Horse Diamonds delves into the remarkable journey of Hungarian horses to America, the establishment of the Hungarian Horse Association of America (HHAA) in 1966, and the efforts of a passionate group of Hungarian horse enthusiasts striving to preserve the Kisber-Felver bloodline.
At the end of World War II, as the Russian army advanced, American soldiers under General Patton’s command and German forces facing imminent defeat made a desperate, last-ditch effort to save the highly prized bloodlines of purebred horses stockpiled by the Nazis. Both sides understood that if these remarkable horses were not rescued, they would likely be seized—or worse, slaughtered for food—by the advancing Soviet army.
Recognizing the exceptional quality of these European warmbloods and realizing their potential to improve the American cavalry stock, the united states army seized the horses as spoils of war. The horses were loaded onto two USS Liberty ships and transported to Newport News, Virginia. From there, they were sent by train to U.S. Army remount stations, where they were sold at dispersal sales. The first stop was Front Royal, Virginia, marking the beginning of their new chapter in America.
Now, more than 75 years later, a small but dedicated group of Hungarian horse breeders in the United States is working tirelessly to revive the original Kisber-Felver bloodlines. The task is daunting. Strict international import and export regulations, prohibitive costs, and the ever-pressing race against time make this mission as challenging as it is critical. Without their success, the historic bloodlines that made it to the United States, may vanish forever.
In 2019, filmmaker Kimberley Williams traveled to Hungary to document the 30th-anniversary celebration of the Hungarian Kisberi-Felver-Gidran. During the event, American breeders scouted potential Kisberi stallions to reinvigorate their own breeding programs. Strikingly, Hungarian experts noted that some bloodlines still preserved in the United States had been lost in their homeland, adding significance to the transatlantic collaboration.
The Horse Diamonds project chronicles this ambitious and heartfelt effort to unite Hungarian mares in America with proven Kisberi-felver stallions from Hungary. Through this ambitious undertaking, the hope is to welcome a new generation of Hungarian foals on U.S. soil, safeguarding the legacy of the Kisber-Felver bloodlines and honoring their enduring history.
HORSE DIAMONDS 