Bad Harzburg horse racing week

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Horse racing track in Bad Harzburg ( Bündheim )

The Bad Harzburg Horse Racing Week is a traditional horse race founded in 1880 in the Lower Saxony spa town of Bad Harzburg in the Goslar district . It takes place on the Bad Harzburg ( Bündheim ) racetrack, one of the most beautiful horse racing tracks in Germany .

history

On February 1st, 1880, a group of Harzburg citizens founded the Harzburger Rennverein "to promote Braunschweig horse breeding." In addition, the Harzburger Rennverein also dedicated itself to the task of "increasing the frequency of the season in the spa town of Bad Harzburg."

On the first weekend in July 1880, the first meeting took place in Bad Harzburg on the so-called Große Wiese in what is now Ilsenburger Strasse. Four races were held on Saturday and five on Sunday. This makes the Bad Harzburg horse racing facility one of the most traditional racetracks in Germany.

In 1908 the Harzburger Rennverein acquired an area on the white stone and leased additional land. Just one year later, in 1909, the first grandstand with 180 seats was inaugurated. Today, this over 100 years old has bleachers in the Eagle Flight - Lounge 90 seats with management at tables, another area with 90 seats is the horse owners , trainers and riders and the press reserved. In 1982 the large main stand with 752 permanent seats was inaugurated; the previous building was destroyed by arson in September 1979 .

The race weekend has now turned into a race week that takes place every July with around 50 races. Eight to ten flat races of different distances are run on five days of racing . The obstacle and hunting races are a trademark of the Bad Harzburger Bahn . The "Old Braunschweiger Jagdrennen" is one of the oldest obstacle races in Germany. A high point are the sea ​​hunt races , in which the horses and riders have to cross a small lake up to 130 cm deep. A free tour of the racecourse is offered on each race day one hour before the first start.

Up to 16 horses start each race. All bets can be made directly on the track, with the payout of the winnings immediately following the respective race. The prize money is between 3,000 and 37,000 euros .

Over 100 people are in action on one race day. These include u. a. In addition to the four people of the race management, a finish judge, a weigher, a starter , an equalizer, a totalizator manager, a racetrack doctor , a racetrack veterinarian , a racetrack inspector , a farrier , a doping officer , two announcers, a press officer, six to seven technicians for the railway television and the loudspeaker system, countless marshals, grooms , security guards, paramedics and various service personnel.

In 2015 the large main grandstand was completely renovated and all seats were replaced with new, high-quality seat shells. In addition, the gastronomic offer has been expanded to include a gourmet mile and a supporting program is also offered on the days when there are no races. In recent years, the Bad Harzburg horse racing week has attracted up to 50,000 visitors per season.

Outside of the race week, various events take place on the grounds of the racecourse, such as an international equestrian tournament, the Bad Harzburg mountain marathon, the Harz trike meeting and a classic car meeting or the Shetland pony festival, which has been taking place since 2002 . In 2019 there was a dog race for the first time in Bad Harzburg. The system is also rented out for company events and private celebrations.

Today the racecourse is the heart of the Bad Harzburg sports park . The Silberbornbad , an indoor and outdoor pool, is in the immediate vicinity north of the racecourse . The Harzburg Stud and Bündheim Castle are also not far from the facility.

Bad Harzburg racecourse

The racecourse in Bad Harzburg Sports Park was completely rebuilt in 2006, when the lines were changed and the turf completely renewed. The length of the flat runway is 1,730 meters. The hunting ground has 8 fixed (including a moat ) and 2 transportable jumps . The pond (approx. 15 × 63 meters) is added to the sea ​​hunt race . The hurdle races on the flat track have 6 transportable jumps.

In order to get the runway in an optimal condition it needs intensive care. The work doesn't just begin a few days before the July meeting, but usually starts in March. First, molehills and small bumps are removed with a so-called drag , then the soil is worked with a harrow . This is followed by a first cut of the lawn and the spring fertilization . In order to maintain the elasticity of the course and water permeability, the track is ventilated with a deep aerator . In the run-up to the race week and when it is dry, a computer-controlled irrigation system with 164 irrigation stations is used. In addition, all hunting and hurdling jumps must be regularly subjected to a basic cut in order to maintain their permeability. A log is kept of all work and irrigation quantities, which must be presented by an examination committee at the annual track inspection.

In addition to the two spectator stands, there are a few other buildings on the racecourse site, the Toto building 1 with secretariat , the Toto building 2, the Graditz pavilion , the judges' tower , the saddle boxes, two betting pavilions and a separate toilet building. During the race week in July, a few mobile pavilions and tents will be added. And for families with children there are special attractions such as pony rides or carousels .

In the paddock next to the racetrack, the horse the audience will be introduced before the race. Here visitors can get a direct impression of the condition of the individual horses. A veterinarian also examines the horses very carefully. When the horses are presented in the lead ring, the owner and trainer are present. They give the jockey final tactical instructions before he swings into the racing saddle and rides from the parade ring onto the track.

A starting machine is in use on the racetrack in Bad Harzburg . The site has around 40,000 square meters of usable space and 10,000 square meters of parking spaces .

Harzburg racing club

The Harzburger Rennverein eV from 1880 has been the organizer of the Bad Harzburg horse racing week since then. He is supported by some sponsors . With 473 members, the Harzburger Rennverein is the club with the largest number of members in the field of horse racing in Germany.

The board of the Harzburger Rennverein is led by the president Stephan Ahrens, who is a manager of the company Sonepar Germany / Region Nord-Ost GmbH and the owner of the racing team . The board of directors includes eight other people.

The Harzburger Rennverein is a member of the German Gallop Association .

See also

Web links

References and comments

  1. ↑ a b c d Harzburger Rennverein (HR) → Information from July 30, 2020.
  2. ↑ The judge will decide how well a horse or the first five horses have won.
  3. ↑ Before and after a race, the weight of the rider including the saddle is checked by the weigher.
  4. ↑ The equalizer calculates the general equalization (GAG) of the horses based on the results of the races . He is not necessarily on site.
  5. ↑ The doping officer is a member of the race management.
  6. ↑ A well-known announcer in Bad Harzburg for many years was Hans-Heinrich Isenbart .
  7. ↑ HR - history of the association , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  8. ^ Association for Eventing Riding Bad Harzburg eV , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  9. ↑ Bad Harzburger Bergmaraton , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  10. ↑ Harzer Trike-Treffen , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  11. ↑ Shetland Pony Festival , accessed July 30, 2020.
  12. ↑ 1. Harzer Luchstrail on the horse racing track , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  13. ↑ HR - Events on the racetrack , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  14. ↑ Sportpark Bad Harzburg , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  15. ↑ Silberbornbad , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  16. ↑ HR - Rennbahn , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  17. ↑ Seven types of horses in the parade ring , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  18. ↑ HR - Executive Board , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  19. ↑ German Gallop , accessed on July 30, 2020.
  20. ↑ Adlerflug is the namesake of the Adlerflug lounge. He was a stallion at the Harzburg stud from 2009 to 2016 .