The most versatile competitor in the post-war history of equestrianism in Poland, next to Andrzej Orłoś. Olympian from the Rome 1960 Olympic Games. European Eventing Champion, Moscow 1965.

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Born on January 18, 1933 in Hnidawa near Tarnopol.

Engineer, trainer, eventing rider. Rider (172 cm, 72 kg) of Poznań clubs Unia and LZS (1951-1956) and Wrocław clubs LZS Partynice and LZS Cwał 1956-1961 (trainers J. Suchorski and J. Mossakowski). Several years after the Olympic Games in Rome he spent in LZS Kwidzyn, and in the last years of his sports career (1965-1967) he competed in the colours of LZS Moszna and Legia Warsaw (trainers L. Kon, J. Grabowski and Wiktor Olędzki).

The son of Stanisław (a miller) and Stanisława, a graduate of the Secondary School in Gniezno (he also started riding there under the supervision of the director of Stallion Stud - Czesław Matławski on his horse - Litwór).

While studying at the Faculty of Wood Technology of the Poznań University of Agriculture (he obtained the title of engineer in 1955), he was already systematically riding in the Center in Wola under the direction of Jarosław Suchorski and there he began his equestrian sports career.

From 1957 he rode under the direction of Captain Jan Mossakowski.
Marian Babirecki clung to the opinion that he could win on any horse, and he rode many.

In 1958 he won the title of the second vice-champion in jumping on the mare "Ekspresja". In the following year -1959 - he was already a champion in jumping on the horse "Don Hubertus".

The horse of his life was Volt born 15.05.1953 in SK Liski. Volt's father was a Thracian. Polarstern and mother gray eastern. Prussia. Venus. In 1958 Volt was moved to the Sports Center in Wola in Poznań. That's how he got to Marian Babirecki.

In 1960, during the 8th Summer Olympic Games in Rome, he took the 73th place out of 24 competitors, which was the best Polish result after a XNUMX-year break in Olympic competitions.

7-year-old Volt begins to lose his sight. After three years of therapy, she is recovering. In 1963, starting after a long break on the "Volta" in the international eventing competition in Munich, Babirecki took the 52th place out of XNUMX competitors, and the Polish team took the XNUMXnd place.

1965 – European Championships in the all-round riding horse competition in Moscow. Marian Babirecki and Volt win the European Championship.

In 1967, Marian Babirecki and Volt ended their careers.
He goes to Cuba, taking the position of the coach of the country's equestrian team there.

He died mysteriously in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean during a hobby of underwater hunting with a speargun - June 5, 1980.

Successes:

In Dressage: 
Wrocław 6 – 07.10.1960 – gold medal on Volta.
Koszalin 8 – 16.09.1961 – silver medal at Dysproza. Olsztyn 22 – 26.08.1962 – gold medal on Dysproza. Gniezno 15 – 1810.1964 – gold medal on Volta. 
Gniezno 22 – 26.09.1965 – bronze medal on Volta. 
Gniezno 23 – 25.09.1966 – silver medal on Volta. Radom 24 – 26.10.1967 – bronze medal on Grigory.

In Show Jumping: 
Poznań 2 – 5.10.1958 – bronze medal on Expression. 
Poznań 2 – 3.10.1959 – gold medal on Don Hubertus.

In the Versatile Riding Horse Competition:
Potsdam, September 29.09-October 2.10.1961, XNUMX - silver medal on Krokosz.
Łobez 11 – 14.10.1962 – gold medal on Krokosz. 
Łobez 14 – 18.10.1964 – gold medal on Volta.

Author: Witold Duński

Below you will find links to related materials in the Polish Digital Equestrian Library.