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Rudolf Popler
1889-1932
Captain Rudolf Popler is best known for twice winning the Velká Pardubická and riding his Hungarian-bred horse Gyi Lovam! in the 1931 Grand National.
He was born together with his twin sister Anna on 29 May 1899 at the Jangelee flour mill, about a mile from the Czechoslovakian town of Vysoké Myto. Fascinated by horses from a young age, his ambition was to become a cavalry officer, and although very young he enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian army during the First World War and served on the Italian front.
After the war he went to Italy where he learned the art of presenting a horse at a jump. When he returned to Czechoslovakia he became an instructor at a riding school in Pardubice, where he also trained horses and rode in races.
Although best known as a steeplechase rider, he also took part in Flat races and was a talented show-jumper, competing in the Olympic Games in Paris in 1924 and again in Amsterdam in 1928.
He rode in the Velká Pardubická nine times, winning it twice, on All Right II in 1926 and on Gyi Lovam! In 1930. Gyi Lovam! was undoubtedly Captain Popler’s best horse and he brought him to England to take part in the 1931 Grand National.
Rudolf Popler with Gyi Lovam!
The English translation of Gyi Lovami is
“My horse.”
Gyi is an old-fashioned Hungarian word used to urge a horse forward — similar to “giddy‑up” in English.
Lovam literally means “my horse” (from ló = horse + ‑vam = my).
So depending on tone, “Gyi lovam” can feel like:
“Giddy‑up, my horse!”
or simply “My horse!” in a more poetic or archaic sense.
He stabled the horse with Stanley Harrison, who trained at Althrey, near Bangor-on-Dee. They made their English racecourse debut on 17 March 1931 in the three-mile Shrewsbury Chase at Wolverhampton, falling four fences from home.
Captain Popler and Gyi Lovam! were 100-1 outsiders when lining up in a field of 43 for the Grand National ten days later. They started off just behind the leaders and jumped well but were not fast enough to keep up. Approaching the water nearing the end of the first circuit they were almost a furlong behind the main pack, the object by then being to complete the course.
It was not to be. They fell at Becher’s second time round. Captain Popler remounted, only for Gyi Lovam! to fall again two fences later at the Canal Turn. The horse was by then exhausted and the rider understandably elected to call it a day.
Captain Popler and Gyi Lovam! came very close to winning the Velká Pardubická for a second time in 1932, just being denied in a desperate finish with Remus. Many in the crowd thought they had won but the judge thought otherwise and awarded the race to Remus.
Though bitterly disappointed, Popler congratulated the winning rider, then went out to ride his own mare, Ella, in the next race, the Kinsky Memorial Steeplechase. Ella fell at the second fence, one of the smallest on the course, crushing her rider in the process. Captain Popler was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
His funeral in Vysoké Myto was a major public event. He is commemorated by a memorial plaque in front of the stands at Pardubice, and by the Popler jump (fence no. 14) and the Popler Memorial race, run on the same day as the Pardubická, are both named after him.
Information and photo taken from ‘The Velka Pardubicka and the Grand National: The Story of Two Horse Races’ by John Pinfold and Kamila Pecherová.
Rudolf Popler on All Right ll
The 45th running of the Velka took place on Sunday 24 October, 1926 with a larger than usual field of 13 starting. It included the previous year's winner, Landgraf ll, which started the 3-1 favourite.
The 7-year-old All Right ll, ridden by Rudolf Popler, won by a comfortable 8 lengths from Landgraf ll, with Eba a further 5 lengths away in third. The winning time was 17 minutes 44.6 second. All Right ll started at 8-1. The tote paid 46.10 for the win. The places were 92, 36, and 60.20,
Rudolf Popler and Gyi Lovam! came second in 1932
Jump number 14 in The Velka Pardubicka is called Popler's Jump, named after Cpt. Rudolf Popler, who died at this jump in 1932.
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