For over a century, the White Turf has been making history on the frozen Lake Moritz. The horse race on snow is more than an event; it is an expression of the spirit of St. Moritz: elegant, courageous, worldly. A symbiosis of place and event that has been redefining winter since 1907.
Photo: Documentation Library, St. Moritz
Two stories, one ghost
The story of St. Moritz begins over 3000 years ago with its healing springs. But the real breakthrough came in 1864 when hotelier Johannes Badrutt invented winter tourism with a legendary bet. From then on, St. Moritz was a place of innovation: first electric light, first ski school, first electric tram. A village that embraced progress.
Only a few decades later, an event occurred that perfectly embodied this spirit: the White Turf. The daring feat of letting horses race across a frozen lake became the epitome of what St. Moritz still represents today – pioneering spirit, style and the courage to be extraordinary.
Mirror of a place
The White Turf is far more than a horse race. It reflects the soul of St. Moritz, the special connection between nature and society that makes this place so unique. The power of the horses represents dynamism, the elegance of the visitors international appeal. Together they form the stage on which St. Moritz expresses its identity: authentic, passionate, "Top of the World".
Or, as Dr. Hans Peter Danuser von Platen once aptly put it:
«Moritz is not a brand that you invent; it has grown from people, stories and a lifestyle that only exists here.»
Photo: Documentation Library, St. Moritz
Tradition in motion
Whether in classic horse racing or in the world's only Skikjöring, where riders on skis are pulled by galloping horses, the – and White Turf combine sport with spectacle, precision with emotion. But it doesn't rest on its laurels. Modern safety concepts, support for young talent, and local partnerships make it a role model today for both tradition and future orientation.
An inseparable connection
St. Moritz and the White Turf are inseparable. The place provides the event with its stage – the event bears the name St. Moritz into the world. Both stand for what makes the Engadine so unique: the courage to have a vision, the love of beauty and the joy of the extraordinary.
