František Hrúzik took up equestrian at the age of 14, but focused on racing horses nationally from 1946 through 1957. Thereafter, he switched to eventing and dressage and found success in that field, winning Czechoslovakian national titles in 1959, 1960, and 1968. This led to him representing his country at the 1960 Rome Olympics, but he failed to complete the course and thus did not place. He continued to compete internationally until the age of 42 and did not retire from his duties at the national stud farm until he was in his 60s. Even then, he continued to be involved in the sport, including competitions, into his 80s. He received a Gold Medal from the Slovak Olympic Committee in 2017, for his contributions to equestrian, and was inducted into the Slovak Equestrian Federation’s Hall of Fame in 2020.
Czechoslovakia
Slovakia