These mountains, this vastness, this light. St. Moritz winter wonderland at 1856 metres above sea level. For three weeks, a mountain village becomes a showground for the international jet set, friends of equestrian sports and families when the White Turf event takes place.
We take a look behind the scenes with Tomy Kögl, Head of Broadcast at Habegger, to find out what makes this public event so fascinating and the work so special. As technical project manager, he is responsible for the entire assignment: from the concept to installation and on-site operation, to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Tomy Kögl, Head of Broadcast
Why do you think the event is so special and attracts the world to glamorous St. Moritz every year?
Tomy: It is the only race in the world that takes place on a frozen lake and then there is also this mountain backdrop. The atmosphere is unique and guests are flooded with sunshine, as the Engadin is known for having more than 300 days of sunshine a year.
White Turf is also one of the top Swiss events with a long tradition dating back to 1907. The race is a public, high-calibre major event and this world of experience has an impact on every visitor and guest with high-quality cuisine, music and lifestyle offers. It is one of the world’s most highly endowed races with a CHF 100,000 prize for the winning horse.
What fascinates you about White Turf from your position?
It starts as soon as we leave the Unterland and drive over the Julier Pass – you enter another world and are enchanted by the Engadin.
The event is very special for me every year, it’s not a run-of-the-mill broadcasting job. For us, set-up starts three days before the event begins, in the worst-case scenario at -20 degrees and a snowstorm, but, at the same time, it mustn’t be so warm that water cannot get into the control room container. We have a few technical challenges to overcome. It starts with the logistics: How do we get the equipment onto the lake? How do we protect the material from the elements? The cable runs are also very long. It is always exciting year after year.
Why is broadcasting indispensable for the public event?
It’s a competition and every detail, every thousandth of a second counts. The spectators want to see exactly who wins and really take in the highlights and individual movements in super slow motion on a large LED screen. Our job is to produce and record the entire signal of the race. But the live images are also extremely important for all of the guests who are actively betting – we also broadcast the betting odds on large screens on the grounds. In addition, we distribute the signal internationally for TV stations and betting platforms.
How do you work as a team on site?
We are a well-coordinated team of 12 people who are on site on all three weekends. The team spirit is immense. Precisely because we have the special situation on the lake, we have to pull together more than ever to manage the set-up as well as the broadcast job at the event and then the dismantling within the specified time. They are exhausting weekends, but the team also has a lot of fun when we are up there. After work, we go out for dinner together and enjoy a well-earned after-work drink.
3/12 of the team: f. l. t. r. Andy Ott, Samuel Günther, Annina Loher
What is the collaboration with the client like?
We maintain a very friendly relationship with the White Turf Racing Association St. Moritz, we have known each other for several years. There is a great deal of trust and appreciation on both sides. At the event itself, we are like a small family, we help each other, even outside of our areas. We act as a team.
This type of collaboration goes hand in hand, is a lot of fun and very fulfilling.
There are 2-3 meetings before the event and then the upcoming project is defined together. This year, for example, we were able to introduce a technological innovation and take the finish photo with a super slow motion camera, which takes high-speed shots at up to 500 frames per second and thus shows the movement sequences of the horses in every detail.
A final word?
Grazcha fich to the entire team, the White Turf OC and the beautiful Engadin – this event is and remains uniquely fascinating. I’m already looking forward to 2025.
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