Paweł Popiel

Polish hippology’s expert, a writer, a landed proprietor. Aged 60, he acquired fame as a “mounted traveller all over Poland” to describe it in his reports.
In 1936, he received one of five the first Honorary Equestrian Badges (among others with the late marshal Józef Piłsudski and Polish Olympic medallists).

______________________________________________________________

Born on February 25, 1870 in Ruszcza near Kraków.

Paweł Popiel was not a count and he did not let for such a compellation to him. He managed the hereditary “Kurozwędzkie” goods and brought them to a high level (especially the woodland).

He had three passions. He dealt intensely with restoration of considerably cleared forests (1500 ha) to bring them to the very good condition. His second passion was writership that developed very intensely at a later period of his life. He published at “Sylwan” (a magazine for foresters) and at “Czas” and “Rolnik” magazines wherein he published systematically descriptions of his mounted travels all over Poland.

The third Paweł Popiel’s passion was horse riding and hippology. He ran a small stud farm (succeeded after his father) of Thoroughbreds and part-bred horses. He was considered as an authority at the horse pedigree field. He published books and articles on stud farms, e.g., “Monograph of the stud farm in Dzików” (Jeździec i Hodowca, 1936).

He worked with foreign equestrian magazines – „Sanct george zeitung”, „Die sportwelt”, „Le jockey”.

Thanks to this co-operation, he popularized Polish breeding and horsemanship. (…)

Read more… (click to go to Polish Digital Equestrian Library)

Author of the text: Elżbieta Perec