Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Experience the Norwegian Riviera
Plenty more than just horse racing Sørlandets Travpark in Kristiansand in southern Norway does what it says on the tin: it is the horse racing park of the south. But over the years, the horse racing venue has developed to encompass a great deal more than just horse racing, now accommodating an extensive range of events and activities. By Marte Eide | Photos: Sørlandets Travpark
“Despite what many people might think, we’re not all about betting and races; there’s a lot more to us than just the horse racing part!” says general manager Kjetil Olsen. “Since horse racing actually only takes up 30 days a year, we have other activities going on throughout the year to keep us going.” Back in 2012 they initiated Travskolen, a trotting school allowing children aged four to 18 to participate on a weekly basis and learn all about trotting as well as how to take care of the horses. “It’s like any 26 | Issue 90 | July 2016
other leisure activity,” says Olsen. “They come here every week and develop their skills and knowledge over the seasons.” The leisure activity is not limited to the school year. “During the school holidays we offer camps for children where they spend their days here with us, take care of the horses in the stable and outside, go riding in the woods, have barbecues and so on. The end goal is of course for the children to have a good time and build their interest in trotting,” Olsen explains. With small groups, they make
sure that everyone gets enough time with the horses as well as individual feedback from the instructors.
Food, catering and festivities As well as offering entertainment and interaction with horses, Sørlandets Travpark has a restaurant serving food throughout the day. Olsen highlights that they accommodate bigger parties as well as small groups. “We are experts on catering and serving food for large groups of people,” he says. “It is one of our main priorities throughout the year, and we adapt the menu to our clients’ wishes.” The venue has already hosted successful events for larger parties, such as Christmas parties, company parties and conferences, and the food has always been a central part of each occasion.
