The photos that come out of Switzerland every February when horses show up for winter racing at the resort town of St. Moritz are always something to be seen, and this year’s images from ‘White Turf’ are no different.
As a photo gallery by CNN explains, the lake of St. Moritz has hosted the winter racing every year since 1907. Participants from around the globe flock to the meetings, which feature winter-style trotting, flat racing, hurdling and skijoring.
Luigi Sala, the vice president of White Turf, has told Tom Sweetman of CNN that it is the uniqueness of the meet that makes it so popular. “There is no other such event anywhere worldwide,” he said, adding that “it’s an international event that has to be seen at least once in a lifetime.”
The meet in the Engadine Valley in the Swiss Alps is traditionally featured over three Sundays. This year’s meet was scheduled to get underway on February 7, but that Sunday had to be cancelled due to a lack of snow. There was enough of the white stuff for the following two Sundays, which went forward to the delight of the roughly 35,000 fans that took in the festivities.
It’s not just the on-track action that keeps fans coming back – it’s also the live music, art exhibitions and gourmet catering that accompanies the annual event.
“It’s all made accessible to families, as well as for the high society who spend their winter holidays in our region – a one-of-a-kind melting pot,” Sala was quoted as saying. “The VIP tent is able to satisfy even the most demanding of guests. A five-star hotel on a frozen lake.”
With four different types of racing, and also day and night dashes, the product is always fresh. Total prize money for the boutique meet is 500,000 Swiss francs, which currently equals roughly $680,000 Canadian dollars.
When it comes to Swiss racing, White Turf surpasses all other jackpots. The final Sunday of the meet features an event titled the ‘Gubelin,’ which features a purse of 111,111 Swiss francs.
To view CNN’s 16-image gallery, click here.
(With files from CNN – Photos courtesy Matthias Hangst, Bongarts Bongarts, Lars Baron, AFP, Getty Images)
