(tac). It's no April Fool's joke: on April 1, 2021, Baden Galopp GmbH & Co. KG will take over the Baden-Baden / Iffezheim racecourse as the new operator. The majority shareholder is Mannheim entrepreneur Peter Gaul, head of the local B.A.U. GmbH & Co. KG. Stephan Buchner, a lawyer from Mannheim, will manage the operational business as managing partner. Other shareholders are Baden-Badener Auktionsgesellschaft (BBAG) e.V. as well as Lars Jensen and Hans-Jörg Simon, the investors who made the renovation of the training track possible. The shareholders will also include a new support association. This group of supporters, initiated by former Iffezheim mayor Peter Werler and local concrete block producer Martin Kronimus, ensures a close connection between the operating company and the citizens of Iffezheim.
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, chaired by Mayor Christian Schmid, approved the award of the contract by a large majority on March 15, 2021.
Gaul and Buchner are no strangers to horse racing. Over the past 20 years, they have shaped the Mannheim-Seckenheim racecourse in alternating roles as President and Vice-President of the Badischer Rennverein Mannheim-Seckenheim e.V.. From 2013 to 2014, Buchner was Managing Director of Hoppegarten Racecourse near Berlin; since 2015, he has been Managing Director of Betriebsgesellschaft Galopp-Rennvereine GmbH (BGG), the umbrella organization of German racecourse clubs. Schmid: "The overall package was convincing. We are delighted that with Peter Gaul and his partners we have been able to gain real professionals for sustainable development. The new operators combine a love of horses and regional ties with business expertise and a wealth of experience in racecourse operations." Buchner returned the praise directly: "We are very grateful for this trust - it is an incentive to step up another gear."
Regional soul ...
Re-regionalization was the most important goal when Werler and Kronimus developed their ideas for saving the racecourse at the end of 2020. "We value our guests from all over the world - but the racecourse should also become an important part of Iffezheim again - for the citizens of the municipality and the people of the region," says Kronimus, a sponsor of the racecourse for 35 years. This gave rise to the idea of a sponsoring association. And it was a success: Medium-sized entrepreneurs from the region and also many private individuals support the new start of the Baden-Baden / Iffezheim racecourse and have joined the future sponsors' association. The official foundation will follow in the next few weeks. "Only a regional anchoring of the racecourse will secure this traditional sports venue in the long term. In this way, we can make an important contribution to the preservation of this traditional culture," says Stephan Buchner. "But none of this would be possible without our predecessors Dr. Andreas Jacobs and Paul von Schubert from Baden Racing. Without their personal and financial commitment, there would probably be no more gallop races in Iffezheim today," says Peter Gaul.
... with international class
Baden-Baden / Iffezheim is considered the number 1 racecourse in Germany and is one of the top 40 in the world. The city of Baden-Baden is one of the top German destinations for foreign visitors. Gaul wants to create closer links here: "Anyone traveling to Baden-Baden must of course have the racecourse on their list." That is why he wants to "broadcast Baden-Baden / Iffezheim racecourse in all languages and on all channels". "The aim is for every horse and betting fan from afar to put Baden-Baden / Iffezheim on their travel list - and then bet on the races online as a visitor. Gaul laughs: "We know that we have a long way to go. But we want to aim high."
Two very special relationships
Gaul and Buchner both have long-standing and very special relationships with Baden-Baden / Iffezheim racecourse. Peter Gaul and his wife Gabriele are owners and breeders; some of their horses are trained here. "We celebrated our first big success on this track in 2013 in the Ferdinand Leisten Memorial Race with Eric - that is a bond that will last forever," recalls Peter Gaul. Buchner, who has been involved in racing for more than 30 years, knows the facility and the training conditions in Iffezheim inside out: as a rider and as a trainer.
Big week takes place! Gaul assures climax
The new team has to hit the ground running: In less than five months, the "Big Week", the annual highlight at the Baden-Baden / Iffezheim racecourse, is on the schedule. "The Big Week will look a little different this year, but it won't be canceled," promises Gaul. Four race days will take place between August 29 and September 5. All the important races, such as the group races relevant for the selection of breeding with the Grand Prix of Baden as the highlight, will take place. This also applies to the races as part of the Sales & Racing Festival in October. "We will see the best of the best on these days," says Buchner happily. "We are doing everything we can to maintain the traditionally high sporting standard of this racecourse. The racecourse must and will remain the number 1 in German horse racing," explains Peter Gaul. In the coming years, Baden Galopp intends to gradually offer an overall program with at least twelve race days again.
