Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

The Alps, Chocolate, Yodeling and…Trotting?
October 18, 2004
By Kimberly Rinker

When one thinks of European harness racing, France, Italy and the Scandinavian countries typically come to mind. The Elitloppe, Prix D’Amerique, and the Gran Premio Lotteria are across-the-pond events which are well known to most trotting enthusiasts in this country. Nestled in the heart of Europe, however, and often ignored, is one country where the sport of harness racing has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years.

Switzerland has long been famous for its Alps, fine chocolate, Heidi, cow-bells and yodeling. Now, it might not be too long before it also becomes known as another of Europe’s finest trotting bases.

Like the rest of Europe (except for the United Kingdom) Switzerland races only trotters—no pacers. Horse racing was first organized in Switzerland in 1872, and the first trotting races were held in the resort town of St. Moritz, located in the canton of Graubünden, in 1906. (Switzerland has 26 cantons, which are similar to America's counties).

StMoritz2

Trotters and drivers on the go at St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Here, hordes of up to 30,000 of the elite, rich and famous gather each February to experience horse sports on the "White Turf." With the Alps surrounding them, trotters from throughout Europe and Switzerland compete annually on three consecutive afternoons in February over the frozen St.Moritzersee. Sleigh runners are substituted for the standard sulky, allowing these diagonally gaited specialists and their decorative, snow-suit clad drivers to glide over the frozen, snow-covered surface with grace and ease. The freezing temperatures ensure that the frozen lake is hardy enough to accommodate the horses and people who flock here. The 100th Anniversary of the White Turf will take place in 2006, and should be a grand occasion for the Swiss.

Thoroughbred races are also held, as are the traditional "Skikjoring" races, where upwards of a dozen horses tow skiers one and five-eighths miles for a much sought-after trophy.

However, beyond the glamour and festiveness of St. Moritz, trotting in Switzerland is evolving into a serious sport. There are now 11 racing facilities in this relatively small country, 941 square miles of land and inland water with just over seven million people. Of these 11 tracks, two—at Basel and Avenches—offer all-weather surfaces, two—St. Moritz and Arosa—are snow tracks, and the remaining are grass tracks.

On average, about 240 races are contested over 51 racing days annually, with purses hovering at 8,000Sf each ($12,000 U.S.). The Swiss Trotting Federation, (STF) which oversees the 400+ horses racing throughout the country has 460 members to date, and STF president Fredy Moder reports that in 2002 Switzerland set a new off-track betting record of more than 103 million Swiss Francs wagered.

"Right now we are in negotiations to introduce off-track betting throughout the whole country," Moder said. "In a few months we plan to have off-betting sites also in the German speaking part of Switzerland."

Off track betting is currently limited to the French-speaking areas of Switzerland, primarily in the western edges of the nation. It also here, in the northwestern corner of the country near the French border where the Saignelégier 800-meter track (almost a half-mile) is located, and where the Swiss-Freiberger horse is primarily bred and raised.

Switzerland’s newest racetrack is the "Institut Equestre National Avenches," simply known to the locals as Avenches. Established in September 1999, this state-of-the-art equestrian facility features hurdle, steeplechase, flat and trotting racing. Located in the French-speaking part of Switzerland it features three main racing surfaces and four training surfaces, with 350 stalls. The complex also has a 400-foot indoor arena with a viewing area/restaurant, bar, pressroom, and jumping paddock. Currently, the race track averages twenty racing days per year.

Institut Equestre National Avenches in the French-speaking part of Switzlerand.

Basel’s racetrack, built in 1997, has more of a country fair setting and feel to it, and hosted just three days of racing last year. The track is just a little over a half-mile and features races for three, four and five-year-olds. Likewise, Frauenfeld race track, located north of Zurich, features three days of racing in early spring, and hosts a wide array of equestrian disciplines besides harness racing, including steeplechase, hurdles, cross-country and thoroughbred racing. Closer to Zurich is the small oval of Fehraltorf, which hosts six days of trotting annually, two each in the spring, summer and fall months.

The Aarguischer Rennverein (Aarau Racetrack) located in the north-central part of Switzerland conducted its first race meeting in 1949, and racing continues there today with four to six days of racing annually on the grass. It also conducts the "Championship of the Trotter" each fall, which sports a purse of 40,000 Swiss francs. The town of Aarau itself is known as the "the Stadt des Pferdesportes," (the city of horse sports), and places host to many horse shows and equestrian competitions.

Located not far from St. Moritz, in what is known as "Heidiland," is the Maienfeld racetrack, a small grass track in a country setting. This track, which is near where the movie "Heidi" was filmed, offers two racing days in the spring each year, and features the "Maienfelder Mile" as their main event. The Pferderennen Luzern racetrack is a one-mile grass track, located near one Switzerland’s most beautiful cities—Lucerne. Racing is conducted just twice yearly—in August and September.

Racing in Switzerland has many similarities to tracks here in the states. The bigger courses at Avenches, Basel and St. Mortiz all have a professional feel to them, while the smaller tracks are more akin to our county fairs. The rules of racing, however, can be decidedly different. Horses are not allowed to wear more than one head pole, and Murphy blinds, tongue-ties and line burrs are not allowed. Many horses raced unchecked, and drivers wear colors according to their status (apprentice or experienced). Most races are conducted without a starting gate, and starts are begun similar to those in France. Horses will walk and circle to a particular point, and when a bell or signal is sounded, they make a quick turn and all come together for the start. As well, there is no medication of any kind allowed, including bute or lasix, and the horses tend to be more rugged and heavy in stature, such as those found in Finland or Denmark.

Swiss breeding of the Standardbred is still in the infancy stages, as only a few stallions can be found in this land-locked nation. Speed Circuit (Speedster-Franella Hanover), Buttons Boy (Cheetah-Buttonwood Mary), Atlas Flighter L (Quick Pay-Ata Donna) and Caleb Lobell (Speedy Somolli-Connie Lobell) are the top stallions, and the majority of horses are imported from France (about 100 annually). Less than 20 horses are imported into Switzerland from other outside nations annually, including the United States.

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