NASHUA - The boys are back in town, and Judith Willemssen is looking forward to seeing her old friends. The boys in this case, however, are what riders affectionately call the majestic white Lipizzaner stallions.

Willemssen, a 1993 graduate of Charles City High School, was one of those riders. She still recognizes Boney, her stallion.

"Even though they look alike, they are all very individual," she says.

The Lipizzaners will perform Friday at the North Iowa Fairgrounds in Mason City and Saturday in McElroy Auditorium in Waterloo.

Willemssen and her parents saw the world famous stallions during a performance in Ames. She was about 14 and was enthralled with the beautiful horses,

"I certainly never thought I would have the opportunity to ride them one day," she says.

Her interest in horses became more serious after high school. She went to Meredith Manor, an equestrian school in West Virginia, and then held several jobs in the industry, including training horses and giving riding lessons. Willemssen joined the Lipizzaner tour in February 2001 after auditioning in Des Moines.

Willemssen rode all or part of four tours over a period of more than two years. She participated in shows in Canada and in every U.S. state except New Mexico.

Now, she concentrates on training horses and riding lessons at the Cedar Valley Ranch near Nashua. She owns the business with partner Mike Kyffin, who used to care for the Lipizzaner horses as part of the support staff.

The stallions perform nothing short of dance.

"The people that come to see the Lipizzaners remember them for their strength and their airs above the ground," Producer Gary Lashinsky says. "I think that's what everyone visualizes when they think of the Lipizzaners, a white stallion jumping and kicking its back legs out."

Consequently, handling a Lipizzaner requires a high level of ability, Willemssen says. Riders are matched with horses they work with well.

"A lot of the audience will think that the riders just sit there and the horses know what to do," she says.

The horses interact with people so much, Willemssen says, overall, they are pretty easy to get along with. They don't always get along so well with other stallions.

"Some horses really like each other and some don't."

Which means the same stallions ride next to each other in travel trailers and in cargo planes.

At one time Willemssen was one of only two American riders with the group. The rest were from England, Canada, Germany, Australia, France, Algeria, South Africa, Mexico and Israel. With the stallions making stops in Iowa, Willemssen is looking forward to seeing friends who share her passion for the white stallions.

"I can visit some people that I've missed from the road," she says.

Contact Mary Pieper at (641) 421-0578 or mary.pieper@globegazette.com.