A day at the races

... in Iffezheim, and very pleasant it was too.



I let myself be talked into taking a day away from the computers - not that I put up much of a fight. G and U and myself have developed a tradition of visiting the semiannual Baden-Baden race meetings, and on this occasion we were accompanied by K and U2. We had a fine time in the sun and gentle breeze, enjoying the fresh air and moderate amounts of wholesome excitement. U did quite will, she ended the day with a nett win of some 90 Euros; the rest of us made nett losses even before factoring in the admission charge and food and drink.

Iffezheim is a charming place, quite small and friendly. It calls itself "Germany's prettiest racecourse", and I can well believe that this is true. The race meetings are quite low-key, casual and friendly - at least in the plebs' areas. (The VIPs have their own fenced-off area, where they appear to spend more money having less fun. Serves them right.) There are many young families with kids of all ages, and local youths who appear to be there on their own for a pleasant afternoon in the sun. I'm not aware that there is a minimum age for gambling in Germany, there were young persons being served at the bookies' windows who might have had difficulty getting service in a bar. There is grandstand seating (for a price) but many people just stand on the grass - or take a picnic blanket and a bowl of strawberries as we did.

Baden-Baden has realized that they earn more money by making people happy than by emptying their wallets. The minimum bet is one single Euro, the food and drink are priced exactly the same as in any local restaurant, the toilets and public areas are kept very clean (considering the thousands of people who pass through during those six hours).

The daily race guide lists the horses, jockeys and trainers in each race, and starts with several pages of well-written useful information for horserace newbies, including the statement "don't go wild, losing all your money is no fun". How true.