The First Memorial Day of the Hungarian Nobility on Horseback

The First Memorial Day of the Hungarian Nobility on Horseback began as an experiment. To our great delight, a significant number of families immediately expressed their openness to the initiative and offered their support. Through this initiative, we discovered that there is a vast body of material waiting to be explored, much of it fascinating from several different perspectives. This material is not only of historical significance but also deserves attention from the perspective of equestrian expertise, and it offers inspiration for contemporary art as well. Our intention is for this first Memorial Day to mark the beginning of a new tradition. We hope to continue this work annually, expanding the event and involving an increasing number of families. We are archiving the rich photographic material with the aim of publishing a book.

An important part of the event was the programme presented by descendants of historic Hungarian families, paying tribute to their ancestors. The folk dance performance by Széchenyi Krisztián and his wife, Petra followed by the equestrian and mounted archery demonstrations, all bore witness to the fact that respect for our ancestors remains alive among younger generations.

The photographs testify to how natural a part of Hungarian life the relationship with horses was until the 1940s. Much has changed since then, of course. Yet in today's digital age, horses do more than reconnect us with history: they also draw us back into the natural world. This is something we all increasingly need.

DATE

October 10, 2026

PROGRAMME

Opening Address

Szmrecsányi Márton, Head of the Szmrecsányi Kánság of the Kassai Horsearchery School.

Opening Dance

A traditional Hungarian folk dance performance by Széchenyi Krisztián and his wife, Széchenyi Petra.

Equestrian Demonstration and Lecture on the Role of Classical Haute École in Hungarian History

Dr Boór-Göblyös István, founder of the National Equestrian Academy, presented a demonstration of classical haute école riding, followed by an illustrated lecture exploring its role in Hungarian history.

Horsearchery Demonstration

A demonstration of archery, horsemanship and horsearchery by the Szmrecsányi Kánság.

Photographic Exhibition

We created an exhibition featuring enlarged reproductions of family equestrian portraits submitted by Hungarian noble families. A total of 78 photographs were presented. The collection also included photographs documenting historical events, such as an image taken during the recapture of Transylvania. The exhibition's most distinctive feature, however, was its personal character. Every photograph came from a family album and was included with the approval of the family members concerned. At the opening, we had the pleasure of meeting representatives of these families, who shared numerous personal memories and stories connected to the photographs.

We are deeply grateful to the Hungarian and Transylvanian families who participated — Bánffy, Bolza, Göblyös, Halmay, Hillier, RoyChowdhury, Kálnoky, Kulin, Somssich, Stiplicz, Széchy, Sándor and Szmrecsányi — for contributing their photographs and memories to the success of the exhibition.

Guided Tour

Dr Boór-Göblyös István offered visitors an interpretation of the photographs from an equestrian perspective, revealing aspects of the images that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Photographic Documentation: Mráz Edina

The event was made possible with the support of the Hungarian Academy of Arts (Magyar Művészeti Akadémia).