Several million liters of water have been pumped out of Lake St. Moritz to make snow for Switzerland’s most lucrative equestrian event with half a million francs in prize money. But unseasonably warm weather still forced the cancellation of the skijoring race on the first weekend of White Turf. Exclusive to St. Moritz, the race draws tens of thousands of well-heeled fans to the Swiss resort town to see riders on skis pulled by thoroughbreds around the frozen lake. Organizers have been taking extra precautions since 2017, when a fissure in the ice caused the fatal fall of one horse.WATCH MORE
At White Turf, the snow must go on
Several million liters of water have been pumped out of Lake St. Moritz to make snow for Switzerland’s most lucrative equestrian event with half a million francs in prize money. But unseasonably warm weather still forced the cancellation of the skijoring race on the first weekend of White Turf. Exclusive to St. Moritz, the race draws tens of thousands of well-heeled fans to the Swiss resort town to see riders on skis pulled by thoroughbreds around the frozen lake. Organizers have been taking extra precautions since 2017, when a fissure in the ice caused the fatal fall of one horse.
How is the Olympic family getting on with each other at the Lausanne 2020 Youth Games?
We got the scoop from Director General Ian Logan, Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi and sports journalist Philip Barker.
Youth Olympics lacking global reach, says sport management expert
The third edition of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is underway, but despite the efforts of the IOC and host city Lausanne, global attention has been underwhelming, says Lisa Delpy Neirotti, sport management professor from The George Washington University. But Neirotti also stresses that the most important part of the YOG is bringing young athletes together, not the attention around the event.
Sports event expert on why cities should host the Olympics and YOG
Expecting economic return is not the reason to host the Olympic or Youth Olympic Games, says Milena Parent, professor in sport event management at the University of Ottawa. We continue our series on the Youth Olympic Games, which kick off today in Lausanne, with a look at the financial expectations and the legacy of hosting.
There’s more money coming into Swiss sports than ever before, says Kurt
Our series on the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne continues with a look at the growing attention in the lead-up to the event. Former Olympian Mike Kurt, now president of the Swiss University Sports Federation, points out that hosting the event has given a boost to Switzerland’s sports ecosystem and stresses the need to keep that momentum going beyond 2020.
Riding waves of success in the equine world
The Geneva International Horse Show has been named the best equine show for the ninth time and has the support of the world’s top two riders—who happen to be Swiss. We take a closer look at the show’s winning formula.
Electric motocross takes off in Switzerland but some miss the noise
The Swiss motocross world is starting to embrace electric, even if some fans miss the roaring sounds of combustion engines, says freestyle motocross rider Mat Rebeaud, who is at the forefront of the trend. Though it’s greener, Eric Peronnard from Supercross Geneva says sponsorship is not there yet. “With cars you have a lot of money coming at you,” says Peronnard. “Motorcycles are not that blessed.”
Switzerland’s luxury sponsorship market lags behind the rest
Luxury-brand sponsorship of sports is growing at about 10 percent per year in Switzerland, which is behind a global increase of 15 percent, says Anthony Schaub, founder of Geneva-based consulting firm The Consultancy Group. Schaub talks about creating and maintaining some of the most effective partnerships between luxury brand sponsors and Switzerland’s sports events.
