Podcast Summary: Real Cool History for Kids

Episode 167: The Great Lipizzaner Horse Rescue (for Eloise Grattan)
Host: Angela O’Dell
Date: November 17, 2025

Episode Overview

In this special episode, Angela O’Dell takes listeners on an extraordinary journey through history, blending her love of horses with her passion for stories from World War II. By request from listener Eloise Grattan, Angela explores the fascinating origins of the Lipizzaner stallions and the dramatic rescue mission that saved them from destruction at the end of WWII. Rooted in a biblical worldview, the episode highlights courage, beauty, and the preservation of culture even amidst chaos.

The Lipizzaner Horses: Origins and Significance

[00:50–04:30]

• Personal Connection: Angela shares how her lifelong love of horses and childhood memories with the book White Stallion of Lipizza inspired her excitement for the episode.

  • “I have always loved horses. I learned to ride when I was a very small child, and my connection with horses has always been... well, just really, really strong.” — Angela [01:10]

• Historical Background:

  • The Lipizzaners trace their roots to the Habsburgs of Austria in the 1500s, who began breeding a unique horse at their stud in Lipica (in present-day Slovenia).
  • Horses from Spain, Italy, and Arabia—especially Andalusians—were crossbred to create a line both strong and elegant, prized for classical riding and performance.
  • Early Lipizzaners came in many colors but, over centuries, careful selection led to the dominance of the iconic white (born dark, turning light as they matured).
  • Known for intelligence, strength, grace, and willingness, they became stars of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, performing advanced dressage (“ballet for horses”) for European royalty.
    • “These stallions performed for emperors and kings and visitors from all over the world.” — Angela [03:50]

Wartime Peril: The Lipizzaners in World War II

[04:35–08:00]

• With the onset of WWII, priceless art, animals, and heritage faced unprecedented risks.
• The Nazis, intending to breed a “perfect horse,” rounded up top horses, including hundreds of Lipizzaners, taking them to a stud farm in Hostau, Czechoslovakia.
  • About 375 Lipizzaners and many other breeds were held at Hostau.
• Colonel Alois Podhajsky, director of the Spanish Riding School, moved the performing stallions to safety in Austria, but the breeding horses remained at risk in Hostau—a peril to the entire breed’s future.

Operation Cowboy: The Dramatic Horse Rescue

[08:00–19:50]

The Stakes & Planning

• As the war neared its end in April 1945, American troops approached Hostau, learning from a surrendered German officer that hundreds of Lipizzaners and Allied prisoners were in danger.

• The Red Army was closing in, and the horses could be slaughtered for food if not rescued.

• Colonel Charles H. Reed and General George Patton (a horseman himself) approved the rescue mission.

  “Colonel Reed understood that these animals were more than just horses—they represented centuries of careful breeding and training and really an integral part of the Austrian culture.” — Angela [07:30]

The Mission

• A negotiation team led by Captain Thomas Stewart (an experienced horseman) and a German veterinarian, Dr. Rudolf Lessing, reached an agreement to surrender the horses and prisoners to Americans.
• On April 28, 1945, 350 American soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry entered Hostau, facing sniper fire and skirmishes but prevailed.
• In total, over 1,200 horses—Lipizzaners, Arabians, Thoroughbreds, Russian breeds—crowded the stables.
• Soldiers, freed prisoners, and surrendered Germans worked tirelessly to prepare the horses for evacuation.

The Evacuation

• The most vulnerable—pregnant mares and foals—made the journey cautiously.

• Horses were moved by truck, ridden in groups, and herded cross-country amidst the dangers of war’s final days.

• On May 12, 1945, the convoy began a 35-mile trek to safety in Germany.

• The faster group arrived first, followed by the rest days later—all safe.

  “If the Soviet army reached Hostau first, the horses might be taken or killed, and all of their effort would be for nothing.” — Angela [14:20]

Aftermath & Importance

• The American rescuers, asked why they risked their lives, spoke of their desire to protect beauty after so much destruction.
  • “They wanted to do something that focused on saving something beautiful. And this is what the Lipizzaners are—a beautiful form of art.” — Angela [17:00]
• On May 7, the Spanish Riding School’s stallions performed for General Patton. Colonel Podhajsky asked for help securing the breed’s future—Patton agreed.
• By May 25, 244 Lipizzaners were safely back in Austria; the legacy preserved.
• The operation became known as Operation Cowboy and ensured future generations could see Lipizzaners “leap and dance in Vienna.”

Reflections and Lessons

[19:30–21:30]

• Angela draws a powerful lesson from the episode, connecting it to biblical wisdom.
  • “The story of Operation Cowboy and the Lipizzaner stallions gives us some important things to think about. First, it shows that even in terrible war, people could choose to protect something beautiful and good instead of allowing it to be destroyed. Their actions remind me of the truth in Philippians 4:8... whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable—think about such things.” — Angela [20:50]
• The rescue exemplifies faith, bravery, and the importance of protecting beauty and culture in dark times.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “As foals, they were usually black or dark brown, running around on their wobbly little legs. Can you just imagine? They’re so cute.” — Angela [03:05]
• “When asked why they would risk their lives for horses... they wanted to do something that focused on saving something beautiful.” — Angela [17:00]
• “The rescue of the Lipizzaner stallions was something lovely and admirable... beauty and goodness still mattered even when the world was at war.” — Angela [21:15]

Important Timestamps

• Origins of Lipizzaner horses: 01:10–04:30
• WWII and the horses at risk: 04:35–08:00
• American planning and negotiation: 08:00–11:20
• Operation Cowboy in action: 11:20–18:00
• Reflection and biblical lesson: 20:50–21:50

Tone & Style

Angela’s narration is enthusiastic, inviting, and tinged with both affectionate nostalgia and awe. She delights in the “weird, cool, and just plain awesome” details, making history approachable and hopeful for kids, always underscoring lessons of nobility, courage, and faith.

Final Thoughts

Angela encourages listeners to keep exploring and asking questions, reminding them that history is brimming with real adventures and “really, really cool stories.”
“And because of that choice, children and families today can still watch the Lipizzaner stallions leap and dance in Vienna.” — Angela [21:25]