PL/EN

Honorary Patron: Polski Związek Jeździecki

Sponsor:

Guardians: Paulina Kucharska

Son of a cavalryman, a soldier from 25th Regiment of Uhlans of Great Poland. 13 times medallist of Championships of Poland in dressage and show jumping. The first Pole who prepared a horse for competitions of Grand Prix class. A coach of Polish Olympic Team for Olympic Games Moscow 1980 that won a gold medal (individually) and a silver medal (as a team). A graduate of Coach Study Centre at Academy of Physical Education in Poznań.

______________________________________________________________

Born at Wygoda estate near Janów in 1926 as a son of Aleksander and Zofia. His father was a cavalryman, a soldier from 25th Regiment of Uhlans of Great Poland.

A future champion started working with horses quite prosaically – from an agricultural labour. As a young boy (6. class of a primary school), he led horses out to meadows on the river Bug. He used to ride bareback and work as a harvester. In 1939, the World War II outbreak occurred. The herd and the stud farm were evacuated towards Romania to duck Germans. On 17th September, Russians attacked Poland, so the horses came back home after 2 weeks of march to avoid capture by Russians. Efforts of our grooms to rescue the herd and the stud farm failed because just after 2 weeks, Russians grabbed all horses and moved on Caucasus together with them. Later on, a border with Germany was settled on Bug River and the horses were left on Russian side. During German occupation, Germans redeveloped a horse breeding at Janów.

In 1941, Kowalczyk started working as a groom. Then German-Russian conflict outbreak occurred. In 1944, the front moved towards Poland and the horses were evacuated far inside Germany. During the war, he survived bombing of Dresden where he was together with the herd.

(…)

Author: Paulina Kucharska

You can find the whole article and other sources at Polish Digital Equestrian Library (click)

You can find links below to related materials in Polish Digital Equestrian Library.


Marian Kowalczyk died in Poznań on 29th August 2017, aged 93. He was buried at a cemetery at Nowina street in Poznań.


Polish Digital Equestrian Library:

Click the following links to go to related materials in Polish Digital Equestrian Library (they will open in a new page):

„Encyklopedia Mariana Kowalczyka” (2022) – Paulina Kucharska

„Marian Kowalczyk” (2012) – Witold Duński

„Marian Kowalczyk. Chcieć, nie udawać, że się chce” (2010) – Piotr Dzięciołowski

„Polscy Jeźdźcy na Igrzyskach Olimpijskich w latach 1912-1976” (1980) – Antoni Święcki

„Mistrzostwa Europy w skokach, Rotterdam 1979” (1979) – Władysław Byszewski

„Przegląd światowej czołówki skoczków u progu Igrzysk Olimpijskich w Moskwie” (1980) – Władysław Byszewski

„Zagraniczne występy skoczków w sezonie wiosennym” (1980) – Krzysztof Koziarowski

„XXII Igrzyska Olimpijskie Moskwa” (1980) – Eryk Brabec

IO Moskwa 1980 – Puchar Narodów i Grand Prix [RU] | FILM

„Jan Kowalczyk i Artemor” (1980) – Antoni Święcicki

Jan Kowalczyk – Artemor – IO Moskwa 1980 | FILM

Moskwa 1980 – Jan Kowalczyk – Wywiad | FILM

„Nie żyje Marian Kowalczyk” [link] (2017)


Recordings (In Polish):

A self-training horse:

Marian Kowalczyk`s horses:

Marian Kowalczyk about working with horses:

About Pedros:


Related articles:

XXII Summer Olympic Games – Moscow 1980

The Olympic Games where Polish horsemanship achieved the best results. 29 July 1980 – silver team medal (Jan Kowalczyk – Artemor; Marian Kozicki – Bremen; Janusz Bobik – Szampan; Wiesław Hartman – Norton). 03 August 1980 – individual gold Olympic medal – Jan Kowalczyk on Artemor.

Continue reading

Jan Kowalczyk

Jan Kowalczyk, coming from Cieszyn region, a sportsman, the greatest talent in the post-war history of Polish horsemanship. The Olympic champion and the runner-up – Moscow 1980.

Continue reading


Gallery: