The Czech Republic has a new world champion in dzigitovka – News

“The competition was very difficult, as first class riders from twenty countries arrived at the competition. Some have experience in world-famous and very challenging projects,” Bednář told Novinkám. Among the competitors was the rider Oliver Phillips from Great Britain, who performed with his horses as a stuntman in the series The Witcher or The Lord of the Rings; Ring of power.

Jigitovka can be compared to vaulting, however, it is much closer to martial arts. With her, the rider on his horse at full speed performs extremely challenging acrobatic stunts, with which he could save his life in battle, for example by hiding behind his horse’s body.

The designation is from the Turkish word dzhigit, loosely translated as skilled rider. Dzhigitovka was the land of the Cossacks, however, it was already played in the legendary series World Wild West Show on the famous Buffalo Bill.

Today, the Dzigits do not use their riding in combat, but as terrorists in the saddle in various film productions and equestrian events. Bednář qualified for the current championship in Moldova in 2018 at a similar competition in Moscow, where he took sixth place.

He played in the saddle for the first time when he was only five years old, in the small town of Boskovice, where thousands of people go every year to follow him as Vinnetou for the production of The Treasure on the Silver Lake and the show full of Geronimo horses. He also appeared in the equestrian show Troy as Paris in China.

With his equestrian team Haraldos Stunt Brothers, he organizes shows for horse lovers from Denmark to Germany, from Austria to Italy.

Bednár considers himself a disciple of the French horse breeder Jean François Pignon. Like him, he works with them freely. Simply put, horses follow human instructions with just hand gestures without necessary commands. Bednář has fifteen of them. Working with them is the highlight of the Geronimo show.

“At the competition in Moldova, the driving part was probably the most difficult for me. We all pulled a horse first and then six of the thirty tricks we had to do on it, with the understanding that there is only one single time, ie the only chance, without the possibility of any correction,” said the rider.

According to him, the weapons, his favorite bow and arrow, were simpler. Coincidentally, Bednář’s partner Natálie Nováková won third place in the women’s dzigitovka at the same tournament.

The Haraldos Stunt Brothers team is currently participating in the filming of the new fairy tale Goldilocks, which will be shown for the first time in cinemas next year, as well as the performance of Horse – the fifth element.