At the Shareholders Meeting of the Napajedla Stud, held on June 30^th, 2014, point number 8 on the agenda was a proposal for the property of the Stud to be taken over by the main shareholder, and to close down the Shareholders’ Association, without closing down the business of the Stud. The main shareholder was Sygnum s.r.o., a company that had owned 31480 shares as of 31.12. 2013, i. e. 90,88% of the basic capital of the association. The take-over by SYGNUM, s.r.o. was implemented on August 1^st, 2014.

SYGNUM, s.r.o., belonging to Antonín Sieklík, jnr. and Miroslava Kotačková, became the majority shareholder in 2013, when it acquired the holding previously owned by Antonín Sieklík, snr. and. Miroslava Kotačková.
The Napajedla Stud had pointed out in its annual report for 2013, that, due to the current business losses and the long-term negative economic developments at the Stud, it was essential to reach a rapid solution which would enable thoroughbred breeding at Napajedla to continue. The annual report stated that it was necessary to consider the possibility of joining SYGNUM s.r.o., a financially stable company with a strong capital base, which was the majority shareholder of the Napajedla Stud Association.

After the closedown of the Association and the transfer of the property to SYGNUM, s.r.o., the minority shareholders, who owned almost 10% of the shares, were paid 627 crowns per share, on the basis of the findings of an expert study and proceedings handled by Finance Zlín.

The Napajedla Stud has been making losses in the long term. In 2013, its income was 9,990 million crowns, and its outgoings were 16,813 million crowns, a loss of 6,823 million crowns.

 The transfer of the property brings to an end the long history of the stud as an independent association. The recently wound up Shareholders’ Association arose in the early 1990s, taking over the part of the Tlumačov Breeding Enterprise under which the Napajedla Stud formed an autonomous unit. The Shareholders’ Association was then offered in Coupon Privatization (one of the ways in which rapid privatization was carried out in the early 1990s: all Czechs were able to buy coupons and convert them into shares in companies that were being privatized). At first there were a large number of small shareholders, but most of them were gradually bought out, and a majority package was built up. This package changed hands several times. The last majority shareholder, SYGNUM s.r.o., held over 90% of the shares before it privatized the Stud.

Stud manager Martina Hradilová does not anticipate that the changes will have a great effect on the breeding activities of the stud. Currently there are 144 horses stabled at Napajedla. There are 25 brood mares, 16 of which are in foal, and three stallions, as well as foals and yearlings. These numbers will be maintained, and the services currently offered to other breeders will all continue to be provided. Thoroughbred breeding at Napajedla will continue to operate under the name Hřebčín Napajedla (Napajedla Stud).

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Based on translations of two articles on the Fitmin and Turf Magazine web pages, written by Miloslav Vlček, the leading Czech writer on horse breeding inside and outside the country and editor of the Fitmin and Turf Magazine web pages.