ension ▁Th urs day , ▁thousands ▁of ▁pil gr ims ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁a ▁light ▁process ion ▁from ▁the ▁Bas il ica ▁of ▁St . Martin ▁to ▁the ▁Kreuz berg . ▁ ▁The ▁actual ▁Bl ut ritt ▁starts ▁on ▁Blood ▁Friday ▁at ▁about ▁ 7 ▁o ' clock ▁in ▁the ▁morning ▁and ▁leads ▁through ▁the ▁streets ▁and ▁adjacent ▁fields ▁of ▁We ing arten ▁for ▁about ▁ten ▁kilometres . ▁The ▁re lic , ▁which ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁a ▁cross ▁stud ded ▁with ▁gem st ones , ▁is ▁carried ▁by ▁the ▁R ider ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Blood , ▁who ▁best ows ▁the ▁B less ing ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Blood ▁( G erman : ▁S egen ▁des ▁Heil igen ▁Bl utes ) ▁on ▁houses , ▁far ms , ▁and ▁fields . ▁The ▁re lic ▁is ▁secured ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁a ▁chain ▁with ▁three ▁rings , ▁in ▁case ▁of ▁the ▁horse ▁re aring ▁up ▁and ▁throwing ▁the ▁r ider ▁off . ▁Until ▁the ▁ab bey ▁was ▁closed ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁a ▁religious ▁priest ▁from ▁the ▁We ing arten ▁Ab bey ▁was ▁R ider ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Blood . ▁Since ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁however , ▁the ▁par son ▁of ▁the ▁bas il ica ▁occup ies ▁this ▁position . ▁After ▁about ▁four ▁hours , ▁the ▁reli qu ary ▁is ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁bas il ica . ▁▁ ▁Alt ars ▁▁ ▁The ▁e quest rian ▁process ion ▁travel s ▁to ▁four ▁exterior ▁alt ars . ▁One ▁of ▁them ▁lies ▁outside ▁of ▁the ▁district