The agreement on the free acquisition by the city from the provincial government of all shares in the company Equestrian Training Center - Hipodrom Wola was signed on Thursday by the mayor of Poznań, Jacek Jaśkowiak, and the marshal of the Wielkopolska province, Marek Woźniak.

The Wola Hippodrome is a 46-hectare area worth over PLN 25 million, which has been designated for equestrian activities for over a hundred years. It was built in Prussian times. The first races were held here on May 24, 1914. There were four racetracks, supposedly some of the most beautiful in all of Prussia. A year after World War I, horse racing was resumed in Poznań. On April 27, 1924, President Stanisław Wojciechowski, who came to Poznań for the opening of the 4th Poznań Fair, visited the competition. Besides, fair guests were happy to visit this place, which was one of the tourist attractions of interwar Poznań.

Today, equestrian competitions are held here, some of which are organized by CWJ, there is a guesthouse for horses, and you can train and ride horses for recreation. Since 2005, the company has been owned by the Wielkopolska Province Government, which took it over from the State Treasury. In November, the councilors of the Regional Assembly decided to sell this property, and in December, the councilors of the City of Poznań expressed their consent to acquire the Wola Hippodrome free of charge.

- I am glad that the Poznań city authorities have a concept of entrusting this area to MTP, as a large, multifunctional company that has good experience in organizing equestrian events, such as Cavaliada. In addition, this area can also be used for presentations of industry fairs related to agriculture, which require open space. All this fits perfectly into the scenario that we have been talking about for years. In our opinion, by taking over Wola, the city will be able to provide recreational functions for its residents, but also maintain the equestrian functions that this place has been associated with for many years. But this is only part of the idea for this vast area, which does not provide the possibility of drawing the financial benefits that would allow it to be maintained - explains Marek Woźniak, Marshal of the Wielkopolska Province.

For the city, the Wola Hippodrome is an attractive recreational area with an equestrian center, the use of which is part of the commune's own task.
- The Wola Hippodrome is a place with a unique past that deserves a new chapter in its history. That is why I am pleased with the decision of the city councilors who agreed to take over this area. This step will bring positive effects in the future. The Hippodrome is located in a very attractive part of the city. This area has great potential to serve both residents and guests visiting the capital of Wielkopolska. I am convinced that it will soon attract Poznań residents and tourists again - says Jacek Jaśkowiak, Mayor of Poznań.

The city of Poznań is exploring the possibility of using the Wola Hippodrome area with the help of the MTP Group. This municipal company has been successfully organizing CAVALIADA, the largest equestrian competition in this part of Europe, the National Exhibition of Breeding Animals and many other events taking place in the open air, outside the Poznań International Fair, for 12 years.

- This area has huge potential - emphasizes Tomasz Kobierski, President of the Management Board of the MTP Group. - I imagine it as a multifunctional recreational area for residents, the main theme of which will be equestrianism. I am thinking here about horse racing, show jumping, carriage driving, dressage and vaulting, I also think of this place as an incubator of the horse and equestrian industry, where start-ups will be able to develop. Wola can become the most important equestrian center in this part of Europe, the center of Olympic preparations for the national team, and at the same time a place that cooperates with universities in the field of training veterinary students, rehabilitators using hippotherapy or equestrian competitors. I also see Wola as a place for family meetings, playing sports or corporate events. It is also an excellent location to organize, for example, the National Breeding Animals Exhibition, he adds.