The Czech Countess Who Took On The Nazi SS In Steeplechase

"Her father kept horses and trained horses," Askwith says. "And he realized when she was even 6 or 7 that she just had this gift. She could communicate with horses. They loved her, she loved them. She was brave, she was tough, she was athletic."

In other words, Lata had all the qualities to be a competitive steeplechase rider in a place and time when steeplechase was the most closely watched sport. The only problem was that steeplechase races were sanctioned by the Prague Jockey Club, which didn’t allow women to compete. But the empire collapsed at the end of World War I.

Lata, now in her early 20s, became a citizen of the newly formed Czechoslovakia, "which is this sort of beacon of Western democratic values in the heart of Central Europe," Askwith says.

The Czech constitution guaranteed certain rights for women. But, instead of waiting for horse racing to welcome women, Lata jumped on her bike and made regular 12 mile trips from her home near Prague to Velká Chuchle racecourse. There, she talked with trainers in the hope she’d get a chance to work with them.