World-class equestrian venue – check. Entries including Olympians, CCI5* winners, World and European Championships combinations and Nations Cup representatives – check. All set in gorgeous grounds in an area steeped in history, culture and heritage – check. This is Baborówko.
A place that truly champions equestrian sport, Baborówko is an agritourism and events venue with horses at its heart. The Equestrian Center Palac Baborówko, run by the Święcicki family, offers riding lessons as well as running dressage, show jumping, driving and eventing competitions, including World Cup Qualifiers and Nations Cup events. It plays host to the national Youth Olympics in all three disciplines as well as having twice hosted the Polish Senior Eventing Championships and serves as the long-term host of the Polish Eventing Cup. The site is also the base for National Eventing Team camps and training events, in association with the Polish Eventing Association, with Baborówko Equestrian Association representatives 4* eventer and European Championships rider Pawel Warszawski and Tokyo Olympian Malgorzata Cybulska permanently based at the facility. In addition to the competitive events held at the impressive grounds, the center holds an annual auction of foals expected to go on to successful careers in the show jumping ring.
Show day. Photo by Marta Flatow courtesy of Baborówko Equestrian.
A PLN 3.2 million investment in 2020, co-financed by the Ministry of Sport, including the Physical Culture Development Fund and Sporty Poland and the Local Sports Infrastructure Development Program, saw upgrades which allow riders to prepare for competing on the world stage in appropriate technical conditions. Two new arenas featuring an ebb and flow system with a quartz substrate and subsurface system and a 10,000 sq. meter grass surface stadium with a professional drainage system allowing regulated irrigation of the ground have resulted in benefits to both horse and rider in terms of comfort and safety in the dressage and show jumping phases, and a 1,000 sq. meter water complex has added a new dimension to the cross country course.
All these superb facilities are put on show at the annual Equestrian Festival Baborówko, one of the largest equestrian events in Poland, with a purse of up to €70,000, where European eventers get to test their mettle over three days of top-class sport, co-organized by the Baborówko Equestrian Association and the Equestrian Center Palac Baborówko. Coming up this year May 22-25, the Festival holds international divisions from 1*- Intro through 2*-S, 3*-S, 4*-S and 4*-L, as well as a 2*-S for young horses and, new for this year, a CCN100 class of national rank.
Austrian Olympian and World Championships combination Lea Siegl and DSP Fighting Line won the CCI4*-L last year. Photo by Kasia Pakula courtesy of Baborówko Equestrian.
The Festival is a huge draw for top riders and there’s impressive talent on show – Austria’s Lea Siegl won the 4*-L last season with DSP Fighting Line, the horse which helped her to a top-15 place at her first Olympics in Tokyo and top-25 at the World Championship in Pratoni – and it tracks that success at Baborówko leads to subsequent success later in the season. Austrian Olympian Harald Ambros was 4th in the 4*-L with his Paris ride, Vitorio du Montet, before heading to the Games and finishing just outside the top-10.
Germany’s World Championships team gold winners Christoph Wahler and Carjatan S have seen success in the 4*-S at Baborówko. Photo by Tilly Berendt.
In the 4*-S division, Germany’s Christoph Wahler won for the second consecutive year with his Paris Olympics and 5* runner-up horse Carjatan S; in 2023 he went on to finish 4th in the highly-regarded 4*-S at Aachen and at the European Championships at Le Pin au Haras. Belgium’s Lara de Liedekierke-meier was second to Wahler in the 4*-S with Ducati D’Arville before coming 6th at Aachen the following month; she was 7th with homebred Hooney D’Arville, going on to deliver Belgium’s first ever 5* win at Luhmühlen on the mare’s step-up to the level. Similarly, Switzerland’s Felix Vogg won the 4*-S at Baborówko in 2022 with his Tokyo ride Colero, before the pair made their 5* debut at Luhmühlen and took the title, the first Swiss rider to do so since 1951.
Germany’s Julia Krajewski with her Olympic mount Nickel 21 in the CCI3*-S at Baborówko before going on to produce some exciting results later in the season. Photo by Marta Flatow courtesy of Baborówko Equestrian.
It’s not just the 4* competitions that pull in the big guns. The 3*-S last season drew the likes of German Olympic gold medalist Julia Krajewski with her ultra-talented gelding Nickel 21. He finished 5th in the class and continued his season with a top-10 result in the 4*-S at Luhmühlen; a win in the 4*-S at Aachen; 11th place at Paris; another win in the 4*-S at Strzegom, and then wrapped things up by taking the title at the 4*-L Nations Cup event at Boekelo. Baborówko showcases some serious quality, that’s for sure, and it’ll be exciting to see the combinations on the list for this year’s 17th edition of the Festival – entries coming soon!
Kids line up on their trusty steeds for the hobby horse competition. Photo by Marta Flatow courtesy of Baborówko Equestrian.
A true family-style event, the team at Baborówko pull out all the stops to ensure that everyone – from spectators and volunteers, to judges, riders and their wider teams – feels part of this very special community. As well as top-class sport, visitors to Baborówko can expect a whole heap of entertainment, including meet and greets with the riders, visiting the varied attractions provided by partners of the event, concerts and shows, including an exciting car-carriage relay, and young equestrians can get in on the act too, with a fancy dress dress competition for kids and their ponies and of course, the newest craze to hit the equestrian world, hobby horsing! Thousands of people descend on the area each year to get in on the action and have fun with their families and friends, both old and new.
An event not to be missed. Photo by Marta Flatow courtesy of Baborówko Equestrian.
From the spectacular venue, world-class arenas and lush cross country course overlooked by the ivy-covered Palac, all of which draw in star-studded entry lists, to the surrounding area filled with history, heritage and culture, the Equestrian Festival Baborówko is an event which showcases European eventing at its best and is surely one that’s not to be missed. If you’re lucky enough to be able to make the trip, keep an on the Baborówko Equestrian website and social channels for upcoming ticket sales. You can catch all the action May 22-25 by using the following links:
[Website] [Entries / Results] [Live Stream] [Instagram] [Facebook]
Calendar of Events at Baborówko Equestrian:
Baborówko Equestrian Festival – May 22-25
Baborówko Jumping Show and Foal Auction – August 8-10
Baborówko Driving Show September – 25-28
