1st Moscow Stud Farm

The 1st Moscow Stud Farm (Russian: Московский конный завод № 1) is a multifunctional horse-breeding enterprise founded on 24 October 1924 by order of the People's Commissar of Agriculture of the RSFSR. It is located in the village of Uspenskoye, part of the Odintsovsky urban district of Moscow Oblast, about 23 kilometres from Moscow. Its principal mission has been to preserve, restore and improve the gene pool of the Orlov Trotter, a native Russian harness-racing breed developed in the late 18th century by Count Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov-Chesmensky. The farm also breeds Trakehner horses and maintains a famous troika division. From its earliest years the farm was conceived as a breeding operation tied to Russian research and applied horse-breeding centres. In 1930 it became the base of the Moscow Zootechnical Institute of Horse Breeding and Stud Farming. During the Second World War the entire herd was evacuated to Tambov Oblast under bombardment without losing a single horse. In the post-war period the farm produced the celebrated stallion Kvadrat (born 1946), with which artificial insemination was first practised in the USSR, and Pion and Kvadrat each left more than 600 descendants that founded or continued intra-breed lines and families. More than 20 breeding stallions born and raised at the farm have gone on to serve in breeding herds across Russia and the CIS. In the late 1950s the farm opened its own troika division, and its horses triumphed in competitions. From 1971 it began holding international auctions at its own specialised complex, building on exports that had started as early as 1959. Its horses have been exported to Denmark, Italy, France, the United States, Japan and other countries. Today the farm continues the best Russian horse-breeding traditions, raising Orlov Trotters and Trakehner horses, preserving the famous troika, holding European-level auctions, and operating one of Russia's best children's equestrian schools. It is a closed joint-stock company (ЗАО «Московский конный завод № 1»).

The 1st Moscow Stud Farm was established on 24 October 1924 by order of the People's Commissar of Agriculture of the RSFSR as an experimental stud farm (Опытный конный завод). Its founding mission was to preserve, restore and improve the gene pool of the Orlov Trotter, a breed created in the late 18th century by Count Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov-Chesmensky for Russian climatic conditions, known for its hardiness, high working performance, beauty, harness-racing and sporting ability. The initial stock was assembled from a number of stud farms in Zvenigorod Uyezd, Moscow Governorate, including estates associated with the Golitsyn princes at Vyazyomy, Ivan Morozov, and the Witt family at Zhavoronki. In 1930 the farm became the base of the Moscow Zootechnical Institute of Horse Breeding and Stud Farming. The first director of the farm and institute, A. Kh. Zarin, was arrested and shot on a denunciation by colleagues; the institute was disbanded and then re-established on 12 May 1943 on the basis of Stud Farm No. 1 at the insistence of S. M. Budyonny. By 1940 the Orlov Trotter breed, including at the Moscow Stud Farm, had not only been preserved but improved by all indications: Orlov Trotters became larger than their pre-revolutionary counterparts, and exhibits at the 1939 and 1940 All-Union Agricultural Exhibition surpassed the champions of the 1900 Paris World Exhibition in type and showiness. During the Second World War the farm was fully evacuated; under bombardment, staff loaded the entire herd into railway cars and moved it to Tambov Oblast without losing a single horse. In 1946 the farm's most famous horse, Kvadrat, was born — a result of precise selection work predicted by the outstanding hippologist Vladimir Oskarovich Witt. Kvadrat began the practice of artificial insemination in the USSR, with sperm freezing and wide use across the country being a unique experience. In the 1950s, under the farm's leadership of that period, a full-fledged international horse auction began operating in the Soviet Union. From 1957 the farm raised the best population of Ayrshire cattle (Finnish stock) in the USSR, acquired from Finland in exchange for more than 100 Orlov Trotters; director Boris Dmitrievich Zavilgelsky persuaded N. S. Khrushchev to experiment with these animals near Moscow, and after high productivity was demonstrated, obtained permission for mass purchase. In 1961 the Kuybyshev subsidiary farm in the village of Ubory joined MKZ No. 1, and the Ubory farm soon became a leading operation. In 1957 Finnish trotting began with a gift of two Orlov mares from the Moscow Stud Farm, presented by N. S. Khrushchev to President Urho Kaleva Kekkonen. In 1959 the farm's management asked the hereditary horse breeder A. R. Roshchin to create a troika to represent the farm in competitions; already on 24 May 1959 the MKZ No. 1 troika with root horse Zaklad and side horses Azamat and Glagol first won a race at the Central Moscow Hippodrome (1600 m) in a time of 2:16.2. The troika of driver Alexander Fedorovich Shcheltsin with Orlov root horse Konkurs (Kvadrat — Kotomka) and Anglo-Arabian side horses also enjoyed success. International auctions at the farm began in 1971, though horses had been exported earlier: as early as 1959 the offspring of the stallion Kvadrat opened a trade route abroad for the Moscow Stud Farm. In the mid-1960s, thanks to the farm's active international activity and its success at the horse auction at the VDNKh in Moscow, it was decided to build a specialised complex at the farm itself for auctions, breed collections, high-level international delegations and staff training. Over the years the auction proved itself commercially and organisationally, stimulating higher standards of horse breeding across the country. Farm-bred horses were exported to Denmark, Italy, France, the United States, Japan and other countries; among the best exported were Begonia 2:06.9 (1:19.3), Kabarga 2:06.2 (1:18.9), Kameya (Kamelek) 2:06.7 (1:19.2), Kamrat Veiko 2:07.2 (1:19.5) and Tamara 2:07.7 (1:19.8). The auction regulations included a mandatory showing of the best representatives of different breeds before buyers and guests, accompanied by a talk by the chief zootechnician on the history and development of horse breeding in the country; jockeys also demonstrated the horses' training and jumping ability under saddle, on the lunge or at liberty. Today the farm continues the best Russian horse-breeding traditions, raising Orlov Trotters and Trakehner horses and preserving the famous troika. It holds European-level auctions, its horses win championships and exhibitions, and one of Russia's best children's equestrian schools operates on its base. It is organised as a closed joint-stock company (ЗАО «Московский конный завод № 1»).

• 1971

  International auctions began to be held at the farm.

• 1961

  The Kuybyshev subsidiary farm in the village of Ubory joined MKZ No. 1.

• 1959

  The farm's troika first won at the Central Moscow Hippodrome on 24 May; offspring of Kvadrat opened an export trade route abroad.

• 1957

  Began raising the best population of Ayrshire cattle (Finnish stock) in the USSR; Finnish trotting began with a gift of two Orlov mares to President Kekkonen.

• 1946

  The famous stallion Kvadrat was born; artificial insemination in the USSR began with him.

• 1943

  On 12 May, the Moscow Zootechnical Institute of Horse Breeding was re-established on the basis of Stud Farm No. 1 at the insistence of S. M. Budyonny.

• 1930

  Became the base of the Moscow Zootechnical Institute of Horse Breeding and Stud Farming.

• 1924

  Founded on 24 October by order of the People's Commissar of Agriculture of the RSFSR as an experimental stud farm.

Historic Russian stud farm specialising in Orlov Trotter and Trakehner breeding, known for its troika and international auctions.

• Orlov Trotter horses

  Native Russian harness-racing breed, the farm's principal breeding focus since 1924.

• Trakehner horses

  Warmblood breed also raised at the farm.

• Troika teams

  The farm's famous troika division, created in the late 1950s.

• International horse auctions

  Auctions held at the farm since 1971, with mandatory showings of horses.

1. 1КОННЫЙ ЗАВОДmkz1.ru
2. 2Историяmkz1.ru
3. 3Историяmkz1.ru
4. 41st Moscow Stud Farmwikidata.org
5. 5Московский конный завод № 1ru.wikipedia.org