Leonhardiritt in Kundl

According to legend the pilgrimage church was dedicated to St. Leonhard in Kundl following a pledge made by Henry II around 1019. Heinrich II is said to have been reminded by his horse of an earlier promise to build a church in Kundl. The Kundl Leonhardiritt tradition goes back to the sixties of the 20th century. The impetus for this custom was the lack of money, which was urgently needed for the restoration of the pilgrimage church.

During a Landestierzuchtverbandes (Tyrol‘s livestock breeding associations) meeting the idea was born to organize a Leonhardiritt charging a small fee for each participating small or large livestock. The proceeds from the sale of Leonhardi Taler (dollars) and pennies and Leonhardi plaques largely covered the renovation costs. The event collected sufficient funds to cover the renovation costs. Since then, the tradition has remained and annually a procession celebrating the patron saint of livestock, St. Leonhard, takes place in Kundl. 

The procession on 12.11.23 starts at 12:15 p.m. in the village centre and leads towards St. Leonhard. The horse’s arrival is celebrated with a festive Mass and blessing of the horses near the church by  the village priest Dr. Piotr Stachiewicz and dean Paul Rauchenschwandtner.

Food and drinks such as doughnuts, cake and sausages are well-provided for.
The event takes place in all weathers!

Organizers: Bauernschaft and Landjugend Kundl - local farmers' council chairman Stefan Oberhammer, +43 664 6110428