National Livestock Show at BVV Brno 2026: a day of horses, cows, and unexpected adventures with a school class

To be honest, I had no idea this event even existed – and if I did not have a daughter who rides horses, I probably still would not know about it today. The National Livestock Exhibition, held at the Brno Exhibition Centre together with the AgriSHOW, Silva Regina and BIOMASA trade fairs, is the largest showcase of livestock production in the Czech Republic.

We visited the exhibition on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, its final day, and it ultimately proved to be an unexpectedly powerful experience – not only for us, but especially for our daughter Leia and her entire school class.

In this article, I will share how we came to attend the exhibition in the first place, what we saw there, why we will definitely return and why I would recommend it to anyone who has children or simply enjoys a glimpse into the world of breeders and horses.

What is the National Livestock Exhibition?

The National Livestock Exhibition is one of the most important domestic events for breeders. In 2026, it was held from April 12 to 15 at the Brno Exhibition Centre and organized by Brno Trade Fairs. It is the largest showcase of livestock production in the country – featuring more than 1,000 animals, specifically cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses.

Interestingly, the exhibition is not an annual event – in the past, it was held in 2019, 2021, 2023 and now in 2026. It is therefore a unique event that returns once every two or three years, which is precisely why it is so important to breeders, experts and the public. The program includes national cattle championships, specialist showcases and judging by Czech and international judges.

Several other events take place alongside the National Livestock Exhibition:

AGRISHOW – a trade fair for crop and livestock production
SILVA REGINA – International Forestry and Hunting Fair
BIOMASA – Renewable Energy Sources in Agriculture and Forestry Fair
Horse Exhibition – in 2026, more than 150 horses representing 24 breeds were on display, with the Connemara and Percheron breeds appearing in Brno for the very first time
Beekeeping Exhibition, Central European Veterinary Congress and a specialist conference on Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change

In short, it is a truly diverse event with something for both farmers and parents with children.

Why we went in the first place – Rockwall Ranch and our daughter Leia

The main reason for our visit was Leia, my seven-year-old daughter. For several years now, she has been riding, among other places, at Rockwall Ranch near Tišnov, which is run by Daniela Vaňková – a Czech national champion and successful competitor at European level in Western riding, specifically in the Ranch Riding and Ranch Rail Pleasure disciplines.

Leia is part of their Western riding team, trained primarily by the absolutely amazing trainer Anetka Staňková, at least in our opinion, and so she was invited to show the exhibition audience what she had learned during training. And she has learned quite a lot lately – I mean this completely honestly, but considering that she is only 7, she rides more or less better than I do. And I have been riding horses since I was thirteen. We are all truly proud of her.

If you would like to try Rockwall Ranch yourself – and I cannot help but recommend it – in addition to regular training sessions, it also organizes day camps, rider and horse training, various events and social activities. We go every week; the journey from Brno is a little longer (and the road in Kuřim is currently under construction as well), but it is worth traveling that far.

Horse training with a female rider in a rural sand arena

How we invited the entire class to the exhibition

Leia attends the International School of Brno – and I will write a separate article about this school because it deserves one. In my view, it is, without exaggeration, one of the best schools I know. It may be a private, fee-paying school, but if you are from Brno or the surrounding area and are looking for a school for your child, you honestly will not find a better one.

The children at the school also get to know one another very well outside the classroom – they visit each other at home, play Minecraft together, travel to see friends and share their hobbies. At home, Leia came up with the idea of showing her classmates what she could do at the exhibition, and I liked the idea.

So I wrote to their wonderful homeroom teacher, Marjan, to ask whether they would like to visit the exhibition. I offered to arrange the tickets, and it is easy to get there by public transport within Brno. The idea immediately caught on – the class arrived by šalina (tram - those only run in Prague) at the main entrance, where I was already waiting for them with the tickets.

On the morning before the demonstration, I took Leia to stable number 4, where the horses from Rockwall Ranch had their stalls. We had to pass through parking lot 7 and Pavilion P, which, incidentally, was a great shortcut – along the way, first thing in the morning, we met cows, goats, sheep and finally some beautiful donkeys, which also delighted the schoolchildren.

A group of schoolchildren and teachers pose in front of a billboard for the National Livestock Exhibition in Brno. Schoolchildren and a teacher walk among visitors around the Brno Exhibition Centre.

Children in a school group pet a shaggy brown horse in an enclosure at the exhibition. Children and adults by an enclosure feed a black-and-white calf at the exhibition.

Leia’s first Western riding demonstration in front of an audience

Leia was in the saddle at 10:20 in the morning and rode for about 20 minutes. Our entire family came – grandmothers, simply everyone who could make it. And I have to say that she moved me.

She rode absolutely beautifully and everything went perfectly – and the schoolchildren, teachers and random spectators around the arena could only stare. They stood around the round pen, watching, and you could see that they were impressed. Leia was thrilled with her performance, both because she could show her riding skills to a wider audience and because her entire class was cheering her on.

A girl wearing a riding helmet sits on a brown horse in an arena, with a handler standing beside her. A girl on a brown horse led by instructors in the exhibition’s indoor hall. Children on horses in a riding hall, with two supervisors and spectators standing nearby. Two children in pink shirts ride brown horses in an exhibition-centre arena. Two children on horses in an arena, with two adults and an audience watching nearby. A girl wearing a helmet sits on a brown horse in an indoor riding arena at BVV Brno.

Children and an instructor pose on two horses in an indoor arena. Children and a trainer pose with two brown horses in a riding hall

Interesting fact: Mountain Trail and Western Riding – a young sport on the rise

Here is one interesting fact about Western riding in the Czech Republic that I did not know until I read about it on the BVV website: this year, the exhibition presented more than 30 quarter horses, paint horses and appaloosas in disciplines such as Working Race, Mountain Trail, Bridleless Riding (riding without a bit) and classic Reining.

Mountain Trail is still a relatively young sport that is only just beginning to gain traction here. It emphasizes harmony between horse and rider and how well the horse can handle various obstacles in the terrain – logs, bridges, water and slow steps across unstable surfaces. The reigning masters and champions from Czech Mountain Trail z.s. also performed on the outdoor course in Brno on all four days, so the standard was truly first-rate.

Touring the exhibits – cows, bulls and a little chaos in the arena

After Leia’s demonstration, I headed into the pavilions with the children to admire the cows, bulls, sheep and goats. My other daughter, Lilianka, also arrived, so we treated it as a family tour as well. The children were fascinated by the milking machines, exhibits explaining how milk is produced and all the logistics involved in livestock farming – their teacher Marjan later even created a beautiful bulletin board about it with the children at school. The whole experience had an educational aspect for them that I had not initially considered at all.

The final cattle breeders’ competitions were held in the main arena – national champions for each breed were announced, and the winners received trophies and ribbons. We also saw the announcement for the Limousin breed, where the winner received a trophy to loud applause from the audience.

There was also one unexpected experience – one of the cows (which was obviously anything but calm) leaned against the fence during the presentation and knocked it over, slightly startling the spectators standing all around it. Nothing happened in the end, but it was a reminder that these are live animals, not props.

In addition to the main arena, horses and carriage drivers traveled throughout the entire exhibition centre – now and then, a team in costume would pass you, while elsewhere a harness demonstration might be taking place. The entire venue was buzzing, and there was never a moment when nothing was happening.

Three riders on horses in an arena, surrounded by spectators and MERIMEX banners. Riders wearing cowboy hats sit on horses during an indoor demonstration in Brno A woman pets a black-and-white cow on a stage in front of the exhibition centre in Brno. A rider on a brown horse in an indoor arena at a livestock exhibition, with spectators in the background. A brown calf numbered 633201 lies on straw inside a metal enclosure. A brown cow with an ear tag lies on straw in a metal pen at the exhibition. Goats in metal enclosures on straw inside a Brno exhibition hall, with a breeder holding a can on the left. A black sheep with a lamb in a straw-covered enclosure at the livestock exhibition A girl wearing a cap pets a horse in an enclosure by the BVV Brno Exhibition Centre. A dark horse stands on straw in a stable stall beside metal enclosures. A girl stands in front of a stable displaying Rockwall Ranch and Topvet signs, with halters and a chair nearby. A flyer advertising a 2026 day camp for children aged 5–15, priced at CZK 5,900. Riders in red jackets ride horses through the BVV Brno Exhibition Centre. A spotted white-and-brown calf eats hay in an enclosure at the exhibition. A hand pets a white calf with ear tags in a straw-covered stable Children pet a brown horse in a straw-covered stable, with a boy in a cowboy hat in the background A pair of horses pulls a carriage in front of the Brno Exhibition Centre, with a trade fair booth in the background. A brown-and-white bull in a straw-covered stable, surrounded by other cows and exhibition visitors Two spotted pigs sleep close together on straw in an enclosure. A long-woolled sheep and a horned ram in an enclosure at an animal exhibition A sheep and ram in an enclosure at the exhibition, surrounded by visitors. Sheep and lambs lie on straw in a metal pen at the exhibition.

Býkárna – a small culinary discovery

By chance, I came across a stand along the way that absolutely blew me away: Býkárna. It is a Czech online shop and store specializing in honest, local meat from its own pastures – steaks, aged beef and burgers. Its motto, “Honest and local, from our pastures,” perfectly describes what it does.

And because they were grilling fresh burgers right there, I could not resist.

The result was a fantastic combination – a juicy beef patty, black sesame bun, fresh lettuce, red cabbage and mild herb mayonnaise. It was definitely among the best things I have ever eaten at the Brno Exhibition Centre. If you are from the surrounding area or want to make an honest steak at home, their online shop www.bykarna.cz is definitely worth visiting.

Grilled patties and potatoes at a stand, with a cook holding a spatula and wearing a red apron Hands in black gloves assemble a burger with meat, vegetables and a sesame bun. Fides Agro stand, where cooks prepare burgers and grilled meat at the trade fair. Three burgers on trays, with a gloved cook wearing a red Býkárna apron. A burger on a table at the trade fair, with exhibition stands and visitors in the background. Býkárna advertising banners with text about meat, pastures and beef.

In conclusion – why we enjoyed it and why we will definitely return

The entire visit was more of a morning / lunchtime affair; we headed home at around two in the afternoon, but came away with enough experiences to last us the whole week. For the schoolchildren, it was a truly educational and informative morning, and for Leia, it was a small dream come true – showing her riding skills to a larger audience than just her friends and trainers at the ranch.

What pleased me most:

The educational aspect for children – they saw firsthand how livestock farming works, what working with a horse involves and what cows, sheep and goats look like
The atmosphere – horses, carriage drivers, shows, music and winner announcements throughout the entire venue
The quality of the food – thanks to Býkárna and other local exhibitors, it is not limited to typical “fried” trade fair refreshments
Accessibility – a tram ride from the city centre, easy transportation and reasonable admission fees (even free on Wednesdays for organized groups)

If you have children, I think it is one of the best one-day events held in Brno every few years. I definitely recommend following the BVV Brno website so you do not miss the next edition.

We already know that when the exhibition is held again, we will be there. And Leia will certainly be back in the saddle.