Stadl-Paura horse centre celebrates 200 years

Stadl-Paura horse centre in the Wels-Land district is marking 200 years of horse breeding, training and sport. ORF reported that the site began as an Imperial-Royal stallion depot in 1826 and is now one of Austria’s most important equestrian centres.

The 30-hectare centre includes stables, riding halls and paddocks. Horses are bred, trained and prepared for sport there today.

The site originally served a different purpose. Horses were used to pull empty salt boats upstream towards Gmunden after salt had been transported along the Traun from the Inner Salzkammergut and unloaded in Stadl-Paura.

When that transport route was discontinued, the stables took on a new role. The Imperial-Royal stallion depot was founded in 1826, supplying breeding stallions first to Upper Austria and later to other parts of the monarchy.

The horses were used by the military, in agriculture and in industry. At the time, only the state was permitted to keep stallions, and as many as 300 were housed at Stadl-Paura.

Over the decades, the centre also became a destination for horse enthusiasts. Its stallion parades attracted large crowds, with about 9,000 people attending one in 1983.

The site retained its importance after state-run horse breeding ended. The Federal Institute for Horse Breeding closed in 1997, after which the centre focused on its current activities. Its expertise in the horse industry remains central, alongside breeding, training and equestrian sport.

A major anniversary celebration was held on Thursday. It looked back at the centre’s 200-year history and examined how the role of horses and the way people work with them have changed over two centuries.