Landesmeisterschaft Schlitten und Skijöring am Salten

A winter championship on the Salten plateau

The Landesmeisterschaft im Schlitten und Skijöring am Salten is the South Tyrolean provincial championship for winter disciplines reserved for Haflinger horses, the equine breed that serves as a symbol of South Tyrol. The event takes place on the Salten plateau, above the municipality of San Genesio Atesino/Jenesien, in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, in the heart of the Trentino-Alto Adige region. At the foot of the Sciliar massif, the vast snowy plateau of the Salten offers the ideal setting for one of the most cherished winter sports traditions in the area.

The disciplines: Schlittenrennen and Skijöring

The competition combines two disciplines characteristic of South Tyrolean equestrian culture:

• Schlittenrennen (sled racing): Haflinger horses, guided by their drivers, pull lightweight sleds as they dash along the track prepared on the snow.
• Skijöring: a skier is pulled by a horse in a spectacular test that requires coordination, balance, and courage.

The races are divided by the horse's age category: fillies and three-year-olds, four-to-five-year-olds, and adults, in order to showcase both young prospects and more experienced specimens. The day traditionally concludes with the awards ceremony for the provincial champions and the unmissable raffle.

A South Tyrolean tradition

Organized by the Südtiroler Haflinger Pferde Sportverein (the South Tyrolean Haflinger horse sports association, based in Bolzano), the event is part of a circuit of winter appointments that visits different locations in South Tyrol every year, including the Sarentino Valley, the Passiria Valley, and Racines. In 2026, the provincial championship, now in its 47th edition, returned to the Salten plateau in San Genesio.

The Salten has long hosted the traditional sled and skijoring race (not valid as a championship), a testament to the deep bond between this territory, local breeders, and the Haflinger horse, a zootechnical and cultural heritage of the region.

Atmosphere and audience

The event attracts numerous enthusiasts, breeders, and families every year: around the seventy horses competing, a festive atmosphere is created, amidst the cheering for the drivers, the snowy landscape of the Salten, and typical South Tyrolean refreshment points. A free, open-air event that combines equestrian sport, folk tradition, and the beauty of the Alpine winter just a stone's throw from Bolzano.