Horse Racing in Germany
Germany is a country in Central Europe where sport forms an integral part of life. It is a culture where only some popular spectator sports like handball, volleyball, basketball and horse racing have made it to the top. However, horse racing has outgrown its domestic boundaries in Germany by becoming a truly global sport.
The history of horse racing is a long and chequered one. It arguably falls under one of the most ancient sports across the globe. Horse racings’ roaring success on the international stage has helped Germany in creating wealth, public interest and television ratings with the help of this equestrian sport. In 1972, the European race-grading system began to include German races largely because of their popularity in the continent. Considering their own niche market in Germany, foreign-bred horses were discontinued in 1993.
At present, there are a number of Group 1 Horse Races that take place in Germany. Let us discuss a few of the races in detail. The Preis von Europa is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany which was established in 1963. It is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,400 meters (about 1½ miles) at the Cologne-Weidenpesch Racecourse, Cologne. This event was first held at Cologne, and since then, the venue remained the same throughout its history. Preis von Europa is scheduled to take place on an annual basis in late September. The Rheinland-Pokal is another Group 1 Flat Horse race is Germany, which is held in August annually. It is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles) at Galopprennbahn Cologne-Weidenpesch, Cologne. The event was established in 1957, and it was originally called the Aral-Pokal. The Deutsches Derby is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany, and is held each year in the month of July. It is open to three-year-old thoroughbred horses. It is run over a distance of 2,400 meters (about 1½ miles). The venue for the Deutsches Derby is Horner Rennbahn, Hamburg. It was first run in 1869, and is the German version of the Derby Stakes.
There are a number of Group 3 Horse races that are held in Germany. These include the Euro-Cup, The Hamburg Trophy, The Grand Prix Premiere, The Bavarian Classic and few more. The Euro-Cup is a Group 3 Flat Horse race which is run in the city of Frankfurt over a distance of 2,000 meters (about 1¼ miles). It is scheduled to take place each year in September. The Hamburg Trophy is another Group 3 Flat Horse race in Germany which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Horner Rennbahn, Hamburg, over a distance of 1,200 meters (about 6 furlongs). It is scheduled to take place each year in late June or early July. The Grand Prix Premiere is a Group 3 Flat Horse race which is run at Cologne over a distance of 2,200 meters (about 1 mile and 3 furlongs). It is scheduled to take place each year in April. The Bavarian Classic is a Group 3 Flat Horse race in Germany which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Munich over a distance of 2,000 meters (about 1¼ miles), and is scheduled to take place each year in late May or early June.
On the other hand, a number of horse racing tracks in Germany have been built according to the international standards. The Cologne-Weidenpesch Racecourse is a horse racing track at Weidenpescher Park in Nippes, Cologne. It was established as a racecourse in 1897, which makes it one of the oldest horse racing tracks in the country. The important fact that makes it prominent among other tracks is that it is the only race course which hosts’ more than one European pattern Group 1 race.
The CHIO Hauptstadion is another premier racecourse located in Aachen, Germany which was built in 2006 and has a capacity of 40,000 spectators. The Horner Rennbahn is located in the Horn quarter in the city of Hamburg, Germany. It was built in 1869 and has a capacity of 50,000 spectators. It hosts the annual Deutches Derby which is run over a total distance of 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Trabrennbahn Bahrenfeld is located in the Bahrenfeld quarter of Hamburg, Germany and was built in 1867. It has a capacity of 30,000 spectators.
The European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders’ Associations was introduced in 1994. It helped the thoroughbred breeders to be represented at the European level. It represents many European thoroughbred breeding countries, and welcomes countries currently outside the European Union. It is the operating authority in Germany as well, and is responsible for arranging all kinds of horse racing events and the management of all such events.
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