CHIO AACHEN
World Equestrian Festival


June 27th - July 6th, 2025

‘Sometimes I get to the point where I ask myself: how did you actually do it?’ Even a few months after his sensational triumph at the Olympic Games in Paris, Christian Kukuk still seems somewhat incredulous when he talks about his path to the gold medal. A path that is peppered with many fateful moments, encounters and coincidences that ultimately result in a perfect script. The highlight: the positive pregnancy test of his partner immediately before the Olympic individual final. In the fourth episode of the CHIO Aachen podcast, recorded on the grounds of the legendary Ludger Beerbaum in Riesenbeck, the show-jumper talks about his life and reveals that he initially had no interest in riding as a teenager.

The “Walk of Fame” at the Aachen Soers has a spectacular new addition: A horseshoe of TSF Dalera BB. And the four-legged star, the Trakehner mare, was present in person when the plate with the horseshoe was placed in the ground.

In the second episode of the CHIO Aachen Podcast, the two successful riders talk about their experiences and take the listeners into the very special atmosphere at “bush shows”, to an Olympic start on the first day of school and into their home - where rabbits, not horses, can be found in the garden.

What a Rolex Grand Prix, what a finale for the CHIO Aachen 2024! André Thieme hadn’t actually qualified to compete in the highlight of the weekend. But on Saturday evening he found out that he had moved up onto the starter list. Then, on Sunday afternoon he fulfilled a lifetime dream with his exceptional horse, Chakaria.

Isabell Werth had already eternalised her name 14-times on her “favourite board”, which is located at the entrance to the Main Stadium at the Soers. The fact that her 15th victory in the Grand Prix Freestyle, the Lindt-Prize, is really special, is among others because of her new four-legged dance partner, Wendy.

The final day of the four-in-hand driving, the Prize of Event Rent GmbH, offered material for a Greek tragedy with all it entails. The German team were the tragic heroes in the Boehringer Ingelheim Nations’ Cup.

His father has won the Rolex Grand Prix in Aachen and his uncle. This year is Robert Whitaker’s premiere appearance at the CHIO Aachen. His victory in the Mystic Rose Prize was good preparation for his first Grand Prix in Aachen.

The equestrian sport has many faces, it tells exciting stories and can be incredibly emotional. The award ceremony of the “Silver Camera”, which pays tribute to the best equestrian photo of the year, proved this on Saturday evening.