The Union-Rennen is a
Group 2 flat horse race
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
open to three-year-old
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
s. It is run at
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
over a distance of 2,200 metres (about 1 mile and 3 furlongs), and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
History
The event was established in 1834, and it was originally held at
Tempelhof on the site of what became
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport (german: Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof) was one of the first airports in Berlin, Germany. Situated in the south-central Berlin borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, the airport ceased operating in 2008 amid controversy, leav ...
. It was initially contested over 2,400 metres, and it was extended to 2,800 metres in 1837.
The race was transferred to
Hoppegarten in 1868, and it was cut to 2,200 metres in 1888. It was staged at
Grunewald for a short period after World War I, and it returned to Hoppegarten during the 1920s. It was abandoned in 1945 and 1946, and it moved to Cologne in 1947.
The Union-Rennen serves as a trial for the
Deutsches Derby, and many horses have won both races. The first was Schwindler, a joint winner of the Derby in 1875. The most recent was
Sea The Moon in 2014.
With its running in , the Union-Rennen is Germany's oldest surviving horse race.
Records
Leading
jockey (7 wins):
* Tom Busby – ''Roman (1874), Oroszvar (1878), Picklock (1879), Tartar (1883), Fenek (1886), Bulgar (1887), Impuls (1895)''
----
Leading
trainer (7 wins):
* George Arnull – ''Weissdorn (1925), Alba (1930), Aventin (1932), Sturmvogel (1935), Ad Astra (1940), Magnat (1941), Asterblüte (1949)''
: ''(note: the trainers of some of the early winners are unknown)''
Winners since 1970
Earlier winners
* 1834: Alba
* 1835: Remus
* 1836: Donna Maria
* 1837: Mozart
* 1838: My Lady
* 1839: Mandarin
* 1840: Kipfelnose
* 1841: Prince Regent
* 1842: Banquo
* 1843: Madeline
* 1844: John Bull
* 1845: Minotaurus
* 1846: Dolores
* 1847: Whatstone
* 1848: Meridian
* 1849: Achaja
* 1850: Black Prince
* 1851: Lionel
* 1852: California
* 1853: Uriel
* 1854: Koh-i-Noor
* 1855: Carabas
* 1856: My Hope
* 1857: Verzug
* 1858: Pizarro
* 1859: Collingwood
* 1860: Emilius
* 1861: Rookeby
* 1862: Wildrose
* 1863: Last Pippin
* 1864: Pauline
* 1865: Bellario
* 1866: Adalbert
* 1867: Pocahontas
* 1868: Gorgo
* 1869: Ignorant
* 1870: Flibustier
* 1871: Stachel
* 1872: Sonntag
* 1873: Hochstapler
* 1874: Roman
* 1875: Schwindler
* 1876: Good Hope
* 1877: Zützen
* 1878: Oroszvar
* 1879: Picklock
* 1880: Mereny
* 1881: Orient
* 1882: Taurus
* 1883: Tartar
* 1884: Czimer
* 1885: Italy
* 1886: Fenek
* 1887: Bulgar
* 1888: Burgwart
* 1889: Aba
* 1890: Dalberg
* 1891: Alnok
* 1892: Dorn
* 1893: Geier
* 1894: Adonis
* 1895: Impuls
* 1896: Rondinelli
* 1897: Destillateur
* 1898: Vollmond
* 1899: Gastfreund
* 1900: Pomp
* 1901: Nicus
* 1902: Prinz Hamlet
* 1903: Laurin
* 1904: Pathos
* 1905: Festino
* 1906: Parmenio
* 1907: Rojestwensky
* 1908: Bajazzo
* 1909: Swirtigal
* 1910: Wandersmann
* 1911: Mondstein
* 1912: Matterhorn
* 1913: Majestic
* 1914: Ariel
* 1915: Languard
* 1916: Taucher
* 1917: Landgraf
* 1918: Orilus
* 1919: Eckstein
* 1920: Nubier
* 1921: König Midas
* 1922: Lentulus
* 1923: Augias
* 1924: Fundin
* 1925: Weissdorn
* 1926: Ferro
* 1927: Torero
* 1928: Lupus
* 1929: Graf Isolani
* 1930: Alba
* 1931: Agathon
* 1932: Aventin
* 1933: Alchimist
* 1934: Travertin
* 1935: Sturmvogel
* 1936: Periander
* 1937: Blasius
* 1938: Frauenpreis
* 1939: Organdy
* 1940: Ad Astra
* 1941: Magnat
* 1942: Effendi
* 1943: Panzerturm
* 1944: Poet
* 1945–46: ''no race''
* 1947: Volkstanz
* 1948: Angeber
* 1949: Asterblüte
* 1950: Niederländer
* 1951: Neckar
* 1952: Grenzbock
* 1953: Liebesmahl
* 1954: Blumenprinz
* 1955: König Ottokar
* 1956: Kilometer
* 1957: Windfang
* 1958: Grind
* 1959: Wettcoup
* 1960: Mohikaner
* 1961: Baalim
* 1962: Amboss
* 1963: Gladstone
* 1964: Marinus
* 1965: Fioravanti
* 1966: Ilix
* 1967: Luciano
* 1968: Literat
* 1969: Akari
See also
*
List of German flat horse races
References
*
Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing and sports betting publisher which is published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of ...
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** , , , , {{Racing Post, 814442, 2022, 06, 06, 226, cologne
----
galopp-sieger.de– ''Union-Rennen.''
horseracingintfed.com– ''International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Union-Rennen (2016).''
pedigreequery.com– ''Union-Rennen – Köln.''
1834 establishments in Germany
Flat horse races for three-year-olds
Horse races in Germany
Recurring sporting events established in 1834
Sport in Cologne