The 24th St Leonhard’s Ride is scheduled for Sunday, 10 November. It is a fixed and much-awaited event in the autumn calendar in Alta Badia. This year also marks the 120th anniversary of the local Noriker Horse Association.
There is no better stage than the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site, for the 24th St Leonard’s Ride, which will be celebrated on Sunday, 10 November in Alta Badia. The protagonists of the event, organised by the noriker and haflinger horse associations of Val Badia, will be the more than 100 horses and breeders from all over South Tyrol and the other Ladin valleys.
The St Leonard’s Ride is an excellent opportunity to relive ancient Ladin traditions and customs in an authentic way, as well as to discover Alta Badia during the autumn months, enjoying the tranquillity of this period.
This edition will be dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the local Noriker Horse Association, headed by Enrico Nagler for the past 40 years and established in the village of Piccolino by Peter Videsott. The event begins, as per tradition, with the solemn Holy Mass, celebrated in the parish church of Badia, consecrated to St Leonard and St James. At 10.45 a.m., the parade continues, winding its way through the centre. The procession will be led by the patron saint’s float, followed by a large number of haflinger and noriker horses, traditional costumes from the various Ladin valleys and numerous festively decorated floats. These include the float with the miniature model of St Leonard’s church, built for the 20th anniversary by some local craftsmen, as well as the float with the harvest products, which will be sold at the end of the procession, the proceeds of which will be donated to charity. Thanks to the great participation of horses and breeders from various valleys, the music bands from Badia, Moena and San Giorgio, and local dance groups, the spectators will be able to admire a variety of colours and traditional costumes, seen on only a few other occasions in South Tyrol. The year 2024 was very important for the local Haflinger and Noriker Horse Associations, having won important awards at provincial level. Parading during the parade with the winners’ sashes will be the filly Elodie of Thomas Alfreider, winner of the 3-year-old filly show in the Haflinger horse category, the filly Felina of Stefan Zingerle winner in the Noriker horse category, the mare Elodie of Thomas Alfreider was also confirmed first in her category at the provincial Haflinger horse show. The roundup ends with David Bernardi’s mare Desi, bred by Simon Dapoz, awarded at the provincial Haflinger horse show on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Haflinger horse as BEST of SHOW, i.e. the most beautiful horse at the show.
The most eagerly awaited moment of the day will certainly be the blessing of the horses and their breeders, in front of the Santa Croce mountain, which will take place immediately after the parade. Following the success of the last editions, the event will once again be broadcast live via streaming on the Alta Badia facebook profile.
The festival will continue in the village centre with gastronomic specialities, served by the fire brigade and farmers’ associations, surrounded by the melodies of the Moena, San Giorgio and ‘Böhmische Badia’ music bands, as well as traditional group dances by the local ‘Bal Popular’ association. In the afternoon, there will be the traditional ‘törggelen’, or chestnut-roasting ritual, accompanied by a good glass of wine and traditional music
The weekend of festivities will begin in the evening of Saturday 9 November, during which you can taste some local cuisine and listen to the music of Ladin artists. The St Leonard’s Ride will also be held in case of bad weather.