Obituary: Dr. Jiří Janda

Jiří Janda passed away at the age of 70 on November 18^th. He was a qualified vet, a distinguished racehorse trainer, and one of the founder members and the first president of Dostihový Spolek, organiser of events at Pardubice racecourse. Dr Jiří Janda was the manager of Dostihový Spolek from 1993, the year in which the association was set up, until 1997. He and his colleagues ensured the survival of the Velka Pardubicka in the difficult years of the 1990s, and Dostihový Spolek this year celebrated its 30^th anniversary.

Jiří Janda was born in Vojic in the Jičín district, and he graduated from the Veterinary University in Brno. Already as a young man, he made his mark. When he was still a fourth year student, he signed on as an employee of the Napajedla stud, where he prepared and maintained the track for one of the racehorse trainers. After doing his military service, he came to Pardubice, where he trained racehorses for the Napajedla stud. He trained Gimt, winner of the Czechoslovak Derby, and Balú, winner of the Czechslovak St. Leger. After the Changes in 1989, he set up as a private trainer in 1991. After 1996 he set up his own training centre in Holičky u Heřmanova Městce. In 2012, he returned to Pardubice racecourse as the leader of the team that has maintained the racetrack in good order and has implemented changes to make the racecourse safer for the participants, where possible without losing the special character of the home of the Velka Pardubicka.