Best of Budapest & Hungary

The 55th Hortobágy Equestrian Days have started on Friday with the Csaba Dunka memorial race and will run until Sunday evening, the organizers have told MTI.

Bernadett Fülöp, the chief organizer and managing director of the Hortobágy Nonprofit Ltd., called the most important goal of the Equestrian Days the presentation of cultural and national values, the living of the equestrian traditions, the past and present of the pastoral culture typical of Hortobágy, as well as the work of the Máta stud farm, the horse breeding and the collection of horses still in use and in operation today.

During the three days at the Máta racecourse, there will be a horse and stallion show, a parade of stallions, carriages and horses, a stallion championship, a dressage competition and a children's program.

In addition to the equestrian program, the public will be entertained by folk dance troupes, puppeteers, comedians, stilt walkers, travelling musicians and storytellers, but also craft activities and a folk fairground for children, the organizers said.

They also drew attention to the fact that on the closing day of the Hortobágy Equestrian Days, Sunday, the preliminary round of the National Gallop, the Hortobágy Gallop, will be held for the fifth time.

The competition will start at 10 am on Sunday, the finals will take place from 4.30 pm and the Hortobágy Gallop race will end with the announcement of the results.