Andalusian culture. Domecq horses stand for exceptional breeding standards and skills – they can be seen at the most prestigious competitions and even at the Olympic Games.

Alvaro Domecq and the Spanish Riding School go back a long way. As early as the 1970s Domecq spent a number of months at the School as a guest rider to refine his skills in the classical art of riding. In May 1973 he was awarded the prestigious “Caballo de Oro” by His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain, a prize which is awarded every year for services rendered to the horse in Spain. On this occasion he showed his performance of the “Dance of the Andalusian Horses” for the first time and thereby laid the foundation for the subsequent establishment of the „Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre “, the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art with which he was closely connected for 25 years. Today the School is managed by the Ministry of Tourism.

This first Fund Raising Gala saw a number of unique innovations. For centuries only horses from the Spanish Riding School have been stabled in the Stallburg. The historic Renaissance building which dates back to the 16th century has always accommodated the noble horses of the imperial court. It is from this period that the Spanish Riding School has its name, as the original horses which were to be used for the so-called High School of Horsemanship were brought over from Spain by Emperor Maximilian I and formed the basis of the Lipizzaner breed at the former Court Stud Lipica (SL). And now, in October 2008, for the first time since the 16th century, Spanish horses are once again guests in the Imperial Palace!