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“Info Stewards” as contact persons on the warm-up areas

27.06.2023 15:23

The best horses and riders traditionally meet up…


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

The organisers, the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV) have already been offering this service together with the German Equestrian Federation (FN) for years. The aim: More transparency. “We strive to inform interested parties about the sport as efficiently as possible,” explained Birgit Rosenberg, board member of the ALRV and Head of Sport at the CHIO Aachen. The Info Stewards take on the role of mediators between the sport and the public, on the warm-up areas of both the dressage and the jumping. “They are to engage in conversation with the spectators and where necessary explain what is happening on the training areas,” said Soenke Lauterbach, General Secretary of the FN. Furthermore, the Info Stewards, who will all be wearing the same coloured jackets as a means of identification, are to take the load off the official stewards of the international association, the FEI.

The German Equestrian Sport Foundation is supporting the project. Because the Info Steward concept in Aachen is so successful, the service is to be introduced at other shows in future too.

Ingrid Klimke and Franziskus withdraw. Sönke Rothenberger and Fendi to take their place.

27.06.2023 14:16

Ingrid Klimke and Franziskus FRH will not be…


Ingrid Klimke and Franziskus FRH will not be competing at the CHIO Aachen 2023. Sönke Rothenberger and Fendi will take their place on the German team in the Lambertz Nations’ Cup.

What an emotional roller coast for Ingrid Klimke and Franziskus FRH. The pair won the bronze medal in the Freestyle at the German Championships in Balve. After being nominated for the Lambertz Nations’ Cup at the CHIO Aachen, Ingrid subsequently fell while riding at the German Eventing Championships. Then, after a successful operation on her shoulder, the 55-year-old announced last weekend that in spite of the accident she would be fit for Aachen. But unfortunately her horse has now sustained an injury that will prevent the pair from competing at the Soers.

Whereby the Fidertanz son had been in good form at the initial training session at the showgrounds. “He must have injured himself on the way to the stable and it was clearly visible,” stated Ingrid Klimke. Together with the team management, the riding master decided to withdraw the stallion from the classes at the CHIO Aachen 2023.

Sönke Rothenberger and Fendi will now take their place on the German team. After their celebrated appearances at the German Championships in Balve and claiming the silver medal in the Grand Prix Spéciale, the team Olympic gold medallist of 2016 was nominated as the first reserve with his just nine-year-old rising star.

The ideal show companion: The new-look CHIO Aachen APP

27.06.2023 09:31

The CHIO Aachen APP convinces with a new…


The CHIO Aachen APP convinces with a new design and unites service themes, current infos and entertainment.

The CHIO Aachen app impresses with a new look this year: Its lean design, modern layout and user-friendly operation turn it into the ideal companion for visiting the show at the Aachen Soers and beyond. Up-to-date information on the World Equestrian Festival is summarised in one app all the year round. Developed together with the official technology partner, SAP, the CHIO Aachen app not only offers a live tracking function during the cross-country competition of the SAP-Cup, but also interesting additional features. For example, it not only encompasses the current programme, all news, the site plan as well as the starting lists and results, but also plenty of entertainment too.

In this way, the time in between the classes can be ideally utilised by answering the demanding questions of the CHIO Aachen quiz. And the big treasure hunt across the CHIO Aachen grounds also offers exciting entertainment. Here, the users have to find five places described in the app and scan the QR codes found there. It is certainly worthwhile finding all five places: Two tickets for the masterclass with Gerrit and Lars Nieberg on December 11th at the CHIO Aachen CAMPUS are namely up for grabs as well as a meet-and-greet with the show-jumpers! And whoever has always asked himself how big his own personal CO2 footprint is, can use the CO2 Footprint Calculator, which the CHIO Aachen has developed jointly with SAP, to find precisely that out and at the same time donate towards the “Garden Eden” tree planting project.

The CHIO Aachen app is available as a free download from the Apple Store or from the Google Play Store.

Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin at the CHIO Aachen: “I am delighted to be back here.”

27.06.2023 08:48

The partner country of the CHIO Aachen 2023,…


The partner country of the CHIO Aachen 2023, Great Britain, not only stands out here at the Soers with its typical, British charm, its most successful dressage rider of all time will also be competing in the Deutsche Bank Stadium. For the first time since 2019, the three-time Olympic gold medallist, Charlotte Dujardin, will be participating at the Soers again this week. We spoke to the 37-year-old about her goals and found out how her young daughter, Isabella Rose, has changed her life.

Charlotte, you are back in Aachen for the first time again since 2019. How much are you looking forward to the next few days?

Immensely. It is always a huge honour and a privilege competing here in Aachen. The conditions are incredibly good, the atmosphere is really spectacular and the spectators who come here to support us athletes are simply unbelievable. I am so happy to be here again.

Great Britain is the partner country of the CHIO Aachen this year. How special is it to experience so much British flair on the grounds of the Aachen Soers?

It is fantastic. Experiencing Aachen in British look is simply wonderful. The Household Cavalry is here and we are all delighted that Princess Anne is also going to be present. Having all of that here in Aachen is something totally special and of course it makes my return after four years even nicer.

You have brought your World Championships horse, Imhotep, with you. What is he like?

Imhotep is still a very young horse. And even though he already took part in the World Championships last year, one mustn’t forget that he is only ten years old. He is my horse for the future. I have great hopes in him. He is making such great progress at the moment and is constantly gaining strength and expression. We recently achieved a score over the 80 percent mark for the first time, which shows how well he is developing.

What goals have you set yourself for the coming days?

I hope that we will be able to repeat our performances of the past weeks. But I don’t agree with putting oneself under pressure. I simply want to enjoy the time here. It is so important to have fun doing what one does. And I love what I do, that makes me very happy.

You already experienced what it feels like to win in Aachen when you won the Deutsche Bank Prize with Valegro in 2014. How motivated are you to have your name engraved on the legendary winners’ board again?

As an athlete one always wants to do as well as possible. And here in Aachen one especially dreams about achieving top placings. It is such a fantastic show. The best equestrian athletes compete here, from Europe and the entire world. Alongside championships it is always the highlight of the year for us riders. So everyone wants to head the field. Me too.

Your daughter Isabella Rose was born in March. How much has that changed your life?

Simply everything has changed. Now that I am a mother, my priorities have changed completely. My daughter is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me. I love spending time with her so much. And I feel so established and so blessed to have my only little family now.

Your daughter and also your partner Dean Golding are here in Aachen with you…

Yes, of course. It is so special for me to have them here with me. Before I used to drive to a show and didn’t let myself get distracted by anything. I was completely focused. Now, I want to try and keep everything together. I would like to be the best mother for my daughter and at the same time still the athlete, who keeps astride with the world elite. Whereby it is not just about me, but about us as a family. I want to make them proud.

You will be returning to Aachen again later this year. You are namely giving your first masterclass in Germany at the CHIO Aachen CAMPUS in September. That is something very special for us. For you as well?

Yes, of course. I have already given masterclasses in many places all over the world, but never in Germany. I love explaining what I do, how I do it and I think it is interesting for people to see, how young horses develop up to Grand Prix level.

You have brought so many horses into the Grand Prix sport. What do you place special importance on in the training?

For me it is important to establish a partnership with the horse. That is also the reason why I love schooling young horses, because that is the only way to establish a very special connection with one’s sports partner. Over the course of time they become your best friends and learn to trust you entirely. For me it is an exciting journey with each horse anew and that is also what makes my work so special.

CHIO in the City: British charm in the marketplace of Aachen

26.06.2023 20:52

Fantastic atmosphere in the traditional market square of…


Fantastic atmosphere in the traditional market square of Aachen: The Household Cavalry, traditional bagpipe music and plenty of ponies and carriages as an appetiser for the CHIO Aachen 2023 and this year’s partner country Great Britain.

The “Öcher” (people of Aachen) were amazed as the mounted soldiers of the Household Cavalry, one otherwise only sees in the magnificent parades on London’s streets, strutted over the cobblestones in the heart of the old imperial city. The impressive guards of the British royal family were part of the convoy that paraded from the showgrounds of the CHIO Aachen to the traditional reception in front of the wonderful setting of the historic Town Hall. And crowds of people from Aachen flooded into the marketplace on Monday evening to take part in the celebrations. Even before the horses and the participants arrived at the market square at 6 p.m., the CHIO mascot Karli and his companion Paddington, both in best spirits, got everyone in the mood for the open air festival and from the heights of the Town Hall balcony Aachen’s mayoress, Sibylle Keupen, greeted her “Öcher”.

This year’s World Equestrian Festival is something very special for the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV): “It has been our heart’s desire to have Great Britain as our partner country for a long-time,” the President of the ALRV, Stefanie Peters, stated. “We can all look forward to a CHIO Aachen that is going to be steeped in British charm.” And the atmosphere was characterised by precisely this charm already on Monday evening on Aachen’s traditional marketplace. Not only the Household Cavalry, but also historical carriages, loads of Shetland ponies and traditional bagpipe players offered a magnificent reception and a foretaste of what is to come over the coming days at the Soers. “It is fantastic that we are celebrating this festival together,” said Nick Russell, the General Consul of Great Britain, who is also immensely looking forward to the CHIO Aachen 2023.

All of the participants of today’s parade will be taking part in tomorrow’s Opening Ceremony – and many more. Remaining tickets for the Opening Ceremony are available online from the ticket shop of the CHIO Aachen and from the hotline on +49-(0)241-917-1111.

Anniversary, distinction and sweet anticipation: An interview with Prof. Dr. Hermann Bühlbecker prior to the CHIO Aachen 2023

26.06.2023 15:56

When one talks to Prof. Dr. Hermann Bühlbecker…


When one talks to Prof. Dr. Hermann Bühlbecker about the CHIO Aachen, one senses his authentic passion for the event and for the equestrian sport. The sole proprietor of the “Aachen Printen & Chocolate Factory Henry Lambertz” has been a partner of the CHIO Aachen together with his traditional company for 25 years in the meantime. We talked to him about this anniversary, an unexpected distinction and the importance of the opening evening of the CHIO Aachen.

When you look back at the 90s, can you remember the early days of the partnership between Lambertz and the CHIO Aachen?

The CHIO Aachen was always a major sporting event and the comparison tennis and Wimbledon and riding and Aachen is certainly very fitting. And that is where the circle closes slightly, because many years ago I organised a tennis tournament together with Michael Mronz here in Aachen. When he moved over to the equestrian sport at the end of the 90s, the idea cropped up at some time or other that we at Lambertz should become involved in the biggest equestrian show in the world as a sponsor, since it is directly on our doorstep. This has since developed into a 25-year partnership. That is of course lovely and we appreciate this highly at Lambertz too. We are a family company and have always worked sustainably in many areas. This also applies for our sponsoring or events such as the Lambertz Monday Night or the Media Night, which has enabled us to raise the opening day up to a new level.

You mentioned Lambertz, but the CHIO Aachen is also well-known for upholding partnerships for many decades in some cases. How important is such continuity for you as an entrepreneur?

That is a good question. As a family business that dates back to 1688, we are geared up for durability. And also in the currently difficult economic situation, we always explain that we have already survived wars and experienced economically trying times and have still managed to keep the company on the market. I think it is something that guides us – continuity. If one constantly changes the partner for sponsoring activities, it is very difficult to convey a credible usage. And credibility is the decisive keyword here. The former Federal President, Richard von Weizsäcker, once wrote to me: “When I think of Aachen, I think of Charles the Great, Lambertz and the horses.” That is a fantastic combination, which one has to foster. These things are what make a city and they really are indispensable. And I believe the closer and longer one cooperates, the more one can do for all parties concerned, ultimately for the city, for the CHIO Aachen, for the horses, for the company, for the Printen (gingerbread cookies) from Aachen, for the city of Charles the Great.

You mentioned the importance, especially of Lambertz and of the CHIO for the City of Aachen. Let’s take a look at the Tuesday, the Opening Ceremony. The British royal family will be present and will be represented by her Majesty, The Princess Royal, Princess Anne. What significance does this day have for the imperial city? Especially in connection with the Media Night, which always attracts many celebrities to Aachen?

I find this was very frequently underestimated in the past in Aachen. This opening evening is eminently important, because it attracts huge media attention on the following day. When one sees how nicely one connects these things – the spectacular opening show and the Media Night with the fantastic catering and interesting guests. Everything we undertake helps to extend the reach. And if members of royalty and celebrities then come here it helps underline the standing of this show and communicate its significance worldwide. We don’t have to explain this to equestrian sport people! But the equestrian sport is not like football or how tennis was for a long time. Not everyone is familiar with the equestrian sport. And I find we have the task, and especially myself as a supervisory board member, to publicise the significance of the show. This opening evening helps us do this, particularly this year with Great Britain as the partner country. Having the Princess here as a representative of the royal family is a fantastic story. As a former, successful eventer, she is linked very closely to the sport herself and is thus a very credible person to open the CHIO Aachen. That really is something special.

What connections do you have personally with this year’s partner country Great Britain?

In 1993, on the request of Hans-Dietrich Genscher (former Foreign Secretary, editor’s note) I handed over printen dough and marzipan to the now King Charles at Windsor Castle. A few years later we saw each other again at the German Sustainability Award. Hence, we do have a certain connection with the royal family. And beyond this, I am very fond of Great Britain too. I am often in London and have been part of the Elton John Aids Foundation for just under 18 years. The Lambertz company also supplies products to Great Britain of course. As such, Great Britain was and still is one of my two or three desired choices as a CHIO partner country and this fits in well this year.

But the CHIO Aachen 2023 is also special for you for another reason this year. You will be receiving a distinction next week, namely the Prize of the City of Aachen, which is conferred to people every year, who have contributed special services to the CHIO Aachen. What does this award mean for you?

I have indeed in the past been presented with the odd prize or two. From the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, from the federal government or from Bill Clinton. But I must say I have never received a prize from the City of Aachen before (laughs) even though we feel that we have very close ties to Aachen or grew up here. After all the company is actually called “The Aachen Printen & Chocolate Factory Henry Lambertz GmbH & Co. KG” and the product that is associated with Aachen the most is the printe (gingerbread biscuit) from Aachen. It is of course lovely to receive this award – especially for my commitment for the CHIO Aachen. I think, when one has been on board for 25 years and has tried to help out here and there, one is pleased that this is recognised.

The team riders, who win the Lambertz Nations Cup at the CHIO Aachen will no doubt also be delighted. You are a great lover of sport and probably also know quite a bit about dressage after 25 years. Does it interest you much?

Dressage is indeed a sport similar to certain others, such as golf for instance, which one has to understand for it to impassion you. But I was actually interested in equestrian sports before becoming involved at the CHIO Aachen. As a young lad I used to collect the signatures of legends like Hans-Günter Winkler or Piero and Raimondo D’Inzeo. So, I always had that interest, I simply never practiced the sport myself. But I have always found it fabulous to have this event here in Aachen.

We have an incredibly strong field of participants in the dressage this year. Nine riders out of the top ten are competing – that is once again comparable with Wimbledon.

Over the course of the past years it has become really exciting again. I can still recall the years when one already knew in advance that the German team were going to be presented with the Nations Cup. It is thus simply great for the dressage sport that more riders have joined the top ranks. Of course, we still have fantastic riders and they are still among the favourites. But somebody else can always be the winner. And that is the nice thing about the sport, so I am looking forward to the tough competition in the dressage in the individual classification, but in the team competition of course too.

So which discipline you enjoy most is probably a difficult question?

I thought this question might crop up and I had hoped to avoid it (laughs). I don’t like comparing things that cannot easily be compared with each other. I do admit jumping is of course more spectacular. A direct comparison would however be unfair for an allegedly unspectacular discipline. We can count ourselves lucky that we have so many different disciplines in Aachen and that they all attract the well-deserved amount of attention, which is a compliment to the people from Aachen. For example, how many people from Aachen do we see out on the cross-country course on Saturday or when the crowd holds its breath in the Deutsche Bank Stadium and you can almost hear a pin drop – that really is fascinating. We should all appreciate this enthusiasm.

CHIO Aachen 2023: The German national anthem sounds three times in the Prize of Sparkasse

25.06.2023 18:49

It was a close competition between the Nations…


It was a close competition between the Nations Cup teams Germany I and Germany II in the Prize of Sparkasse! And not just because the thermometer showed 30 degrees in the shade, but above all because two teams battled it out at eye level. Diana Harwardt and Peter Künne on the other hand pretty much won the pair vaulting hands down in the Prize of Sparkasse.

 

At 2 p.m. not only the summer had reached a new highlight at the Soers, but also the mood in the sold-out Albert-Vahle Arena. The Nations Cup in the Prize of Sparkasse was on the  agenda. Eight teams, each comprising of two individual vaulters and a group, took part. Germany II and Germany I were the clear favourites and they were the last team to go.

 

German II competed first. Julian Wilfling and Jannik Heiland, the two individual vaulters delivered the second and fourth best results among the individuals. Then, it was the group’s turn, VV Ingelsberg with its motto “As long as it goes bang”. And it did. They performed one highlight after the other and took that many risks that the crowd sometimes held its breath. A super performance that was even better than the group’s result the day before. The lunger, Alexander Hartl, said her horse Fider Rock had been a little more nervous the day before. “Aachen is something really special for the horses too!” Today he is a lot more relaxed. Hartl’s conclusion: “I think all our performances lived up to the expectations.” Germany II went into the lead.

 

Then came Kathrin Meyer for Germany I, the first time yesterday’s winner of the Ladies classification in the Prize of Sparkasse had the honour of taking part in the Nations Cup as an individual vaulter. It is good to have a team one can rely on in such moments. And Kathrin certainly has that in the shape of her mother Sonja holding the lunge and her four-legged partner, San Classico, who they both jointly schooled themselves. She performed a flawless routine again today. However, with a score of 8.454 she didn’t match that of the two individual vaulters of Germany II. So, it was still an open race. The next to go was Viktor Brüsewitz, who except for a small wobbler repeated his sensational freestyle performance of yesterday and was rewarded with the high score of 8.762.

So it was all down to group Norka from VV Köln-Dünnwald. They are used to winning, they claimed the World Championship title last year. Whereby they do have a lot of new team members this year, but that didn’t affect their performance at all. With a score of 8.987 they went into the lead ahead of VV Ingelsberg and sealed the victory of Germany I with a total score of 26.203, Germany II finished second on 25.828 points.

 

Third place went to the Netherlands with 24.025 points thanks to the fantastic performances of the just 17-year-old Sam Dos Santos (8.484), Annebeth Kubbe with Evermore R (7.761) and the Gruppe VV de Wittegheit with Wim, lunged by Meta Jans.

 

Convincing win for Harwardt and Künne in the Pas de Deux

 

The first winners on the first CHIO Sunday had already been decided in the morning: Diana Harwardt and Peter Künne with DSP Sir Lau Lau, lunged by Hendrik Falk in the Pas de Deux of the Prize of  Sparkasse. They came second at the World Championships in 2022 as well as at the World Cup Finals in 2023 and they have also come under the top three in the Prize of Sparkasse at the CHIO Aachen. However, they haven’t yet succeeded in claiming the victory. That changed this weekend. With two victories in the two competitions, where they were the only duo that received a score over 8, nobody was able to take the overall victory away from them. Their overall score: 8.558. “It is of course a long-awaited dream,” said Peter Künne. “All of the training of the last years has paid off. We have been a team for seven years now. That’s wonderful, of course! Winning Aachen is every vaulter’s dream,” he exclaimed also on behalf of his vaulting partner. Seven years à approx. 20 hours a week training, that means 7,840 hours of training before finally achieving today’s triumph.

Second place went to Switzerland to Ilona Hannich and Li Laffer with Gitano des Monods (Lunger: Alana Sohm) on a score of 7.920. The Austrian duo, Eva Nagiller and Romana Hintner, came third on Idefix, lunged by Klaus Haidacher (7,657).

 

Conclusion of the national coach

 

Kai Vorberg has already been the co-trainer in Aachen several times already, but this year was the first time that he took on the role of the national coach. He said it had been totally different than he had expected: “There was the odd minute yesterday, when I thought I was the loneliest person on the grounds.” After all, he had to make some difficult decisions. “You can’t do everyone justice and take a fair, well-informed decision in 45 seconds.” But regarding the sport his heart-felt comment was: “Even if the German national anthem wasn’t played once (in the individual classification of the men, editor’s note), and we’ll work on that, I am totally satisfied with the overall performance of the German team!”

CHIO Aachen: 30,000 attended Soers Sunday

25.06.2023 18:16

The World Equestrian Festival stands for world-class sport,…


The World Equestrian Festival stands for world-class sport, but above all for the biggest folk and family festival in the region. Soers Sunday, the traditional Open Day, underlined precisely that.

“Bright sunshine and beaming faces wherever you look. The CHIO Aachen couldn’t have got off to a better start,” said Philip Erbers, member of the board of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV), organisers of the event. He was “totally satisfied with a super, first weekend.” 45,000 visitors attended the two “Horse & Symphony” concerts, the vaulting and the Open Day, 30,000 visited Soers Sunday alone.

Curious visitors were queuing along the Albert-Servais-Allee even before the doors officially opened at 10 a.m. And they were amazed. Mounted soldiers from the Household Cavalry, one only sees otherwise in the magnificent parades through London’s streets, were waiting at the main entrance to greet them. And the men in the traditional uniforms were the first popular photo motif at the showgrounds. But there are plenty of others this year spread across the grounds, which all have the same theme: This year’s partner country: Great Britain. The colourful motifs, such as the typically British style, nostalgic carousel, invite the guests to take cheerful selfies. The “Öcher” (people from Aachen) certainly took advantage of that. And plenty more too. The free admission, “Open Day”, which the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV) traditionally organises offered a fun-packed programme. Not only tent city with its 190 international exhibitors and various restaurants was very well-attended, but also numerous other attractions enticed the guests to spend time, enjoy and take part. The perfectly family day out or outing with friends!

The activities kicked off at 11.30 a.m. in the Deutsche Bank Stadium with a festive ecumenical service with the motto “He leads me on green pastures“. The show officially started at 1.15 p.m. on the jumping warm-up arena, followed by a diversified programme of entertainment. The best spots around the perimeter of the “green stage” quickly filled. Everyone wanted a good view of the exceptional show acts: The Household Cavalry were also on board and they were also joined by the CHIO Aachen mascot, Karli, and his British companion, Paddington. Later on in the day, Grand National Shetland ponies raced around the track, the Cappenberg Hunting Club demonstrated century old tradition with their pack of hounds and the animal trainer, Anne Krüger-Degener, entertained the visitors with horses, dogs and an entire herd of sheep. Impressive mustangs, the horse trainer Yvonne Gutsche, Bianca Kuhbander and her mini ponies as well as children from the Biesenbach Riding School, who gave an impressive display of side-saddle riding, completed the agenda. In the scope of the “Moments of Luck” charity cooperation, the therapy centres from the region performed a show act under the motto “All you need is love”. The youngest visitors were able to enjoy pony rides and a visit from the WDR mouse.

ECSTASY IN THE PRIZE OF THE SPARKASSE

24.06.2023 20:10

The vaulters from Cologne don’t stop winning, Kathrin…


The vaulters from Cologne don’t stop winning, Kathrin Meyer is experiencing a streak of good luck and Quentin Jabet came, saw and conquered – that is the summary of the Saturday in the Prize of the Sparkasse in the vaulting circle of the CHIO Aachen 2023.

In 2022, Team Norka from VV Köln-Dünnwald was victorious in the Prize of the Sparkasse at the CHIO Aachen with Calidor. The same was true in 2023. Albeit with a different line-up for both the vaulters and the lunger. Ines Nawroth was at the end of the lunge line for the first time instead of Patric Looser. She is already used to the feeling of standing in the middle of the circle in Aachen, but until now she had always lunged athletes from abroad. She was thus all the more delighted after today’s triumph with “her” team: “To run in here as the last group for Germany, is something quite different!” Especially when one puts in such a performance and is rewarded with the applause of Aachen’s crowd. The vaulters from Cologne were in a class of their own, both yesterday during the compulsory test as well as today in the freestyle. They achieved an overall score of 8.397. That meant they had a comfortable lead over the second German team, VV Ingelsberg with Fider Rock, who was lunged by Alexander Hartl. Their overall score was 7.983. Third place went to the Swiss bronze medal winners of last year’s World Championships with Acardi van de Kapel, lunged by Monika Winkler (7.888).

There was a special award for today’s winning horse, Calidor. The readers of the trade magazine, Reiter Revue, had voted the 14-year-old Holstein horse by Calido as “Horse of the Year”. He was presented with the distinction in the company of all the successful athletes who have vaulted to medals and cups on his back over the course of the years.

Kathrin’s childhood dream

Decision in the Ladies classification of the Prize of the Sparkasse 2023, three German vaulters in the lead in the interim results, two already with a German Championship title in their pockets, one of them the current World Cup winner. The latter, Kathrin Meyer, headed the field after the compulsory and technical tests, Alina Roß, the German Champion of 2021 followed in second place.

The German Champions of 2022, Julia Sophie Wagner and Giovanni, lunged by Katja Wagner, was the first to go of the three leaders. She put in a solid performance that was rewarded with the fourth best freestyle score of 8.363. Her final score was thus 8.229.

Then, it was Alina Roß’s turn with Baron R, lunged by her father Volker. She got off to a good start. Her freestyle routine contains a lot of difficult moves that she vaulted through skilfully and elegantly. Then, all of a sudden she lost her grip and had to leave the horse’s back in the middle of her routine. A huge error even if the rest of the choreography went smoothly. And because everything else went perfectly, she was still awarded a score of 8.193 in the freestyle.

The next to go was Kathrin Meyer, with her first title in Aachen almost in reach. And she certainly came up trumps! She received a score of 8.816 for her freestyle. Together with the score for the compulsory and the technical that made an overall score of 8.584. That easily put her into the lead ahead of Julia Sophie Wagner with Giovanni and the unlucky Alina Roß, whose final score was 8.174.

As she realised that she had won, Kathrin Meyer ran out of the competition arena and into the warm-up hall, awaited eagerly by her former team members from the time when she vaulted in the group. They hugged each other, with tears in their eyes. “My World Cup victory and now Aachen, you can’t compare that to anything else,” she said later. “I never even thought about the World Cup before. But Aachen – that is simply a childhood dream!” She was correspondingly overjoyed. Even though she had already won here twice in the past with the group. But today’s victory was hers alone. And of course her mother Sonja’s and that of San Classico S. The three of them are a well-versed trio. “We have had him for ten years,” explained Kathrin. “Mum and I schooled him together with the help of Kai and Nina Vorberg. Even if he perhaps looks difficult for outsiders, I know I can depend on him. I know how he reacts in every situation, because we have known each other for so long.” “When she says schooled she doesn’t just mean as a vaulting horse, incidentally. San Classico does piaffe and passage and has achieved good placings at medium level dressage, Kathrin’s mother, Sonja, reported. She is a dressage rider. When she sent her daughter to vaulting lessons at the age of four, it was intended to be an introduction to riding. However, she hadn’t reckoned on Kathrin choosing vaulting as her preferred sport. Today she is glad about it: “Otherwise we wouldn’t experience days like this!”

Race to catch up à la francaise

The outcome of the Men’s classification in the Prize of the Sparkasse – Quentin Jabet came (from France), saw (“This is like a World Championships here!”) and conquered (“It is incredible!”). Although the Vice World Champion of 2022 only came ninth in the first competition, the compulsory test. “It didn’t start off very well…,” the 22-year-old admitted. That all turned around fast though. He scored the highest mark already in the technical test, which meant he had already worked his way up into second place in the interim result. So, by all accounts the freestyle was going to be exciting. And it was. Quentin put in a fantastic performance with his Ronaldo, lunged by Andrea Boe. With an incredible lightness, in perfect synchronisation with the music, he vaulted through his routine from start to finish flawlessly. The motto of his choreography? “Mmh, actually I haven’t got a proper one. It is a sort of dance and people are to make their own interpretation of it.” Simply true art that was rewarded with a score of 8.914. That brought his total score to 8.621.

Whether that would suffice for the victory? Thomas Brüsewitz, four-time winner of the Prize of the Sparkasse and the current leader was the next to go. The 29-year-old’s freestyle routine ran smoothly until just before the end. Then, he slipped from the croup of Formel 1 D.C. while trying to push himself away. An expensive mistake. After finishing tenth in the freestyle, he slid down into fourth place in the overall classification.

That allowed two other vaulters to move up in the rankings, on the one hand the Dutch vaulter, Sam Dos Santos with Chameur, lunged by Rian Pierik. It was clear from the start that the 17-year-old had good chances. He came fifth at the World Championships in 2022 and second in the World Cup Finals in 2023. However, here in Aachen he “only” ranked fifth in the field of 15 participants after the compulsory and technical tests. However, thanks to coming third in the freestyle after a very good performance, he ultimately finished second in the overall classification with a total score of 8.466.

The other vaulter who catapulted himself under the top three with a super freestyle test was the 33-year-old Viktor Brüsewitz, Thomas Brüsewitz‘s elder brother. It is his final performance here in Aachen. He had choreographed his routine accordingly with an own-recorded text to music, explaining what the sport had given him over the years and expressing his gratitude for everything it had enabled him to achieve. The freestyle routine was not only emotional, it was really good too! Only 0.003 points separated him from the winner’s freestyle score. This enabled him to work his way up into third place in the overall classification of the Prize of the Sparkasse. In the run-up to the show he had stated that he would like to demonstrate his skills onelast time in Aachen, but that he wasn’t sure if he would succeed. Well, he certainly did!

PAS DE DEUX-WELTMEISTER CHIARA CONGIA UND JUSTIN VAN GERVEN ERLEBEN EMOTIONALEN ABSCHIED

24.06.2023 19:17

Together they claimed the titles as World Champions,…


Together they claimed the titles as World Champions, European Champions, German Champions and World Cup winners. Today, the pas de deux dream team, Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven, officially retired from competition sport at the CHIO Aachen.

And ultimately tears were shed. As the highlights of their joint career flickered over the large screen, Justin van Gerven held “his” Chiara tightly in his arms – obviously realising that this moment at the CHIO Aachen really is the last one, when the two of them will be celebrated by an international audience. And there were many such moments in the career of Justin van Gerven (27) and Chiara Congia (25). Elegant, in perfect harmony and goosebumps guaranteed: No pair has dominated the pas de deux sport over the past years as much as the two German vaulters. Regardless of where in the world they ran into the arena, they fascinated and captivated both the spectators and the judges with their expression and precision – most recently with their freestyle routine to the song “Black Magic Woman”, which they won gold with at the World Championships in Herning, Denmark in 2022 as well as taking the victory at the World Cup Finals in Omaha (USA) this spring. “We had many great years, many fantastic experiences, which I am very grateful for,” stated Justin van Gerven. “It is extremely hard to say farewell.“ And also Chiara Congia, whom the national coach, Ulla Ramge, described as have a fascinating aura and a wonderful athleticism in her laudation, was also very moved by this last, sporting moment. “We had a very special connection on the horse, which I will miss dearly.”

The two so successful athletes will however remain loyal to the vaulting sport and the horses. “We ourselves are looking forward to having a bit of free time and are convinced that the team in Cologne will continue to be very strong,” was the unanimous opinion of the pair, who were presented flowers and presents by the Vice President of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein, Frank Kemperman. The mascot Paddington also gave them a big hug and there were standing ovations from the crowd during their final joint lap of honour.

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