Spanish Riding School Boss In Hot Water For Buying EUR 12K Foal Now Worth Hundreds Of Thousands After Free Training

The boss of the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna is in hot water after he allegedly bought a foal worth EUR 12,000 for his daughter, but now, after training – which he is accused of having not paid for – it is said to be worth hundreds of thousands of euros.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Vienna announced on Tuesday (4th January) that it is now investigating the Spanish Riding School in the Austrian capital Vienna, after the allegations first emerged in November last year.

The Spanish Riding School is famous the world over, even attracting Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who has visited it on multiple occasions.

Lipizzaner horse on snow at Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria, December 2021. (Newsflash)

It is alleged that the head of the Supervisory Board of the Spanish Riding School, named in local media outlet Heute as Johann Marihart in November, bought a Lipizzaner stallion in 2013 for EUR 12,000 (GBP 10,000) for his daughter.

It is also alleged that he did not pay for the animal to be trained, but rather let the riding school foot the bill instead, and it is now said to be worth hundreds of thousands of euros.

The embattled riding school boss allegedly dismissed the allegations at the time, saying that all of this was a “normal process”, but now the Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated an investigation into the Spanish Riding School and is apparently looking into whether there was a breach of trust.

Lipizzaner horses on the pause for relaxation between the training sessions at Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria, December 2021. (Newsflash)

A spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, named in local media as Nina Bussek, reportedly confirmed that three people are being investigated, but no names have been mentioned.

But Heute said that the suspects were most likely Marihart, the former managing director of the riding school Elisabeth Guertler, and co-managing director Erwin Klissenbauer.