The White Turf

Snow gallop in St. Moritz

Date:2017-2018Location:St. Moritz (Switzerland)

Thoroughbreds and jockeys compete on the frozen surface of the lake in St. Moritz, Engadin, during the opening day of White Turf St. Moritz, the international horse racing event founded in 1907 that replaces traditional turf circuits with a high-altitude snow surface.

The 2017 and 2018 editions highlight the technical complexity of the event, where the hierarchies of traditional racing are disrupted by the sub-zero temperatures of the Swiss Alps and the unpredictability of the icy track.

The official programme for the first Sunday of racing is divided into three specific disciplines: galloping, trotting, and Skikjöring, a competitive format in which athletes on skis are pulled by horses at speeds exceeding 50 km/h.

The event draws a crowd composed of high-society figures and racing professionals, operating as a complex logistical structure where the competitive adrenaline on the track is set against the geometric and climatic rigour of the alpine landscape.

Photographing White Turf St. Moritz

Shooting White Turf St. Moritz means working against extreme contrasts: the blinding white of the frozen lake, the low winter light of the Engadin valley, and the speed of galloping horses only metres from the crowd. The reportage focuses on the tension between elegance and risk, hooves cutting through snow, jockeys braced against the cold, spectators wrapped in fur coats along the track's edge.

This story sits alongside other editorial and sport reportage work, including Calcio Storico Fiorentino. For the event's official programme and results, see whiteturf.ch.

White Turf St. Moritz – horse racing on frozen lake, Switzerland | Max Donati

White Turf St. Moritz – winter horse racing event since 1907, Switzerland | Max Donati

White Turf St. Moritz – thoroughbreds competing on snow, Swiss Alps | Max Donati

White Turf St. Moritz – skikjöring race on frozen lake, Switzerland | Max Donati

White Turf St. Moritz – jockey and horse on ice, Engadin valley | Max Donati

White Turf St. Moritz – trotting race on frozen alpine lake | Max Donati

White Turf St. Moritz – horse racing at high altitude in the Swiss Alps | Max Donati

White Turf St. Moritz – spectators and horses on snow, Switzerland | Max Donati

White Turf St. Moritz – galloping race on frozen Lake St. Moritz | Max Donati

White Turf St. Moritz – alpine landscape and horse racing on ice | Max Donati

White Turf St. Moritz – skier towed by horse at speed on snow | Max Donati