Minister Baxa confirmed the declaration of the stud farm in Napajedla as a cultural monument

Prague/Napajedla - Minister of Culture Martin Baxa (ODS) confirmed the declaration of the Napajedla stud farm in Zlín Region as a cultural monument. He thus rejected the appeals of the owners of the stud farm against last year’s first-instance declaration as a monument. The decision is final and can only be challenged by an administrative lawsuit in court, the office's spokesperson Jana Malíková announced today on the ministry's website. According to her, the breeding of Thoroughbreds in Napajedla ceased its activities in January 2023. A petition to save horse breeding at the Napajedla stud farm was supported by members of parliament and senators.

The majority owner of the premises, who has effectively operated the stud farm since 2005, reportedly sought through appeal that only two specific stables be declared a monument. In contrast, the minority owner requested that the entire premises, including pastures, be designated as a monument, according to the ministry.

The stud farm is owned by the Otrokovice-based company Sygnum. Last year, the owners stated on the stud farm's website that they had subsidized operations with tens of millions of crowns for 18 years, but in 2023 they had to shut down breeding. According to them, it was economically unsustainable. The owners had previously tried to change the zoning plan to enable the construction of apartment buildings on part of the pastures. The profit from rentals was supposed to be used for the operation of the stud farm, but the zoning change did not pass through the city council.

Baxa confirmed the decision which declared primarily the buildings and lands in the center of the stud farm as monuments, thus not including the adjacent pastures. According to the ministry, the pastures are not the main carriers of the cultural-historical values of the stud farm and do not constitute the essence of its oldest preserved architectural part. Given the cessation of horse breeding, declaring the pastures a monument would also interfere with the rights of the majority owner. "It is also important to emphasize that the pastures of the stud farm in Napajedla were never conceived as a composed cultural landscape, as is the case, for example, at the stud farm in Kladruby, because they were historically spread across several grazing areas, some of which did not even connect geographically," the ministry spokesperson said.

Pavla Mudrochová, the media representative of Sygnum, told ČTK today that they are studying the minister's decision. "I would like to emphasize that we provide all requested cooperation to state institutions and fully cooperate with them," she stated. "We must look for a future use of the premises that is in line with the conditions of heritage protection and at the same time allows for meaningful development of this place. It is a complex process that we approach responsibly," she added.

The stud farm was established in Napajedla thanks to racehorse rider and politician Aristides Baltazzi in 1886. For many years, it was the most successful breeder of Thoroughbreds in the Czech Republic. "The Napajedla stud farm is a unique authentically preserved example of specific agricultural architecture from the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, connected with the phenomenon of horse breeding, which has no equivalent in this region. The stud farm is also historically linked to the oldest, nearly 140-year-long breeding of Thoroughbreds in the Czech Republic, which has left an indelible mark on the history of horse racing throughout the European region," the ministry stated.

A petition to save the stud farm has been created, which has been signed by tens of thousands of people. It has also received support from legislators. The House of Deputies' petition committee recommended last year that the Ministry of Agriculture initiate discussions with the owners of the stud farm about its future and take steps to negotiate the conditions for the continued operation of the stud farm, possibly with the Czech Republic participating at least as a guarantor of the national Thoroughbred breeding. The Senate petition committee then recommended this year that the Senate decide on a request for the government and the Ministry of Culture to advocate for the preservation of the stud farm. The Senate is expected to make a decision on this on Wednesday.

"The Minister of Culture believes that only a comprehensive agreement based on expert arguments among the owners or entities involved in the possible restoration of the stud farm will lead to a compromise solution, the result of which may be a new form of the premises that preserves for future generations not only the monumentally significant objects in this area but also the general awareness of the phenomenon of Thoroughbred breeding in the Czech Republic," the ministry spokesperson stated.

The iDNES server previously reported that German entrepreneur Marian Ziburske is interested in buying the stud farm in Napajedla, who already owns sixty horses and would like to revive Thoroughbred breeding in Napajedla. The price will be crucial. "Officially, no one has contacted us with specific proposals. It is only expressions that appear in the media. No one has approached us with a specific financing plan or offer," Mudrochová told ČTK today.