SAP and the CHIO Aachen have been developing digital projects together for ten years

What makes visiting the CHIO Aachen so special? The world-class sport, of course. The best riders compete at the Soers with the best horses in the most impressive arenas the international equestrian sport has to offer. On top of that, there is the rich tradition, the fair and euphoric crowd and the constantly improved infrastructure. All of this is what makes the CHIO Aachen, the CHIO Aachen. But for the last decade, the answer the visitors have given to the initial question has more and more frequently been: The innovations.

A wide range of different projects have been realised together with the official technology partner, SAP. “The passion and constant search for innovations for the sport is what connects us with the CHIO Aachen. It not only impresses me to see what pioneering applications we have been able to present together to the fans year after year in Aachen – supported by our technology – but also particularly the openness and pioneering spirit at the Soers to press ahead with ideas, which have later often become the standard for the equestrian sport,” commented Henrike Paetz, Director of Global Sponsorship Partnerships SAP.

Making the sport more transparent is something which has spurned the partners on from the onset. A nice side-effect: The sport has also become more entertaining. The Spectator Judging app is the best example here: Developed jointly by SAP and the CHIO Aachen, in the meantime spectator judging is implemented worldwide in the dressage at the biggest shows. Live on the back of a horse over the cross-country course at the CHIO Aachen? The equestrian sport simulator combined with VR and AR technology makes this possible. Numerous, exciting projects have already been realised and as always, we are still looking ahead. “Ten years of partnership between SAP and the CHIO Aachen, that means ten years of joint innovations and many ideas that have become reality. I am looking forward to us all staying inquisitive and to jointly further developing our unique sport,” said Michael Mronz, General Manager of the Aachener Reitturnier GmbH (ART).

The more complex the sport, the more important the role modern technology plays. Let’s take dressage as an example: The best dressage riders in the world ride into the Deutsche Bank Stadium with their exceptional horses: Cathrine Dufour, Isabell Werth, Dorothee Schneider: When these outstanding athletes are performing in the ring the differences are often marginal. The “digital eye” can make these differences visible. With the aid of highly-modern camera systems, the horse and rider are tracked and the performances now and again become even more breath-taking than at the first glance. One will also be talking about the data collected by the “SAP Equestrian Insights” at that CHIO Aachen 2022: In the new format “CHIO Aachen Live – Analysis and Talk”, daily on the CHIO Aachen website, on Facebook and Twitter.

The cognitions gained are to be made experienceable for everyone. Both the riding simulator and the “Equestrian Showroom” are available in the CHIO Aachen CAMPUS Pavilion in the heart of the CHIO Village: Data analysis per touchscreen and for everyone in real-time.

From live tracking (incidentally also in the jumping and eventing disciplines) and gaming, to fan commitment and Equestrian Insights: Anyone, who likes, can dive deep into Germany’s sporting even in the digital world. Of course, CHIO Aachen, means the focus lies on the sport. But being inquisitive is also part of the CHIO DNA. Digital and co. here we come!