Andrzej Gniazdowski

A veterinary legend, an outstanding horse specialist. He took charge of the stud farms in Łąck, Stubno, Strzegom, Książ and Pępowo, and has been the main vet at Golejewko Stud Farm for 30 years.

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He was born in Miszewo Murowane, Mazowieckie voivodship, on 29th September 1941. He died on 28 November 2020 in Golejewko where he was buried, too.

Andrzej Gniazdowski was bound with horses from a child and love of them was instilled in him by his father, Jerzy Gniazdowski. Andrzej Gniazdowski finished the general secondary school in Strzelce Opolskie in 1959. At first, he planned to study zootechnics, however he was convinced by his father to study veterinary medicine; in 1966, he became a graduate of Veterinary Medicine Faculty at Agricultural Academy in Wrocław and consequently obtained a title of a veterinary surgeon.

Then he took charge of the stud farms in Łąck, Stubno, Strzegom, Książ and Pępowo. In 1972, while induced by Maciej Świdziński, he started working in Golejewko where he has dealt with the stud farm for 30 years. Here, he reached the greatest renown thanks to the mare Konstelacja that won Derby and Oaks; she was also the best mare in Poland anent offspring. When it appeared that she had volvulus, he launched a successful surgical operation that was the first such an event within history of the stud farm in Golejewko.

Within his professional career, Andrzej Gniazdowski organized a veterinary clinic in Pakosław, with its seat in Golejewko (1973), Cow Infertility and Udder Disease Control Centre in Rawicz (1979), and he also worked at Regional Veterinary Medicine Inspectorate where he performed a function of its manager in the period of 1988-1995. Together with his son Maciej, he ran his own clinic established in 1966 where he dealt mainly with treatment of horses (reproduction disorders, obstetrics, insemination). He was an active vet until the last moment and visited breeders at Great Poland, Lower Silesia and Lubusz voivodship.

Andrzej Gniazdowski is the author of the book “When a horse falls ill” that is a guide for young veterinarians.

Author: Jerzy Gniazdowski