chio & co ... About us

About us

As the saying goes, innovation requires tradition. The CHIO Aachen has both: A history that dates back to the year 1898 and ultra-modern developments. And it has us, the faces behind the show: The Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V., organisers of the CHIO Aachen and the Aachener Reitturnier GmbH (ART), responsible for the marketing side of the CHIO Aachen since 1975.

Members ALRV

The Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV), organiser of the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen, is a non-profit association with long tradition. In 1898 it was founded by Arnold Deden, Gustav Rensing, Hubert Wienen and some local farmers and merchants (click here for more information regarding the ALRV’s history). Currently the association has about 450 individual members and 30 member companies who through their membership demonstrate their deep bond with the ALRV and the CHIO Aachen. Click here for the Articles of Association of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V.

The ALRV-membership embraces several advantages, among others the gratis distribution of the biannual CHIO-Magazine, a season ticket for the standing area and, on demand, a season parking ticket for the CHIO Aachen as well as an invitation to the annual General Assembly including the right to vote.

Social Commitment

As a non-profit organisation, the
Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. is
involved in many different areas.
Activities for ALRV-members ›

Exclusive Events
ALRV-members enjoy regular and exclusive events.

 

Discounts on member fees
Upon request, volunteers of the CHIO Aachen and young members (up to 30 years of age) can get a discount on the ALRV member fees.

Commitment for the environment ›

Plantings on the show grounds
1988 the ALRV launched the project “Garden Eden”. Plantings on the grounds guarantee an ongoing optical improvement of the traditional facility in the Soers. For a donation, interested persons can assume a sponsorship for a tree on the CHIO grounds.

 

Partner of the “Grünmetropole” (green metropolis)
The ALRV is partner in the “Grünmetropole”, one of the transboundary projects for the future development of the border triangle in the fields of tourism, technology and sciences.

 

Protection of the environment
The ALRV is committed to the protection of nature in Aachen’s Soers. Trees, hedges and further wood structures were planted in the past, the Soers Hochkirchen-brook has been renaturalised. Further measures were the extensification of wetland, the use of nesting aids for little owls and the development of marginal vegetation.

Pioneering role with regards to clean sport and welfare of the horse ›

Far more than what’s required…
For many years now, the ALRV has its own Commissioner for Ethics, Animal Welfare and Fair Play. Furthermore, there are much more stewards and doping controls in the course of the CHIO Aachen than are mandatorily required by regulations. Additionally, the ALRV exhausts all its options to promote and uphold a clean sport, in the course of the CHIO Aachen 2009 for example, a thermography camera was used to prevent manipulation of horses’ legs.

 

Permanent stable buildings instead of temporary solutions
There are 430 boxes in 13 permanent stable buildings available for the horses. This guarantees optimum conditions like a permanent temperature and enough space. More than 25 employees (without stewards/veterinary staff) care for the animals in the stables’ area, a modern veterinary centre with more than 25 staff members is also available on the show grounds.

Commitment not only for professional but also for amateur sport ›

Support through ALRV’s infrastructure
The ALRV provides its show grounds to the Kreispferdesportverband Aachen e.V. for training sessions at cost prize (they only pay the operating costs). Also the riding associations from the region of Aachen can use the show grounds upon request for a reduced rent for horse shows.

Dedication for culture and international understanding ›

CHIO-Museum
The CHIO-Museum on the ALRV grounds documents and illustrates the history of the ALRV and its tournaments since 1898. A lot of interesting exhibits and extraordinary objects from the long history of the tournament and of horse sport in Aachen can be inspected here. The entry is free of charge, opening hours during the year are on Wednesdays 12 noon to 5 p.m. and on Fridays 9 a.m. to 12 noon, during the CHIO, the opening hours times differ.

 

Partner country
Since 2001, there has been an annual CHIO partner country. Upon invitation of the ALRV, the countries present themselves, and the resulting intercultural exchange enhances the CHIO’s unique atmosphere.
Aachen Horse Academy
The ALRV has been founder member of the international centre of horse culture “Aachen Horse Academy”, a foundation that is committed to the history of the horse and its significance for the history of development and culture of humans.

 

Aachen School of Equestrian Art and Design
Participants from all over the world come to Aachen each year to take part in the symposia of the internationally renowned course designer Dr. Arno Gego. The ALRV supports the Aachen School of Equestrian Art and Design and provides its facilities and infrastructure free of charge for these events.

Commitment for youth and young riders ›

Aachen Youngstars
Together the “Aachen Dressage Youngstars” and the “Aachen Jumping Youngstars – Salut-Festival” will form the “Aachen Youngstars” from 2017 onwards. The “Aachen Youngstars” is one of the most important horse shows for young riders in Germany. The ALRV is the organiser of the four-day indoor horse show in November/December. The entry for spectators is free.

 

 

German Youth Championships

Already in 2003, the ALRV had been co-organiser of the German Youth Championships on the CHIO show

grounds. 2010, the ALRV organised the German Youth Championships in jumping, dressage and vaulting on the CHIO grounds. In 2017 the ALRV organized the German Youth Championships again on the show grounds of the CHIO Aachen.
“Childrens’ and Youth Days” in the course of the CHIO
The ALRV regularly invites children and adolescents to attend the CHIO Aachen. School classes obtain free tickets for the sport programme and there is a special show programme in the Main Stadium.

 

 

CHIO Aachen CAMPUS
On the tradition-steeped show grounds in Aachen’s Soers, the ALRV has a worldwide unique infrastructure with the most diverse training and competition facilities – indoors as well as outdoors. The CHIO Aachen CAMPUS uses this infrastructure to open up a year-round offer for the equestrian sport with a focus on the promotion of young talent, training, education and digital.

Infrastructure on the show grounds accessible fo the disabled ›

Grand stands for wheelchair users
The modern stadiums in the Soers of course provide comfortable grand stands for the disabled. Areas for wheelchair users are available in the jumping stadium (Mercedes-Benz Grand Stand, STAWAG Grand Stand) and in the Deutsche Bank Stadium. More information: (49) 241-9171-119

 

Disabled restrooms
There are numerous disabled restrooms (with Euro-key) on the whole show grounds.

 

Accessible routes for the disabled
By and by, the show grounds are modified with accessible routes for the disabled and for wheelchair users. Recently, the alleys around and to the Driving stadium were newly paved.

 

Parking for the disabled
There are parking spaces for disabled visitors adjacent to the show grounds, they can also be reserved in advance. Contact: (49) 241-9171-119

 

Click here to go to Wheelmap, an online map to find wheelchair accessible places.

CHIO Aachen as a meeting point for everyone ›

Soers Sunday
On the “open day”, the citizens of Aachen and their guests meet on the show grounds in the Soers – with the entry being free. A diversified show programme, a festive ecumenical church service in the Deutsche Bank Stadium and an entertaining programme for families with for example face painting, pony riding and lots of more offers make a cheery kick-off for the second event week.

Social Commitment of the ALRV ›

Charity co-operation “Glücks-Bringer” (“bringer of luck”)
Supporting the disabled is a matter of personal importance for the ALRV. Since 1998, the “big stage CHIO Aachen” serves as platform to call national and international attention to the importance of therapeutic riding. Of course the German Curatorship for Therapeutic Riding (DKThR) and the Kinder-Unterstützungs-Fonds (KUF) of the DKThR are not only allowed to have an information booth in the CHIO village, but they also may collect money for the good cause. In the past years, the CHIO visitors donated several ten thousand Euros. Furthermore, the ALRV has donated a therapy pony named “CHIO” to the riding and therapy centre Lohner Hof e.V. near Aachen.
Therapy facilities in the region of Aachen: Lohner Hof Reit- und Therapiezentrum e.V., Eschweiler; Reittherapiezentrum Abenteuerland, Aachen; Zentrum für Therapeutisches Reiten, Stolberg; Reitstall Rattenhaus, Eynatten/Belgien.Eynatten/Belgium.

 

“Horse & Symphony” 
The atmospheric concert in the Deutsche Bank Stadium together with the Symphony Orchestra Aachen is sold out annually. A part of the proceeds is donated to a good cause.

 

Free tickets
Everybody should be able to experience the CHIO Aachen. So the ALRV provides free tickets for kindergardens, schools, workshops for the handicapped and other institutions.
Tickets for underprivileged citizens of Aachen
Owners of the “Aachen Pass” can buy tickets for the event days Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday for the symbolic prize of 2 Euros (standing area), 3 Euros (non-roofed grand stand) and 5 Euros (roofed grand stands).

 

We make wishes come true
Several associations work to fulfill the wishes of children that are critically ill, and to enable them to make very special experiences. Repeatedly the ALRV has worked together with those associations to make such wishes come true. So there have been several co-operations in the course of the CHIO Aachen with associations like “Wünsch Dir was e.V.” and the “Make a Wish Foundation”.