Nenad Horvat, 72, from Požega, harnessed two horses to a cart and set off with his two grandsons on a pilgrimage to the shrine, as a farewell to his noble animals.
On Wednesday, 72-year-old Nenad Horvat, nicknamed Bracika, began a journey from Požega to Marija Bistrica, a distance of 211 kilometers, using only horses, accompanied by his two grandsons. As reported by HRT Magazine, this year he decided to harness his two horses to a cart, turn it into a small camper, and set off with his grandsons toward the shrine.
Nenad says that with this journey he wants to say goodbye to his horses because his age makes it difficult to care for these noble animals. His grandson Niko just waves his hand dismissively and jokes, "Grandpa is lying. Just kidding, we'll keep going."
Nenad emphasizes that they organized everything themselves, without any support. "We sleep here, in that tent. The horses will be tied up, up to the part where there's no tarp; that's their food. We organized it ourselves. No support, no one, nothing. I came up with it and designed it all myself, and we're going in God's name," said Nenad Horvat-Bracika from Požega.
Their goal is to cover the 211 kilometers to Marija Bistrica in four days. The route they've mapped out leads through Gradiška, Nova Gradiška, Okučani, Novska, Kutina, Popovača, Ivanić Grad, and Sesvete, then uphill to the shrine.
The most impatient at the start was grandson Ksanio. "I could hardly sleep either. I was happy we were going. It's nice with the horses; anyway, there's nothing to do in the summer, it's hot, and you have something to keep you busy," said Ksanio Horvat from Požega.
They claim they have enough supplies, but if someone offers them coffee or pastries along the way, they'll gladly accept. During the trip, vehicles with several hundred horsepower pass them by, while the two of them with two cold-blooded horses have no reason to rush. They'll stop whenever they want, sleep wherever suits them, and pray at places they've always wanted to visit, just as their ancestors did on pilgrimages.
