HRUBIESZO´W, Poland-- Battle Group Poland U.S. Soldiers attended the third Festival of the Horse Riflemen in Hrubieszo´w, Poland July 14-16. The three-day event is held every year to pay respect to horsemen from the 2nd Horse Riflemen Regiment who were killed in World War II.
The battle group set up static displays with Strykers and weapons presentations during the event, at the request of Maciej Szymczak, a member of the board for the Polish Independence Foundation, on behalf of the Second Recon Regiment.
“It was very important that the local society, for the first time, was able to see U.S. and Polish troops performing together,” Maj. Adam Kędzierski of the 2nd Recon Regiment said. “They exchanged experience with soldiers from the 2nd Recon Regiment who took part in the event, too.”
The event consisted of several competitions. The first day’s events consisted of a cross country run where competitors would race their horses over a distance and have to deal with obstacles such as jumps and water ditches. Secondly, riders displayed the control and training of their horses in a parade in front of a panel of judges.
The second day was the bulk of the competition. The first event was jumping. Riders led their horses through a series of jumps in a field. A perfect score was made if a horse made it through all jumps without knocking any beams off the jumps. If a beam was knocked over, it would result in negative points. The riders had to display complete control over their horses as they made their way through the competition.
The second event was a display of skill and precision. Horsemen conducted a lance and saber competition where they would ride their horses at speed, hitting and cutting different targets along the way with lances and spears. They also had to grab rings with their weapons—to simulate stabbing with the weapons. If the horsemen missed a target or dropped a ring, it resulted in negative points.
As a gesture of friendship, some of the Polish citizens who were judges and competitors in the festival invited the Soldiers to ride horses at a local stable near the event.
Throughout at the festival during the static displays, battle group Soldiers interacted with the local citizens and soldiers who took numerous and explored the equipment up close.
U.S. Soldier, Sgt Bryan Giustra said how impressed he was that the people were so happy to see them. “Upon our arrival, the first thing I noticed was how very anxious they were to meet us. They welcomed us as those long lost brothers you once shared a foxhole with,” Giustra said. “I would like to personally thank the 2nd Recon Regiment and all involved in linking this very old and important piece of history between the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Recon Regiment.”
Capt Collin deCamp, officer-in-charge during the festival agreed that it was a worthwhile event for of the battle group Soldiers. “One of the five pillars of U.S. Army Europe and Strong Europe is ‘assurance of our allies.’ Nothing speaks to that more than traveling to Hrubieszo´w to spend time with the 2nd Recon Regiment who bares lineage to the Polish 2nd Cavalry Regiment,” deCamp said. “We were happy to be part of the festivities and pay our respects to those who came before us.”