The sun is reflected in the central canal of Schleißheim’s palace gardens. A courtly backdrop adorns the New Schleissheim Palace with water fountains in the midst of symmetrical plant beds. Back to the time when Elector Max Emanuel wandered through the complex with his long-curly wig and blue Bavarian sash. Proud mares and stallions pull decorated carriages behind them. The carriage represents the human striving for mobility. The Romans invented spring-loaded traveling carriages, but the technology was lost again with the decline of their empire. The first carriages as they are known today date back to 15th century Hungary.
“Without man there is no horse, without horse there is no man”
However, the carriages that could be admired at the twelfth edition of the rider and carriage gala date from the period from the 18th to the early 20th century. Hundreds of guests came to Oberschleißheim on Sunday to see the ancient horse-drawn carriages and their decked-out occupants. This year the motto of the gala was “Horse as a Cultural Asset”. Animals have been essential to human development for centuries: as a source of labor, the foundation of mobility and military activity, but also as a means of self-expression. “Without man there is no horse, without horse there is no man,” said the deputy Bavarian Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger (free voters) exaggeratingly summarizing the historical interweaving of the lives of people and horses. For his ode to the cultural heritage of the horse, the patron of the event earned the applause of the enthusiastic spectators.
Balance is required here. In the side seat, the rider sits sideways on the horse and stabilizes herself with her thigh.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
In the style of the blue king, they could be taken on a Venetian gondola ride on the canal of the palace garden. Because Max Emanuel had had canals dug from Munich via Schleißheim to Dachau at the time so that he could be driven around in a gondola, as Hofgarten manager Alexander Bauer explains. The riders in the side seat, in which riding is more demanding than in the conventional position, made an impression on the onlookers. When the historic cavalrymen drew their lances, swords and revolvers, masses of mobile phones were pulled out of their trouser pockets to capture the scenery.
Numerous onlookers followed the parade of coachmen and riders.
(Photo: Florian Peljak/)
Dieter Rügemer from the Bavarian Riding and Driving Association had the idea for the event in 2008 and has been organizing it ever since. “The gala had to be canceled for three years, first because of my own illness and then because of the pandemic. Today we showed that we can still do it,” says the 82-year-old proudly. In keeping with this magnificent castle, it is an affair of the heart for him to fascinate visitors with the horses and historic carriages.
Angelika Oeckerath has thrown on a usual costume for the event. Under the mint-green rococo robe she wears a crinoline, in which two sewn-in cushions ensure the well-known conical hips. The 69-year-old is a member of the “Freunde von Schleißheim” cultural association and appears with the other 15 members in a powdered wig and with a painted mole at baroque events in Schleißheim Palace. “When baroque concerts are played, we stroll through the corridors of the palace.” On her 60th birthday, she had fulfilled a long-standing dream: appearing in a rococo dress at Schleissheim Palace. She liked it so much that she stayed with it. To the great delight of some visitors who do not want to go home without a photo with the authentic lady-in-waiting.
Some spectators also dressed up.
(Photo: Florian Peljak)
The 1930s hit “Adieu, my little guard officer” rings in the grand finale of the royal day with the final parade. The riders are allowed to do two more laps of honor through the palace complex with their carriages. Equipped with one to five horsepower, the gentlemen pull out their top hats in front of the New Schleissheim Palace. The ladies wave with a slight twist of the silk-gloved wrist; in the other hand a parasol preserves the regal pallor.
Organizer Rügemer withdraws from responsibility
The highlight of the day for many visitors was the smallest team, drawn by three Shetland ponies. “The Shettis were admittedly very sweet,” says Thomas Hartl, honorary director of the gala. However, he does not reveal which team he liked best, as the carriage representative he has to remain objective. The “new beginning” was a success and the gala took place without any incidents among the horses, says Hartl. “That shows the discipline of the riders, for whom the well-being of their animals is the top priority.” One noticed the stress of one young stallion, but with the large number of spectators and the hot weather, this was not unusual for an inexperienced horse.
You can tell Hartl’s fascination with animals, he himself got his carriage driver’s license within four months and has been happy to be pulled through the English Garden ever since. “When I drive across Elisabethplatz towards the sunset, my soul feels like it has just been showered.” Organizer Dieter Rügemer will no longer accompany the event in an official role next year. It is still unclear who will then take over the organization. What is certain, however, is that historical carriages will continue to drive through the baroque ambience of the Schleißheim palace gardens in the years to come.