The history of the Vienna Turf Club

 In 1837, the Vienna Turf Committee ceased its activities. From 1838 onwards, its duties were taken over by the Vienna Horse Racing Society which was also constituted as a joint-stock company and hardly differed from the Vienna Turf Committee in terms of staffing. 

In 1839, under the chairmanship of Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, the following proponents were elected: 

Princes P. Auersperg, P. Esterházy, N. Esterházy, Alois and Wenzel von Liechtenstein, Paar and F. Trauttmansdorff as well as Counts E. Wrbna, M. Esterházy, L. Károlyi, Jos. Hunyady, Th. Nádasdy and R. Wrbna. 

The committee then appointed the officials for the 1840 racing season from among its members: 

– President: Alois Liechtenstein

– Stewards: Mich. Esterházy, Th. Nádasdy, F. Trauttmansdorff

– Treasurer: L. Károlyi

– Racecourse matters: Th. Nádasdy, Jos. Hunyady

– Finish Judge: Count von der Schulenburg

– Secretary: Eugen von Stubenrauch 

The composition of the management thus showed no change compared to the previous years, i.e. since the foundation in 1838. It also hardly differed from the leadership of the Wiener Wettrenn-Ausschuss in the last year of activity (1837). According to the Wiener Theater-Papers 1837, p. 364, at that time Alois Liechtenstein acted as board member and Fr. Harrach, Th. Nádasdy and F. Trauttmansdorff as stewards.

From 1854 onwards, the Vienna Horse Racing Society was replaced by a racing committee and in 1857the Central-Verein organised the event for one year. 

During these eventful years, the Viennese Sport journal, which acted as the official voice of the Austrian Racing Association, states the following in No. 22 of 1865 (p. 206) regarding the Freudenau racecourse:

“This new facility will correspond with the upswing that the Viennese racecourse is taking from year to year, and its implementation will be a new merit not to be underestimated which will be added to the successful efforts that the present President (note: Count Edmund Zichy) of the Racing Committee, who took over the business of the racing association that was re-established from the ashes in 1854, has devoted to this institution“.

From 1858 onwards, the Wiener Wettrenn-Verein (Vienna Turf Association) acted as organiser. It was constituted by decree of the Imperial and Royal Ministry of the Interior from 21 March 1858, under the presidency of Count Franz Harrach. The provisional management of the association consisted of Counts Johann Waldstein and Edmund Zichy. The judges were Counts G. Stockau and Geyza Festetics, Count Edmund Zichy was in charge of the scales, and Francis Cavaliero was the starter and secretary of the association. Until 1868, the organisation and running of the races was entrusted to the Wiener Wettrenn-Verein, which acted as the organiser of the races in Austria, especially in the Freudenau.

On 23 May 1868, the Wiener Wettrenn-Verein, as operator of the Freudenau racecourse, merged with the Jockey Club. In 1868, the Wiener Wettrenn-Verein was able to contribute a fully functioning, optimally organised institution such as a legally structured racing system. In the following decades, racing in the Austro-Hungarian Empire experienced a considerable upswing. The following personalities should be mentioned in particular: