Shell of modern riding hall at Moritzburg State Stud completed

Almost one and a half years after the ground-breaking ceremony, the shell of the modern indoor riding arena at Moritzburg State Stud is complete. The topping-out ceremony will be celebrated in a week's time, as the Ministry of Finance in Dresden announced on Thursday. The construction of the hall marks the completion of the modernization of the facility, which began in 2009.

The state-owned stud farm, founded in 1828 not far from the famous baroque hunting lodge, has been under construction since 2009, including a parade ground with covered and mobile grandstands for major events. The new indoor riding arena is urgently needed for training and schooling the 30 or so stallions. According to the ministry, the grandstand will be able to accommodate up to 800 visitors in future.

Horse breeding at the Moritzburg stables dates back to a decision made by King Anton the Good of Saxony in 1828. Since then, mainly heavy warmbloods have been bred, but also riding horses. Breeding was nationalized in 1952 and has been in the hands of the Saxony Horse Breeding Association since 1990.

The Moritzburgers are known nationwide for their stallion parades. The spectacle, which has been held since 1924, where horses and riders show dressage successes and team demonstrations, attracts tens of thousands of visitors from Germany and abroad every year.