Cologne-Weidenpesch Racecourse, Horse racing track and athletics facility in Nippes district, Cologne, Germany.
Cologne-Weidenpesch Racecourse is a horse racing track in Weidenpescher Park in the Nippes district of Cologne. It has two grandstands; the larger one, built in 1898 as a cast iron and timber framing structure, was substantially renovated in 2004. The track is the only racecourse in Germany hosting more than one European pattern Group 1 race.
The course was established in 1897, making it one of Germany's oldest race tracks. In 1898 the larger of its two grandstands was built as a cast iron and timber framing structure. That stand was substantially renovated in 2004. The Kölner Rennverein has organized racing here ever since.
The Kölner Rennverein organises races here all year, and Weidenpesch is the only German track hosting more than one European Group 1 race: the Preis von Europa and the Rheinland-Pokal. The Gerling-Preis, run since 1921 and named for sponsor Robert Gerling from 1934, is the country's oldest sponsored race prize.
The Kölner Rennverein organizes races throughout the year, so check the race calendar before travelling. The site lies in Weidenpescher Park in the Nippes district; the 1898 grandstand, rebuilt in 2004, is the main structure to look for. Access to the grounds depends on the day's event.
The Gerling-Preis, originally founded in 1921 as Preis von Birlinghoven, was the first corporate-sponsored horse race in German history. This innovation made the site a pioneer in advertising-backed sporting events.
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