{"id":858189,"date":"2024-09-23T18:19:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T15:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/?p=858189"},"modified":"2024-11-22T16:21:26","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T14:21:26","slug":"white-turf-winter-ice-racing-in-st-moritz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/white-turf-winter-ice-racing-in-st-moritz\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udfc7 White Turf: winter ice racing in St. Moritz"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Switzerland<\/a> famous for? Cheeses, ski resorts, incredible mountain landscapes. What if you add to this a love for animals with a bit of excitement and go to horse racing with more than a hundred years of history? We guarantee: even sharks don\u2019t have enough words to describe the pleasure of a holiday in the Alps. Read our material<\/a> about the White Turf schedule and details.<\/p>\n

Competition history<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Horse racing has been held annually in St. Moritz since 1907. The program consists of several disciplines and lasts exactly three Sundays during February. The main events take place on a frozen lake, which is illuminated by the bright winter sun. And spectators can enjoy not only the jockey competition, but also try local cuisine, listen to local music and get to know the region better through exhibition stands.\u00a0<\/p>\n

About 35 thousand people from different parts of the country and the world come to Switzerland specifically to become part of the large-scale event. In addition, this is a great chance to capture views of Lake St. Moritz and see the Engadin mountain peaks in person.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Are you part of the army of horse racing fans and dream of attending as many competitions as possible on different continents? Check out the Melbourne Cup<\/a>, which literally brings the whole of Australia to a standstill for four minutes. In addition, you will witness not only a trotter competition, but also an amazing fashion show. And it can compete with the best shows at Fashion Week.<\/p>\n

\"White<\/a><\/p>\n

Racecard\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Races include galloping, cantering and skijoring with 30-minute breaks. By the way, gallop implies not only a 1.3 km sprint, but also other distances; kenter – 1.7 km.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Never tried skijoring before? No problem, now we\u2019ll tell you everything. In this 2.7 km race, riders on skis control the reins of bareback horses that reach speeds of 50 km\/h. There is no doubt that skijoring is the main feature of White Turf, which is adored by spectators of different ages.<\/p>\n

But the competition participants do not have to rest. Daredevils must have physical strength, endurance and the ability to stand confidently on skis. Do not forget about courage and bravery, because the title of “King or Queen of Engadin” will be given to the best in his field. By the way, the title of winner and the cup also comes with a worthy reward. The White Turf prize fund reaches 400,000 Swiss francs ($469 thousand), and no other horse race in Switzerland offers a larger amount.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2024, the starting races are scheduled for February 4. The mounts and rein masters will set off for the course at 11:30 a.m. local time. The second stage of the competition will take place on February 11, the third on February 18, each of which will last until 14:45.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"White<\/a><\/p>\n

Technical details of the competition\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A ticket will allow you to enter the territory of the highway and the frozen lake, the price of which starts from only 25 Swiss francs ($29).<\/p>\n

There is no need to worry about safety. The permissible ice thickness is 25 cm. The organizers pay great attention to this aspect, even to the point. They even take measurements daily. By the way, in 2020, due to abnormally high temperatures, tours<\/a> for the winter season almost turned into swimming on the lake. However, the locals managed to preserve the tradition and not leave the fans without a worthy spectacle.<\/p>\n

The record holders for compliance with technical requirements are horses. The checklist for preparing them for White Turf will impress even the most experienced traveler.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even before submitting an application to participate in the race, you need to fill out and send a number of documents to the specified address:\u00a0<\/p>\n