She is the subject of Richard Askwith's book Unbreakable: The Woman Who Defied The Nazis In The World's Most Dangerous Horse Race.

Her paternal grandmother, Countess Barbara Kinská, was the sister of Count Oktavian Kinsky, who was one of the founders of the Great Pardubice Steeplechase.

Brandisová began horseback riding when she was eight years old and grew up attending horse races with her father.

In 1926 her cousin Count Zdenko Radslav Kinský, a nephew of Oktavian, invited her to Orlík Castle to breed Kinsky horses for hurdle racing.

She continued to train as a horse racer at Velká Churchle and Veveří Castle under the coaching of Karel Šmejda.

At this time, there was extreme tension between Czechoslovakia and the neighboring Nazi Germany, with the Czechs fearing an invasion.

[6] Over 40,000 people attended the race, hoping to see a Czech jockey defeat the Germans, who had been consecutive champions in the Great Pardubice over the last few years.