Open Day at the Topoľčianky National Stud

1^st May is traditionally associated with the Open Day, which is extremely popular among the general public. This year it was the XXIV th year of welcoming the new breeding, sports and tourist season. In addition to the National Stud, Chateau Topoľčianky, Topoľčianky Castle, Topoľčianky Village and Topoľčianky Park also took part in the event. The pleasant almost summer weather attracted more than 15,000 visitors.

In addition to the historic stables of the National Stud, the hippological exposition in Topoľčianky was also open to the public. Visitors could view more than 3,000 artifacts documenting events in the stud farm, a carriage house with a collection of historic carriages and various rare harnesses, as well as an exposition dedicated to the World Driving Championship of pairs, which took place in Topoľčianky in 2013. The company Mercedes-Benz Slovakia s.r.o. exhibited its newest models in the premises of the National Stud. The musical group Q-TY from Zlaté Moravce ensured a good mood in the premises of the riding hall. It included a number of interesting stalls of domestic craftsmen who presented their handmade products from different areas. There were also merry-go-rounds and various other attractions for the little ones. A novelty was Salaš Žikava's own store, which belongs to the Topoľčianky National Stud. Visitors could buy traditional Slovak sheep's and cow's milk cheese and other fresh handmade dairy products.

The Open Day for visitors started at nine o'clock. The entire area of ​​the riding centre was open, so those interested could see the stables, in which they found all five breeds of horses bred at the National Stud - Lipizzaner, Hucul horse, Shagya-Arab, Arabian Thoroughbred and Slovak Warmblood. During the morning, public training sessions of individual sports departments took place in the main arena. Visitors could thus observe the way of working with show jumping, dressage or vaulting horses. As part of the accompanying program, students of the cynological department of the Central Combined School in Ivanka pri Dunaji also presented themselves, demonstrating obedience and the method of training their dogs.

The biggest attraction for visitors during the Open Day is clearly the gala program itself, in which the National Stud and its guests present their own breeding and sports work. Many special guests graced the event with their presence. As part of the opening speech, the director of the National Stud Ing. Michal Horný, PhD. welcomed ex-president of the Slovak Republic Ivan Gašparovič and general secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of the Slovak Republic JUDr. Kristina Vavríková.

The HK Slovan Bratislava cheerleaders provided a pleasant atmosphere of the opening ceremony. This introduction was followed by a white ballet performed by the eight riders of the National Stud and their eight stallions of the Lipizzan breed, who demonstrated the beauty of classical riding in an interesting choreography of a quadrille.

The horse has been a part of humanity since time immemorial. In the past, it was irreplaceable in transport, agriculture, but also in military campaigns. He witnessed the celebration of the birth of a person and often accompanied him on his last journey. As part of the contrast between the use of the Lipizzan breed in the past and in the present, two carriages were presented to the audience. The first pair took us to the period of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and the rule of the Habsburg family. It brought Emperor Francis Joseph I with his wife Princess Elizabeth of Bavaria, known as Sissi. The second four-in-hand of Lipizzan pulled the original carriage of the first president of the Czech Republic, T. G. Masaryk, in which he regularly visited Topoľčianky. It was T. G. Masaryk who started the tradition that every president of our country visited Topoľčianky. The parade of historic carriages was closed by two riders who presented the current use of the Lipizzaner, primarily in classical riding and in sports.

Under the leadership of lunger Boris Kodak, the vaulting department presented itself in challenging exercises at the gallop, in the category of individuals, pairs and groups. Subsequently, two noble thoroughbred Arabian stallions entered the arena led by two Bedouins. The origin of this horse goes back to distant Arabia, it owes its development and spread to the prophet Muhammad in the VII. century. In Europe, these breeds were expanded by imports in order to lighten domestic heavy breeds for military purposes.

Václav Macek and Peter Vančo demonstrated mirror riding in pairs, the so-called pas de deux, Václav Macek on the white stallion Siglavy XIII-14 and Peter Vančo on the black Lipizzan stallion Conversano XIII-47.

The Hucul horse, the only autochthonous breed of Slovakia, belongs to the important cultural breeds of the Slovak Republic. The contrast of use in the past and in the present was presented by the riders Bálint Bíro, David Kintšer and Pavol Kemencei in historical uniforms. A short demonstration with a carrier saddle intended for transporting heavy loads over mountainous terrain and also a single team of Hucul horse pulling the so-called card for transporting supplies or other material found great use during World War II, when fighting often took place high in the mountains. Michaela Horná and her exceptionally talented Slovak warmblood stallion Forever rode a dressage freestyle to music at the "T" level. Stanislav Chrappa and Neapolitano XII-18 performed work on the long rein. The Classical Topoľčianky School under the leadership of Václav Macek presented its Lipizzaner stud stallions. Spectators had the opportunity to watch exercises such as levada, pesada, piaffe, passage and for the audience the most attractive movement - capriole. Exercises such as sitting, lying down and bowing were also included.

This was followed by the presentation of the Shagya-Arab breed. Even in the 1970s, this breed was called an oriental horse, or an Arabian half-breed. With the establishment of the first studbook from 1969, based on the verification of the WAHO (World Arabian Horse Organization) commission in 1969, the correct name of the breed "Arabian purebred horse" is given. It was not until 1978 that the SHAGYA-ARAB breed was recognized as a separate, special breed of Arabian horses at the WAHO conference in Hamburg. 200 pedigrees of Shagya-Arab pure blood were presented as evidence. The breed is named after the Shagya stallion, which was purchased in Syria in 1836 by Colonel Herbert. Riders in hussar uniforms were presented to the audience. Hussars formed the so-called light ride for the European armies of the time. Their task was to use the speed and dexterity of shagya-Arabian horses to carry out reconnaissance, ambushes, bypassing maneuvers, procuring supplies in the enemy's territory, etc. Currently, this breed finds its use primarily in endurance riding. Luraj Komloši, Bálint Bíro, Miriam Orolínová and Pavol Kemencei showed their horses in the demonstration.

Of course, the audience-attractive duel in driving cones could not be missed. Miroslav Matúška and Jozef Mašír measured their strength, dexterity, accurate eye and speed of horses. In a smaller form, the national stud farm also breeds English thoroughbreds. The horse racing stable in Topoľčianky is one of the oldest in Czechoslovakia. It was already registered in the 1930s. Significant achievements include placing in Veľká Pardubická in 1947, when the horse 495 Shagya VII with Pavel Kováč in the saddle finished fifth. An important landmark in horse racing was the victory of Jozef Čajda with the stallion Furioso XIV in Veľká Pardubická in 1955. Jaroslav Bartoněk, two-time amateur obstacle champion of the Czechoslovak Republic, became a new impulse for the stable. His best horse was the mare Hanačka. She completed 29 races, of which she won 13, finished second 5 times, third 1 time, fourth 2 times and fifth 2 times. The success of this mare was followed by another exceptional mare – Arva, trained by František Vítek. She ran 12 flat races, of which she won ten and finished second twice. In the entire history of the Czech-Slovak turf until then, she became the first mare to win the classic "triple crown". In 1991, the current trainer of racing horses - Samuel Sokol - a successful amateur rider in the past - 5-time champion of the Czechoslovak Republic, followed the work of important horse racing personalities in the National Stud. Under his leadership, a horse owned by the National Stud Douce Paris (2001, by Trempolino, from Douce France) became the hurdle horse of the year 2009. In the gala program, two horse-racing riders - František Kraner and Veronika Weinbachová - in the colours of the home stable on the mares Tramina and Clones, performed. The end of the gala program belonged to the Polish stunt group La Pattat Dutka & Franczak Horse Show, which presented itself in an adrenaline demonstration on Lipizzans purchased from the National Stud of Topoľčianky. After them, the mounted police of the Slovak Republic were given the space in a dynamic demonstration of the method of training police horses. That was the final point for the 24th Open Day at the Topoľčianky National Stud.

We wish all horse fans, breeders and riders good luck in the 2024 season.

Text: NŽT

Foto: Dalibor Gregor