The Wild Horse Catch
On the last Saturday in May, it gets crowded in the Merfelder Bruch near Dülmen. The spectators in the sold-out arena wait in suspense for the arrival of the wild horses. Once a year, the young stallions are separated from the herd and auctioned off. The yearlings are caught by hand by young men from the surrounding area. At the end of the day, the herd is let back into the Merfelder Bruch to great cheers from the visitors. The wild horse catch has been carried out since 1907. Without the separation of the young stallions, dangerous rank fights would break out in the herd over the mares. An increasing number of horses would also overtax the food supply and space of the Merfelder Bruch.
Dates & Tickets
The next wild horse hunt will take place on 25 May 2024. The Duke of Croÿ's administration has been organising the event for more than 100 years. Tickets are sold via its sales partner CTS Eventim. Advance ticket sales usually start in November of the previous year. If you want one of the coveted tickets, you have to be quick!
But even if you don't have grandstand tickets, a trip to the Wildpferdebahn is worthwhile. On the day of the event itself, you have the opportunity to obtain admission tickets for the Wildpferdebahn from 8.30 am. This allows you to experience the event from outside the grandstand and marvel at the impressive driving in of the wild horses at 15:00. You also have the opportunity to take part in the raffle by buying a raffle ticket on the event site. You can also take part in the auction. This will take place after the catch in the arena.
Timing
08:30 a.m.: Opening of the wild horse arena
approx. 12:30 p.m.: Opening of the grandstand ramps
approx. 1:45 p.m.: Show programme
approx. 3:00 p.m.: Entry of the wild horses
afterwards: catch of the yearling stallions
during the catch: raffle of yearling stallions, hints and conditions
afterwards: yearling stallions are offered for sale by auction
approx. 6:30 p.m.: end of the event
Map | Wild Horses Dülmen
The MünsterlandBlog
Performance at the Wild Horse Catch© Münsterland e.V./Philipp Fölting
Ever since she can remember, our colleague Laura has spent her free time with horses. But even for her, participating in the wild horse catch was something very special. On the MünsterlandBlog she tells you what happens on the day, what the atmosphere is like and gives background information on the wild horses. Have a read of her report!
Münsterland Tourism Centre© Münsterland e.V./Anja Tiwisina