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2011 National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Elko, Nevada

Hungarian native crafts Imre Juhasz, and Imre Nagy demonstrate
The 27th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering held in Elko, Nevada January 24 - 29, 2011 welcomed special guests from the Hungarian puszta, grassland that covers most of the eastern half of the country of Hungary.  It is the largest contiguous grasslands in Europe, comparable to the pampas of Argentina or the Great Plains of the United States. The puszta is home to the legendary Hungarian horsemen, or csikósok, who have tended and defended their herds of horses and grey longhorn Hungarian cattle since the Magyars first crossed into the area of the Carpathian Basin over a thousand years ago.

Where the Hungarian guests live in the Hortobágy National Park on the puszta, the herders wear the traditional garb of the nineteenth century: loose-fitting royal blue shirts and pants, with black boots, a thick belt, a black vest, and a broad-brimmed hat with a feather in it. The park serves as a wildlife sanctuary for migrating birds; as a center for the cultural heritage of the herdsmen; and as a preserve for traditional forms of agriculture, including the old animal breeds of Hungary.     
    
Visitors to Hortobágy National Park are taken around in horse-drawn wagons to see the indigenous breeds of animals and to witness a horse show. Small museums in the village of Hortobágy display the artifacts of a bygone day, while a crafts village allows travelers to watch craftsmen creating a wide variety of products. The national stud or equestrian center is located here, and horseback-riding excursions are offered.


Tourism is disappointing, the Hungarian economy is in very bad shape, and it is said in Hungary that the csikós and other herdsmen are a dying breed that is being phased out by mechanization, agribusiness, and a relentless economic crisis that dates back many years.

The Hungarians as a people originated in Siberia, east of the Ural Mountains, where they were primarily nomadic herders of livestock. Warfare with other tribes and other factors eventually led the Magyars to move westward, arriving in the Carpathian Basin about the year 896 as seven distinct tribes. Absorbing or expelling the local tribal peoples, the Hungarians found the country ideal for stock-raising, and basic agriculture. The Hungarian language is unrelated to any western European language and has only minimal resemblance to its distant cousins, Finnish and Estonian. The diet is heavy on meat, lard, noodles, potatoes, bread, and cheese.

Erika Molnar demonstrates
Renowned for their horsemanship and animal husbandry, the csikosók have traditionally relied upon the vast grasslands of the puszta for grazing and livelihood. They have much in common with horsemen and cattlemen in other parts of the world, including the American cowboy. The 2011 Poetry Gathering explored this common ground through conversations with Hungarian horsemen, performances of pastoral music and poetry, workshops, and an exhibition on Hungarian csikos and herding culture.     


    Gail Steiger of Prescott, Arizona, who was instrumental in bringing the Hungarian guests to Elko, pointed out how quickly things can change in the political world and how important it is for us to preserve and understand our traditions and agricultural heritage.


The Western Folklife Center has for years been reaching out to herding cultures around the world, bringing representatives to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko, NV, to sing songs and tell stories or recite poetry about their lives. The WFC has taken Americans on reciprocal trips to visit ranching communities in Mongolia, Brazil, Argentina, and France. These exchanges bring people together, building on things they have in common, encouraging mutual understanding and appreciation. They also help preserve traditions and knowledge about living simply, in sustainable ways.

No matter what country you live in, livestock needs someone to do the daily chores . Hungarian herders are no exception, they tend to their animals.

Article by Mike Laughlin

mikelaughlin@hotmail.com

Photos by Lee Raine



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  • Home
    • Web Site Design >
      • Privacy Policy
    • Links
  • Gear
    • Pistol River Saddlery
    • Cowboy Gear - Tips and Tricks: >
      • Three-Way Hobbling
      • Piggin' String
      • Stirrup Hobbles
      • Tying Your Rope Up
      • Buckaroo Scarf Knot
      • Cowboy Night Latch
      • Cut-away saddle pad
      • Center-firing your Cinch
      • Pack Saddle Latigo Safety Knot
      • Quick Keeper
      • Tire Changer Aid
      • Safety Tie-Up
      • No Roll Saddle Stand
    • Saddle Makers >
      • Wade Saddle History
      • Don Howe Working Cowboy Saddle Maker
      • Hamley and Co.
      • Bill Maupin
    • Spurs >
      • E.F. Blanchard Spurs >
        • How to tell authentic Blanchard spurs.
        • More Blanchard Spurs
      • Garcia Bits and Spurs
      • Amozoc Spurs
      • Prison Made Spurs
      • Adolph Bayers Spurs
  • Arts
    • Poetry >
      • Cowboy Poetry by Gary Vorhes
      • Charlotte Thompson Poetry
      • Mike Meaux Poetry
      • Audrey Hankins Poetry
      • Carole Jarvis Poetry
    • Rodeo Photos
    • Cowboy Photos
    • Horse Photos
    • Cattle Photos
    • Gear Photos
    • Dogs and Animals Photos
    • Reminders of the Past Photos
    • Windmill Photos
    • People Photos
    • Ready to Rodeo
    • Books by Dale Woolley
  • Horses
    • Diamond Z English Shire Horses
    • 5 Tips for Traveling
    • Harnessing A Team
    • The Dameles and the Curly Horse
    • Rounding Up Wild Horses
    • Extreme Horse Camping
    • First Pull on the Latigo
    • Twister Heller Starts a Colt
    • Cowboy Martingale
    • Cowboy Training Halter
    • Cowboy & Colt Clinic
    • Using the McCarty
    • Teach a Horse to Stand
    • Cowboy Draw Reins
    • War Knots >
      • Tying War Knots
    • Tail Knot for Pack Horses
    • Cavvy Marks
    • Deworming Your Horse
    • Safe Fall Trail Riding
    • Horse Remedies
    • Hormone Implant
    • How to buy a mule
  • Brands
    • Brands II
  • Chuckwagon
    • Dutch Ovens
    • Recipes
    • Sourdough >
      • Grant's Sourdough
    • Cowboy Coffee
  • Articles
    • Grubbing Hoe Ranch
    • Trevor and Emily Fuhriman
    • Land of Extremes
    • Jersey Valley Cattle Co
    • Diamond Tail Ranch
    • Gang Ranch of British Columbia
    • TS Ranch of Nevada
    • When the TS Ran a Wagon
    • IL Ranch
    • Basque Ranching
    • Crystal Rose Cow Dog College
    • Wyoming Honor Farm Inmate/Wild-Horse Program
    • Cowboy Etiquette
    • Arizona Trigger
    • Longhorn Cattle
  • Stories
    • For the Love of a Horse
    • Breakheart Station Master
    • Freighters Outbound
    • DK Cowboy Stories: A Prophet With Antlers
    • Ben's Trail
    • Spendin’ Time at Cow Camps
    • Slewfoot The Black Bear
    • Orphan Boy
    • Mooney's Stories - The Circle A Ranch of Nevada >
      • Cotton the Horse
      • Wigwam, the Wrangle Horse
      • Spanish Ranch 1
      • Spanish Ranch 2
      • Spanish Ranch 3
      • Spanish Ranch 4
      • Miss Beymer’s Boyfriend by Bill Mooney
      • Recollections by Bill Mooney
      • Branding out of a Rodear on the Spanish Ranch, Part 1
      • Branding out of a Rodear on the Spanish Ranch, Part 2
      • C Ranch
    • Wild Horse Casey >
      • ​A Dirty Ole Mustanger Like Me
    • Hero Cattle Dogs
    • Ranching Traditions
    • Life Lessons
    • Dave’s Summer Adventure
    • Fire-Proofing the Range
    • Cowboy Superstitions
    • Cowboy Humor
    • Portrait of a Cowboy >
      • Cowboy Obstricition
    • Tons of Silver
  • History
    • Fort Worth Stockyards
    • Horseshoe Ranch
    • Andrae - Marvel Nevada Oral Histories
    • Texas 6666 Ranch Historical Photos
    • Gerlach Cattle Company 1906
    • Cattle Roundup Photos
    • Cowboy Historic Photos
    • Sheepcamp
    • Comstock Lode
    • Pony Express
    • Horn Iron
    • Historic Sites
  • Cowboy Profiles
    • Victoria Jackson
    • Flying M Ranch Women's Team
    • In the Big Nevada Desert
    • Mike Laughlin, Cowboy
    • Bob Tanner
    • Bill Kane
    • Wally Blossom
    • Ian Tyson The Legend
    • Allie Bear
    • Marge Prunty
    • Bryan Neubert Cowboy Clinician
    • Rex Blackwell
    • Wiley Carroll - Legendary Hunter
  • Glossary
    • Horse Terms
    • Cattle Terms
    • The People & The Land
    • Saddles and Gear
    • Personal Gear
  • Cowboys of the World
    • Cowboys of the Dark Continent
    • Scrubber Running
    • The Day it Nearly All Ended
    • The Goring
    • Horse Breaking
    • Honduras
    • Mexico