Bulgaria's oldest stud farm preserves endangered breeds

published on 11/6/24 8:38 PM

Photo: Kabiyuk State Enterprise

The "Kabiyuk" horse breeding farm in the village of Konyovets is the oldest stud farm in Bulgaria, founded in 1864 by Midhat Pasha, the governor of the vilayet of Ruse, to produce horses for the Turkish army. The farm existed until the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) and the subsequent liberation of Bulgaria.

It was restored in the autumn of 1894. Since then it has been running without interruption, recalls the farm's manager, Martin Marinov. He admits that breeding horses is not easy, the biggest challenge being to turn these beautiful animals into true companions.

"I would recommend that tourists visit the residence of Prince Alexander of Battenberg, which is open to the public. It houses the largest horse museum on the Balkan Peninsula, featuring authentic artifacts, where visitors can immerse themselves in an atmosphere filled with the sound of pounding horses' hooves. We currently breed seven breeds, three of which are indigenous: the East Bulgarian breed, the Pleven breed and the Shagya Arabian breed. Our stud farm doesn't need to change, it just needs to exist, and we need to preserve what has been entrusted to us.

The breed with the highest market value is the East Bulgarian horse - the breed is protected from extinction, but due to a number of factors it has been in the highest demand for years.

The value of such a horse reaches 25-30 thousand EUR, depending on its physical condition, where it has been trained, what competitions it has won. Our horses are always at the top of the competition charts."

160 years since the establishment of Kabiuk, the first stud farm in Bulgaria

In 2020, the Livestock Breeding Act granted Kabiyuk protected status as a state enterprise with a primary focus on preserving indigenous and other valuable breeds from the national livestock gene pool.

"The activities of the Kabiyuk State Enterprise are supported by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food to preserve this national treasure for future generations. Many breeders have gone through the Kabiyuk school. The horses bred by us have won numerous competitions and made the stud internationally known," said Deputy Minister of Agriculture Deyan Stratev at the 160th anniversary celebration of the Kabiyuk horse breeding farm in early November.

"There are few institutions that can boast a history longer than that of the modern Bulgarian state," recalled Yavor Gechev, presidential adviser on agriculture and former minister of agriculture, adding:

"The first flag of Bulgaria was a horse's tail. It is said that the ancient Bulgarians were born and died on horseback. There is nothing that carries the identical genes, the history of the Bulgarian nation, more. It is a sacred work, preserving the symbol of Bulgarian identity. I wish that the Kabiyuk horse farm will live up to its history and that its future will be brighter than its past, and its past is very bright indeed!

After dozens of congratulatory speeches and letters were read, long-time employees were honoured for their contribution to establishing Kabiyuk State Enterprise as a leading horse and sheep breeding company in Bulgaria, as well as to the preservation of indigenous cattle and sheep breeds. The guests also enjoyed a parade of stallions and mares of the 7 elite breeds - Purebred Arabian, English Thoroughbred, Shagya Arabian, East Bulgarian and Pleven, as well as a herd of Haflinger and Scottish ponies.