Horn sled race: "Close your eyes and through"

Created: 01/04/2023, 1:00 p.m

By: Franziska Seliger

Not for the faint of heart: The sled of the "Vögelfreunde Oache sticht 2" at the race in 2018. © Archive

It couldn't take place for two years because of the pandemic.

But on Epiphany, January 6th, the traditional horn sled race is to take place again in Partenkirchen.

Sledges from Schlehdorf, Bichl, Benediktbeuern and Gaißach will also be there.

Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen – The conditions for the traditional horn sled race at the Partnachalm are anything but ideal.

But lack of snow or not: after a two-year Corona break, the Hornschlittenverein Partenkirchen definitely wants to hold the race.

"We will exhaust all possibilities to pull through the race," says the club's website.

The 52nd Bavarian Championship at the Partnachalm is to take place.

The total length of the route is 1100 meters.

The possible maximum speed is between 80 and 90 kilometers per hour.

Schlehdorfer women are still looking for passengers

The members of the Winter Sports Club (WSV) Schlehdorf – Horn Sledge Division – have known for a long time what you are getting into.

Before Corona, they sent several men's sleds onto the track every year and often a women's sled as well.

This year, according to Erich Skrajewski, three men's sleds and one women's sled should be at the start.

The male sledges are traditionally called "Vögelfreunde Oache sticht" numbers one to three.

The name of the women's team has not yet been decided.

The team of four women is desperately looking for two passengers (if you want to ride with us, you can contact Marina Freisl on 0 15 77/8 84 98 18).

What do potential candidates have to show?

You must be at least 18 years old, says Skrajewski.

“And bring a bit of pluck.

Because the rapid ride on the horn sled is not for the faint of heart.

Skrajewski knows this from his own experience.

He's been there 20 times himself.

And he will be there again this year.

Why?

"The appeal is the speed," says the father of two.

“Simply fun”

Bernd Schöpf can only confirm that.

The Benediktbeurer has been taking part in the race for around 15 years - this year too.

"It's just fun," he says.

This time, the monastery village wants to start with three men's sleds and one women's sled: the "Beira Hundsbuam" and the "Beira Lausmadln".

So far (as of January 3rd) a total of 54 sled teams have been registered - including five for women.

Great expectations rest above all on the "Beira Lausmadln", who won the women's race in 2020.

In view of the lack of snow, however, Schöpf expects that those responsible for the race will shorten the route - which would be a shame, since the upper part of the descent in particular is very attractive, says Schöpf.

Training so far rather little

Neither the Schlehdorfer nor the Benediktbeurer teams have been able to train much because of the lack of snow.

After all, the "bird friends" could have trained twice on the former toboggan run in the village if there was a little snow.

That's why the chances are "quite high," Skrajewski believes, that you'll go home with good placements.

Because many of the favorite teams of previous years would not have been able to train this year.

In Bichl, too, where a men's team is expected to start, there was at least a bit of practice for the race, says Michael Eberl, who will be on the sled himself.

"We are all highly motivated," says the 26-year-old, who will be taking part in the horn sled race in Partenkirchen for the third time this year.

In 2020, the team from Bichl took sixth place.

This year you want to end up at least in the top ten.

All passengers are motocross riders.

“So racing is in our blood.” The Bichler team didn't think of a special driving technique for this.

“Close your eyes and through,” Eberl describes the racing motto.

And: "If you brake, you lose."

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Gaißacher also want to tackle again

Sleds from the Schnabler stronghold of Gaißach will also be at the start.

Vice President Martin Rest had appealed to the younger members in particular at the annual meeting of the Schnabler Association last week to compete with a few teams in Garmisch.

So far, six Gaißacher sleds have been registered.

The "Goassara dodgers" finished third in 2020.

The race takes place on Friday, January 6th.

Start at the Partnachalm is around 12.30 p.m.

Further information can be found on the website of the Hornschlitten-Verein: www.hornschlitten.de

You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.