The first Polish Olympic medalist - bronze medal, Olympic Games Paris 1924 (Picador horse).
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Born on December 9, 1894 in Lviv.
Chevalier of the Order of Virtuti Militari. Twice decorated with the Cross of Valour. Medal for the war 1918-1921. Star of Romania, Crown d`Italia, Royal Cross - Sweden, Legion of Honor - France. His horse in the 1st Light Cavalry Regiment was Jasiek, on which he won the cup in the Grand Prix de la Ville de Nice competition, 1924. In 1926, in Milan, on the horse Unigeno, he overcame a height of 2,20. Participant of the national team that won the first Nations Cup for Poland, Nice 1925.
Married to Tomisława Lilienstern (1901–1994). Daughter Krystyna (1921–2017), grandson - Cezary Harasimowicz (author of the family story "Saga, or a cup that is not there").
He died as a result of injuries sustained after a fall from a horse on the set of Andrzej Wajda's film "Ashes", (Daniel Olbrychski mentioned it in his book "Angels Around the Head"). He was buried in the family tomb at the Salwator Cemetery in Kraków.
We invite you to read the memories of Witold Domański about captain. Adam Królkiewicz:
The tribunes of the Nice hippodrome, which every year gathers the cream of European equestrianism, were filled to the brim as usual in 1925. On the most important day of the competition, when the Grand Prix de la Ville de Nice took place, Italian, French, Belgian, Swiss and Polish riders fought for the palm of priority. The Belgian de Brabanderc on his wonderful Periscope and cavalry captain Adam Królikiewicz on Caesar got the same results and were supposed to conduct an additional game for the cup of the city of Nice, unless ...
The last item on the program of this competition was the famous Picador. This horse, famous at the Olympics in Paris and at almost all hippodromes in the world, the winner of countless competitions, had to give his opponents a handicap. It was also the fifth time that the obstacles were raised by 10 cm, and the ditch with water, which was 4 meters wide at the beginning of the competition, has already reached 5 meters. The local newspaper "L'Eclaireur de Nice" wrote about this exciting course:
"The fifth handicap. Ditch widened by 100 cm, obstacles raised; parcours becomes very serious. Only one horse is about to attack him: It's Picador, winner of last year's Monaco competition! It is led by the best riding crop of the old continent - cavalry captain Królikiewicz. Will the glowing rider be able to cross it? Here, with wonderful ease, Picador passes all obstacles one by one. There is a fence in front of the judges' stand. The obstacle casts a shadow. Confused by this, Picador knocks down the bar. But it continues without error, flying over the poles, ditches and banquettes, A storm of applause resounds, and the white and red flag rises to the flagpole. If not for this shadow, parcours would certainly be without error. Captain Królikiewicz wins the Nice award for the second time. (…)
Read more... (click to go to the Polish Digital Equestrian Library)
Author: Witold Domański
License granted by the heirs of Mr. Witold Domański, for BoberTeam, for the purposes of the Legends of Polish Horsemanship project. Rights reserved.
Below you will find links to related materials in the Polish Digital Equestrian Library
Entry updated: 21.11.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX
Adam Królikiewicz died in Konstancin on May 4, 1966, at the age of 72. He was buried in the family grave at the Salwator Cemetery in Kraków (sector SC11-A-4).
Polish Digital Equestrian Library:
Click on the links below to access related materials in the Polish Digital Equestrian Library (will open in a new tab):
Publications
“Królikiewicz et al” (2023) – Grzegorz Gajewski
“Establishing 2024 as the Year of Polish Olympians” (2023)
"Józef Piłsudski's 1st Light Cavalry Regiment" (2022)
“A Century of Obstacles” [fragments] (2022) – Daniel Lis
“Polish Olympic riders of the interwar period, part II” (2019) – Hanna Łysakowska
“Polish Olympic riders of the interwar period, part I” (2018) – Hanna Łysakowska
“Lancemen, Uhlans and Mounted Riflemen in Photography…” (2013)
"Królikiewicz Adam" (2012) - Witold Danish
“Riders-Olympians of the Second Polish Republic” (2012) – Renata Urban
"Olympic Riders" (2000) - Hanna Łysakowska
"Olympic Charge" (1992) - Adam Królikiewicz
“History of horse riding, part X” (1992) – Witold Domański
“History of horse riding, part IX” (1991) – Witold Domański
“History of horse riding, part VII” (1990) – Witold Domański
“History of horse riding, part VI” (1990) – Witold Domański
“Paris Olympics 1924” (1990) – Leon Kon
“Poles in the Nations Cup, 1923-1982” (1982) – Witold Domański
“The development of equestrian competitions in the years 1924-1926” (1982) – Witold Pruski
“Equestrian sport in horse arms of the Second Polish Republic” (1974) – Zygmunt Bielecki
“Adam Królikiewicz (memory)” (1966) – Witold Domański
"The Prince of Wales's Golden Cigarette Case" (1959) - Adam Królikiewicz
“Jasiek, Picador and Me” (1958) – Adam Królikiewicz
“Portrait of the Olympian Picador” (1958) – Adam Królikiewicz
“The rider and the horse in the field and in the jump” (1958) – Adam Królikiewicz
"The story of my horse Jasiek" (1958) - Adam Królikiewicz
“Oh horse! "Portrait of the Olympian Picador" (1958) - Adam Królikiewicz
“Honorary Riding Badge” (1936) – Editorial team of the magazine Rider and Breeder
“International horse competition in Riga” (1936) – Adam Królikiewicz
"From Nice to New York" (1927) - Adam Królikiewicz
"1927th Olympiad - Paris" (XNUMX) - Adam Królikiewicz
“Polish equestrianism at the 1924th Olympiad” (XNUMX) – Leon Kon
links
“White and Red on the Mast in Paris” [link] (2020) – Lech Ufel
“Adam Królikiewicz. From a horse and died…” [link] (2016) – Jan Jaremko
"Athletes at the front" [link] (2015) - Karolina Apiecionek
“88 years ago Poles won their first Olympic medals” [link] (2012)
"The first medal and the last charge" [link] - Ewa Olkuśnik
Movies
THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN PARIS, 1924 - RIDING MOVIE
THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN PARIS, 1924 MOVIE
Related Legends:
Tadeusz Komorowski
Colonel of the Polish Army cavalry. Commander in Chief of the Home Army. Commander of the Warsaw Uprising. Prime Minister of the Polish government in exile.
Sergiusz Zahorski
Brigadier General of the Polish Army, head of the Military Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Poland, co-founder of Polish equestrian sports, participant of the 1912 Olympic Games in the Russian national team.
Rider and Breeder, 1922-1939
A pre-war weekly magazine addressed to breeders, athletes, racing and horse enthusiasts. Poles for whom the history of our country is inextricably linked with horse breeding and equestrian sports.
Leon Con
Horse riding trainer, co-founder of the Polish Equestrian Association and its general secretary. Knight of the Cross of Valor and the Silver Cross of Merit.
1924th Summer Olympic Games – Paris, XNUMX
The first Summer Olympic Games in which Poland took part. Our representatives won two medals, India. bronze (Adam Królikiewicz / Picador) and team silver (track cyclists).
Stanislaw Czerniawski
Cavalry Captain of the Polish Army, Olympian (Berlin 1936), Knight of the Order of Virtuti Militari. He died in defense of Poland on September 10, 1939 near Chruślin.
Gallery:
The photos come from the NAC collection and the book "From Nice to New York" (1927) - Adam Królikiewicz
