Starozhilovsky horse breeding plant

19.06.2013 13:59

The Russian riding breed horses are large beautiful animals of dark coat colors. These horses have been especially successful in dressage.  Selection works on the breeding of this breed began during the time of Empress Catherine II, they experienced a number of periods of flourishing and decline. Let us tell you about Starozhilovsky horse breeding plant which is the breed originator today.

Starozhilovsky horse breeding plant is located in a picturesque place in the Ryazan region. Its history goes back to 1893, when Baron Pavel Grigoryevich von Derviz bought part of the estates of Prince Orloff and Mr. Kanshin. The farm specialized in valuable breeds of horses and had three branches: Orlov-Rostopchin - designed for the preservation of the Russian riding breed; Trotters - for breeding the horses for hippodromes; and Heavy Horses - for agriculture. A year later, the owner of the plant received a certificate which allowed him to supply the plant’s breeders for the army needs. At the same time, he invited the architect Frantz Schechtel (creator of the facade of the Historical Museum in Red Square in Moscow) for the construction of the plant buildings.

A complex of the plant buildings had a total of twelve constructions: the Manor House, the breeding plant, a smithy, a water tower with utility wing, a house for workers, a structure for storing carriages and apartments of servants, the alcohol plant, the creamery and a generator to supply electricity, the cultural and entertainment center, an office building, a house for servants and so on. The estate had central heating and sewerage systems.

By the beginning of the new century, the number of heads at the plant exceeded 2,000, von Derviz employed about 90 workers. The breeding plant, purchasing elite horses in England, Belgium and Poland to improve the breeds, was considered one of the best in Russia. The riding horses from Starozhilov plant regularly showed good results at the races.

Collectivization and nationalization of production nearly stripped Pavel Grigorievich. After leaving his native Starozhilovo, he went to the station Hruschevo on foot to take a train to Petrograd. However, he was arrested and transferred to the Butyrskaya prison. It was the time when his former students started to ask for him to be released. They say that von Derviz was eventually awarded a diploma signed by Vladimir Lenin.

With regard to the plant, after nationalization in 1917, it became a base for the Red Army's horses. It contained trotters. In 1920, von Derviz started reading courses for the Cavalry, one of his students was the future Marshal of the Soviet Union, Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.

In the post-war period, the plant specialized in the breeding of trotters and heavy horses. But since 1961, they moved to the breeding of sporting Trakehner horses. Despite the fact that the work was done effectively and efficiently, in 1977, the breed was transferred to the Kaliningrad region.

From 1978, under the scientific guidance of the Timiryazev Academy Horse Breeding Faculty, the plant began the process of re-establishing of the Russian riding horse breeds out of crossbred Orlov-Rastopchin, Arabian, Riding and Trakehner breeds. Ayu-Dag and Agdam, sons of the famous Absent which worked with the Soviet Olympic Champions Sergey Filatov and Ivan Kalita, became the breeders. In 1980, the plant got the stallion Barin which successfully performed with the honored master of sports Yuriy Kovshov, they became the USSR Champions in dressage many times. Together with his brother Dixon, they performed during the Olympic Games in Seoul (1988) and Barcelona (1992).

Today, the Russian riding horses from the Starozhilovsky HBP are highly valued and included in the register of the valuable breeds of horses of the Russian Federation. In 2001, the handsome black Amaretto, which performed with the master of sports of the international class Inessa Poturaeva, was recognized as the best Russian dressage horse and a leader in the Central European area. He took the top places in the five stages of the World Cup.

Based on: www.history-ryazan.ru и www.starhorse.ru

Author: Edition