Bios

Gary Lashinsky

With the upcoming fall U.S. tour of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna, equestrians and horse enthusiasts will once again turn their attention to the amazing Lipizzaner stallions. That also means that once again renowned producer Gary Lashinsky will take center stage. For over 35 years, Lashinsky has been the producer of an equally popular equestrian show, The "World Famous" Lipizzaner Stallions.

Mr. Lashinsky’s career spans more than 45 years in the entertainment business. When he was just out of college, he fell in love with the mystique of Lipizzaner stallions. "We were part of a family entertainment business," he recalls. "In 1968 I thought about doing something with the horses, so we created our own show."

In 1970, he produced the first touring unit of The "World Famous" Lipizzaner Stallions, which has gone on to play to millions of fans throughout North and South America, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Australia and Great Britain. Under the aegis of his White Stallion Productions, the current traveling show tours to over 140 cities a year across the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia.

From 1968 to as recently as 2004, Mr. Lashinsky has traveled to Austria to consult with and purchase horses from the Spanish Riding School of Vienna and Piper Stud Farm. He has also sought technical advice from Colonel Alois Podhajsky and Dr. Jaromir Oulehla, both former directors of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.

Beyond the horse world, his involvement in family oriented attractions include such outstanding presentations as The Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, The Ice Capades, Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice, Disney on Parade, The Harlem Globetrotters plus numerous Broadway theatrical productions like " The King and I" starring Yul Brynner. He has also produced concert tours for superstar artists such as The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Tom Jones, Olivia Newton-John, Elvis Presley and The Doors.

Away from his business life, Mr. Lashinsky’s hobbies are varied and quite exciting. Not only is he a thirty-year multi-engine and instrument rated pilot, he is also past national President of the Dodge "Viper Club of America," and in his spare time enjoys racing his Viper Comp Coupe throughout the United States.

Rider Herwig Radnetter

Herwig started at the Spanish Riding School as a very young rider in 1976. He became a cadet in 1982 and became a full rider in 1988 with the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. He has appeared with the Spanish riding School in the United States in 1990 in Philadelphia, Washington DC., New York and Boston. His involvement with the Spanish Riding School for over twenty-eight years, has included training a number of different Lipizzaner horses and presenting them in performance, including a Lipizzaner Stallion from Piber called “Conversano Mantuar”.

Herwig is married to Nicole, his wife since February 2002 and they have one daughter named Kea at this time. His Father, born in Philadelphia and Mother, born in Austria, both live in Austria. He will be performing in the planned tour of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna with his horse as a rider and presenter of these magnificent stallions. Herwig and his dedication for the Spanish Riding School for over twenty eight years has given him the experience and knowledge of the Lipizan horse and the traditions of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna and is a wonderful representative of the School.

Chief Rider Johann Riegler

Born in 1954, the son of a farmer in northern Lower Austria, Johann Riegler has been riding since he was 12 and joined the Spanish Riding School in August 1969. In his private life, he is also very involved in riding, as are his wife and son. Johann Riegler was appointed Chief Rider in January 1991.