On August 10-11, 2024, the Slovak Dressage Championship was held at the Topoľčianky National Stud Farm. Of the four announced categories, three were opened based on the fulfilment of the qualification criteria for the riding pairs - the children's category, younger juniors and older juniors. Unfortunately, the young rider category did not open due to the lack of the minimum number of participants.
On July 21, 2024, popular horse races were held again in Topoľčianky. It was the eleventh horse race day in Slovakia this year and the second in Topoľčianky. The pleasant summer weather attracted more than 2,000 fans of this adrenaline-fueled equestrian discipline.
On July 6-7, 2024, the first of three planned dressage events took place at the National Stud Farm. Competitions were held at levels from "Z" to "T", including tasks for young horses.
As part of the first foreign visit at the level of agricultural ministers today, July 1, 2024, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic, Richard Takáč, welcomed the Minister of Agriculture of the Czech Republic, Marek Výborný. The topics of the joint talks were mainly the common agricultural policy, imports of agricultural commodities from Ukraine, problems with large carnivores and deforestation.
After a break of several years, the penultimate weekend of June 2024 saw the return of international driving competition at the Topoľčianky National Stud Farm, with the Slovak Championship taking place at the same time. Preparing such an event is one of the most demanding of all equestrian disciplines, both organizationally and financially.
PROGRAM:
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Horse loading
8:30 AM Passport check, horse measurement
9:30 AM Pre-selection Presentation of horses at a walk and trot on hand, at ease, followed by evaluation of the pre-selection.
10:00 AM HORSE PERFORMANCE TESTS
10:15 AM Performance tests: type, exterior, arrival (dressage)
11:15 AM Performance tests: marathon, dressage test, driver's show.
3:00 PM Evaluation and recording of performance tests.
On the penultimate weekend of May, the first of this year's sports events took place in the grounds of the National Stud - the May Prize of the National Stud Farm Topoľčianky. More than 120 riding pairs from all over Slovakia and the Czech Republic came to test their strength, which resulted in 330 starts. Competitions were opened from the ZM to M (130 cm) level. As part of this event, one of the qualifying rounds of the Young Horse Criteria, which is covered by the Association of Horse Breeders in Slovakia, was held. The rich audience backdrop made the atmosphere of the entire event pleasant.
SELECTION COMMISSION
1st 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.
On April 17, 2024, as part of her visit to Topoľčianky, the President of the Slovak Republic, Zuzana Čaputová, visited the Topoľčianky National Stud, thereby maintaining the tradition established by the first Czechoslovak president T.G. Masaryk, when each of the former Czechoslovak and Slovak presidents visited the National Stud.
National stud farm "Topoľčianky" s.p. welcomed farriers from all over Slovakia to a farrier seminar on 12.-13.4. 2024. The seminar was attended by members of the Slovak farrier's guild and farriers of the National stud Topoľčianky. The topic of the seminar was Foals and hooves position errors. The speaker was MVDr. Zdeněk Žert, CSc., who on Friday started the first theoretical lecture on hooves position, deformities in foals and ways how to solve them. In the afternoon, there were practical demonstrations and solutions for deformities on foals of 1 year of age at the Breziny breeding facility, which is used for breeding stallions of all breeds. After the practical demonstration, the seminar continued with a joint dinner connected with a discussion on the topic of Cooperation with hooves trimmers. On the second day, the theoretical lecture of MVDr. Z. Žert, CSc. continued. The practical part on Saturday took place at the breeding facility Rybník, which is the highest located facility at an altitude of 450 meters with the breeding of young Arab and Slovak warm-blooded mares, and at the Insemination and Reproduction Center Krásny Majer with the breeding of the Slovak warm-blood breed, where farriers focused on foals after birth.
On April 5-7, 2024, a driving training session organized by the SJF Driving Committee in cooperation with the National Stud was held on the premises of the Topoľčianky National Stud.
The LIPICANY calendar from the Topoľčianky National Stud was published by the Topoľčianky National Stud. in honor of the entry of the Lipizzan breed into the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the name Lipizzan Breeding Traditions. The author of the pictures is the artistic painter Marek Maest, who this time immortalized the Topolčianky Lipizzaners in pencil drawings. The collaboration resulted in an elegant 14-sheet wall calendar, which we decided to enter in the 32nd year of the competition - The Most Beautiful Calendar of Slovakia 2024. The aim of this competition is to highlight and promote a significant culturally-socially, informationally and artistically valuable product. The main organizer of the competition is the Club of Photojournalists of the Slovak Syndicate. The LIPICANY calendar from the Topoľčianky National Stud 2024 was successful in the category Corporate reproductions of works of art on a beautiful 3rd place. The diploma for the placement was presented at the ceremonial evaluation of the competition and the opening of the exhibition in the State Science Library in Banská Bystrica. Subsequently, the exhibition and our calendar will travel to libraries throughout Slovakia, or you can still purchase the last pieces at the Topoľčianky National Stud.
On March 2, 2024, a breeding seminar was held again in the premises of the National Stud. Its focus was primarily dedicated to horse breeders, but it was accessible to all horse lovers who were interested in participating. The event was supported by the presence of private breeders, interested parties from all over Slovakia, as well as members of the PZ SR from the equestrian police department from Košice and Bratislava.
National stud farm "Topoľčianky" š.p. published a catalogue of breeding stallions of the Lipizzaner, Hucul horse, Shagya-Arab and Arabian thoroughbred breeds operating in the National Stud and in the Slovak land breeding in 2024.
In the catalogue you will also find complete services in the field of reproduction that the National Stud provides in its Insemination and Reproduction Centre Krásny Majer.
We hope that the information you will find in the catalogue will help you choose the right stallion for your mares, and the owners of breeding stallions will expand their circle of satisfied breeders. Our goal is that rare genetic resources are maintained in the required number, favourable lineal and family representation, while maintaining biodiversity.
It is once again packed with breeding, sports and social events.
The calendar starts already at the beginning of March with the Breeding Seminar focused on the legislation connected with horse breeding in practice and the presentation of breeding stallions for the following breeding season. Other breeding events will continue in the course of the year, traditionally with breeding evaluations and performance tests in spring and autumn.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Richard Takáč visited the National stud farm "Topoľčianky" š.p. at the beginning of the new year. Accompanied by the director of the stud farm, Michal Horný, he inspected the historic building of the riding school and the breeds of horses that the National Stud Farm has been breeding since 1921.
The visit also included demonstrations of the training of young and sport horses at this center. The head of the department also visited the Insemination and Reproduction Center at the Krásny Majer facility, which is the only one of its kind in Slovakia and provides services in the field of reproduction not only for the needs of the stud, but also breeders in Slovakia and abroad.
This year's breeding season at the National Stud began on January 7. In this period, the first foal was born at the breeding facility Rybník. It is the noble filly Tobrok IV-11, which is doing very well.
The foal's mother is the thoroughbred Shagya-Arabian mare 826 O'Bajan V-4, and the father is the thoroughbred Arabian stallion – Tobrok IV (Uzaar). More than 80 foals of all breeds bred by the National Stud are yet to be born at the stud.
The stud farm will officially open its sports, tourist and breeding season on May 1 with the traditional Open Day.
Even this year, the little ones did not miss the arrival of Saint Nicholas at the National Stud in Topoľčianky. Traditionally, it was preceded by a rich accompanying program. However, the biggest attraction for the audience was the fairy-tale story, which unfolded in the magical atmosphere of the approaching Christmas holidays right in the historic riding hall of the stud until the arrival of Saint Nicholas himself and his entourage.
On November 14, 2023, the Topoľčianky National Stud welcomed the ambassadors of the countries that participated in the entry of the "Traditions of Lipizzan horse breeding" element into the UNESCO list for the protection of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. J.E.Stanislav Raščan (Ambassador of Slovenia), Csaba Balogh (Ambassador of Hungary), Călin Fabian (Ambassador of Romania) and Aleksandar Heina (Ambassador of Croatia) honoured Žrebčín with their visit.
