The Cologne-Weidenpesch Racecourse (Galopprennbahn Köln-Weidenpesch) is a horse racing

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

 track at Weidenpescher Park in Nippes

Nippes, Cologne

Nippes is the Fifth city district of Cologne, Germany. Nippes was merged into the city of Cologne in 1888, the district was formed in 1975...

, Cologne

Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...

. As the only race course in Germany, hosting more than one European pattern Group 1 race, Weidenpesch is one of the most prominent tracks in the country.

Cologne-Weidenpesch is also one of Germany's oldest horse-racing tracks, having been established as a race course in 1897. The larger of the two grandstand

Grandstand

A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...

s was designed as a cast iron

Cast iron

Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...

 and timber framing

Timber framing

Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...

 structure in 1898 and substantially renovated in 2004. Until recently, the sportsgrounds were also home to Cologne's oldest football club, the VfL Köln 99

VfL Köln 99

VfL Köln was a German association football club from the city of Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was formed out of the pre-war merger of Kölner Club für Rasenspiele and Kölner Sportclub 1899, through which it lays claim to being the city's oldest football club.-History:Following the union...

.

Races

The Weidenpesch Racecourse hosts several annual conditions races

Conditions races

Conditions races are horse races where the weights carried by the runners are laid down by the conditions attached to the race. Weights are allocated according to; the sex of the runners, with female runners carrying less weight than males; the age of the runners, with younger horses receiving...

:

• Group 1:
  • Preis von Europa
    Preis von Europa
    The Preis von Europa is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Cologne-Weidenpesch Racecourse, Cologne over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September.The event was established...
    
     and
  • Rheinland-Pokal
    Rheinland-Pokal
    The Rheinland-Pokal is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Galopprennbahn Cologne-Weidenpesch, Cologne over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in August.The event was established in 1957,...
    
    
• Group 2:
  • Gerling-Preis,
  • Grosse Europa-Meile
    Grosse Europa-Meile
    The Grosse Europa-Meile is a Group 2 flat horse race in Germany which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Galopprennbahn Cologne-Weidenpesch, Cologne over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September.The event was originally...
    
    ,
  • Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen
    Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen
    The Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen is a Group 2 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Cologne over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
    
     and
  • Oppenheim-Union-Rennen
• Group 3:
  • Grand Prix Premiere,
  • Schwarzgold-Rennen
    Schwarzgold-Rennen
    The Schwarzgold-Rennen is a Group 3 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Cologne-Weidenpesch Racecourse over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....
    
    ,
  • Silberne Peitsche
    Silberne Peitsche
    The Silberne Peitsche is a Group 3 flat horse race in Germany which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Cologne over a distance of 1,300 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in April....
    
     and
  • Preis des Winterfavoriten
    Preis des Winterfavoriten
    The Preis des Winterfavoriten is a Group 3 flat horse race in Germany which is open to two-year-old thoroughbreds. It is run at Galopprennbahn Cologne-Weidenpesch, Cologne over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.The event has held Group 3 status...
    
    

The Gerling-Preis, originally established as "Preis von Birlinghoven" in 1921, and from 1934 onwards, named and sponsored by Robert Gerling, is the oldest sponsored race prize in the country. Other major races include the Preis von Europa

Preis von Europa

The Preis von Europa is a Group 1 flat horse race in Germany which is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at the Cologne-Weidenpesch Racecourse, Cologne over a distance of 2,400 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in late September.The event was established...

 and the Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen

Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen

The Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen is a Group 2 flat horse race in Germany open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Cologne over a distance of 1,600 metres , and it is scheduled to take place each year in May....

. The Cologne racing association (Kölner Rennverein) organizes horse races throughout the entire year.

External links

• official site: Kölner Rennverein 1897 e.V.