The 56th Hortobágy Equestrian Days will welcome its audience from July 12 to 14. Over the past decades, this series of events has grown into a significant and internationally recognized event in the region. Its main goal is to showcase and promote the past and present of the unique shepherd culture of Hortobágy, the horse breeding work of the Mátai Ménes, and the still-operational carriage collection.
The relationship between Debrecen and Hortobágy dates back to ancient times. Debrecen, a free royal city, founded the Hortobágy stud, which, with its history of over 300 years, is one of the oldest studs in Hungary. Debrecen’s stud is first mentioned in a 17th-century archival record. The Hortobágy plain belonged to Debrecen for centuries until 1948, and for a long time, the well-being of Debrecen’s citizens was ensured by the thousands of animals grazed on Hortobágy.
For those interested in the programs and visitors of the Hortobágy Equestrian Days, the event represents a renaissance of traditions and traditional crafts, offering 21st-century people the experience of time travel, connection, and the rediscovery of past knowledge and forgotten skills.
The host of the event on Saturday and Sunday, as in the previous year, will be Gábor Gundel Takács. The central theme of the 56th Hortobágy Equestrian Days will be the Stud Festival – a celebration of Hungarian horse breeding, held for the first time as part of the Equestrian Days to create a new tradition. Alongside the Mátai Ménes of Hortobágy, the other three state studs – the State Stud Farm of Szilvásvárad, the National Stud Farm and Tangazdaság Zrt. of Mezőhegyes, and the National Stud Farm of Bábolna – will present a half-hour program featuring parades of ornamental and sport carriages, as well as breeding animals in the central arena. The Stud Festival will welcome visitors all three days in the Stud Courtyard next to the four-season track. On Saturday, the Hortobágy stud will prepare a musical-dance performance with the cooperation of the Csokonai National Theater of Debrecen. After the performance, the audience can watch the traditional stud driving and the spectacular fire-horse stunt show. The stunning attractions will continue on Sunday: visitors can expect demonstrations of the five-horse and ten-horse teams of the plain, as well as horse stunt shows during the day, and a program by the Rapid Response Police in the afternoon.
The Children’s Horse Village will feature a variety of activities across thousands of square meters, including traditional games, a large straw castle, and the interactive Babtársulat for the little ones. Thanks to Kádár Ferkó’s Photo Theater, children can become time travelers for a picture, while the Hortobágy National Park Directorate’s craft activities will allow them to create small souvenirs.
The Children’s Horse Village stage will feature performances by the Garagulya Stilt-walker Comedy Company, the Debreceni Hajdú Dance Ensemble, the Debreceni Folk Ensemble, Gábor Boka, the Kuckó Art Workshop, the Langaléta Garabonciások, wandering musician László Gulyás, and the Csicsogó Theater, bringing the atmosphere of old fair comedians, wandering actors, and musicians to life.
The Mátai Ménes, with one of the largest horse populations in the country, operates as a significant horse breeding center in Hungary. It is an eternal experience to see part of this vast stud in the sunset of the plain or the foals during the stud driving. From Friday to Sunday, from noon until the evening, visitors can enjoy eye-catching and often astonishing horse programs and demonstrations. There will be show jumping competitions, a national cowboy championship, a combined carriage driving competition, a 3v3 carriage relay race, and a simultaneous carriage driving competition. The horse shows always captivate visitors, demonstrating the harmony and wordless connection that can exist between animal and human, horse and rider. The Hortobágy Gallop will take place on Sunday, with the winners of the regional qualifying races competing in the big National Gallop in the autumn.
Visitors coming from Debrecen will find it even easier to reach the event this year: thanks to a collaboration with DKV, a special shuttle service will transport passengers from Segner Square in Debrecen to the Horse Days on Saturday, in line with the event’s schedule.
At the event, visitors can taste traditional shepherd dishes, while the craft market offers a selection of handmade Hungarian goods.
For more details on programs and ticket purchases, visit the Hortobágy Equestrian Days website: [http://hortobagyilovasnapok.hu](http://hortobagyilovasnapok.hu).
Main picture: illustration.
