Tulips and Frau Antje, caravans and windmills: The Netherlands is the partner country of the CHIO Aachen 2017! It is the top show before the top sport – the Opening Ceremony at the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen. Together with this year’s partner country, the Netherlands, the organisers are promising a spectacular show.

The Dutch flag is already flying in the Main Stadium that has a capacity for 40,000 spectators. This is where in front of a – it goes without saying – caravan, the CHIO Aachen organisers presented the partner country 2017 on Monday together with the Dutch advertising icon “Frau Antje”.

“Of course, it is also about clichés,” grinned the Show Director, Frank Kemperman, a Dutchman himself. And Uwe Brandt, who together with the ALRV team is responsible for directing the show, added: “We would be stupid not to make use of these clichés.” Not in a straight, boring manner, but instead tongue in cheek with plenty of humour.

“We will particularly underline the great friendship and affinity between the neighbours,” continued Frank Kemperman. He is especially looking forward to his fellow countrymen. They have often enough in the past proved that they put in top sporting performances in Aachen, and at the latest since the escapades of the football trainer, Louis van Gaal “the Germans also know that the Dutch are real party lions.”

They will have the opportunity to prove this from 8 p.m. onwards on July 18^th – at the Opening Ceremony of the CHIO Aachen 2017. Last year’s show set new benchmarks and the visitors can look forward to this again in July. Because “CHIO Aachen, means top equestrian sport, but also outstanding entertainment,” stated Carl Meulenbergh, President of the organisers, the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein.

Speed is a decisive factor when it comes down to keeping the audience entertained: “We have to keep up the rhythm without any breaks in between, that really goes down well with the audience,” revealed Uwe Brandt. The biggest challenge is the stadium here: “It holds 40,000 spectators, that is a larger stage than I am used to,” joked Brandt, who is the Director of the Grenzlandtheater in Aachen in his “normal” life.

The partnership is also being supported by the Dutch Royal Family. In this way, not only the mounted guards of honour can be experienced in Aachen, but also the Royal carriages will be rolling into the Soers. Whether representatives from the Royal Family will also be coming to Aachen, is not yet known. Following tradition, the “Media Night” is also celebrated on the evening of the Opening Ceremony – numerous celebrities from the world of sports, politics, business, the media and society will then stroll over the red carpet in the “Champions’ Circle”. So, there is plenty going on at the CHIO Aachen on July 18^th, 2017. Tickets for the Opening Ceremony are available online or from the hotline on: +49-(0)241-917-1111.