People like him were said to be the last knights of the 20th century. Many of them competed at the Olympic Games and later defended their homeland, in September 1939, by being cavalrymen.

Berlin, 16 August 1936.

The Olympic stadium was filled to capacity. It was written that nearly 130,000 people were seated in the stands. Among them, in his box, rested Adolf Hitler. Fifty-four daredevils from 18 countries took part in the show jumping event. Among them were Poles: Janusz Komorowski, Tadeusz Sokołowski and Michał Gutowski.

The obstacle course consisted of a total of twenty obstacles. The time limit was 160 seconds. Penalty points were awarded for various offences. It was difficult. It was even written that it was the most difficult of the Games so far. The Olympic reporter in the Horseman and Breeder wrote as follows:

"I may be wrong, but I personally got the impression that the Olympic parcours was definitely beyond the capabilities of the Polish jumpers, although from the point of view of the need to select the best jumpers (that's all the Olympics are about), it was set up well."

On top of that, the rules of the competition were different than for example those known in the Nations Cup. The teams consisted of three, not four, riders, i.e. they competed without a reserve. Thus, any slip-up by any of the riders had a negative impact on the team results. In addition, there was only one round of competition. So there was no chance for a possible improvement.

The Poles were very unlucky. The horses didn't perform as well as they should have. Although they have been among the equestrian elite for years, there in Berlin, they simply failed to prove it.

"The Polish riders jumped poorly. Warszawianka, under Lieutenant Gutowski, started perfectly, jumped 11 obstacles without a mistake, when at once the mare, ridden too slowly, went into the middle of a ditch with a barjera (obstacle 12) and stood in front of the next water (a very easy obstacle 13). Warszawianka's water repulsion must have buried our chances in the parcours, in which there were as many as six jumps over water", we read in "Jeździec i Hodowca".

Time has shown that that horse breaking out and, consequently, not finishing the competition was the only such case in Michał Gutowski's career. And he himself later claimed that he might not have held up Warszawianka like that, despite receiving such suggestions. He knew the mare, but the milk was spilled....

Rotmistrz Tadeusz Sokołowski started in a similar way. The first obstacles went smoothly. When he reached the thirteenth, the same as Gutowski on Warszawianka, his horse, Zbieg II, refused to jump. Only Lieutenant Komorowski on Ducan completed the ride. Only that he took a distant 36th place.

And how did that competition end? The hosts' pooch Kurt Hasse and Henri Rang from Romania scored the same number of penalty points and had to face each other in a barrage for the Olympic title. The German won. The bronze medal was also decided in 'overtime' between Georges Ganshof van der Meersch, József von Platthy and Carl Ragus. In the end, the Hungarian, the latter of the two, won.

The 1936 Olympic competition was indeed extremely difficult. Out of eighteen competing teams, only five managed to "carry" all three riders through the parcours. It was also the last chord of those Games, as they were closed on the same day. Riders waited a long twelve years for the next one....

A great lover of horses

Michał Gutowski was born on 14 September 1910 in Maciszewice in the Kalisz district, which was then in the Prussian partition. He was the son of Bronisław and Maria née Jażdżewska, Polish patriots. He began his education at home, taking lessons from his grandfather's foster son. At the age of thirteen, he became a cadet in the 1st Cadet Corps in Lwów. He was not alone, as his older brother, Andrzej, was already a cadet. He matriculated in June 1928 before the State Examination Commission in Lwów. Two months later, he began his studies at the Infantry and Cavalry Officer Cadet School. In August 1930, in Grudziądz, he completed his education at the Cavalry Training Centre and began his military career. Directed to the 17th Cavalry Regiment, he remained loyal to it until the end of September 1939.

Gutkowski loved horses. He drove them so well that he became a leading rider of the 1930s. And Polish hippics had their time at the time. In 1924, Adam Królikiewicz on the horse 'Pikador' became the first Polish Olympic medallist in the individual competition. His bronze medal was the beginning of his successes. Four years later, in Amsterdam, the Poles won two medals - a silver and a gold. Both in the team event. On top of that, there were solid performances in the Nations Cup. Lieutenant Gutkowski also took part in them, six times. And twice - in Riga in 1935 and Spaa a year later - he won. And in 1934 he became a double Army Champion, individually and as a team. In general, the year 1934 was rich in starts for him. Lieutenant Gutkowski visited several countries in Europe at that time, where he performed very well in competitions.

Just when it seemed that another Olympic start, the one in Berlin, might once again give the Poles a medal, at the beginning of 1936, unpleasant news appeared in the press. Michał Gutkowski had suffered an accident. A very serious one, one that put his performance at the Games in doubt. "Rider and Breeder:

"The Warsaw rider got a bellyache and won't be losing it any time soon. Six weeks is definitely not enough time. Her form did not bode well for us. To make matters worse, her owner, Lieutenant Gutowski, shortly after New Year's Day, while jumping on Znachor, falls so fatally on an obstacle that he breaks his leg badly in the thigh. This unfortunate accident spoils our chances seriously, depriving us of a leading rider, confined to a hospital bed for a number of long months."

In this pre-Olympic, difficult time, the cavalryman showed unheard-of fortitude and tenacity. He went to the Games, despite prognosis and assumptions. A severe injury did not hamper his plans. At his own request, he left the hospital to attend the Olympic qualifiers in May 1936. He made it through. He displayed feistiness, courage and the ability to face challenges not only in sport.

"In every fight, including sport, he shows fierce resistance and is not discouraged by setbacks. Very good instructor and platoon leader. Very good rider and riding instructor. He counts among the officers distinguished for his command talent, outstanding general abilities and dutifulness at work," Colonel Kowalczewski said about him in 1932.

In September 1939, a defensive war was being fought on Polish territory. Michał Gutkowski, who was promoted to the rank of rotamaster in the same year, fought against the enemy at the head of a squadron of 17 p. Ulanów Wielkopolskich. He fought for Walewice, where he was wounded but won. Many years later he recalled a meeting after the battle with Colonel Kowalczewski:

"That's no way to fight he shouted. It sucks with your charge. Three officers dead, eighteen lancers, thirty-one wounded. That's a hero to me!".

After the defeat of the September campaign, he was active in the underground. He was arrested and sentenced to death. The punishment was not carried out. He was very lucky because the German commander, like him, was a cavalryman and released him from custody.

He later left for the west. First to France. Then to the UK, where he joined General Stanislaw Maczek. He followed the 1st Armoured Division's combat route from Normandy to Wilhelmshaven. He took part in the Battle of Falaise. He was the last commander of the 2nd Armoured Regiment.

Vital and long-lived

After the end of the Second World War, he emigrated to Canada in 1948. He began a long career as an equestrian trainer. This culminated in a great start for the Canadians at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. In the team show jumping competition, James Day, Jim Elder and Thomas Gayford won the gold medal. Years later he said:

"The hiring of a Polish trainer in such a prominent official position, was indicative of the continuing recognition over the years of the traditions of the Polish riding school and the skills of Polish riders."

Interestingly, he himself continued to enjoy riding. He did so for as long as his health permitted. On the heroes1939.pl website, in one of the references to retired Brigadier General Michał Gutowski (he was promoted in 1999) we read:

"Despite his already advanced age (he turns 95 on 16 September!), General Gutowski is a person of full mental and physical powers. As he admitted, he owes this condition to his equestrian activities (he gave up horse riding only at the age of 90), a simple lifestyle and regular drinking of mineral water".

He returned to Poland permanently in 2000, having previously maintained lively contacts with his country. He was constantly active. At the age of 92, the general led a charge demonstration by one hundred and twenty lancers at the airfield of the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade. In January 2004, he got on a horse to jump over several obstacles the day before his back operation. In the memories of those who had the chance to talk to him, there is a picture of a man who could talk about his life in an extremely interesting way. He received many national and sporting honours, such as the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari War Order. He died on 23 August 2006 in Warsaw.