|
In the dark of night, just two hours after midnight, the alarm clock went off. Feeding, bridling and saddling took a maximum of sixty minutes. Riding went on till nine o'clock, saddling up, getting off and wiping the sweat off each horse with straw. Only after that was there a moment for the men to consider their own stomachs. This was the daily regime at the training center led by Russian Osip Osipovich Slobodinský, a pioneer in equestrian sports who ran the center from 1927 until 1944. The same went for lunch. In the time from breakfast till the noon lunch hour saddles had to be cleaned and the horses fed and bridled. Lunch never took more than an hour, and from one to three was the time for the mandatory nap. After an hour of gymnastics for the men it was again time for another runaround, with each task having a specific time allotted to it. From four to five in the afternoon feeding, cleaning the harnesses and sweeping the grounds, after which evening training study and preparation for exercises went on until eight o'clock. After that the men finally had time off until two in the morning. This was the time when they crawled into their beds in their spartan rooms, where everything smelled of horses. Every day must have reminded them of their time served in army barracks. This is how the men remember their former lifestyle at the stud farm, and the famous riders František Hrúzik and Dominik Pružinský remember it the same way when they started work at the stud farm as fourteen-year olds.
The Horse Museum in Topoľčianky is a tabernacle. It bears witness to all the triumphs of the stud farm and its people. František Hrúzik also has his altar of glory at the museum; in the summer of 2001 he celebrated his seventy-fourth birthday. His trophies and diplomas are a testimony to his success in the past. In 1960 in Rome he was the first and to date only Slovak to participate in an Olympic Games in the equestrian events. He also raced in the Great Pardubice Steeplechase and competed as a rider in jumping, military, and carriage races. They say that whatever he took into his hands he did at least at the level of Czechoslovak champion.
Dominik Pružinský's medals (30. 7. 1921 - 23. 11. 1995) are also on display in the museum's vitrines. They will never forget this man who dedicated his entire life to horses. He had great success in dressage and grew rose to become one of the elite riders. For thirteen years he represented Czechoslovakia at major international competitions including the European Championships.
It became a tradition that not only tourists but every Czechoslovak president during his term of office honored the stud farm with his visit and rode in a carriage. The first was Tomáš G. Masaryk, who in contrast to his successors was the only president who rode in a carriage from only the train station to the stud farm. He loved to ride on the grounds, saddled on his brown horse, the Lippizaner stallion Hector. The wooden stand which he used to get in and out of his riding boots is on display in the museum; his initials T.G.M. are on the back side. The carriage which he used to ride from the station is also preserved in mint condition.
Next to "Masaryk's" carriage in the museum are others. Most are just used for display purposes, but the most luxurious of the lot, decorated with bordeaux-colored velvet, is still used on special occasions to carry distinguished guests: visitors from abroad, diplomats and presidents. The list of Czechoslovakia's past heads of state are engraved in gold letters into black marble and can be just after passing through the museum's main gate.
One visitor whom Topoľčianky is particularly proud have hosted is a former English jockey, now a world-renowned writer of detective stories set in the world of horses who has enthralled readers with his exciting stories, authentic equestrian atmosphere and sense of humor: Dick Francis.
Biggest achievements:
1959
II.place M-ČSSR – dressage Dominik Pružinský – Our Orange
I.place M-ČSSR – militari-František Hrúzik-Silná
1960
II.place M-ČSSR-dressage Dominik Pružinský-Our Orange
I.place M-ČSSR-military-František Hrúzik-Omen
Attendance at Olympic games in Rome-František Hrúzik-Omen
1962
III.place M-ČSSR-dressage-Dominik Pružinský-Ajax
1964
III.place M-ČSSR-dressage-team :
Jozef Varga-Jelka
František Krpala-Vietor
Dominik Pružinský-Chod
1966
I.place M-ČSSR-militari-Jozef Haspra-Svit
1967
II.place M.-ČSSR-dressage-Dominik Pružinský-Vietor
II.place M-ČSSR-militari-Jozef Haspra-Svit
III.place M-ČSSR.dressage-team:
František Hrúzik-Renata
František Krpala-Jemen
Dominik Pružinský-Vietor
1968
II.place M- ČSSR-dressage-Dominik Pružinský-Vietor
III.place M-ČSSR-dressage-František Krpala-Jemen
II.place M-ČSSR-dressage-team:
Dominik Pružinský-Vietor
František Krpala-Jemen
Jozef Haspra-Jelka
1969
II.place M-ČSSR-dressage-Dominik Pružinský-Jemen
III.place M-ČSSR-dressage-František Krpala-Vietor
II.place M-ČSSR-dressage-team:
Dominik Pružinský-Jemen
František Krpala-Vietor
Jozef Haspra-Svit
1971
II.place M-ČSSR-dressage-Dominik Pružinský-Jemen
I.place M-ČSSR-show-jumping-Jozef Varga-Dalibor
1973
II.place M-ČSSR-dressage-Dominik Pružinský-Jemen
1974
II.place M-ČSSR-dressage-Dominik Pružinský-Jemen
1976
II.place M-ČSSR-dressage- Dominik Pružinský-Jemen
II.place M-ČSSR-show-jumping-Milan Alakša-Parmezán
1977
II.place Grand Prix CSIO-show jumping-Milan Alakša-Parmezán
1983
II.place M-SSR-show-jumping-Milan Alakša-Marko
I.place M-SSR show-jumping-team:
Milan Alakša-Marko
Pavol Gašpar-Honor
Ing.Juraj Kovalčík-Flóra
1990
I.place M-ČSSR-pairs-František Kunský-Neapolitano VIII-45, Conversano IV-5
1993
World championship Gladstoun USA-pairs
František Kunský-Neapolitano VIII-45, Conversano IV-5
I.place M-SR-militari-Rudolf Kohút-Artik
1994
I.place M-SR-militari-Rudolf Kohút-Artik
1995
II.place M-SR-dressage-Rudolf Kohút-Magik
I.place M-SR-militari-Rudolf Kohút-Artik
1997
II.place M-SR-dressage-Rudolf Kohút-Magik
I.place M-SR-dressage-Viktória Rusnáková-Formát
1998
I.place M-SR-dressage-Rudolf Kohút-Formát
I.place M-SR-acrobatic riding-team-Calimero
I.place M-SR-acrobatic riding-Lucia Naštická-Carmen
World riding games Roma-acrobatic riding-Lucia Naštická
1999
I.place M-SR-dressage-Rudolf Kohút-Formát
I.place M-SR-dressage-Viktória Rusnáková-Formát
Championship of Europe-acrobatic riding-Martin Vaváček-Carmen
III.place M-SR-dressage-Lucia Naštická-Fária
World championship-pairs-Pavol Baláž-Conversano VI, Siglavy X
I.place M-SR-pairs-Pavol Baláž-ConversanoVI, Siglavy X
Championship of Europe-dressage-Viktória Rusnáková-Formát
2000
I.place M-SR-dressage-Rudolf Kohút-Formát
I.place M-SR-dressage-Viktória Rusnáková-Formát
I.place M-SR-pairs-Pavol Baláž-Conversano VI, Pluto VIII
2001
I.place M-SR-dressage-Rudolf Kohút-Magik
I.place-pairs-Pavol Gašpar-Aranka, Arkádia
World championship-pairs :
Pavol Baláž-Pluto VIII, Conversano VI
František Kunský-Siglavy X, Conversano VI
Championship of Europe-acrobatic riding-Anna Malíková-Carmen
|
