The Stud Farm in Lipik was founded in 1843. During this time count Izidor Janković built a large horse stable at his estate called Izidorovac. After having changed several owners, the new rise of the Lipik Stud Farm occurred in 1937 when the Administration of the Sava Region bought the Izidorovac estate to accommodate around 60 horses from the State Stud Farm Petrovo in Stančić near Božjakovina after an outbreak of a contagious horse blood disorder.
In 1956 there were about 250 Lipizzaner horses, Noniuses and their foals. Since the Stud Farm was generating loss, the People’s Committee of the Pakrac Municipality reached a decision to abandon horse breeding the same year. The sale of the national assets therefore began: the registers were brought to the Đakovo Stud Farm and around 80 horses were sent to stud farms in Kutjevo, Vučjak near Prnjavor, Đakovo and the Agricultural Estate Osijek.
The Stud Farm underwent renovation and had a new start in 1982 when a new breeding herd consisting of three stallions and twelve mares were bought from the Lipica Stud Farm. According to the registers, in the five generations of their ancestors, nine stallions and seven mares were born in the previous Lipik Stud Farm.
This new lease of life of the Lipik Stud Farm was abruptly interrupted by the Homeland War. Out of 118 total horses, 80 percent were Lipizzaner in the Lipik Stud Farm on the eve of the war. 80 horses were taken to the occupied territory while 35 were killed. The negotiations on their return lasted for several years after the war and it was only on October 13th 2007 that the horses were finally returned to their original Stud farm in Lipik – making the total of 66 horses.
Today the State Stud Farm Lipik is focused on breeding, selection and dressage of Lipizzaner horses while continuously developing its tourism facilities.
Visit the official website of the State Stud Farm Lipik.
