The Lipizzan was developed in Slovenia at the Lipica (Lipizza) stud farm using the finest imported horses: Andalusians, Barbs and Berbers bred to the local Karst horses. Four hundred years of selective breeding have made the Lipizzan one of Europe's oldest breeds of horse. This is a royal horse that was bred to perform haute ecole dressage at the Spanish Riding School and owes its survival to the intervention of U.S. General George S.Patton during World War II.