The annual horn sled race in Partenkirchen is a cult - and a crowd puller.
But this time it has to be canceled on January 6, 2021 - because of Corona.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
- In Corona times, everything is different - even in winter sports.
Unfortunately, the traditional horn sled race, which has been a permanent fixture on Epiphany in Partenkirchen for decades, has to be canceled.
For the 52nd time, the competition should have taken place on January 6, 2021.
Top speed of 80 kilometers per hour
Even if there was almost no snow in a few years - the hard-working helpers around the chairman of the Horn Sled Association Partenkirchen, Peter Strodl, always managed to bring the white splendor onto the track to get a spectacular race off the ground.
Several thousand visitors were always at the racetrack.
Also in 2021 it should sound again “Horn Heil” over the “Hohen Weg” at the Partnachalm in Partenkirchen.
On the Eriestich, the steepest section with a gradient of 25 percent, the sledges reach a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour.
But all of this is not possible on January 6th due to the current uncertain Corona situation.
The preparation time - from setting up the route for weeks with boards and technology, through looking for sponsors to public relations work - is simply too short.
"An unprecedented and unexpected event has unfortunately brought us and our race, which has never been canceled, to our knees and we have to cancel the 2021 horn sled race with a heavy heart," explains a very sad Peter Strodl.
He and his team tried everything: "In many meetings and discussions, we weighed all possible options right up to the end, but unfortunately, from a sporting and economic point of view, we only had to decline."
100 sledges at the start
Every year around 100 sledges were at the start - men and women.
The first race took place on January 6, 1970.
The starting shot was fired from the balcony with a rifle.
Seven sleds were at the start, stopped with two normal wristwatches.
Torches lit the drivers down the valley.
The victory celebration in the Gasthaus Fugger was very impressive.
The best time back then was around four minutes.
The course record is now 1: 25.35 minutes, set in 2018 by the team "D'Unheimlich Feirigen - Garmisch" with Bernhard Maurer, Josef Bader, Anton Ostler and Bernhard Ostler.
In the women’s category, the “Werdenfelser Schneehasn Partenkirchen / Grainau” with Barbara Erhardt, Kathrina Neuner, Antonia Ebner and Kathrin Hosp held the record set in 2011 when they happily crossed the finish line after 1: 38.52 minutes.
"All preparations with the many sponsors and the technology have been in full swing since the summer, and we were hoping for good news until the end, but unfortunately we cannot defy the effects of this pandemic either, which is really a shame," said secretary and press officer Christian Herzog .
"Hopefully we'll all see each other again with even more vigor for the 2022 race." The association's general meeting, which was planned for November 27th at the Hotel Mercure in Partenkirchen, cannot be held either.
It will be postponed to June or July 2021.
Then the 50th anniversary of the Hornschlittenverein is also planned.
Titus Fischer