Kladruby, the premium Czech horse that always wins by a nose

Pardubice is a horse town. There are statues of nags round the place, and even the drain covers celebrate the animal.

The reason is its annual steeplechase: the Velká pardubická, Czechia's biggest equestrian event, the equivalent of Britain's Grand National. You can do tours of the racecourse, and they're quite eye-opening. This steeplechase doesn't just go round a circuit, but also weaves round over fences inside it, showjumping-like.

Walking the course gives a startling sense of how challenging it is for horse and rider, when you see close up the sheer size of Taxis (the most notorious jump, the counterpart of Aintree's Chair) or Irish Hil's mound.

The list of winners shows several three-time, and even one four-time, winner. It seems the smarter horses can gain advantage by remembering their way round the fiendish variety of jumps.

You can also see Kladruby horses in the racecourse stables. These are a premium Czech horse breed, made for pulling carriages rather than racing. They're the favourite of royalty and nobility, and show up at state occasions.

The ones in Pardubice are black, but a pleasant 25km bike ride away is something rather special, even for non-horse lovers. The stables at Kladruby, the stud that gives the breed its name, are also visitable. (You can get there by train and 3km walk, but the bike ride goes on quiet paths and lanes, and you can stop off at several places en route for cheap food and drink.)

And the Kladruby horses here are white, relatives of the famous Lipizzaners of Italy. They're stunningly beautiful animals, huge and strong, but with grace too. Their most famous feature is the Roman nose, giving them a distinct profile; you'll also notice their chunky legs, solid necks, and sheer height. A tour gives you plenty of close-ups in the extensive stables, where stablehands buzz around busily.

The stud also has a rather fabulous collection of horse carriages - the sort of thing Mozart would have bumped his way in between Prague and Vienna - and there's even a horse-drawn ambulance.

Like I say, you don't have to be a horse nut to appreciate this marvellous, and lesser-known, aspect of Czech culture. Come to Kladruby and see these gorgeous animals close up, before you cycle back a couple of easy hours to Pardubice for a cheap and social dinner.

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