| Director | Arthur Hiller |
|---|---|
| Box office | $2.5 million |
Lipizzaner horses, a breed since 1580, and the Spanish Riding School, founded in 1735, remain living Austrian treasures, though both are nearly lost during WWII. During the German occupation, Colonel Alois Podhajsky, who performed in dressage events in the 1936 Olympics and is the Riding School’s Director, becomes attached to the German Army. German headquarters replaces the Riding School’s civilian staff with military personnel. Defying orders to keep the horses at the school, Podhajsky sends 300 Lipizzaners, including breeding mares, to Hostau, Czechoslovakia, for safety, but retains 70 stallions in Vienna.
During the final desperate days of the war, SS General Streicher orders the Riding School staff to return to active military service to replace heavy troop losses, although Podhajsky is ordered to keep the school operating as normal with minimal staff. Podhajsky renews his request to evacuate from Vienna the Lipizzaner stallions, threatened by bombing. General Streicher denies the request, reasoning that evacuating the school will signal to the Viennese that the situation is hopeless and the city doomed. Podhajsky leaves without returning the "Heil Hitler" salute. Appealing to General Tellheim, who is realistic about impending defeat, Podhajsky is told to stretch the interpretation of permission to "evacuate treasures" such as paintings and statues to include horses.
At the train station Podhajsky has difficulty requisitioning six railcars until he arouses the dispatcher’s sentimentality and patriotism. The train is strafed by Allied planes, and the engine is ordered off without a load. Upon learning that the stallions are on the unattached cars, however, the engineer defies orders and attaches the cars with the horses.
The Castle of St. Martins now harbors hundreds of refugees as well as the Riding School. Pilfering by refugees is a problem, with bands stealing supplies and attempting to steal horses to flee from approaching Soviets. General Tellheim arrives with news that the Hungarian Riding school, captured by Soviets on the outskirts of Vienna, were taken prisoners of war and the horses destroyed. Tellheim de-militarizes the Spanish Riding School, hoping it will fare better as a civil institution when the Allies take over.
Contravening General Tellheim, a German officer arrives with orders for Podhajsky, the highest-ranking officer in the region, to become Defense Area Commander; men of the village are armed and awaiting his instructions. Before leaving, the officer informs Podhajsky that fight is not over and attempts at surrender to the Americans will bring severe punishment. Podhajsky orders the butcher—appointed his adjutant—to order the local men to protect the village against plundering by over 300 refugees, shielding untrained old and sick men from fighting seasoned soldiers. Podhajsky burns his orders, declares he is no longer in the army, and orders his staff to shed and burn their uniforms.
The Americans set up headquarters at the castle. Podhajsky asks for the US Army’s protection and to retrieve the breeding mares before the Soviets take over Czechoslovakia. After initially being refused by a general, Major Hoffman suggests that the School give a performance for General George S. Patton, who himself competed in dressage. Podhajsky and his men have only a couple of days to prepare the horses for the performance. Lower-ranking American soldiers who admire the horses help with preparations.
After General Patton watches the performance, Podhajsky asks for his protection and help in retrieving the mares from Czechoslovakia. Aware of 2000 Allied prisoners of war in Czechoslovakia being used to care for horses, Patton orders that the prisoners be liberated and the horses brought along too. Colonel Reed proposes Operation Cowboy to German Captain Danhoff: If the Germans surrender themselves and their prisoners to the Americans, within 48 hours the Americans will get the Germans and their families out of Czechoslovakia, away from the Soviets. Though Danhoff accepts the terms, SS troops ambush the American troops crossing the border and a battle ensues. In the village, Captain Danhoff and his men surrender, informing Colonel Reed that an insubordinate SS officer led the unauthorized attack. The 2,000 Allied prisoners are liberated along with 1,000 horses, among them the 300 Lipizzaners.
On the Spanish Riding School’s 220th anniversary, the Lipizzaner stallions give a special performance, attended by many of the individuals who helped save them.