Almost everyone is familiar with the huge Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales, bred in Scotland to haul heavily laden beer wagons over rough roads, but few seem to know about the Royal Lipizzaners to perform today at 2 at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

In World War II, the Russians were invading Central Europe and taking possession of all the individual countries there. The United States mounted a huge response with the invasion at Normandy — D-Day — in an effort to combat the Russian onslaught. Gen. George Patton knew about the Royal  Lipizzaners and Austria begged him to try to rescue them. Patton made a heroic effort to break through the German lines and get the Lipizzaners out of Austria just before the Russians could take over the country and obliterate Austria. We today find it very difficult to imagine the suffering of the little countries in Central Europe as the Russians simply devoured them one by one.

The Lipizzaners are a special breed native to Austria. The breed is capable of intricate foot patterns and they do it to music — hence the name “dancing” Lipizzaners.

They really are special and hopefully they will find more appreciation in Vicksburg this time around.

L.C. Giles

Vicksburg