Ringreiterfest Stapel

Ring Riding — The Schleswig Equestrian Tradition

Ring Riding is a purely Schleswig-Holstein and Southern Jutland equestrian tradition: Riders in traditional costume – usually a white shirt, black trousers, riding hat – gallop towards the gallop strips, where a small metal ring hangs from a gate. They must pick up the ring with a thin lance while galloping. Whoever has collected the most rings by the end of the day is crowned Ring King. The discipline dates back to medieval knightly games and has been preserved in the rural communities between the Eider and Königsau rivers.

The Concordia von 1886 Association

The organizer is the Concordia von 1886 Association – one of the oldest equestrian clubs in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Founded in 1886, the year of the German Empire, the association has survived two world wars and the changes in rural life. Today, it is one of the most vibrant proponents of the Ring Riding tradition in Stapel – a municipality with around 850 inhabitants on the Treene river, with the districts of Süderstapel (main town) and Stapelholm.

Festival Schedule

The festival starts early: from 7:00 AM, riders and horses are ready at Mühlenstraße 18, the traditional festival grounds. Riding takes place throughout the morning and into the afternoon, with each rider completing several rounds. The riding is framed by a festive parade through the village, a ceremonial speech, a communal lunch, music, and dancing in the festival tent in the evening. The crowning of the Ring King is the celebrated highlight.

Children's Ring Riding on Sunday

Sunday is dedicated to Children's Ring Riding: Young riders from about seven years old get the chance to try the discipline on appropriately smaller horses. This is youth development in the truest sense – and the only way to keep such a special tradition alive. In the state of Schleswig-Holstein, district of Schleswig-Flensburg, the Süderstapel Ringreiterfest is one of the most authentic events of its kind.