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Live chain held in Budapest to save horse tracks |
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Monday, 07 July 2008 |
Hungary's once-proud equestrian
traditions are in all but tatters now that its last racecourse,
named after the famous thoroughbred "Kincsem", faces closure. Around 150 people formed a live chain in Budapest on Sunday to
protest against plans to sell Hungary's last remaining racecourse.
The Association for the Future of Equestrian Sports in Hungary
organised the protest to call public attention to the planned
privatisation of Kincsem Park, said Zalan Horvath, the
organisation's secretary.
Around 3 billion forints were spent on developments at Kincsem
Park only three years ago and this will go to waste if the course is
sold and no more races are held, he added.
According to recent press reports, the Hungarian National Asset
Management company prepared a study on possible uses for Kincsem
Park. It found that closing the racecourse and selling the property
would be the most beneficial method to the state, though a decision
on its fate is still pending.
Kincsem Park is estimated to be worth nearly 20 billion forints
and the National Racing Company (Nemzeti Loverseny Kft) and the
Hungarian Race Course Betting Company (Magyar Loversenyfogadast
Szervezo Kft) have been loss-making for several years.
The association warned that selling Kincsem Park would put an
end to 180 years of equestrian sports in Hungary.
It was none other than Hungarian statesman Count Istvan
Szechenyi who was key to establishing regular horse racing in
Hungary at the start of the 19th century. Szechenyi headed up a
group of aristocrats who attended to the construction of a
racecourse in 1827, put up the first prize monies and went in for
quality in horse breeding, importing the first English thoroughbreds
to Hungary.
Among the highly successful race horses born in Hungary was
Kincsem, a filly, whose sire was owned by Queen Victoria. Kincsem's
career began in 1876 and over four seasons she won all 54 of her
races across Europe.
Kincsem, whose name in Hungarian means "my treasure," became
widely regarded as a national icon. A life sized statue of her is
near the stadium at Kincsem Park and her skeleton is on display at
the Hungarian Agricultural Museum.
Hungary's horse-racing traditions were much appreciated by the
British Royal Family. Prince Philip was a regular visitor and Queen
Elizabeth also admired Hungarian horses and its equestrian
traditions during her state visit in 1993.
One venue enjoyed by the Prince was the celebrated Kerepesi
trotting track -- where jockeys sat in small carts behind the horse.
It was sold off in 1998 and a huge shopping mall took its place in
2007.
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