The best horses and riders in the world traditionally meet up at the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen. To make the sport even more transparent, “Info Stewards” will be available on the warm-up areas again this year as contact persons for the spectators.

The organisers, the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV), have been offering this service together with the German Equestrian Federation (FN) for several years already. The goal: More transparency. “We want to provide the most comprehensive information on the sport possible,” Birgit Rosenberg, ALRV Board Member and CHIO Aachen Head of Sport, explained. The Info Stewards serve as mediators between the sport and the public on both the dressage and the jumping warm-up areas. “They are to engage in a conversation with the spectators and if needs be explain what is happening on the training areas,” said FN General Secretary, Soenke Lauterbach. Furthermore, the Info Stewards, who will be identifiable from the jackets they are wearing, are to take the load off the official stewards of the FEI, the international association. On the one hand the focus lies on establishing a rapport between the judges, stewards, riders and trainers and with the spectators on the other. As a rule, the latter are very close to the action, but are not allowed to address anyone or speak to the parties involved. Should they have any questions, the “Info Stewards” are there to assist them.