We are visiting the location of our next Hungarian exhibition in our series of illustrated articles presenting the world of exhibitions. Once again, we are traveling to a different region of our small homeland, passing through a different area than before. The Hungarian plain, the flat expanse of the Great Plain appears before our eyes, tiny patches of farms in the distance, solitary and abandoned well pumps...
Nature is shining in golden colors thanks to the grain fields crossing our path. In some places, harvesting is already underway, with busy machines and people working in the fields, with numerous golden bales along the roads. Our journey leads through this wonderful landscape where nature dazzles in golden hues.
We arrive in the heart of the Great Plain, to Debrecen, one of the central cities of the Hajdúság region, which stretches out in a wonderful natural environment, embraced by the Hortobágy. We start our city sightseeing walk from here, accompanied by a brief historical overview.
Debrecen is our small country’s second most populous and the most significant city in the Trans-Tisza region, and also the intellectual, economic, and cultural center of the Northern Great Plain region, which endured the storms of Hungarian history and was the site of many important events. According to historical written records, King Louis I granted the city market town privileges in 1361. From this period on, the citizens had the right to freely elect their judges and councils. In the early 15th century, the city also received the right to hold markets. By the mid-16th century, almost only Calvinists lived here, and the characteristic "cívis" mentality developed at that time. Around this period, the city earned the nickname "cívisváros" but is also often referred to as the "Calvinist Rome." At the end of the century, specifically on April 11, 1683, Emperor Leopold I granted the city the status of a free royal city. Its history was intertwined with the Reformation for centuries, which is commemorated by many historical monuments, including Kossuth Square, the Memorial Park, and the Nagyerdei Sculpture Park.
Its name was known throughout the continent for its famous fairs and its Calvinist school, which was considered outstanding even by European standards. Throughout its history, it was twice the venue of the National Assembly—in 1848–49 and 1944. Over the centuries, it suffered several devastating fires, and it endured significant damage during World War II. Today it is one of Hungary’s most dynamically developing cities, with its city day on April 11th.
Among its sights, the city’s proud symbol stands out: the classicist-style Great Reformed Church from the 1800s, which is the largest Reformed church in the country and where, during the 1848/49 revolution and war of independence, the dethronement of the Habsburg dynasty was declared. The Provisional National Assembly also convened here in December 1944, and Kossuth Lajos was elected governor of Hungary here. Since then, Kossuth Lajos’s armchair has been preserved here, which can now be viewed by anyone visiting the church.
Another distinctive feature of the “cívisváros” is the nearly five-hundred-year-old Reformed College. Since the Middle Ages, this famous educational institution has not only been a bastion of science but also boasts a unique church and educational history exhibition, as well as a unique library that holds over half a million volumes, including significant world rarities. The Provisional National Assembly held sessions in the oratory of the Reformed College in Debrecen in 1848 and 1944. Many renowned figures of Hungarian history, culture, and science were students of the Reformed College. Among others, Kölcsey Ferenc, Diószegi Sámuel, Arany János, Csokonai Vitéz Mihály, Ady Endre, Móricz Zsigmond, and Szabó Magda studied here.
One of Debrecen’s important landmarks is the Déri Museum, built in neo-baroque style, which, after the museums in the capital, holds the richest cultural and historical collections in the country. A unique attraction of the Déri Museum is Munkácsy Mihály’s work, the Christ trilogy.
Among the other attractions in the city center is the prestigious Aranybika Hotel, which is the oldest and still operating hotel in the country. Famous guests who stayed at the Aranybika include István Széchenyi, Ferenc Deák, Miklós Wesselényi, Mihály Vörösmarty, Zsigmond Móricz.
The center of the downtown is Kossuth Square or main square, in the middle of which the city's coat of arms made of glass mosaic can be found set in a decorative pavement, as well as the City Hall’s neoclassical style building, which is among the most beautiful buildings of the city.
Among the city’s rich cultural offerings, the colorful and wonderful Flower Carnival on August 20th, the Jazz Days, the Poetry Festival and the Summer University events stand out.
The city’s most popular tourist event is the Flower Carnival, unique in Europe. For this spectacle connected to the coronation of the state founder Saint Stephen and the celebration of the new bread, hundreds of thousands come to the city.
The main event of the week-long series of events, the Flower Carnival becomes more spectacular every year, participants can see exquisite flower compositions whose magnificent fragrance is not to be neglected either. In addition, high-quality, entertaining programs, concerts, dance performances, children’s programs, and as the crowning point of the day, fireworks await the families and guests coming to the Flower Carnival.
Among Debrecen’s natural sights, the Great Forest stands out, which since 1939 became Hungary’s first nature reserve, expanded with a zoo, amusement park, and a botanical garden whose original flora is identical to that of the Great Forest.
The Botanical Garden, or arboretum, on its 12 hectares houses more than 8,000 plant species. The tropical rarities in the new palm house, inaugurated in 1975, offer a wonderful visual experience. The botanical garden was declared a nature reserve in 1976. In the arboretum, among about 8,000 plant species, many tropical rarities can be seen, and the famous European cactus collection representing 2,000 species and 10,000 plants is also located here.
The Zoo can be a real relaxation for families, welcoming visitors since 1958. Over the nearly 60 years passed, the Zoo’s area has continuously grown and today it can be said that a park meeting EU standards has been created, where visiting families and guests can see about 1,500 specimens of 165 species from 5 continents.
For the species living here, the conditions provide significantly greater welfare and better well-being than before. The area, together with the 341 plant species found here, has been under nature protection since 1994.
After this small city tour, we arrive at the exact location of the dog show, on the grounds of the Agricultural Science Center of the University of Debrecen, where the organizing association, the East Hungarian Dog Breeders, have welcomed exhibitors and visitors with open gates since 7:00 a.m.
The Debrecen shows have had a great tradition since the 2000s, as the Debrecen association organizes it annually. Not only does the Debrecen show have a great tradition but also a special atmosphere! Why is that? Maybe because of the friendly reception? Or the location? Perhaps the many dog friends we meet at the show? It is all these combined that make exhibitors love participating in the Debrecen shows. The excellent organization, the friendly reception, the pleasant location, the many dog friends and acquaintances, all contribute to why so many of us like the Debrecen CACIB shows. And the summery weather also contributes to this, which this year did not disappoint, as heat greeted the exhibitors and dogs on both days of the show in accordance with the season. Well, how did everyone cope? About this, Erzsébet Sebestyénné Enyedi and her husband Sándor Sebestyén, breeders of the “Szentmiklósi Csillag Fénye” chow-chow, kuvasz, and pug kennel, tell us further:
“Finally Saturday… and finally the day of the Debrecen dog show has arrived. We have been waiting for this for weeks and prepared with great excitement because this Debrecen show will be our dog’s first show where it participates already in the young class. That is why the big excitement, as this is no longer a puppy class; it is a somewhat more serious challenge. So, we were nervous…
At the last minute, I checked once again if I had packed everything we might need for ourselves and the dog. Fortunately, yes, and finally, we could set off. Heading to Debrecen, the international dog show.
We started relatively early to avoid rush hour on the roads and to arrive at the exhibition site before the heat set in. Armand, our dog, thoroughly enjoyed the car ride, diligently looking out the window. He is a truly calm and curious chow-chow and enjoys every moment when we are together, when we go to exhibitions together.
Unfortunately, we only partly managed to avoid the rush hour; by the time we reached Debrecen, we were crawling along because many were heading to the dog show. It was difficult, but we finally arrived at the venue, on the grounds of the University’s Agricultural Science Center. By the time we found our ring, it was already very hot. We wanted to go inside the large tent, but by the time we got there, there was no space left under it, so we looked for a shaded spot to settle down.
The next step was going through the exhibition catalog. It immediately caught our attention that only 663 dogs were entered in Saturday’s dog show. This is quite few for an international show entry, even compared to last year, although the number of dogs entered has shown a sharp decline at almost every exhibition in recent years.
After all this, we went for a walk, as usual everything interested Armand, so we strolled a bit around the exhibition area. Armand enjoyed the hustle and bustle and watched the other dogs with curiosity; he wanted to get to know some of them better, but we made sure he didn’t overdo the socializing. While walking, we stopped at a few tents selling dog equipment to look around. And of course, at the buffet as well, which was mandatory since Armand loves his stomach and the buffet attracted him very much, as I confess, it attracted us as well.
That day we had to wait a long time until the chow breed was finally called to the judging ring, since in our ring there were 100 dogs entrusted to the judge, so the chow-chow breed was judged around 1 o’clock. While we waited excitedly next to the judging ring, I noticed that despite the great heat, the handled dogs behaved well and showed themselves beautifully.
Armand was very good too and thus finished the day as second in the junior class. We are very proud of him because he was good and behaved very well despite the intense heat.
Overall, we can say that the exhibition took place in a very good atmosphere despite the heat, but even this did not take away our enthusiasm for the event, although it is true we quickly got sunburnt in the blazing sun that day. It was very nice to meet friends again and chat. And Armand really enjoyed this whole day trip. We thank the organizers for their dedicated work; we all had a great time!
Debrecen CACIB, we will come again next time! Next year, with you, right here.”
Photos taken at the exhibition can be viewed, which we thank the exhibitors participating in the show for.
The international dog show offered a wide range of programs, so besides the parade of the most beautiful dogs, visitors could also watch an interesting and special Police demonstration.
Finally, but not least, congratulations to all exhibitors, and especially to the winners for their excellent results at the exhibition!
Many thanks to Erzsébet Sebestyénné Enyedi and her husband Sándor Sebestyén, on behalf of the Szentmiklósi Csillag Fénye kennel>> for the interesting and detailed exhibition report and the beautiful photos, which gave us a glimpse into the “Colorful and special World of Exhibitions.”
We say goodbye to the Debrecen international exhibitions, at least for one year! But we will come back next year and participate again!
If you are a dog exhibitor or are interested in the world of dog shows, I recommend the author's official website, where you can find the dog show calendars of recent years, the official 2020 MEOESZ dog show calendar, and all 2020 MEOESZ dog show guides in Hungarian and English in the usual format!
Find Vámosi Ildikó, dog article writer and author’s official website:
Http://ildikovamosi.hu/
🙂 Thank you if you honor me with your visit! 🙂
