• Introduction by Eva Dusil • Editing by Gabriel Dusil • 2014 November

• From the time I was three years old, my mother and I would visit my grandmother in Keszthely, Hungary, during our summer holidays. Throughout the 1950’s the communist government allowed visits to neighboring socialist countries, only once every three years. In the 1960’s they changed it to every second year. We could only stay for three weeks at a time because my mother needed to return to work in Košice.  I was raised along the lines of what would be considered a latchkey child – high strung with a lot of energy. My Hungarian cousins, Zsuzsi and Tibor were younger than me, and weren’t ideal playmates. Furthermore, my aunt and uncle were very protective of their children. They wouldn’t allow anything that would ‘endanger their health’. So I would often go exploring by myself.

• In the summer of ’58, when I was twelve years old, I discovered there was a stud farm in the center of town. I wandered off to the stables many times to watch the horses as they went about their daily activities. Hungary was famous for breeding Arabian horses and other warmblooded horses. I watched these magnificent animals running and jumping in the fields. Soon enough the stablemen saw my curiosity and came to chat with me at the edge of their property. After a few visits they let me get a closer look. My ears would fill with their stories. This began a new chapter of my life.

• We returned to Keszthely in the summer of 1960. When my uncle Geza learned of my passion for horses, he managed to enroll me in the Keszthely farm’s riding school. By this time I had been riding for two years in Košice. My daily routine was to wake up at 5:30, and ride my cousin’s bicycle four kilometers to the stud farm. The mornings were cool and the uphill ride was arduous, but my heart beat with anticipation every time. My throat and lungs would hurt as I rode up to the farm. Every day I would clean the horses, saddle them, and out we went to the countryside. We would ride as a group through alleys lined with linden trees, green meadows, and eventually down to Lake Balaton to cool our horse’s legs. I tried my best to keep up with the adults who were mostly caretakers, maintaining the stables on behalf of the state. In those early days I was given calmer mares. As time passed I became one of the team. They treated me kindly, and held me in high regard, despite my young age. Throughout my teens I returned many times to this sanctuary. I fell in love with the farm, and it still fills me with fond memories. The saddest day was always our departure. For my mother, it was leaving her mother behind. For me I had to say goodbye to the horses, and to my friends. I always knew that I would not see them for at least two more years.

• When I was sixteen I again returned to Keszthely. On this visit the farm included me in an equestrian exhibition in Nagyvázsony. There was a parade for the tourists.  We also presented historical scenes in period costumes that included horses, such as war scenes. I also took part in parkour jumping for the onlookers. As a guest participant and foreigner, I was privileged to be part of this celebration. I was even paid for my participation.

Mamička

If you missed the other posts on Mamička, you can link to them here:

• 1 • Mamička
• 5 • Mamička & Taci • Wedding
• 19 • Mamička • Veterinarian
• 22 • Mamička • Keszthely
• 25 • Mamička • University
• 32 • Mamička & Taci
• 33 • Mamička • Horses
• 40 • Mamička • University

• Digital Photo Restoration

 • 8 minutes 16 seconds

• 1960 July • Keszthely, Hungary • Eva Kendeova

• 1960 • Toporec, Slovakia • Winning 1st in ‘L’ class Parkour jumping with Lisa

• Postscript from my Mom • 2014 November • This was taken after after my first competition at the age of 14. I won with my horse Lisa, who happened to be in good spirits that day. I received a crystal vase trophy.

• My mother won in the ‘L’ class competition that day.  These were jumps ranging from 100cm to 110cm.  The girl to her right was a fellow equestrian rider, around three years older than my mother.

• 1960 • Košice, Slovakia • Competing at the Veterinary College with Lisa

• 1961 • Barca, Slovakia • Walking Along the Train Tracks

• 1961 July • Spišská Nová Ves • Eva Kendeova

• 1962 July • Keszthely, Hungary • Eva Kendeova

• 1963 • Barca, Slovakia • On a filly at the Poľnohospodárska Technická School

• My mother was breaking young horses for her own use with the permission of the coop at the Poľnohospodárska Technická Škola in Barca. In all, she would break four horses during her studies there, and this was one of them. My mom would ride the filly to the local pub where the farmers and peasants would sit outside and enjoy their beer. When she touched the filly’s back it made him kick, since she was ticklish there. It was an amusing sight to the onlooking farmers.

• 1964 June • Barca, Slovakia • Poľnohospodárska Technická Škola

• My mother designed the layout for this class photo, and drew the school in the bottom right.  The early days of a budding artist.