Karoj Kotun, Paul Spears,
Dr. Attila Balogh

After a great trip to Paris for the Prix d'Amerique, I continued my travel to Budapest after receiving an invitation to give a presentation to Hungarian trotting enthusiasts. My host, Karoj Kotun of the Hungarian Breeders Association, arranged for my lodging at the Hotel Victoria along the "Buda" side of the Danube River (the city is divided into "Buda" and "Pest" portions by the Danube, and historically had been separate cities). Upon my arrival Karoj was my host at a local restaurant for a hearty dinner, including excellent Hungarian red wine. Hungary has a long and proud tradition as a producer of top quality wines. We discussed the history of Hungarian trotting stallions. To my surprise, I discovered that my father had owned and personally driven Optician 3, TT1:59 ($77,625) (Speedy Scot - Bifocals - Porterhouse) in the US before his subsequent export to Hungary. After his Hungarian breeding career, Optician then stood in Serbia. I must wonder if Serbian trotting enthusiast and NBA MVP Nikola Jokic has ever heard of Optician!

The next day Karoj took me to the majestic Kincsem Park racetrack, named after the famous Hungarian thoroughbred race mare Kincsem, who has the longest undefeated record of any racehorse of any breed, winning all 54 of her races from 1876 - 1880 including multiple Classic victories all across Europe. Kincsem Park hosts thoroughbred and trotting races, and even has greyhound races.

Kinczem Skeleton

In this beautiful setting, I spoke to Hungarian horse enthusiasts about breeding issues and about Hanover Shoe Farms. I received a wonderful signed print of trotting horses in racing action after my presentations. I toured the racing stable of Gyorgy Horvath and his wife Andrea Fazekas. Their stable had some American horses, including a Conway Hall and a Cantab Hall. Andrea's father is the leading trainer Imre Fazekas. Andrea works for the Breeders Association, and is vice president of FEGAT, the European amateur driving federation. Andrea ably represented Hungary in the US for an International amateur drivers competition, and did very well including a victory in one of the races.

Thereafter, Karoj took me on a tour of Budapest. We saw the statue of Anonymous in the City Park near the Vajdahunyad Castle. The statue is a tribute to an unknown historian of the early Magyars at the court of King Bela III (ruled 1172 - 1196). Legend claims that writers touching the quill of his pen will inspire their writing skills. We visited the Hungarian Agricultural Museum in the Vajdahunyad Castle, which had extensive exhibits related to Kinczem along with many interesting early Magyar artifacts. I learned that the Magyars originated somewhere near the Ural Mountains, as did the Finns and Estonians. Their close geographic origins explain why their languages have common elements.

Anonymous

Ag Museum

We toured Castle Hill, the location of the Buda Castle and its many attractions, including the Budapest History Museum and the Hungarian National Gallery. The ramparts of Fishermen's Bastion were the perfect place for breathtaking views of the Danube and the Parliament complex. You can see it all for yourself on YouTube! We also wandered around a huge farmer's market in the city center, featuring fresh meats, cheeses, produce, and most of all a cornucopia of farm fresh peppers of different colors, spice levels, and flavors. I never knew there were so many varieties of "paprika". We enjoyed a big lunch of real Hungarian goulash - a sort of pot roast with wonderful Hungarian spices - with a fresh baked full loaf of bread.

Parliament from Buda Castle

Parliament at night

My visit ended with my flight back to Paris, where I changed planes for my return to Dulles Airport and the US. A feature of my airport experiences during this trip was the very visible presence of Asian tourists were wearing surgical masks and respirators. Some were coughing. I wasn't sure what to make of this until news outlets reported on the novel and dangerous Chinese COVID respiratory virus that was sweeping the planet. I bought a surgical mask in the pharmacy at Charles De Gaulle Airport for nine Euros out of caution for my flight home, and didn't get immediately sick (though I have had COVID twice since then). The rest is history.