50 Years Riding Group Geldersheim — Anniversary Festival

Half a Century of Equestrian Sport in Rural Geldersheim

The Reitergruppe Geldersheim e.V. was founded in 1976 by a group of horse-loving citizens of the municipality of Geldersheim in the Schweinfurt district. For 50 years, the club has stood for community, tradition, and the love of horses — as stated in its own club mission statement. On the club's own grounds on Raiffeisenstraße, the association offers riding lessons for beginners and advanced riders, horse boarding, vaulting groups, and a diverse club life centered around Western riding, dressage, and show jumping.

Golden Club Anniversary 2026

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the riding group invites you to a two-day anniversary festival on the riding grounds on Raiffeisenstraße on the weekend of July 11th/12th, 2026. The festival combines the club's two main pillars: on Saturday, the social country evening with live music and line dancing; on Sunday, the ceremonial act with a church service, horse blessing, and sporting demonstrations. This offers the full spectrum that defines an active equestrian club in a rural Franconian community.

Country Evening on Saturday

The festival kicks off on Saturday, July 11th, 2026, at 6 PM. From 7 PM, a country band will play live, accompanied by line dance demonstrations and an open dance floor for all guests. Western atmosphere, beer, and hearty specialties from the grill characterize the evening — typical "Country and Western" style, as the German riding scene has cultivated for decades.

Festival Sunday — Church Service, Horse Blessing, and Riding Demonstrations

On Sunday, July 12th, 2026, the festival day begins at 10:30 AM with an ecumenical church service in the festival tent. Lunch will be served from 11:30 AM, accompanied by live music from a local brass band. The highlight of the afternoon is the traditional horse blessing — a custom particularly cherished in the Catholic regions of Southern Germany, where horse and rider ask for a blessing for a safe year. Afterwards, club members will showcase riding demonstrations of all disciplines, from dressage and show jumping to Western reining. For children, there will be face painting, pony rides, and games.

Geldersheim — A Typical Rural Franconian Community

Geldersheim is located about 5 kilometers west of Schweinfurt in the Franconian Main Valley. The municipality, with around 2,700 inhabitants, belongs to the Schweinfurt district in the Bavarian administrative region of Lower Franconia. Equestrian sport has a firm place in the region — a tradition that the 2026 anniversary festival honors.