Honorary patron: Polish Olympic Committee
Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl) is an autonomous, nationwide association of sports associations and organizations with headquarters in Warsaw (click to go to the Honorary Patron's website). [www.olympijski.pl]

Honorary patron: Polish Equestrian Association – President Tomasz Sergiej
Polish Equestrian Association (PZJ), is the only official Polish equestrian organization recognized by the Polish Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee, which is also one of over 140 national equestrian organizations associated with the FEI – International Federation for Equestrian Sports [www.pzj.pl].

Patron: Gillmet Horses
Gillmet Horses is a leading manufacturer of equestrian facilities and equestrian center equipment. They offer: comprehensive investment service, steel halls, stables, riding arenas. [www.stajnie.com.pl]
Patron: “Ochaby” Horse Farm
"Ochaby" Horse Stud – breeds Anglo-Arabian horses of French origin, Lesser Poland horses and noble half-bred horses. [www.stadninaochaby.pl]
Guardians: Family (son Marcin) and friends of Jan Kowalczyk
A son of the Cieszyn region, a soldier, an athlete, the greatest talent in the history of Polish equestrianism. Champion and vice-champion of the Olympic Games Moscow 1980.
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Wiktor Olędzki: "Janek is a very difficult character, he needs a strong hand from a trainer (…) But no one else has such predispositions to working with horses as Janek has."
***
Born on December 18, 1941 in Drogomyśl. Cieszyn County, Katowice Voivodeship. Father Jan. Mother Jadwiga née Ciemała. Sister Aleksandra. Brother Rudolf. Wife Grażyna née Tomeczek. Son Marcin. Soldier. Senior Staff Warrant Officer of the Polish Army.
Olympic Games
Mexico October 12-17, 1968 – eleventh place in the Nations Cup on Bronze together with Antoni Pacyński on Cirrus, Piotr Wawryniuk on Poprad.
Munich 26 August – 11 September 1972 – twelfth place in the Nations Cup in Jastarnia together with Stefan Grodzicki on Biszka, Marian Kozicki on Bronze, Piotr Wawryniuk on Poprad.
Moscow, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics July 20 – August 3, 1980 – gold medal in Show Jumping on Artemor and Prymula. Silver medal in the Nations Cup on Artemor together with Janusz Bobik on Szampanie, Wiesław Hartman on Norton, Marian Kozicki on Bremen.
(…) The Olympic flame is burning. Full stands – eighty thousand people. Olympic show jumping competition. Lenin Stadium. The stands on the last day of the Games are filled and amazed. Horses have been let onto the green square. How is that possible?! Ready to trample the grass. How will footballers kick the ball on such grass? The stands are satisfied, though. A beautiful sport awaits them, and the Polish, Budyonnov, Russian, Mexican, and Italian horses look beautiful. The riders’ red tailcoats too. It’s colorful. Among the tailcoats, only one uniform. Polish. Jan Kowalczyk’s.
Before the riders left for Moscow, they were told that white trousers and red jackets would be required at the Games. Jan Kowalczyk got used to the Polish uniform. His faded uniform, his sun-bleached cap with an eagle. With it, he won in England, the Federal Republic of Germany, Aachen and London. He won in uniform! When they told him to leave it at home, he did. In Moscow, they were not surprised. If he was a soldier, he should be in uniform.
The right outfit was brought by plane from Warsaw and the rider's mood immediately improved. How much could be seen on the day of the Games' closing, when the Polish national anthem was played. It was played and sung for Jan Kowalczyk. The Soviet Army orchestra played and the Polish fans sang (…).
Author: Witold Duński
Source: "Jan Kowalczyk" (2012) - Witold Dane
Entry updated: 15.01.2025/XNUMX/XNUMX
John Kowalczyk died in Warsaw on February 24, 2020, at the age of 79. He was buried on March 4, 2020 with the Military Honorary Assistance in the family grave at the Northern Communal Cemetery /Wólka Węglowa/ in plot No. E-IX-3-2-1.
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):
"A word about Jan Kowalczyk" (2021) - Piotr Banasiak
"Jan Kowalczyk - a rider who loved horses and people" (2020) - Artur Bober
"The legendary Jan Kowalczyk is dead" (2020)
"The whole history of Polish equestrianism is dead" [link] (2020) - Dariusz Urbanowicz
"Jan Kowalczyk" (2012) - Witold Dane
"Squatting Breakfast" (2010) - Piotr Dzięciołowski
"History of horse riding, part XXXVI” (1998) – Witold Domański
"History of horse riding, part XXXV” (1998) – Witold Domański
"History of horse riding, part XXXII” (1998) – Witold Domański
"History of horse riding, part XXXI” (1998) – Witold Domański
"History of horse riding, part XXX” (1997) – Witold Domański
"History of horse riding, part XXVIII” (1997) – Witold Domański
"History of horse riding, part XXVII” (1997) – Witold Domański
"History of horse riding, part XXI” (1996) – Witold Domański
"Poles in the Nations Cup, 1923-1982" (1982) - Witold Domański
"Foreign performances of jumpers in the spring season" (1980) - Krzysztof Koziarowski
"Polish Riders at the Olympic Games in 1912-1976" (1980) - Antoni Święcki
Moscow 1980 – Jan Kowalczyk – Interview | MOVIE
"Jan Kowalczyk and Artemor" (1980) - Antoni Święcicki
"XXII Olympic Games Moscow" (1980) - Eryk Brabec
Jan Kowalczyk – Artemor – Olympic Games Moscow 1980 | MOVIE
Olympic Games Moscow 1980 – Nations Cup and Grand Prix [RU]| MOVIE
"European Jumping Championships, Rotterdam 1979" (1979) - Władysław Byszewski
"After 24 years in the Olympic competition" (1972) - Witold Domański
“For the Nations Cup” [link] (1968) FILM
See related articles:

Janusz Bobik
Rider, trainer, breeder, director. Nowielice SK. Silver medal of the Olympic Games Moscow 1980 (Champagne), silver medal of the Polish Jumping Championships 1977, Drzonków (Zygzak), bronze medal of the Polish Eventing Championships, Biały Bór 1977 (Tropik).

Piotr Wawryniuk
Twice Olympian (Mexico 68 and Munich 72), MP medalist (runner-up - Olsztyn 70 and champion - Warsaw 71) in show jumping. Riding instructor.

Wieslaw Dziadczyk
II Vice-Champion of Poland in Jumping over Obstacles. Trainer at Kozienice, Klikowa and Pruchna Studs. The rider who jumped the 2,20 m wall obstacle on the mare Via Vitae. To this day, the height record on this type of obstacle has not been broken in Poland.

XXII Summer Olympic Games – Moscow, 1980
July 29, 1980 - team silver medal in the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.
August 3, 1980 - individual gold medal - Jan Kowalczyk and Artemor.

ARTEMOR (Eros xx - Artemis)
The Polish horse on which Jan Kowalczyk won the Olympic gold medal in the individual show jumping competition and the team silver medal at the Olympic Games in Moscow, 1980.
Gallery:




