What type of race took place at the very first Oktoberfest in 1810?

A horse race took place at the very first Oktoberfest in 1810.

The event was organised to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Although the wedding was held on 12 October, the principal race took place several days later, on 17 October 1810, in fields outside Munich.

The race drew on the older Scharlachrennen tradition associated with Munich’s Karlstor. About 30 horses competed on a course roughly 3,270 metres long, while Sendlinger Hill provided a natural viewing area for an estimated 40,000 spectators. The winning horse was associated with Franz Baumgartner, who later became linked to the festival’s origins.

The race was repeated in 1811 and helped establish Oktoberfest as an annual public celebration. Beer was not the original focus: the early festival centred on royal festivities, horse racing, food and entertainment. The modern beer-tent tradition developed much later.