White Turf St. Moritz

These Sundays offer a thrilling combination of horse and harness racing plus the real crowd-puller: skikjöring. The horse racing includes not just the 1,300m sprint but flat races over other distances as well, while the harness races give riders 1,700m to demonstrate their skill.

Skikjöring – the only race of its kind in the world
The Credit Suisse skikjöring races, where riders on skis are pulled along a 2,700m-long track by unsaddled thoroughbreds at speeds of up to 50km/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 who will collect the most points on all three Sundays and claim the title of “King of the Engadine”.

Live music, great food, art and culture
It pays to come early to the frozen Lake St. Moritz, before the races start. A fantastic fringe programme for the entire family is on offer in the 130,000m2 tented village on the frozen expanse – not just in the breaks between the thrilling horse, harness and skikjöring races, but from 10:30 a.m. onwards. The programme features live music on various stages, delicious food to satisfy any taste, opportunities to shop and a children’s paradise. More than 200 volunteers, locals and guests, celebrities from business, culture and politics as well as owners, trainers and jockeys – they all help create an exceptional ambience on the three Sundays in February and make the White Turf a winter highlight for everyone.

Highest prize money in Switzerland
With prize money totalling approximately half a million Swiss francs, the White Turf is Switzerland’s most lucrative equestrian event. The LONGINES Grand Prix of St. Moritz, staged as the European Championship on snow, offers a purse of CHF 400'000, which is the highest of any horse race in Switzerland.

Top sponsors and international cooperation
The White Turf’s main sponsors are Credit Suisse (Switzerland) AG, BMW (Switzerland) AG and LONGINES. All three take an active role in the social part of this sports event and use it as a platform for their clients. The commitment of the three main sponsors and the support of the racing partners, along with the contributions from the municipalities of the Upper Engadine – especially the town of St. Moritz – and from the tourism organisation Engadin St. Moritz, make it possible to add new and innovative aspects to this winter event, which is famous far beyond Switzerland’s borders.