There was a fantastic atmosphere on the traditional market square in Aachen: Fast-paced course jumpers, young riders from all over the world and of course plenty of horses whet everyone’s appetite for the CHIO Aachen and its motto: “Welcome to the Festival”.

An impressive horse and carriage parade travelled through the city centre to the marketplace and brought added momentum to the CHIO Aachen 2022. The reception in front of the wonderful setting of the historical Town Hall has a long tradition. And so the people of Aachen poured into the market square on Monday evening to celebrate the occasion. Even before the horses and players led by the City Riders of Aachen reached the marketplace at 6 p.m., the cheerful CHIO mascot Carli got everyone in the mood for the one-hour open-air festival, a few sun rays broke through the clouds and shed the right light on the scene.

High above, from the balcony of the Town Hall, Aachen’s Mayoress Sibylle Keupen greeted her “Öcher”. And die the President of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein, Stefanie Peters promised: “Ahead of us lies a CHIO Aachen that you have never experienced before. It is going to be a festival, that will radiate joie de vivre at the showgrounds and in the stadiums.” It was a conscious decision not to have a partner country, because this year the CHIO Aachen 2022 is dedicated to the youth more than ever. In keeping with this, the FEI Youth Equestrian Games are being staged in Aachen for the first time ever. “These competitions are not only a fantastic event that will inspire young equestrian athletes all over the globe, but also a unique opportunity to promote our young athletes at the highest level and at the same time motivate them for the Olympic dream,” stated Ingmar De Vos, President of the FEI and member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Bearing the flags of their country, the young talents from all over the world immediately conquered the hearts of the many spectators gathered around the marketplace.

The same applied for the other players who paraded over the cobble stones into the heart of the city. The colourful reception offered a foretaste of what we can look forward to at the Soers over the coming days. Impressive carriages, ponies and proud Friesians strutting elegantly over the cobble stones were all part of the troop. The amazing course jumpers of the “FlyGuys”, who flew and jumped through the Aachen skies and over the carriages, were also part of the magnificent pageant, together with the fairy-tale like parade of the “FierS à Cheval” street theatre with their dancing horse figures comprising of air, light and transparent fabric. A splendid spectacle that was rewarded by spontaneous bursts of applause from the Aachen crowd.

All of these players will be in action again tomorrow at the Opening Ceremony – and much more. A few remaining tickets for the Opening Ceremony are available online on the website of the CHIO Aachen and from the hotline on +49-(0)241-917-1111.