New foal brings joy to Herrmann's Royal Lipizzan Stallions

It was a major change on the grounds of Herrmann's Royal Lipizzan Stallions, and the 13 horses on the property all knew it.

So did the cows.

Rebecca McCullough and her daughter, Sydney, were keeping an eye on the Myakka City ranch's new foal, the first born on the property in eight years.

As they walked to check her out — she was born June 7 — they couldn't miss that all the horses and cows were "screaming."

Everyone on the property was excited about a new addition.

"I don't know how they knew," Rebecca McCullough said of her animals. "It's not like there is a horse gossip phone. But they all did, and even the cows knew. They were all screaming because they knew something had changed."

For those who live in the community, the change was a sign that the McCulloughs are committed for the long run to keep their ranch alive.

Photo by Jay Heater

Since Gabby Herrmann's death in 2021, the responsibility of running the ranch has been inherited by Rebecca McCullough, Gabby's only child. Although she works as a nurse, she has taken on that responsibility with the help of her daughter, Sydney, who was 12 when her grandmother died.

Now 17, Sydney has completed her general education development degree and, after taking a year off from studies, will begin studying to become a veterinarian. She also has agreed to work with her mom to keep the Herrmann's Royal Lipizzan Stallion legacy alive.

The Herrmann family has operated the ranch in Myakka City since 1962 when Col. Ottomar Herrmann, who was born in Slovakia, moved there. Before that the family's ties to the stallions traced back more than 300 years in Europe.

But with the family all-out to keep the ranch and its shows alive, no foal had been born on the property in the three years prior to Gabby Herrmann's death. The workload was just as heavy after Rebecca McCullough took over.

But with Sydney willing to share the workload into the future, the two of them decided it was time to begin restocking the ranch. They bred Argento, one of their star performers, to Belle, a 20-year-old mare.

"It was 11 months of stress," Rebecca McCullough said.

The result was a beautiful brown foal that was born approximately 3 a.m. June 7 while McCullough was working the night shift.

She had a camera set up in the stall and during a break, she checked her phone and saw two little legs. She began calling Sydney.

Photo by Jay Heater

"You know how hard it is to wake up a teen?" Rebecca McCullough said.

But everything was just fine.

"(Horses) really don't need any assistance," Rebecca McCullough said. "You keep an eye on them in case there is a problem."

From that moment, though, Belle has had to share mothering duties with Sydney McCullough.

"If you think the mare is protective ... Sydney is worse," Rebecca McCullough said. "She doesn't let anyone near the baby."

Volunteers on the ranch have been coming to see the new baby, under Sydney's watchful eye,

"She came out looking so nice," Rebecca McCullough said of the foal. "She has nice, long, straight legs and a long back."

Lipizzans are born dark colored but usually turn white by the time they are 8 to 10 years old, Rebecca McCullough said the foal already has shown some white, including a rare, white blaze on the bridge of her nose. Rebecca McCullough estimates she will weigh about 1,000 pounds when fully grown, just like her mom.

When out of the stall, she has shown lots of energy, running short sprints around her mom.

"She kicks," Rebecca McCullough said. "We found that out. She has been challenging. She definitely is her father's daughter."

They decided to name the baby, Nezuko, after Nezuko Kamado, a fictional character in Koyoharu Gotouge's manga and anime series, "Demon Slayer."

"We try to name horses after what is popular," Rebecca McCullough said. "Honestly, you try to pick something that mirrors the personality of the characters."

Sydney McCullough said Nezuko is curious about everything, and tough.

Photo by Jay Heater

Visitors to Herrmann's Royal Lipizzan Stallions aren't likely to see much of Nezuko for quite some time.

"The horses are a very long-term investment," Rebecca McCullough said. "It is four to five years before Lipizzans mature (to be trained). All the groundwork is done after they turn 4."

By the time the general public sees Nezuko, her name might be Nezuka.

Rebecca McCullough said when she fills out all the paperwork to register Nezuko, it is likely the "o" at the end of her name will need to be changed to an "a" due to naming rules.

Photo by Jay Heater

Whether it is Nezuko or Nezuka, the McCulloughs are happy to have her.

And more babies are in the ranch's future.

"We've been breeding this year," Rebecca McCullough said. "I am feeling a lot more confident (in the breeding process) and all our guys in the barn are getting old."

She said they are hopeful that they will add two more foals in 2027.

"We also are going to give Belle a year off, and then we will breed her one more time," Rebecca McCullough said. "She is 20."

What does the breeding mean for the ranch?

"It just means we will keep going on," Rebecca McCullough said. "We are adding horses here. This is like a big step for us."