According to János Árpád Potápi, the love of horses is part of the Hungarian, Székely identity. The State Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office responsible for national policy spoke about this at the Third Székelyföld Equestrian Forum on Friday in the Palace of Culture in Marosvásárhely.
The equestrian forum concluded the Transylvanian Equestrian Program, within the framework of which the State Secretariat for National Policy supported 80 Transylvanian equestrian associations with nearly HUF 220 million during the year. Associations dealing with equestrian therapy, equestrian sports, equestrian tradition preservation, and dog sports all received support.
In his speech, János Árpád Potápi said:
the equestrian program is not only about keeping horses, but contributes to the preservation and strengthening of identity, therefore it also appeals to those who may not have dealt with horses, for whom sport is not important, but they see that it is an important element of Hungarian identity.
In his statement to the public media after the event, the Secretary of State spoke about how difficult times are coming, the equestrian program must be continued. He also added that a lot can be helped not only with financial support, but also by uniting the equestrian society and sharing experiences.
Péter Makkai, the state secretary of the Romanian Ministry of Labor, warned that "we can only truly be a riding nation if the fallen do not fall off the wagon." As he detailed: with the professional support of the Transylvanian horse therapy associations, it was possible to raise the animal-assisted therapist profession to the ranks of recognized professions in Romania. The state secretary encouraged those involved in horse therapy to contact Hungarian organizations and bring the experience they have gained to Transylvania, because there are many people here too who can be brought to a full life with horse therapy.
Tibor Hargita county council representative from Kolozsvári , the Transylvanian representative of the equestrian program, told the public media: Equestrian activities are experiencing a renaissance in Székelyföld. In Hargita county alone, around 850 children ride regularly, once or twice a week. Across Transylvania, the number of children who regularly ride horses can be estimated at two thousand, and equestrian activities move more than ten thousand people.
Source: vajma.info / MTI
Photo: Facebook - Árpád János Potápi
