Spanish Riding School of Vienna accepts British female rider

A British female rider is one of the first two women to pass the entrance exam for the Spanish Riding School of Vienna.

“There have been female applicants in the past, but none of them has matched our requirements,” said a spokesman for the school.

The identities of the 18-year-old Briton and 21-year-old Austrian will be kept secret until they have passed a four-week trial, taking place this month.

If they pass, they will have to train for five years before they are able to perform in public and become a part of the school’s 436 years of all-male riding history.

Visit the Spanish Riding School official website

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