EVERYTHING BEGINS IN 1899. THAT WAS THE TIME (STIL IN XIX CENTURY) WHEN WAS BORN THE BRAVEST AND THE MOST FAMOUS HORSEMAN OF OUR FAMILY- LUDWIK FERENSTEIN. FOR HIS CASE, NEXT GENERATIONS WILL PROBABLY HAVE A HABIT OF GETTING ON A HORSE BEFORE TAKING THE FIRST STEPS. ANYWAY , AT THAT TIME IT WAS QUITE COMMON. THE MOST EXCEPTIONAL THING WAS THE TRUE LOVE OF MY GRANDFATHER TO HORSES. NOT SUPRISINGLY, SINCE WE STILL REMEMBER HIS PASSION TO HORSES, WORK, AND BIG LOVE TO THESE ANIMALS WHO SAVED HIS LIFE MANY TIMES.

                                                                                                                 

  

LUDWIK FERENSTEIN WAS A MEMBER OF THE LAST GENERATION OF POLISH HISTORICAL SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT ON HORSEBACK. HE FOUGHT ON HORSEBACK DURING NEXT THREE WARS. AS A YOUNG VOLUNTEER HE TOOK PART IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR. DURING THE POLISH-SOVIET WAR (1919-1921) WITH THE COLONEL/REGIMENT OF ULANY KRECHOWIECKIE HE WENT UP TO KIJOWO. THINKING ABOUT THIS NOW, THE WAR SEEMS TO BE THE WORST NIGHTMARE, EVEN IF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE FULL OF PASSION AND FANTASY AND ABOVE ALL, LOVE TO HORSES. IMAGINE THAT THEY LOVED SHOW JUMPING SO MUCH THAT THEY USED TO ORGANISE COMPETITIONS FOR THEIRSELVES. THEY STOPPED COMPETITIONS ONLY THEN, WHEN THERE WAS A COMMAND TO LEAVE OR THEY SAW SOVIETS, WHO WERE APPROCHING TOWARDS THEM. IN CAVALRY FIGHTING RIDING SKILLS WERE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS WIELDING SABERS.

 

AFTER THE WAR IN 1923 LUDWIK FERENSTEIN FINISHES CENTRAL RIDING SCHOOL IN GRUDZIĄDZ. AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT HE IS MOVED TO THE 20TH REGIMENT OF ULANS.

 

     ON THE DAY OF THE CAVALRY HOLIDAY (250TH ANNIVERSARY OF RELIEF OF VIENNA) IN THE AREA OF BŁONIE KRAKOWSKIE THERE IS A GRAND PARADE OF 12 - REGIMENTS, GREETED BY MARSHAL JÓZEF PIŁSUDSKI. AT THE SPEARHEAD THERE IS THE YOUNGEST SQUADRON COMMANDER ( 20TH  ULANS’ REGIMENT OF THE KING JOHN III SOBIESKI ), PROUD AND HAPPY- MY GRANDFATHER LUDWIK FERENSTEIN.

 

     IN 1939 AS A RITTMEISTER HE IS MOVED TO THE 2ND ULANS’ REGIMENT (GROCHOWSKI) WITH THE HEADQUARTERS IN SUWAŁKI AND THEN HE ASSUMES ANOTHER SQUADRON. FOUR YEARS LATER HE IS AUTHORISED TO THE VERY UNIQUE TROOP UNDER THE SPECIAL COMMAND. THERE, HE MEETS A MAN, WHO BECAME A LEGEND. HE BECOMES A STAFF OFFICER (AT THAT TIME OF THE COLONEL STANISŁAW MACZEK) IN THE 10TH ARMORED CAVALRY BRIGADE. HORSES STILL REMAIN TRUE LOVE OF MY GRANDFATHER, EVEN IF HE WAS SLOWLY LOSING HIS HOPE OF WINNING THE WAR. THE RESULT DEPENDED ON ARMOUR.  

 

      THIS CONVICTION WASN’T AS COMMON AS IT MIGHT SEEM, ESPECIALLY AMONG CAVALRYMEN. MACZEK AND FERENSTEIN HAD NO DOUBTS ABOUT IT (THEN IT WAS PERFECTLY DESCRIBED IN THE GRANDFATHER’S GREAT BOOK: “BLACK ARMLET”. SEVERAL DECADES LATER I FOUND OUT FROM THE GREAT COMMANDOR OF OUR ARMOUR THAT IN TIME OF 3RD RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA AFTER 1989, BLACK ARMLETS WERE RESTORED TO SOLDIERS, LARGELY DUE TO MY GRANDFATHER’S BOOK AND OF COURSE BECAUSE OF THE STILL LIVING LEGEND OF THE ARMORED CAVALRY BRIGADE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      IN 1939 HE TAKES PART IN SEPTEMBER CAMPAIGN WITH HIS REGIMENT. THE 10TH ARMORED CAVALRY BRIGADE BECOMES PART OF THE “CRACOW” ARMY . UNFORTUNATELY, THE FORCE OF NUMBERS OF GERMAN SOLDIERS IS CRASHING. HOWEVER, THEY ACHIEVE VICTORIES AS WELL, WHICH AT BEST SLOWS DOWN WERMACHT’S PARADE OF TROOPS. THERE IS ONE UNIQUE GRANDFATHER’S STORY CONCERNING COUNT POTOCKI, WHOSE CAR WAS TAKEN (ACCORDING TO THE LAW) AND INSTEAD HE RECEIVED A WONDERFUL HORSE.

       AFTER DISARMING THE BRIGADE, TOGETHER WITH MANY OTHER OFFICERS HE GOES UP TO HUNGARY, YUGOSLAVIA, ITALY AND FINALLY TO FRANCE, WHERE POLISH ARMY IS BEING CREATED. HE GOES BACK TO HIS UNIT. IN 1940 HE TAKES PART IN THE BATTLES IN CHAMPAGNE AND THERE HE IS TAKEN CAPTIVE. UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR HE STAYS IN POW CAMP IN WOLDENBERG.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFTHER THE WAR HE RETURNS TO POLAND. IN 1956 HE GRADUATES FROM WARSAW UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT) AND QUALIFIES AS AN ENGINEER. HORSES ARE STILL INHERENT PART OF HIS LIFE. IN STABLES , BELONGING TO CWKS LEGIA HE MEETS HIS OLD FRIENDS FROM CAVALRY TIMES. AS A GREAT INSTRUCTOR HE STARTS GIVING RIDING LESSONS IN CWKS LEGIA, AND ALSO IN JOURNALIST CLUB „HORIZON”. HE USED TO TRAIN MANY FILM STARS, SUCH AS: DANIEL OLBRYCHSKI, WHO HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOW HIS COURAGE AND RIDING TALENTS IN FILMS.

 

INTERESTINGLY, HE BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES FROM THE PAST. AS ENGINEER HE WAS SENT ON BUSINESS TO MOSCOW IN ORDER TO SEE THE TECHNOLOGY EXHIBITION. HE SAW THERE NOT MUCH OLDER THAN HIMSELF MAN, WHO WAS FULL OF ENERGY, LOADED WITH MEDALS AND WAS WALKING IN A CHARACTERISTIC RIDING WAY. AFTER A WHILE HE REALIZED THAT HE MUST HAVE SEEN HIM BEFORE (NEAR KIEV, WHERE THEY WERE FIGHTING AS TROOPERS. IT WAS MARSHAL SIEMION BUDIONNY.  

 

UNTIL THE LAST DAYS OF HIS LIFE HE LOVED HORSES AND WAS STILL RIDING ON THEM. HE DIED IN WARSAW IN 1990 WITH A RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL. HE WAS 91 YEARS OLD. HE HAD AMAZING LIFE AND SUCCESSORS: HIS SON KRZYSZTOF (MULTIPLE POLISH CHAMPION) AND GRANDDAUGHTER, WHO AT THAT TIME ALREADY STARTED IN SEVERAL RIDING COMPETITIONS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 HE WAS BORN IN 1951. AS A YOUNG BOY HE STARTED TRAINING IN THE CWKS LEGIA RIDING SECTION. HI WON HIS FIRST COMPETITION AT THE AGE OF 11 (COMPETITIONS IN TOMASZÓW MAZOWIECKI). AFTER 4 YEARS HE ACHIEVED INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS. 1996- COPENHAGEN- BROWN MEDAL DURING THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP OF JUNIORS IN JUMPING ON MARE (CYNADRA)

CHRISTOPHER FERENSTEIN WITH THOUGHTFUL EYES ON MISCHIEVOUS MARE.   

 

 

DURING THE WWKW EVENT IN 1968 ON THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP OF JUNIORS IN CRAON (FRANCE) ON THE STALLION ORBIS HE, TOGETHER WITH HIS TEAM, WAS AWARDED THE BROWN MEDAL.

HE WAS CONTINUING HIS RIDING CAREER IN CWKS LEGIA UNTIL 1976. THAT YEAR WITH THE MASTER OF SCIENCE OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY HE MOVES TO STAD LISKI. HE TOOK CHARGE OF BREEDER AND RIDER. CHRISTOPHER ALSO GRADUATES FROM POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ON THE WSWF TRAINING FACULTY IN POZNAŃ.

IN COLORS OF LISEK ON STALLION KOBRYŃ HE WINS TWO GOLD MEDALS OF POLISH RIDING CHAMPIONSHIP. IN 1977 IN RIDING, IN 1981 IN JUMPING, AND IN 1982 (SILVER MEDAL ). KOBRYŃ WAS DEFINITELY CHRISTOPHER’S BEST HORSE. AFTER MANY YEARS IT WAS REPURCHASED FROM THE NATIONAL HERD OF STALLIONS. IN GAŁKOWO IT EXPERIENCED ITS DESERVED RETIREMENT. CHRISTOPHER ALSO ACHIEVED MANY SUCCESSES IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS. HE WAS POLISH REPRESENTATIVE FROM 1966 TO 1990 AND REPEATEDLY STARTED ON THE BIGGEST EUROPEAN HIPPODROMES: AACHEN, ROTTERDAM, DONAUESCHINGEN, WIESENHOF, AND ALSO ON THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS COMPETITIONS IN BUDAPEST, BRATISLAVA, PLOVDIV, VILNIUS, TALLIN, KIEV.

 

 

 

 

 

1ST JUNE- COMPETITIONS ON 10TH ANNIVERSARY STADIUM. I WAS LATE TO STABLE. I SADDLED UP BARTNIK AND WAS TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH MY FRIENDS. ON POWĄZKOWSKA STREET I MET THE POLICEMAN, WHO HAULED ME TO THE STADIUM. I WAS GALLOPING THROUGH THE STREETS. BARTNIK WAS ALREADY TIRED. I GOT ON TRACK. 1ST OBSTRUCTION, 2ND OBSTRUCTION. IT WAS GREAT. HOWEVER BETWEEN THE THIRD AND THE FOURTH ONE MY HORSE STOPPED IMMEDIATELY. THESE JEERS AND CATCALL OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND CHILDREN. AMAZING!

 

SHE COMPLETED ANIMAL HUSBANDRY ON WARSAW UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE. AFTER THE PRACTICE IN WALEWICE SHE WORKED IN HORSE BREEDING FIRM. TOGETHER WITH PROFESSOR JERZY CHACHUŁA SHE WROTE THE BOOK: “POLISH SADDLE HORSES” (PUBLISHED IN 1976, EXTENDED IN 1981). AFTER A BIRTH OF HER DAUGHTER CAROLINE SHE COOPERATED WITH SK LISKI, WHERE SHE WORKED THROUGH 11 YEARS AS A BREEDER. IN 1988 TOGETHER WITH HER HUSBAND SHE ESTABLISHED FERENSTEIN STUD.

 

 

  

 

- SHE STARTS HORSEBACK RIDING AT THE AGE
OF 5,

 

- FIRST RIDING COMPETITION AT THE AGE OF 8, 

 

- SHE GETS HER FIRST RIDING LICENCE AT THE AGE OF 9,

 

- AT THE AGE OF 13 SHE STARTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN POLISH CHAMPIONSHIP FOR JUNIORS AND, WHERE SHE GETS THE 4TH PLACE,

 

- AT THE AGE OF 14 SHE BECOMES THE FIFTH POLISH RUNNER-UP AND GOES TO HER FIRST GRAND PRIX (COMPETITION OF HIGH-RANKING IMPORTANCE, 140—150CM),

 

- AT THE AGE OF 15 SHE CLASSIFIES TO THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP OF JUNIORS.

 

 

 

 

- IN 2005 SHE WON A BROWN MEDAL IN POLISH CUP (FIRST MEDAL WON BY A WOMAN IN COMPETITION OF THAT RANGE IN THE HISTORY OF POLISH HORSEMANSHIP.,

- AS THE ONLY POLISH COMPETITOR IN THE CATEGORY OF 7-YEARS OLD HORSES SHE ENTERS THE WORLD CUP IN ZANGERCHEIDE IN THE NETHERLANDS,

- 1ST AND 2ND PLACE IN CHOJNÓW CUP (2005) IN THE COMPETITION OF BIG ROUND. RUNDY,

- 1ST PLACE IN COMPETITION IN BOGUSŁAWICE (BIG ROUND CC1),

- 1ST PLACE IN THE INTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIX (GALINY, 2006),

- 1ST PLACE IN THE POLISH NATIONWIDE COMPETITION IN MOSZNA (BIG ROUND),

- 1ST PLACE IN PRESTIGIOUS COMPETITION OF MEMORIAL OF MJR OLEDZKI, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN THE RIDING AREA OF CWKS LEGIA IN WARSAW,

- 2ND PLACE IN GRAND PRIX (GALINY, 2008),

- 2ND PLACE IN GRAND PRIX (ŁĄCK,2008),

- 4TH PLACE IN GRAND PRIX COMPETITION OF ZO-B GAŁKOWO (2009),

- 6TH PLACE IN MR CONTEST IN CSI** COMPETITION- TORWAR 2010,

- 1ST PLACE IN ZR-B COMPETITION (N CLASS) -SOPOT 2014,

- 7TH PLACE IN THE ŚR FINAL OF HZO-B COMPETITION -LESZNO 2014,

- 7TH PLACE IN THE MR FINAL OF HZO-B1* COMPETITION- LESZNO 2014,

- 11TH PLACE IN THE 135TH ONE STAR CHALLENGE FINAL CSI*** IN CAVALIADA- POZNAŃ 2014,

- 11TH PLACE IN THE SR FINAL OF CSI3* COMPETITION IN CAVALIADA, WARSAW, TORWAR,

- 1ST PLACE IN THE ZR-B COMPETITION (CLASS C) IN DĄBRÓWKA MAŁA 2015 ,

- 1ST PLACE IN THE ZR-B COMPETITION (CLASS CC), GAŁKOWO 2015 .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NO TIME SPENT IN THE SADDLE
THE SADDLE IS WASTED. 

                                                                                                                 

  

FOR THE FEW YEARS, HORSE SHOWS ARE HER BIG PASSION. WITH GREAT LOVE SHE COMBINES SPORT WITH ART. ORGANISED PROJECTS ADDED SO MUCH SPLENDOUR TO ARTISTIC PROGRAM DURING THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPETITION IN THE COUNTRY. SHE COOPERATED WITH ZOHER GARI, BLANKA SATORA, KAROLINA WAJDA AND MANY OTHER GREAT ARTISTS.