The Fishing, Hunting, and Arms International Exhibition is being held for the 29th time in Hungary.Continue reading
World-traveling Hungarian hunter Béla Hidvégi has been awarded the Weatherby Award, known as the “Nobel Prize” for hunting and conservation, in Dallas, Texas, USA.
At the Weatherby Foundation‘s award ceremony, Zoltán Kovács, State Secretary for International Communications and Relations, praised the work of Béla Hidvégi, who was the first Hungarian to receive the recognition.
Kovács stressed that Hidvégi’s ideas and determination were a major inspiration for the success of the World Hunting and Nature Exhibition in Budapest. As a member of the International Organizing Committee and International Ambassador of the 2021 “One with Nature” Exhibition, he has made a significant contribution to the international success of the event.
Kovács recalled that
during the twenty days of the central event, more than 600,000 visitors were welcomed, including more than 60,000 students and children under 16.
As the secretary of state noted, Hidvégi has achieved, to the highest degree possible, the goal of the Weatherby Foundation’s mission statement, which is “to educate young people and the non-hunting public about the beneficial role of ethical sport hunting and its contribution to the conservation of wildlife.”
“In terms of prizes and award winners, 2023 was an outstanding year for Hungarians in every respect: two more Nobel Prizes testified to the intellect and perseverance of Hungarian scientists. Among the most prestigious prizes in other professional and scientific fields, the Weatherby Award is an exceptional recognition for game conservation and ethical hunting,” added Kovács.
He also underlined that
the collections and exhibitions created by Hidvégi attract hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, and his highly successful books are now a model for many Hungarians to follow.
Béla Hidvégi, born in Nagyszénás (southeastern Hungary) in 1936, emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1956. As a passionate hunter, he has set numerous world record trophies on five continents, while doing much to promote wildlife conservation, nature preservation, and the value of hunting. He donated his trophy collection of several hundred specimens to the Hungarian Natural History Museum, which loaned the collection indefinitely to the Helikon Castle Museum in Keszthely (western shore of Lake Balaton) and the Forestry Museum in Sopron (northwestern Hungary).
Photo via Facebook/Hidvégi Béla Vadásztrófea Alapítvány
In addition to several international hunting awards, Hidvégi has been awarded all three of the most prestigious international hunting prizes: the Pantheon Award in 2016, the Conklin Medal in 2021, and the Weatherby Award in 2023. In 2013, he was awarded the Hungarian Cross of of Merit for his work.
Via MTI; Featured image via Facebook/Béla Hidvégi