Races run at a gallop or a canter plus skikjöring – invariably a favourite with the crowds – alternate at 30-minute intervals: The galloped events include not just the 1,100-m sprint, but other distances, too, while those who prefer to canter have a choice of 1,600 m, 1,800 m or 1,900 m.

Skikjöring – the only race of its kind in the world
Skikjöring, a discipline in which men on skis are pulled along a 2,700-m-long track by unsaddled thoroughbreds at speeds of up to 50 km/h, is exclusive to White Turf and invariably has the crowds in raptures. Physical fitness and strength, to say nothing of skiing skills and above all courage are crucial in determining which of the entrants, having collected the most points on all three Sundays, can claim the title of “King of the Engadine”.

A tent city covering 130,000 m2 of the iced-over Lake of St. Moritz
“It is not just the exceptional venue, but also the style and atmosphere of this social and sporting event that has visitors from all over the world and VIPs from business, politics and the arts returning year after year,” explains President and CEO Rudolf Fopp. Beside the racecourse itself is an area of 130,000 m2 containing both grandstands with seating capacity for up to 2,200 spectators and countless booths selling refreshments and souvenirs and White Turf’s elegant tent city.

The most generous cash prizes in Switzerland
With prize monies totalling more than CHF 400,000, White Turf is the most lucrative equestrian event in Switzerland: The “Gübelin Grand Prix de St. Moritz”, for example, which counts as the European Cup on snow, is worth an impressive CHF 111,111 to the winner, making it the most highly prized race in Switzerland, while the winner of the “BMW – Pontresina Grand Prix for Cantering” stands to win CHF 33,333.

Top sponsors and international cooperation
White Turf’s two main sponsors of many years’ standing are Credit Suisse and BMW (Switzerland) AG, both of whom identify strongly with this “unique spectacle” and use the event as a platform for their customers, in doing so enhancing the quality of the occasion’s social aspects. The organizers are especially proud of the international partners they have won. Since 2005 and following the lead of Mauritius and the German Derby venue of Hamburg-Horn, England’s famous Newmarket racecourse has also been a partner of White Turf.