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Tilting-at-the-Ring

Photo: VisitSønderborg

Tilting-at-the-ring festivals is a permanent tradition in South Jutland, which first arose as a folk festival in Augustenborg in 1845.

Experience the cities at full galopp!

Each city have their own festival during the summer. Over the course of a weekend, you can experience the national festival and meet the locals when the riders compete against each other for the title as king, crownprince and prince.

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Nordborg Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: Nordborg Ringridning

Nordborg Tilting-at-the-ring

The parade, on horseback, through the city starts at the tilting ground, Luffes Plads, at 11.30 a.m. and the riders ride up Storegade, down Skomagergade and via Bækgade, Johan Hansens Plads and Storeg...

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Svenstrup Tilting-at-the-Ring
Photo: Conni Ernst

Svenstrup Tilting-at-the-Ring

Svenstrup Ringridning (Tilting-at-the-Ring) is a small cosy folk festival, where the locals meet to participate in or enjoy the sight of the traditional equestrian sport.

Like many other Tilting-at-t...

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Søby Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: Birthe Fogh

Søby Tilting-at-the-ring

The tilting-at-the-ring in Søby is one of the small local events.

The equestrian parade starts at noon and after a day of contest, the evening parade is expected to take place approx. at 7 pm.

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Augustenborg Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: VisitSønderborg

Augustenborg Tilting-at-the-ring

Sunday: at 11 am Parade of riders through town, following by tilting competition.



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Ulkebøl-Hørup Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: Ulkebøl - Hørup Ringriderforening

Ulkebøl-Hørup Tilting-at-the-ring

The parade on horseback begins at 11.30 am at the store Davidsen and leads through the city Høruphav to the tilting grounds at Hotel Baltic.

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Broager Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: Kim Toft Jørgensen

Broager Tilting-at-the-ring

Tilting-at-the-Ring in Broager – the first weekend of July.

Each year at the first weekend of July, all citizens of Broager look forward to the yearly village fair and tilting in Broager and we would l...

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Kegnæs Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: Kegnæs Ringridning

Kegnæs Tilting-at-the-ring

Kegnæs Ringridning (tilting-at-the-ring) is one of the smaller events where we also hold a summer party at the same time.

On Saturday there will be tractor tilting-at-the-ring and on Sunday there wil...

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Sønderborg Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: VisitSønderborg

Sønderborg Tilting-at-the-ring

Visit the largest Tilting-at-the-ring-Festival in the Nordic countries 

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Gråsten Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: VisitSønderborg

Gråsten Tilting-at-the-ring

Tilting the ring in Gråsten takes place annually. A real national festival with a horse parade at noon on Saturday and Sunday to the tournament place.

During the Sunday parade, on horseback, it is tr...

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Kværs Tilting-at-the-Ring
Photo: Kværs Ringridning

Kværs Tilting-at-the-Ring

Cosy tilting-at-the-ring fête in the small village Kværs a few kilometres from Gråsten city.

The small fête lasts three days and ends up in the tournament on horseback on Saturday

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Guderup Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: Benthesfoto@gmail.com

Guderup Tilting-at-the-ring

Friday evening: Tilting at the ring lunch with music and dancing.
 
Saturday: Festive coffee table and entertainment for seniors.

Sunday: Parade through the town at 11.30 am and tilting competition.

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Skovby Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: Skovby Ringriderforening

Skovby Tilting-at-the-ring

The party place opens on Friday night with a ringrider lunch in the tent. On Saturday there is ring riding for cyclists and garden tractors.

Sunday the parade starts at 11.30 with riders high on hor...

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Vollerup Tilting-at-the-Ring
Photo: Conni Ernst

Vollerup Tilting-at-the-Ring

Small, local tilting-at-the-Ring tournament on the field behind Vollerup-2-Hjulcenter.

The riders meet on the tilting site at 11.30 am for a contest about who will be the king of the year.

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Tandslet Tilting-at-the-Ring
Photo: Tandslet Ringridning

Tandslet Tilting-at-the-Ring

Tandslet Village and Tilting fête.

On the 2nd weekend in August the yearly Village and Tilting-at-the-Ring Fête is held on the sports ground at Sydals-Hallen in Tandslet.

Friday evening there is a l...

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Sundsmark Tilting-at-the-ring
Photo: Sundsmark Ringriderforening

Sundsmark Tilting-at-the-ring

– always on the 3rd Saturday in August.

Between 90 and 120 riders meet up here to compete in the 6 gallows on the tilting-ground near the allotment gardens on the corner of Stationsvej and Borrevej i...

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The history

Tilting-at-the-ring stems from the Middle Ages, where knights compete against each other on horseback for great entertainment for the European nobility.

Participation in these tournaments is reserved for noblemen and knights, despite the fact that they are trained in warfare, the tournaments often demanded the lives and mobility of the contestants.  When King Henry II of France dies in 1559 of his injuries from a tournament, the sport is banned in the country.

The equestrian sport introduced to Denmark in the 16th century by Christian III and his son Frederik II is a more pleasant and harmless riders’ tournament for nobles and lords. What the nobility does the public will not be left behind and from the middle of the 19th century there are descriptions of tilting-at-the-ring at village fêtes.

It was not until the celebration of the Duke and Duchess of Augustenborg's silver wedding in 1845 that a large tilting-at-the-ring festival is arranged with the participation of 450 farmers and farm workers from the island of Als. The first real tilting-at-the-ring festival will thus be Duke Christian August II's gift to Duchess Louise.

If you are interested in knowing more, you can visit the only tilting-of-the-ring museum in Denmark at the yellow half-timbered house in Kirkegade at gain more insight into the history of the tilting-of-the-ring festival. The house is also the second oldest house in Sønderborg

Present day tilting-at-the-ring

Nowadays the riders compete for the title of King. To achieve the title you have to be able to master the art of riding gallop through a gallows and at the same time spear the ring with your lance. To begin with, the ring has a diameter of 22 mm, sitting in a bracket from two strings. If you succeed in collecting all 24 rings, you are through in the tournament. Now the competition becomes more difficult, since the hole within the ring decreases, until it is only 6 mm wide. The one who survives the most rounds is proclaimed king, although a crown prince and prince is also found.

Sønderborg Tilting Festival
The biggest tilting-at-the-ring festival in Scandinavia takes place in Sønderborg during the 2nd weekend of July. Here approx. 500 riders participate in an impressive parade, both before and after the tournament on the tilting-at-the-ring square. The parades on horseback is on Friday and Sunday from 11:00 o´clock were you can admire the beatiful horses and listen the many local and foreign bands playing in the streets of Sønderborg. Saturday evening an amazing tattoo-show is on at Broager Skansen - buy your ticket on Ticketmaster. The programme of the Tilting Festival in Sønderborg is available on the tourist office and the website www.ringriderfesten.dk approx. 3 weeks prior. 

During the festival both children and adults are entertained. For example there is bike tilting-at-the-ring for kids, the traditional 'coffee table' for seniors and the famous tilting-at-the-ring lunches with up to 1100 participants. The festival square has carousels, stalls with the famous tilting-at-the-ring sausages and beer tents.

A guided tour on Tilting-at-the-Ring

Friday and Sunday in the weekend of the Tilting Festival in Sønderborg you can join our popular guide tour "Combined Town and Tilting Festival tour" in German/Danish.

Historic Tilting

On Tuesdays during high season, you can experience a bit of the tournament from the Middle Ages on the historic tilting-at-the-ring track at Sønderborg Castle. Here the riders compete while wearing real Middle Ages costumes.

Tilting Parade through Sønderborg

The yearly parade on horseback through the streets of Sønderborg is on Friday and Sunday in the Tilting-weekend. Photo:Array

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