Kůň Kinský/Kinsky horse/Equus Kinsky
Each nation, anywhere in the world, has its national treasures. These prized objects are the work of insightful, magnanimous or ambitious forbearers, and the subsequent generations have an obligation to preserve these treasures for future ones. In the Czech Republic, the numerous castles and palaces, paintings and sculptures in the National Gallery and the Crown Jewels are among the best known and the most valuable historic landmarks and treasures. All these are objects created by people and have their own amazing history and “life”, but they are not alive. One of the few exceptions are Kinsky horses (Equus Kinsky), which represent a living treasure and cultural value of the Czech state.
Origins of breed
The Kinsky horse breed is among the most important original horse breeds in the Czech Republic, besides the Kladruber. The origins of this breed are connected with the Kinsky noble family. The first mention of this family dates back to the 13th century; they were characteristically Czech nobility, the members of which were promoted to counthood in 1628. Already under the stewardship of Ferdinand Kinsky (in the 18th century), the Chlumec manor was in charge of breeding horses with the royal commission (for military and economic purposes) as a part of the hereditary estate. They were already known at the time as the so-called palominos. Ferdinand’s eldest son Leopold was later responsible for the development of breeding, and Katerina Kinska quickly increased the popularity of these horses when she appeared in four-seaters drawn by her palomino horses at the celebrations held at the Congress of Vienna between 1814 and 1815.
The person central developing to the Kinsky breed was Count Oktavian Kinsky (1813-1896). He was a distinguished expert and diligent breeder. A single accident even played a part in the emergence of the breed when the Jockey Club in Vienna refused to register the count’s golden mare Themby II into the stud book of Thoroughbreds. As a result, he established his own horse breed – Chlumec palominos and buckskins. In 1832, he set up a stud farm at Ostrov near Chlumec nad Cidlinou, and from that year he started to maintain a stud book. Count Oktavian also organised the first English style fox hunt in Bohemia in 1836 and later (in 1874) helped to create the Velká Pardubická Steeplechase. From the beginning, the aim of the breed was a good quality hunting horse (for fox hunts). Later it was a steeplechasing (cross-country) horse. The stallion Caesar, son of Themby II, by the Thoroughbred Prince Djalma, is considered the foundation sire of the breed; along with stamina and hardiness, the horse often also passed on its golden colour, thus creating the base for the Chlumec palomino breed. Oktavian’s nephew Zdenko inherited the breed; he contributed a lot to its success, especially in horse racing (in 1901, already at an elderly age, he came in fourth at the Velká Pardubická Steeplechase on Magyarád). Another member of Kinsky family, Prince Karel Kinsky himself won the Grand National in Liverpool in 1883 on the mare Zoedone. Many of the Velká Pardubická Steeplechase winners include Kinsky horses: Magyarád in 1897 and 1900, Sláva in 1899, Pohanka in 1931, Norma in 1937 (famous because she was ridden by the only woman to win the Velká Pardubická Steeplechase, Lata Brandisová, the niece of Oktavian Kinsky) and Nestor in 1966.
The female family lines were valued in the original breed. The most important of these include: family N (established by a half-blood mare Nancy, e.g. the Velká Pardubická Steeplechase winner Norma comes from this family), family J (established by mare Hero I and continuing with Jitřenka), family Č (established by a mare Čita after Caesar), family M (established by the mare Jiskra), family O (established by A 1/1 mare Queen of Hearts, also the great dressage and jumping horse 556 DAF Ondráš was a member). On the male line, there were usually Thoroughbreds, e.g. Div, Diadém, Olin.
In 1948, the communists seized all the Kinsky estates, which led to a decline in the whole breed. The horses were sold, put down or crossbred with other breeds, and the breed was threatened with extinction. The Ministry of Agriculture and Dr Radslav Kinsky, who worked with the horses, helped save the Kinsky horses and transfer them to Slatiňany then to Kladruby in 1951. In Kladruby, a special herd was created from these horses. In the subsequent period, a lot of those horses were sold or crossbred with other warmbloods. A few of the mares became the property of agricultural companies, some of which were trying to preserve these mares and use their qualities in further breeding (e.g. State farm in Chlumec nad Cidlinou). Among the breeders who largely contributed to preserving Chlumec palominos are MVDr. V. Sixta in Týn n. Vltavou and Mr Frynta and J. Souček from Lípa u Hradce Králové.
At the beginning of the 1990s, the Kinsky family had the estates returned to them. However, they were not interested in horse breeding anymore. The Půlpán familyf, who bought the horses mostly from the recent recipients of the restitution, started with the breed on the stud farm in Ostrov, with much personal effort. The married couple re-named the stud farm Stud Farm Equus Kinsky and are still the greatest promoters and one of the greatest breeders of this breed in the Czech Republic, although they later moved with a part of the original herd of horses to Hradištko u Sadské. In 1995, Libuše and Petr Půlpán and some of their friends also contributed to the renewal of fox hunts in the Czech Republic.
Apart from the sport performance, this breed is also very desirable thanks to the reproduction of individuals in the appropriate colour. It is even the condition for be awarded the name “Kinsky” horse to have the palomino or buckskin colouring. Research into genetic creation of colours has progressed, too.
Characteristics and qualities of breed
Kinsky horse is a noble horse of medium body frame with fine lines, proportionally angular with a dry fundament without any apparent or congenital defects. Horse height at the withers is approximately between 15.3 and 16.3 hands. It has dry noble head with a prominent eye. The goal of breeders is a sport and recreation horse with excellent character, ease of riding and good movement mechanics. Yellow and fair colour should prevail. Palominos (with gold-yellow coat with a white mane and tail) and buckskins (tan coat with black mane, tail and black lower legs). There are also chestnuts, bay/brown horses, cremello (very light palomino with blue eyes – the coat is cream-coloured).
Kinsky horses are noble warmbloods that used to be called half-blood, which is probably due to the significant share of Thoroughbred blood. They have balanced movement, good jumping skills, are not fussy eaters and have also pleasant nature and high fertility.
Use of breed
The hunting ride gradually developed into steeplechasing. Until 1948, Kinsky horses were among the elite of steeplechase horses. Since 1874, the year of the inaugural Velká Pardubická Steeplechase, the Kinsky horses have won the race several times. The victory of the mare Norma became particularly famous because she won with Lata Brandisová, the first and last woman to ever win this difficult race. After 1948 and the transfer to the state stud farm in Kladruby nad Labem, they sometimes achieved good placing at the steeplechase, but they usually started to be crossbred with the warm-blooded stud.
Currently the Kinsky horses are used in eventing, dressage, show jumping, harness and hunting. They are easy to ride, which is why they are used as training horses and horses for children’s sport.
Breeding in the Czech Republic at present
After the Velvet Revolution, since 1991 to be precise, the married couple Petr and Libuše Půlpán have had the greatest influence on the Kinsky horses breeding. Also the former employee of the stud farm in Chlumec nad Cidlinou and later the head of the National Stud Farm Kladruby, MVDr. Norbert Záliš, had a role in the creation of brand Equus Kinsky. The Půlpán family is also behind the sporting successes of Kinsky horses. The stallion 556 DAF Ondřáš achieved great results in jumping and dressage in which he has become the Czech champion seven times. Polemik (784 Almhirt Kinsky) was great at show jumping. In western riding disciplines, the dun-coloured gelding Grand Kinsky won several titles. In 1997, the Kinsky horses were recognized as Czech hot-blooded horses, and in 2005 they were recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic as a separate breed. During the first decade following the recognition of the Kinsky horse breed, i.e. 2005 - 2015, a regeneration process was underway, aiming to build on the original Kinsky horses. During this period, great emphasis was placed on the ratio of original Kinsky horse genes (PG KK). A set of mares was selected, upon which the KK breed for the next period was based. At present, purebred breeding is preferred, with the aim of keeping the original genes of Kinsky horses in the population, together with the genes for cream colouring, although it is also desirable to use stallions of different colours. (Chestnut individuals are the best.) In exceptional case, Thoroughbreds or other warm-blooded stallions may be used for breeding to improve the movement mechanics and jumping abilities. The rule for giving names is that the foals from mothers registered in the main stud book and stud book in palomino and buckskin colour can have the name Kinsky. Kinsky horses are also popular abroad. Many of the horses were also sold abroad, mostly to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Holland, Belgium and the USA. Mare Johanka Kinska even joined the royal stable in the United Kingdom as a golden jewel for the 100th birthday of Queen Mother.
The breeders of this breed are associated in the Equus Kinsky Association with its headquarters at Hradišťko u Sadské. At the moment, the SCHKK works as an accepted breeding association, keeps a stud book, organises the performance trials of mares and stallions of this breed and the National Horse Show once a year. Kinsky horses were also presented, for example, at the fairs in Essen at Equitana, at Hengstparade at stud farm in Marbach near Stuttgart, repeatedly in Friedrichshafen, Pferde Wels in Austria and also in Hamburg at HansePferd or Grünne Woche in Berlin.
At present, the association has about 300 breeding mares and 15 breeding stallions of Kinsky horse in its register. The association itself is made up of more than 200 owners and fans of Kinsky horses.
B. Mieslerová, L. Gotthardová, P. Půlpán
