At lunchtime on Monday, everyone got an appetiser of what awaits the world at the CHIO Aachen 2024 from June 28th onwards: Top-class sport, powerful emotions and a spectacular supporting programme. Together with the organisers, the national dressage coach, Monica Theodorescu, and the national jumping coach, Otto Becker, looked ahead to the World Equestrian Festival 2024.

“We always have butterflies, when we come to Aachen,” is how Monica Theodorescu describes her emotional state. “And right before the Olympic Games in Paris the butterflies are almost even stronger,” revealed the dressage coach of the German team, who will have to select her team for the championships during the days of the CHIO Aachen. As such, with the exception of the double Olympic gold medallist, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, who has already automatically qualified for Paris with her successful mare, TSF Dalera BB, the entire German dressage elite will be competing in the Deutsche Bank Stadium with their top horses. Aachen’s record holder, Isabell Werth, is betting on Quantaz and Wendy de Fontaine, Frederic Wandres will saddle Bluetooth OLD and Duke of Britain FRH and the Master of Riding, Ingrid Klimke with Franziskus FRH, and Katharina Hemmer with Denoix PCH are hoping to make it onto the Olympic team. And the team Olympic gold medallist of 2016, Sönke Rothenberger, the current reserve, will also be participating in the Four-Star Tour with his horse, Fendi. Hence, top performances are called for in Aachen. So, it is no surprise that the national coach’s aim for the Lambertz Nations Cup is: “to win, of course!” But as is common knowledge, the competition never sleeps. Sweden will be represented by the current World Cup winner, Patrik Kittel, the Danish team will be headed by the team World Champion, Nanna Skodborg Merrald. On top of that we can look forward to the two-time World Championships bronze medallist, Dinja van Liere from the Netherlands and the British double-World Champion, Charlotte Fry, who is bringing both of her top horses, Glamourdale and Everdale, to the Soers with her. It is going to be more exciting than ever this year to see whose name will be eternalised on the legendary winners’ board on the final Sunday after the Lindt-Prize. Stefanie Peters is especially delighted about his. “It is no secret that I am a dressage fan,” President of the organisers, the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV) said in sweet anticipation of the best ten days of the year, when she will drop in to watch the dressage whenever time allows.

World-class sport is not only going to be offered in the Deutsche Bank Stadium, it can also be enjoyed next week in the legendary Main Stadium just a few metres away as the crow flies. That is namely where the German national coach will also be picking his candidates for Paris. “We have drawn up a plan that lays down which classes all the eligible pairs will take part in,” commented Otto Becker, who is travelling to the Soers with the entire Olympic squad. For the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup, the national coach has opted for Hans-Dieter Dreher, Christian Kukuk, André Thieme and Jana Wargers. The star-studded field of competitors is headed by the number one in the world rankings, the Swedish rider, Henrik von Eckermann; the European Champion, Steve Guerdat from Switzerland and the Olympic gold medallist, Ben Maher from Great Britain. And the best athletes in the world will also be competing in the Vaulting, Four-in-Hand Driving and Eventing disciplines as well. For instance the three-time Olympic gold medallist from Germany, Michael Jung; the two-time SAP-Cup winner, Christopher Burton from Australia and Great Britain’s team Olympic gold medallist, Laura Collett (GBR) will be representing their respective nation in the equestrian triathlon. The ALRV board member, Birgit Rosenberg, is of course also delighted about the strong starting field. “It is certainly world-class,” said the CHIO Aachen Head of Sport, who pointed out a new feature at the event: This year ten teams will be taking part in the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup instead of eight. “We are very pleased to have a team from Mexico, with us here at the Soers, who were granted a wildcard.”

Michael Mronz informed us of further innovations. There are plenty of new features in the area of digitalisations. For instance, the CHIO Aachen app has been continually further developed: Modern. Clearly arranged. User-friendly. “Simply the ideal companion for all of the show visitors,” stated Michael Mronz, General Manager of Aachener Reitturnier GmbH (ART). “And when I say all of them, I mean ALL of them. This year we have made great efforts to take steps in the direction of accessibility regarding both the app and the Internet and also on Instagram. With the aid of ALT texts, fans with vision impairments can also consume our information and news.” Regarding the topic of accessibility, Michael Mronz mentioned a pilot project on the Wednesday of the show, that is running among others during the Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe. “On that day we are offering a professional audio description for the first time that also enables blind and visually impaired people to enjoy one of the most famous jumping competitions in the equestrian sport,” explained Mronz, who also mentioned the brand-new CHIO Aachen Podcast, which is being launched this week. In the first episode, the winner of the Rolex Grand Prix 2023, Marcus Ehning, and his wife Nadia talk about their sporting and private lives more openly than ever. “It is definitely worth listening to,” Michael Mronz recommended. And the CHIO Aachen also profits from this: Parallel to the show the #neuland congress is being held in Aachen. International top speakers such as for example Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s CEO, Fernando Carro; VfB Stuttgart’s Chairman, Alexander Wehrle; RWE’s CEO, Dr. Markus Krebber; Bayer’s CEO, Bill Anderson, and Sports Manager Oliver Bierhoff, will address urgent present-day issues like Digitalisation, Connected Mobility and Energy. Also on board: IOC President, Thomas Bach, who will hold an impulse lecture at the CHIO Aachen grounds on the Tuesday. The theme of the second congress day will be the CHIO Aachen Scientist Circle. A project that brings equestrian experts and leading scientists from Germany, Belgium and Switzerland together and which focuses on the well-being of sports horses.

But primarily the CHIO Aachen is and remains to be one thing: World-class sport. Over the course of ten days, in five disciplines, in the most famous equestrian sport arenas in the world. Overall 300 riders from 30 nations are awaited in Aachen, accompanied by around 600 horses. Aachen’s first citizen, Sibylle Keupen, is looking forward to that and to the many guests from all over the globe that the show always attracts to the old imperial city. According to the city’s Mayoress, “the CHIO Aachen is not only steeped in tradition, it also boasts huge international appeal. It is going to be a fantastic event again this year.” And this very event begins in exactly four days’ time, initially with the vaulting and the two “Horse & Symphony” concerts that are dedicated to the “100 years of equestrian show history at the Aachen Soers” anniversary this year. With plenty of mustangs, the US national team in cheerleading and many further highlights, the official Opening Ceremony on July 2^nd, will – in line with the partner country, the USA – conjure up US American flair at the Soers. And then at the very latest the participants and the spectators will experience those special butterflies again, when they have the honour of being part of Germany’s largest sporting event.

Tickets are available from the hotline on +49(0)241-917-1111 or via the CHIO Aachen website. All information on the event, the shows and of course the programme are available here.

For your editorial coverage you can download additional quotes by the press conference participants here.