(tac.) Today, Mayor Christian Schmid on behalf of the municipality of Iffezheim and Peter Gaul and Stephan Buchner on behalf of Baden Galopp GmbH & Co. KG signed the contract: Baden Galopp will take over the Baden-Baden / Iffezheim racecourse as the new operator on April 1, 2021. The contract runs for ten years with two five-year extension options. The majority shareholder is Peter Gaul, head of Mannheim-based B.A.U. GmbH & Co. KG; Stephan Buchner, a lawyer from Mannheim, will manage operations as managing partner. Other shareholders are the Baden-Badener Auktionsgesellschaft (BBAG) e.V., the investors Lars Jensen and Hans-Jörg Simon as well as the Baden Galopp Förderverein in Gründung.
Following the withdrawal of the previous operator Baden Racing GmbH and the extraordinary termination of the lease agreement at the end of 2020, a new tender was necessary. Peter Gaul and his team's concept was convincing; the municipal council, led by Mayor Christian Schmid, approved the award of the contract by a large majority on March 15, 2021.
Stephan Buchner: "Now we have to run a sprint race."
Peter Gaul: "But keep up the pace over standing distances!"
The keys will be handed over on April 1; the new operators don't want to waste any time and will spend Easter on the track.
The first and most important goal is the "Big Week", the annual highlight at Baden-Baden / Iffezheim racecourse: four racing days are scheduled between August 29 and September 5. All the important races will take place, including the group races relevant for the selection of breeding horses with the Grand Prix of Baden as the crowning glory. This also applies to the second highlight of 2021, the races as part of the Sales & Racing Festival in October. "The racecourse must and will remain the number 1 in German horse racing," emphasizes Peter Gaul. In the coming years, Baden Galopp wants to gradually offer a full program with at least twelve racing days again.
Big Week and Sales & Racing Festival take place
Gaul and Buchner are counting on spectators being admitted in late summer and fall: "We are planning for ten percent capacity, i.e. 2,000 to 2,500 visitors, and hope that this will be possible," says Buchner. Gaul explains: "All virologists and epidemiologists consider the risk of infection outdoors to be minimal. If guests then bring a daily rapid test with them, we are on the safe side." Nevertheless, the new operators are prepared: "We don't wish for this and don't think it will be necessary, but if nothing works, we of course have a 'plan B' in the drawer," assures Buchner.
Top 3 tasks: Spectators, sponsors, catering
Gaul and Buchner name clarifying the spectator issue, attracting sponsors and selecting a caterer or restaurateur as the top three tasks. Professional marketing, the website and social media offerings are also urgently needed.
Gaul and Buchner don't just want to appeal to the familiar target groups: "We want to be there for the people of Iffezheim and attract guests from all over the world. We want to retain racing enthusiasts and make new friends: There are so many people who are enthusiastic about animals, horses, speed and sport who simply haven't yet come into contact with racing. We want to change that," Buchner plans. And he knows: "Even if it is no longer possible today without additional entertainment off the track, the gallop races will always be the focus."
Future: A racecourse can do more than just horse racing
The new operators are planning for the long term in order to lead the racecourse safely into the future: This includes using and allowing the 50-hectare facility with around 10,000 square meters of buildings to be used all year round: "We can also imagine sharing this great site with horses and riders from other disciplines," reports Gaul. Events for new target groups are also important to him: "Large concerts or trade fairs have been held here before. But the racecourse is also a wonderful venue for weddings or large family celebrations. And why shouldn't companies hold their parties and associations their annual conferences here? The first inquiries have already been received."
Stable smell and a black zero
Gaul and Buchner are no strangers to horse racing. Over the past 20 years, they have shaped the Mannheim racecourse at the Badischer Rennverein. From 2013 to 2014, Buchner was managing director of the Hoppegarten racecourse near Berlin; since 2015, he has been managing director of Betriebsgesellschaft Galopp-Rennvereine GmbH (BGG), the umbrella organization of German racecourse clubs. Gaul has a long-standing relationship with the racecourse in Baden-Baden / Iffezheim as an owner and breeder, Buchner as a rider and trainer.
The team has already implemented a similar concept to the one they are planning for "BBI" for the Badischer Rennverein in Mannheim-Seckenheim: "After 25 years, we know how things are going in Mannheim - now we want to make Baden-Baden / Iffezheim a success too," says Buchner. Gaul's goal is a "black zero": "I don't want to earn any money with the racecourse. As long as I don't have to contribute any money, everything is fine - and my work is voluntary."
Mayor Christian Schmid is also delighted: "We are convinced that we have found the right partners to operate our racecourse. 'Boxing up' for a successful collaboration."
