du Roy de Blicquylaan 43 - Racetrack

One may assume that the origin of equestrian sports can be traced back to the period after the Crusades, when the crusaders brought Arabian horses to England. The current thoroughbred horses emerged in the 18th century in England through the selection of breeding stallions.

It is believed that the first horse race in Belgium took place in Spa on August 27, 1773 (under the reign of Maria Theresa) after a bet between the Duke of Lauzun and Count Branicki. Two English horses were ridden, each by a jockey, and Lauzun's horse won the race. This event marked the beginning of many others.

The establishment of the racetrack in Sterrebeek in 1938-1939 was made possible thanks to Messrs. du Roy de Blicquy as a replacement for the Stokkel racetrack. The opening meeting took place on October 9, 1939. Only one race (gallop and trot) was organized in 1939. During World War II, the racetrack was used by the German army as a shelter for sick horses, later by the American army as a prison camp, and subsequently as a storage facility for military equipment. The major breakthrough came in 1952 with the establishment of the Great Winter Prize by the “Société Sportive du Demi-Sang.”

With its 41.69 hectares, this racetrack is not only the largest in the country, but it is also the only one where both trot and thoroughbred races can take place.

The complex has five racetracks, extensive facilities for visitors, and stables. The visitor area is built in rational brick architecture, typical of the late interwar period, which contrasts with the bare concrete structure of the covered stands.

Characteristic features include the use of yellow bricks combined with dark tiles, the rounded pavilions with band windows, the port holes, the wide canopies, and terraces.

The stables, on the other hand, with space for 320 horses, evoke the traditional farmhouse style with their rural idiom.

Since April 2004, the racetrack in Sterrebeek has belonged to Tensor Capital Management and is managed by NV Probel from Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe. Since the spring of 2005, people can come here to golf in the greenery.

Gemeente Zaventem