Moszna Stud Farm

Three years running – in 2009, 2010 and 2011 – the Velká Pardubická, Europe's biggest steeplechase, was won by the same horse: Tiumen, ridden by Josef Váňa. He was born at the stud in Moszna, which since 1948 has occupied the historic stables beside the fairy-tale palace of the Tiele-Winckler family. It is a working breeding centre for racehorses and sport horses, and also a place where you can ride or simply look into the stables.

History: 25 mares in a count's stables

The stud was founded in 1948 on the initiative of Colonel Skolimowski, its first director. 25 Thoroughbred mares were brought to the estate buildings of Count von Tiele-Winckler, the pre-war owner of the palace, and housed in perfectly preserved stables dating from 1910. At first Fjord mares were kept here too; in 1961 they were exchanged at the Nowielice stud for mares carrying the blood of Gryf Pomorski – and so Moszna became Poland's first centre for breeding horses for top-level sport. After decades in state hands, the stud was privatised in February 2001, keeping its historic name.

Horses with a record

Horses from Moszna have won more than 200 named races in Poland, the Czech Republic, Italy and England. Its home-bred horses have won the Polish Derby five times and Derbies abroad twice; the stallion Galileo won the Queen Mother's prize at Cheltenham in England in 2001, and the mare Demona won 14 of her 18 starts at Warsaw's Służewiec track. Moszna's warmbloods compete successfully in show jumping and eventing, with a win in the opening class of the world championships in Leipzig and qualifications for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Today the herd numbers about 200 horses of both breeds, and the stud manages some 250 ha of parkland, pasture and meadow.

Did you know?

• Zofia Poźniak, wife of long-serving director Jan Poźniak, founded Poland's first basset hound kennel here in Moszna.
• On the night of 1–2 December 2025 a fire destroyed the historic foaling stable, where foals had been born for years, together with two staff flats. No people or horses were harmed, and a fundraiser was launched for the rebuild, estimated at around half a million złoty.

For visitors

The stud is open to visitors and shows how breeding works. There is a small zoo, accommodation, an indoor riding hall and training arenas; riding lessons, hippotherapy, riding camps and show-jumping competitions are organised here. The stud also holds exams for the Polish bronze, silver and gold riding badges.

Tripto tip

Moszna lies in the Strzeleczki district, about 18 km from Krapkowice on the road to Prudnik, and the stables are a short walk from the palace – combine both in one day. Book rides in advance, and remember this is a working stud: don't feed the horses or enter the paddocks without staff.