Page 37 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

A POR TR AIT OF A USTRIA  35

now considered to be the
predeces sor of the Bundes-
fachverband für Reiten und
Fahren (Federal League for
Riding and Driving), established
as recently as 1962.
Austrian riders have achieved
many international successes.
One of its legends is the pre-
war master of horse dressage,
Alois Podhajsky. The greatest
character among Austrian
riders in the 1980s and 1990s
was showjumping champion,
Hugo Simon. In the 1980s,
Austrian competitors began to
achieve considerable success
in harness racing, involving
Johann Wolfmayr and team in the World Championship in pair driving one- and two-horse carts.
Rodeos – known as
in Vienna. The First Division Westernreiten (wild west
Soccer consists of ten soccer teams, riding) – have been introduced
The days when Austria ranked including two from Vienna. from America, and are very
as one of the world’s great popular across the country.
soccer nations, in the 1920s
and 1930s, are now buried
deep in the past, along with Canoeing and
Mountain Biking
the names of its former stars,
including Matthias Sindelar, With its many rivers and
Toni Polster and Hans Krankl. lakes and its superb mountain
Yet, although the national scenery, Austria boasts the
team did not qualify for the perfect natural conditions,
World Cup 2014 in Brazil, as well as a well-developed
soccer remains the second infrastructure, for both these
most popular spectator and disciplines (though this does
participation sport in Austria Roman Mählich of Sturm Graz, playing not always translate into
after skiing. against Bayer Leverkusen inter national medals). The huge
The present star of the popularity of summer mountain
national squad is the defender Horse Riding sports among Austrians and
David Alaba, who plays for the visitors is nevertheless very
German Bundesliga team The first sports riding club in noticeable. Mountain canoeing
Bayern Munich and holds Austria, the Campagnereiter- is practised on turbulent
records as the youngest player Gesellschaft, founded in 1872, mountain streams.
in several competitions. As in had the Emperor Franz Joseph I, Mountain biking is well-liked
other countries, many football himself a keen rider, as a throughout Austria: the 2012
players are “bought” in from patron. It consisted mainly World Championship was held
other countries to play in of military personnel, and is in Saalfelden.
Austrian football clubs, while
the best Austrian players join
clubs in other countries. Many
play in the German Bundesliga,
with just a few going to Italy
or Spain.
As the Austrian clubs have
little success in international
competitions, most of the
spectators prefer to watch
the matches of the Austrian
league. The most famous
football stadiums are the
Ernst-Happel-Stadion and
the Hanappi-Stadion, both Helmut Oblinger competing in the individual slalom in Sydney

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