The Hungarian racehorse Kincsem

As most of you know who have read my about me page, I was a jockey in Hungary.

One of the best racehorses ever was a Hungarian mare called Kinscem and the only racecourse in Budapest was named after her “Kinscem Park”

I seen this post on a Facebook page I’m on and asked the person if he would mind if I shared it here on my website. So here is the amazing story of the Hungarian racehorse Kincsem.

Kincsem the Hungarian wonderhorse

The legendary Kincsem (whose name means “my treasure”) a liver chesnut filly foaled in 1874, by Cambuscan out of Water Nymph was the most successful thoroughbred race horse ever, winning 54 races from 54 starts.

Her Wins

She was bred in the Gestüt Tápiószentmárton in Austria-Hungary. She raced from the ages of two to five, in five different countries. Her victories included the Magyar One and Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, Oaks Stakes and St Leger Stakes, the Preis der Jockey Club and the Emperor’s Prize in Austria-Hungary, the Kladruber Criterium in Bohemia (now part of Czechoslovakia), the Grosser Preis von Baden-Baden (three times) and the Grosser Preis von Hannover in Germany, the Grand Prix de Deauville in France, and the Goodwood Cup in England.

A horse like no other

Not only was Kincsem an extraordinary racehorse, she also exhibited some extraordinary eccentricities. It is reputed that one cold night her lad, Frankie (who went by the name of Frankie Kincsem and always signed his name as such), had no rug so she removed her own to cover him and from then on would never wear one.

At the end of a race, Herr Blaskovitch, her owner, would present her with flowers, which she liked in her brow band; and on one occasion when he was delayed she refused to be unsaddled until the flowers arrived.

She was particular about her oats and water and would only have those from her home. Once she refused water for three days until some with a similar taste was found. She travelled thousands of miles across Europe by train and would happily settle down for a long journey as long as both Frankie and her cat were in attendance.

Her Stud Career

Kincsem had a rather short life – dying at the age of thirteen. Although she only produced five foals, three of which were fillies, she became a fairly influential broodmare in Eastern Europe; her daughters and the progeny of her daughters winning many of the top eastern European races. Unfortunately the vagaries of European conflicts and revolutions have taken its toll and very few of her descendants survive.

She is a direct female line antecedent of Camelot, winner in 2012 of the 2000 Guineas and the Derby. She also appears in the pedigree of Animal Kingdom, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup, Annie Power, winner of the Champion Hurdle and Don Cossack, winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

A Film made about her

Racing in Hungary is not that big so having a film made about Kincsem was a big thing. It was very popular in Hungary.

Although they made a mistake as one of the horses they used was a gelding, so they hadn’t thought it through that well.

The only other horse in Hungary to be as popular as Kincsem was the ill fated Overdose. Who died of colic at a stud in Germany after only one covering season.

This picture of Kincsem is in the paddock at Iffezheim with Otto Madden in the saddle.

The second is during her running in the 1878 Grosser Preis von Baden Baden, in which she dead-heated with Prince Giles the First (he is just seen to the right), who was reputed to be the best horse in Germany at the time. She was giving Prince Giles the First about fifteen pounds. Rather than share the prize her owner decided in a run-off, which she won by five lengths.

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Hungarian racehorse Kincsem

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