Catwalk atmosphere around the white oval
White Turf – this is where the most authentic form of HP-sport meets high society. Every winter since 1907, the horse races on the frozen lake of St. Moritz have been a focal point for the locals, and almost for the same length of time, members of international high society have used the white floor to take their furry favourites for a walk. Experiencing this fascinating mixture of equestrian sports and social event is captivating and exciting at the same time.
The stakes are almost a million Swiss Francs, 30,000 guests attend, and the ice sheet of 80 cm has to carry a weight of almost 4,000 tons. As one of 150 official events on the winter calendar of St. Moritz, the statistics of White Turf are the most impressive. On a total surface of 130,000m², grandstands with some 2,000 seats are set up next to the racetrack, as well as a tent city with a great number of sales and catering stands in all price ranges, with live musical shows and betting stalls.
Champagne flows like water on all three racing Sundays, and the smell of typically Swiss-grilled sausages fills the air. Everybody acts in a sophisticated way and it is essential to see and be seen. Fur coats in all colours and designs are flaunted, sometimes with matching headgear or footwear, and here and there accompanied by the obligatory four-legged friend clad in a precious mink cape. Around an ordinary bar table, over barley broth and grilled sausages, people discuss the final outcome of the last race. Down-to-earth with a touch of extravagance.
Every 30 minutes, the crowd is on the move. Quickly a detour to the betting stalls – after all roughly 600,000 Euros were bet on the three racing days in 2010 via the French PMU – before it’s time to take a seat on the sunny grandstand which gives a perfect view perfect across the entire race track. At least half of the White Turf visitors come to the Engadine every February for the trotting and gallop races or for the exceptional Skikjöring. The noble thoroughbreds arrive from different parts of the world. Their value can be placed somewhere between a mid-range car and a villa overlooking the sea, and they manage to capture the attention of the high society.
It is not really obvious that the event is taking place on ice. The entire venue is covered by a thick layer of snow: minus 20 degrees and brilliant sunshine turn the Alpine setting around St. Moritz into one of almost sugary romanticism. A coach tour across the lake gives the feeling of being part of a fairy tale. The coachman is an earthy Swiss original who reveals secrets but not those he has been entrusted with, like treasures, by his guests.
(P.S.) Would you like to attract attention during your next White Turf visit? Then please don’t wear fur! As a slightly altered saying goes: ‘Other designers also make beautiful clothes’. Their names are Bogner, Kjus and Moncler, among others, and they will cause quite a sensation this winter with loud red and green colours, and can even guarantee to attract attention in tasteful chocolate brown or noble black.
