Horse racing on the frozen lake at St. Moritz across three Sundays in February, including skijoring behind riderless horses.
An event page tells you when it happens (with how sure we are of the date), why it matters, how the week around it feels, when to arrive and leave, where people stay, how access works, and which events come before and after it on the circuit.
Once a winter, when the ice on Lake St. Moritz is thick enough, a racecourse is laid out on it. White Turf has run since 1907 and takes place on three consecutive Sundays in February, with a grandstand and a tented village on the snow-covered lake at 1,800 metres. Three disciplines are run: flat racing on snow, trotting, and skijoring, in which skiers are towed at racing speed behind riderless horses.
The practical fact behind all of it is the ice: warm winters have forced cancellations.
01Why it matters
White Turf is the anchor of the St. Moritz winter calendar and the last significant survivor of a tradition of racing on frozen alpine lakes. In our reading its position matters more than its sport: three fixed weekends around which the resort's winter organizes itself.
02The week around it
St. Moritz in February is at the height of its season, and White Turf is one of several events on the lake: the snow polo tournament runs in January on the same ice and the Engadin Skimarathon follows in March.
03When to arrive
Any of the three Sundays works; the third decides the skijoring championship and draws the largest crowd.
04Where to stay
St. Moritz Dorf puts the racecourse a ten-minute walk downhill, with Badrutt's Palace, the Kulm and the Carlton overlooking the course; Celerina and Pontresina are quieter and cheaper down the valley.
05Access and hospitality
Tickets are sold through a public ticketing platform linked from the organizer's site, covering general admission and seating, with a hospitality programme of heated tents above that; Family Days are ticketed separately.
06Where the social activity happens
The tented village along the trackside; the rail on the ice, which anyone can stand at; the lakeside promenade; and afterwards the bars of St. Moritz Dorf.
07Getting there
08Practicalities
09History
The first race on the frozen lake was held in 1907, and the 2027 meeting is the 120th, a count reflecting wartime and weather-driven gaps. The meeting grew alongside St. Moritz's development as a winter destination, when the resort was also building the Cresta Run.
10Who is there
The Engadin's winter community, resident and returning; Swiss and international racing people, including owners who keep horses in training for snow racing; the largely amateur skijoring competitors; and a public of skiers and day visitors.
What else is happening
Overlap finder →Within reach
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29 Jan → Feb 6, 2027Gstaad · Switzerland · Cultural Festivals Sommets Musicaux de GstaadRegional
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23 Jan → Feb 9, 2027Venice · Italy · Cultural Festivals Carnival of VeniceNotable
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7 FebCourchevel · France · Cultural Festivals Courchevel International Fireworks FestivalRegional
The circuit continues
Part of: European Ski Season · Equestrian Circuit
Dates on record
| Edition | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 · Third race day (120th White Turf) | · Third race day (120th White Turf) | ConfirmedThird and final published 2027 racing Sunday; Family Day on Saturday 20 February. |
| 2027 · Second race day (120th White Turf) | · Second race day (120th White Turf) | ConfirmedSecond of the three published 2027 racing Sundays; Family Day on Saturday 13 February. |
| 2027 · First race day (120th White Turf) | · First race day (120th White Turf) | ConfirmedThe organizer publishes the 120th White Turf racing days as 7, 14 and 21 February 2027, with Family Days on the preceding Saturdays, 6, 13 and 20 February. |
| 2026 · Third race day | · Third race day | CompletedThird and final 2026 racing Sunday, when the skijoring championship is decided. |
| 2026 · Second race day | · Second race day | CompletedSecond of the three 2026 racing Sundays. |
| 2026 · First race day | · First race day | CompletedFirst of the three 2026 racing Sundays on the frozen lake. |
Related events
Sources
- White Turf St. Moritz — official site, Verein White Turf St. Moritz official accessed 6 September 2026