Hungarian Cowboys Webstore

We offer more than 300 traditional hand-made products to our customers and we continuously expand our range.

The tradition is best seen on the Great Plain (Puszta), a vast flat plain reminiscent of the American Old West. Whitewashed farmhouses and roadside inns mingle with galloping horses and stud farms. The cowboys who work in this region, called Csikós, are well known for their prowess on horseback.



The Csikós perform a well known specialty – the famous “Puszta Five” – an amazing equestrian feat which involves three horses in front, and two in back. The cowboy stands with one foot on the rump of the two horses in back, steering with reins as he balances with amazing calmness on the galloping group of powerful horses. It is a feat which would fit in well with the Wild West Shows of the American West, and an exciting stop on Puszta Five Show.

The attire for Hungarian Cowboys is not what you’d expect to see in the American West. They wear black felt hats with a high brim all the way around, which look vaguely like a British sea captain’s hat. They wear loose fitting white or brightly colored shirts with loose flowing sleeves, and prefer dark blue billowing pantaloons.

Though the garb may look unusual, when the horseman rumbles by on the back of galloping horses looking as casual as if he were standing on solid ground, the respect for his prowess makes the clothing a minor note in the background during this exciting stop on a Hortobagy tour.

On the other side of the law from the cowboys were the Betyár, described in Brittanica as 19th century highwaymen in Hungary. Apparently the word Betyár originally meant “young bachelor” or “lad. ” Most Betyár started off as shepherds, but became outlaws when they deserted the army, or fled conscription. They didn’t form large bands or gangs – if they gathered six or seven members, the group would typically split up into several smaller groups.