The Lipizzaner Stallions are on their 41st Anniversary Tour and will make two stops in the Rio Grande Valley.

The stallions will perform at State Farm Arena in Hidalgo on Tuesday, March 16 and at the South Padre Island Convention Centre on March 17.

Many horses and riders were brought from Europe to perform in this unique family oriented arena attraction. Over the years, twenty-three million people throughout North and South America, Great Britain, Europe, Australia and Hawaii have seen this internationally acclaimed spectacle.

All new music, choreography and routines have been incorporated in this anniversary edition with a major emphasis on the historical background and foundation of the Lipizzaner breed, from its original breeding and use as a horse of war to a horse of nobility and aristocracy to a living form of equestrian art.

The show emulates the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria, in its presentation of Lipizzans, and maintains a traditional as well as entertaining performance similar in many ways to what you would see in Vienna.

Also included in the performance is a segment called the “Airs Above the Ground.” These are the spectacular leaps and maneuvers, once used by riders in saddle to protect and defend themselves on the battlefield, which are now preserved as an equestrian work of art. When you see the Lipizzans perform, it is like stepping back four hundred years and viewing one of the greatest equine ballets in history.http://www.lipizzaner.com/intro.asp

The Lipizzan is a rare and unique breed; its history and culture is known worldwide. General George S. Patton saved them at the end of World War II from certain extinction. Had it not been for Patton, there would be no Lipizzans today.

The current tour features 12 to 14 stallions performing maneuvers in an exciting presentation.

The conclusion of the performance of The Lipizzaner Stallions is the traditional Grand Quadrille, featuring six to eight Lipizzaner Stallions with their riders performing an intricate, equine ballet, exhibiting maneuvers through the highest level of dressage. The Lipizzans prance, march and intricately weave their way across the floor to the music of the Masters in a spectacular ballet of four-footed white dancers.

The State Farm Arena show will be at 7:30 p.m. on March 16 and the South Padre Island shows will be at 4 p.m.and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18.50 and can be purchased at the Convention Center box office, tickets.com, or by calling 800-882-8258.