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Aachen, 18. November 2005

World Equestrian Games in Aachen: On the 20th of August the long waiting ends
Opening Ceremony spectacular, coloured and fast

Olympic Champions, World and European Champions, German sporting legends and Federal Chancellor designate Angela Merkel plus hundreds of youngsters from the region and, of course, many horses will combine in making the welcoming of visitors from home and abroad to the World Equestrian Games in Aachen (20 August-3 September), spectacular, colourful and fast-paced.
It does not happen very often that horses from different State Studs travel to a training camp together. An exception will be made for the World Equestrian Games. The big quadrille performed by 64 stallions will be one of the highlights of the colourful Opening Ceremony on Sunday, 20 August 2006. A world premiere. And to make sure it all works out, they have to train, train and train to take the 40.000 vistitors in the Jumping Stadium on a 90 minute, emotional trip. The Director of the show, Jürgen Nees, takes care of that too. The dramatic advisor from Hamburg showed that he knows how to enthuse the public with the tours of Peter Maffay and his children's musical "Tabaluga".

"We want to raise inspiration for the two weeks of the WEG with the Opening Ceremony. The World Championship lives because of the sport, but especially through emotions," says Frank Kemperman, managing director of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV) and World Championships show director. For the first time in Germany the public can experience the World Equestrian Championships in seven disciplines - show jumping, dressage, eventing, driving, endurance, vaulting and reining - for two weeks.

Spectator response has been accordingly large, with almost 300,000 of the total 500,000 tickets sold nine months before the start of the competitions. "The advance sales are stunning," says ALRV President Klaus Pavel. For show jumping, only standing places are still available, while several Final days of the other disciplines are partly sold out. To make the competitions even more exciting for the public, two Final days are scheduled for the reining. On Friday, 1 September, the teams will vie for the medals while on Saturday, 2 September, individuals will compete for the world title.

"But we are happy that we can still offer the public tickets in all categories for the Opening Ceremony," says Klaus Pavel. And for good prices, between 10 and 60 euros.
"Then the long waiting since the last World Equestrian Games in 2002 will come to an end," says Soenke Lauterbach, member of the Organising Committee for the German FN. "The enormous experience of the ALRV has predestined Aachen to organise this competition."
The show grounds in the Aachen Soers have experienced already numerous World and European Championships in dressage and show jumping, and of course the annual World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen. That's why the Opening Ceremony will not only be an outlook on the sportive highlights of the two WEG weeks, but also a nostalgic look back. The history of the equestrian sport in Aachen - according to the legend it was Carl the Great's horse, which discovered the famous Aachen thermal spring - the history of the World Championships, the history of Aachen. There is a lot to tell and therefore to see as well. Around 1,000 riders, dancers and youngsters, a lot of music, displays and colourful flags, 300 horses and ponies.
On 20 August 2006 it will not only be the tribunes that will be packed, the grass will be too. A date equestrian fans world wide are looking forward to.

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