Yes, phenomenal picture and excellent equitation! I don’t care what he’s wearing. And please do share more pictures. This is fascinating!
The Clover Horse
Years ago, in one of the Chronicle stallion issues was an ad with a cute horse face and the caption ‘got mares?’.
this was a small farm in the northwest, Oregon or Washington state, I think. They had the wonderful clover horse story on their website.
This was a clover horse stallion and I wish I had bred to him. I don’t know if those folks are still in business. I just tried to do a search (search the clover horse) to see if I could find the website, but I have dial-up and don’t have a couple of hours to go thru the results (I’m not at work :D).
Anyway, if someone wants to search and post that link (if it still exists) that would be great.
Beautiful horses, lovely countess, wonderful pictures (and your Dad looks great). The story of the countess and her horses always gets me crying (I’m such a sap :))
Such a cool story!!
One of Countess Bessenyey’s purebred Shayga stallions, Hungarian Bravo, was saved with his papers by Adele Furby after the Countess’s death. He was 24 at the time and had been scheduled to be euthanized. He went on to sire many foals, but died several years later after being struck by lightening. His story is at www.adeles-shagyas.com/Hungarian_Bravo.php .
This was one of my first questions when I was introduced to the breed and history. After meeting, knowing, owning these horses and some of the orginial breeders, I believe they were so special to their breeders they were almost kept as secrets. I mean that in the way we look at marketing and the world today. It was a different time and both Countess (who were not related) went to great efforts and expense to save these wonderful animals. I feel quite blessed to have been able to produce and have the ones I have.
The book by the way is The Heavenly Horses" by Virginia Weisel Johnson.
It has never been on Amazon when I’ve checked, I’ll have to check it out now. I only have 2 copies left.
Leah McGregor
www.hungarianhorse.com
Twenty some years ago I almost bought a horse from Port a Ferry Farm. Unfortunately, it failed the vet (though for something relatively minor). But they were really nce horses.
Phyllis Jones worked for the VA Countess for years and has many stories. I know she had a lot of respect for her.
My new book called STRIKE A LONG TROT Legendary Horsewoman LINDA TELLINGTON-JONES tells many stories of her relationship with both Countess Bessenyey and Countess Gyurky and their Hungarian horses. I was a student at Linda’s Pacific Coast Equestrian Research Farm and School of Horsemanship and knew many of these horses.
ZenDance - I bought that on Kindle. What a fascinating read!
In 1936 Countess Gyurky rode one of these Hungarian horses in the Hungarian Olympic selection trials and WON, but of course was not eligible to compete since she was a woman. But she made her point. Photo here: http://www.horsenation.com/2012/08/06/horses-in-history-a-hungarian-heroine-part-i/
Her story is astounding. I never met her, but know the person to whom she sold her farm and have spent much time there. Since she has a family member here on COH, Kap should be the one telling the stories, but I can’t say enough good things about “Aunt Judith” and the Magyar horses. I still own Magyar Inkle, who is a sister to my daughter’s late and most certainly beloved Magyar Io, and she also had the late Magyar Elizabeth.
[QUOTE=Kap;4864496]
I need to scan some more pictures of Aunt Judith. I have a bunch.[/QUOTE]
Kap, please, yes, scan more photos. This story needs to be told, needs to be remembered. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Proud owner of a Hungarian Horse here :applause:, and yes the stories behind how this breed was saved are amazing and heroic.
I have heard this story pop up here and there over the years.
I too wonder why no one has made it popular, it is a great story to tell and to re-tell.
Maybe someone can do so some day and so make it known, with all the interesting details, to the general public?
Thank you for all the interesting information and great pictures.
This is all very fascinating!
Can anyone give me a quick rundown on the different terms and/or breeds and/or strains? I’m seeing Hungarian Horse, Clover Horse (stable/breeding program name rather than breed, perhaps?), Shagya, and Furioso. Are all these distinct breeds supported by the two countesses, or just different terms for essentially the same breeding programs?
A lot are Kisber Felvers, which technically is “half bred” from the Kisber stud in Hungary, the other half being either Thoroughbred or Shagya Arabian. The Hungarian cavalry was the best in the world and was famous for its horses, bravery, and ability.
The Hungarians were/are extremely particular about what crosses are acceptable if not breeding pure Hungarian. Crossing with warmbloods doesn’t cut it. I think Arabian and TB are the only acceptable crosses, but I’m sure the more knowledgeable will join in. Don’t believe everything you read on Wiki.
There is a famous Trakehner sire who was actually a full Hungarian horse, but was entered into the Trakehner registry and so lists as that. This was not uncommon.
The Clover horse is not a breed, but a marking, analogous perhaps to the Arabian’s thumbprint of Allah or the Medicine hat marking. The Mark of Clover is a blueish clover shaped mark on the muzzle, extremely rare and said to bring great good luck. A Clover horse should never be sold. If it is separated from its family it’s said that a Clover horse will always find its way back someday.
A cross to pure TB is acceptable, and I’m sad to say that Io and Elizabeth both died unbred and I tried 3x with Inkle but she didn’t take.
[QUOTE=Anne FS;7121182]
A lot are Kisber Felvers, which technically is “half bred” from the Kisber stud in Hungary, the other half being either Thoroughbred or Shagya Arabian. The Hungarian cavalry was the best in the world and was famous for its horses, bravery, and ability.
The Hungarians were/are extremely particular about what crosses are acceptable if not breeding pure Hungarian. Crossing with warmbloods doesn’t cut it. I think Arabian and TB are the only acceptable crosses, but I’m sure the more knowledgeable will join in. Don’t believe everything you read on Wiki.
There is a famous Trakehner sire who was actually a full Hungarian horse, but was entered into the Trakehner registry and so lists as that. This was not uncommon.
The Clover horse is not a breed, but a marking, analogous perhaps to the Arabian’s thumbprint of Allah or the Medicine hat marking. The Mark of Clover is a blueish clover shaped mark on the muzzle, extremely rare and said to bring great good luck. A Clover horse should never be sold. If it is separated from its family it’s said that a Clover horse will always find its way back someday.
A cross to pure TB is acceptable, and I’m sad to say that Io and Elizabeth both died unbred and I tried 3x with Inkle but she didn’t take.[/QUOTE]
My new Hungarian filly can be registered as a “Sportlo” she is 1/4 Felver, 1/4 Old and half TB. Sportlo denotes a cross between a Felver and any European Warmblood. Felvers are full Hungarians or Hungarians crossed with full TB or Shagya Arab (correct me if I am wrong). My filly is is of the Furioso line.
Pa Rural, you are correct as far as my reading goes. My guy is also in the Furioso line, bred at Cooksley Ranch. You can see in his pedigree the extensive TB and Arab influence in the breed.
The Sportlos aren’t Kisbers but are the warmblood crosses. Unfortunately I guess there’s just not enough of the old blood around anymore so I think the rules were changed to accept them. But Sportlos aren’t the same horse that Countess Gyurky was breeding.
When I was learning about the Hungarian horses and the Kisber Felvers I mentioned a potential stud to someone of the Aunt Judith school and was met with utter silence. Conversation OVER. :lol: The other person with me told me afterwards don’t ever, ever, EVER say you’re breeding a Magyar mare to a warmblood.
I’m not knocking anybody’s Sportlo, so don’t get up in arms, but the topic of this thread is Judith Gyurky and her horses, which have pretty much trickled away into history.
On a happier note, I once knew a State Police officer with the mounted department who raved to me about this horse that had been donated (he was in charge of the mounted unit). He went on & on about the uncanny mental attributes of this horse as well as its physical talent. Physically adept horses he’d had lots of but he said he’d never had a horse with the mind of this one. Turned out the horse was a Hungarian, I believe from the Cooksley ranch. This man had never even heard of Hungarian horses until then. He ended up getting one for his son and that horse competed in eventing, jumpers, and polocrosse.
Wow, I briefly worked at Port-A-Ferry briefly during law school, and can you believe I was just mentioning it to someone last week :eek:? It was a wonderful place where I learned many things, and I only quit because it was interfering with my class work. Countess Gyurky was dead by then (1990) but I remember her son. I can’t remember his name but, Kap, I’m guessing he was your great uncle. Port-A-Ferry was managed (or owned?) by a hunter trainer named Robin at the time. I often wonder what happened to the people and the horses. Though I’m terrible with names, I remember all the personalities, equine and human.
