Gottlieb Polak

Who was Gottlieb Polak?

Gottlieb Polak was Chief Rider and Riding Master of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna during the 1930s, serving until his death in 1942.

Polak was a multitalented individual who played the violin as well as being an extremely talented rider, described as having a gift for working with horses that occurs only rarely throughout history.

Polak was born in Kladruby nad Labem. He was the son of an employee of the Kladrub Court stud, and developed a great fondness for horses from an early age. As a young man, his love for horses was so great that he dropped out of the Music Academy in Prague after a year and in 1900 he became a pupil at the Kladruber Stables. In 1902, he entered the Imperial "Marstall" in Vienna. After military service with the 11th Lancers in Pardubice from 1904 to 1907, he then was transferred, in 1908, to the Campaign Riding School in Vienna, where he served Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria as one of his many duties.

Even in his twenties, Polak already showed extraordinary riding talent. In 1917, he was admitted to the Spanish Riding School as a student. In 1920 he was promoted to the rank of Rider, then in 1927 to Chief Rider and in 1941, replacing Wenzel Zrust, to First Chief Rider. His work was further recognized the school by his promotion to Riding Master. He was the first person to serve in this newly created position.