New Year's Eve Trotter Festival in Kincsem Park

The traditional New Year’s Eve Trotter Festival was held once again in Budapest this Saturday. As the organizers say, it is the most popular racing day in Hungary.

The New Year’s Eve Trotter Festival was born in 1999 in the old Kerepesi Road Racecourse (now it is the site of the the shopping center Aréna Plaza).

"We aim to be better and better every season, and we guarantee the top amount of fun possible. Besides that Covid and the raging war in our vicinity taught us how fragile and vulnerable we are, and how very important the moral and financial support of the weak and the ones in need is," the organizers say.

The event, held in Kincsem Park, the only racecourse in the country, has been the largest outdoor bash in Budapest since 1999, they add.

They highlight on their website that they offer 1% of their betting turnover of the day and the income from all cups of tea and glühwein from the tent of Magyar Ökomenikus Segélyszervezet [Hungarian Interchurch Aid] for charity. "A significant amount of 1% of turnover will be transferred to the account of the charitable organisation."

A new feature this year is the introduction of young riders. The day began with the super final of the pony riders and pony showjumpers were on the card as well.