General

What distinguishes a good photo? The motif? The technical quality? The moment? The atmosphere? A star-studded jury have to answer this question every year, because the organisers of the CHIO Aachen, the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV), confer the “Silver Camera” for the best international equestrian sport photo of the year.

This year the German show-jumper, Jana Wargers; last year’s winner, Mirka Nilkens; Andreas Müller, CEO Medienhaus Aachen and ALRV Board member, Birgit Rosenberg are responsible for selecting the winners and runners-up. “The quality of the photos is outstanding. Making the decision is a difficult task,” Birgit Rosenberg said about the 133 photographs submitted. The following were nominated for the “Silver Camera” (in alphabetical order):

Pauline Roy Chowdhury

Andreas Steindl

Diana Wahl

The winner will be announced at the CHIO Aachen in the Main Stadium on Saturday evening, July 1^st . The winner receives 2,500 Euros, second and are third place are endowed with 1,000 and 500 Euros, respectively.

Over 50 journalists and onliners, social media stars and media companies have submitted entries – three of them were now nominated for “The Silver Horse. The equestrian sport online and social media award.”

“The Silver Horse” was the most famous media prize in the areas of print, TV and radio for 30 years. For the past five years it has been paying tribute to the changing media landscape and is conferred as an “online and social media award”. The jury – comprising of Wolfgang Brinkmann (Honored president German Riding and Driving Association, DRFV), Nadine Capellmann (dressage rider), Michael Mronz (General Manager of the Aachener Reitturnier GmbH), Tobias Königs (Press Officer CHIO Aachen), and Dr. Ute Countess Rothkirch (DRFV board member) – were impressed by the diversity and quality of the submitted entries. These included both blogs and social media platforms as well as classic media, which have mastered the transformation into the digital world in totally different ways.

The following were nominated (in alphabetical order):

Juliane Barth for her online campaign #WirfürdenPferdesport (Us for the equestrian sport)

Lia Beckmann for the overall concept of her Instagram and YouTube accounts

Jan Tönjes for his St.GEORG horses podcast

The winner will be announced during the Opening Ceremony of the CHIO Aachen 2023 on June 27th.  The winning entry will be awarded “The Silver Horse” and prize money to the value of 3,000 Euros. Second place collects 2,000 Euros and third place is endowed with 1,000 Euros. The prize is jointly organised by the German Riding and Driving Association (DRFV), the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV), Gina Capellmann-Lütkemeier and Nadine Capellmann.

This is an absolute premiere: In homage to Great Britain, the partner country of the CHIO Aachen 2023, equestrian sport stars took to the catwalk donning an exclusively designed, typically British, fashion collection.

Great Britain is the partner country of the CHIO Aachen 2023 – and the stars of the equestrian sport scene are following suit. Shrouded in British-style outfits, exclusively designed for the CHIO Aachen by fashion design student Pauline Oetken, stars like the double-World Champion, Charlotte Fry; the Olympic gold medallist, Julia Krajewski; the Pas de Deux World Champions, Chiara Congia and Justin van Gerven; the show-jumper, Jana Wargers, the influencer, Scarlett Gartmann and the winner of the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHIO Aachen 2022, Gerrit Nieberg, definitely demonstrated their modelling skills.

The motifs with a wow-effect can be viewed in the hot-off-the-press CHIO Aachen Magazine. The new issue also takes a look ahead to the World Equestrian Festival, the CHIO Aachen 2023, and offers many exciting background stories and interesting interviews. For example, the dressage rider, Dinja van Liere, showed us around Reesink Horses in Uden, the Netherlands, the CHIO Aachen mascot Karli set off on a sightseeing tour through London and you can find out everything there is to know about the partner country, Great Britain, the 10th anniversary of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping and the exciting offers of the CHIO Aachen CAMPUS. We even have a further special treat in store for you, simply scan the QR codes for additional, digital contents. Extra stories that didn’t fit into the printed magazine.

The magazine appears twice a year. It costs 6.50 Euros and is available from the CHIO Aachen fan shop. It is also sold at ALRV’s offices.

The well-being of sport horses is the focus of the work of the newly founded “CHIO Aachen Scientist Circle” initiative. The project brings horse experts and leading scientists from Germany, Belgium and Switzerland together.

They travel round the world and impress everyone with their absolute outstanding performances all year: International competition horses are true top athletes. “We all love the equestrian sport,” said CHIO Aachen’s Head of Sport, Birgit Rosenberg. “However, at the same time this enthusiasm is closely linked with a large degree of responsibility for ensuring that the well-being of the horse takes top priority at all times.” And this is precisely the subject matter of the project. Primarily, of course, for the protection of the horses, nevertheless the project also deals with the transparency and acceptance of the equestrian sport within society. “It requires the long-term commitment of all those people, who want the equestrian sport to have a positive future,” stated Birgit Rosenberg, who can fall back on the support of a team of top-class scientists in the scope of the “CHIO Aachen Scientist Circle”, including first and foremost Prof. Dr. Dirk Winter from the Technical College for Economics and the Environment in Nürtingen. “Together we will examine how sport horses feel during competitions and what they need to ensure their well-being can be sustainably safeguarded,” explained Prof. Dr. Winter. This involves questions like: What needs do they have? How can they travel comfortably? What type of stabling do they find pleasant? When and in which situations do they experience stress? Since, of course, horses can’t communicate verbally what they feel, high-level experts with new methods of measurement come into play here to achieve scientifically founded results and thus secure the well-being of the sports partner horse long-term. An exciting project, for which Birgit Rosenberg and Prof. Dr. Dirk Winter have been able to win over further competent experts.

These are:

• Dr. med. vet. Miriam Baumgartner, expert for equine management, horse behaviour, animal and environmentally-sound methods of equine management – Swiss National Stud Avenches, Agroscope
• PD Dr. med. vet. Dominik Burger, expert for performance physiology and sports medicine – Swiss Institute for Horse Medicine of the Bern University in Avenches
• Prof. Dr. med. vet. Konstanze Krueger-Farrouj, Professor for Equine Management at the Technical College for Economics and the Environment in Nürtingen-Geislingen
• Dr. rer. nat. Arne- Rasmus Dräger, expert for Artificial Intelligence and developer of AI-based camera systems for the monitoring of equine health
• Prof. Dr. Guy Chéron, Professor for Neurophysiology and Biomechanics of Movement, Brussels University, expert in the area of recording the brain waves of the horse

An initial exchange between the members of the “CHIO Aachen Scientist Circle” has already taken place. “I am proud that we have come together in this form and am looking forward to further discussions and the exciting tasks that lie ahead of us,” said Birgit Rosenberg. Because we want the horse, our sports partner, to feel good and carry on impressing us with its outstanding performances in future too – at the CHIO Aachen and everywhere else in the world as well.

“Horse & Symphony”: Horses, live music and magical moments are the ingredients for this thrilling concern! The unique event will transform the Deutsche Bank Stadium into an exceptional stage again during the CHIO Aachen 2023.

The motto “All you need is love” pays homage to this year’s CHIO partner country, Great Britain. “We are totally looking forward to experiencing the unique charm of Great Britain in the Deutsche Bank Stadium,” stated Birgit Rosenberg, who in her capacity as Head of Sport at CHIO Aachen is also responsible for the show programme. “A magical evening full of typically, British highlights awaits us.” These also include traditional, British carriages, of course and – it goes without saying – plenty of music, which will be played live by the Aachen Symphony Orchestra. The conductor, Christopher Ward – who is British himself – revealed that he will be treading totally new paths this year: “Well-known British classic composers can’t be missing from the agenda, but also hits from other genres, like pop, musicals and film music.“ Such as the Beatles, Queen or famous melodies from Harry Potter and James Bond, for instance.

Sheep, eventing and stunts

The spectators and listeners can look forward to exciting live acts in the open air in the dressage arena on both evenings. The programme includes among others: An old acquaintance. The shepherdess and animal trainer, Anne Krüger-Degener, has already impressed the audiences of the “Horse & Symphony” in past years. This time she isn’t bringing any ducks or goats with her to the imperial city. Instead, she will present a unique show with horses and Scottish Blackface sheep. Greetings from Great Britain!

The show star and horse trainer Lisa Röckener is making her debut appearance. In her new show “A different side of eventing” she will show this discipline from a totally different perspective. The focus here is on horsemanship, riding with a neck ring and liberty training. “I have already enjoyed “Horse & Symphony” as a spectator. It is an incredible feeling being able to actually take part in this wonderful show myself now!” the 27-year-old explained.

The appearance of Yvonne Gutsch is going to be no less spectacular. She will be presenting many special, breath-taking tricks with her horses. The horse trainer will demonstrate how far the trust between an animal and a human can go with her mare Bailey in a unique show with stunt elements. Even “traffic junctions” in London aren’t an obstacle for the well-versed team!

World Champions close-up

What’s more, “Horse & Symphony” is trumping with world champions this year. As an absolute top highlight, the reigning double World Champion, Charlotte Fry, has also confirmed her participation. The young, British dressage rider will perform a wonderful freestyle routine with her horse to the live music of the Aachen Symphony Orchestra. Also on board: The vaulters Justin van Gerven and Chiara Congia. They have already claimed every single international Pas de Deux title possible. They recently ended their sporting careers at the peak of their success. However, they are now going to demonstrate their dynamics, elegance and harmony with the partner, the horse, once last time at “Horse & Symphony”.

The CHIO Aachen 2023 is looking forward to having Great Britain as its official partner country. Among others, the magnificent Household Cavalry has announced its participation at the Opening Ceremony on Tuesday, June 27th. The motto is “All you need is love”.

“Having Great Britain as the partner country is a wish come true for us,” Birgit Rosenberg, who is also responsible for the show programme as CHIO Aachen Sports Director, was pleased to say during the official announcement on Wednesday morning. It is no surprise, because no other nation in the world is associated with so many different attributes and at the same time as highly appreciated for many of them as the friendly islanders from across the Channel. Together with this year’s partner country, Great Britain, the organisers are promising a spectacular evening for the big show, the Opening Ceremony of the World Equestrian Festival, before the top sport kicks off. Because the CHIO Aachen – has long since not only stood for world-class equestrian sport, but also for world-class entertainment. In this way, the traditional Opening Ceremony is staged in the Main Stadium in front of 40,000 spectators as a perfect, breath-taking floodlit entertainment show that lasts 90 minutes. The theme of the show is traditionally dominated by the partner country. And to this end, the unique charm of Great Britain offers a huge and wide spectrum of historical, cultural and modern opulence that will above all make the Main Stadium in Aachen one thing on the evening of June 27th: very British!

Framed by representatives of the Household Cavalry, who clad in their traditional uniforms lent the Press Conference the appropriate setting, ALRV board member, Birgit Rosenberg also revealed the motto of the evening: “All you need is love”, based on the legendary Beatles hymn. Because the Brits love their musical heroes – and they love the equestrian sport, which enjoys an extremely cherished tradition that dates back many years. In this way, mounted soldiers from the ranks of the Household Cavalry, the guards of the royal family whom we know from their magnificent parades through the streets of London, will impress the crowd at the CHIO Aachen with their world-famous Musical Ride – during the Opening Ceremony and on several other occasions in the Deutsche Bank Stadium. “For us it is a great honour presenting ourselves to the crowd in Aachen in one of the biggest equestrian sport arenas in the world,” said Daniel Evans, Equitation Warrant Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. And the Brits have in the past demonstrated often enough that they always put in top performances in Aachen. “We enjoy being guests at the Aachen Soers year after year. The fact that we are taking over the role of the partner country this year is a wonderful opportunity to show what our homeland has to offer,” an overjoyed Jim Eyre, Chief Executive British Equestrian, said about the partnership.

However, the traditional Musical Ride comprising of 35 horses will not be the only highlight on the evening of June 27th. It will be enhanced by lots of “Grand National Shetland ponies” and of course splendid, typically British carriages and – of course – plenty of music. “When I think of Great Britain, I don’t just think of the Beatles, in terms of music we are actually spoilt for choice,” said Uwe Brandt, who has already been supporting the CHIO Aachen team since 2015 in terms of the choreography, dramatic composition and production of the show in his capacity as the Creative Director. Since the Opening Ceremony is always also a mammoth event, logistically speaking. Around 1,000 extras and several hundred horses are needed to fill the huge stadium in Aachen. “The arena holds 40,000 spectators, that is a huge space that has to be filled,” commented Uwe Brandt. The big challenge for the director is the fact that he not only has to entertain the fans in the stadium with his spectacular show, but also the TV viewers: “We have to surprise, the timing has to be right and the show simply has to be exciting from start to finish.” Uwe Brandt will work closely together with the WDR for the Opening Ceremony, since the state-run TV channel will be broadcasting the show live from 8.15 p.m. onwards.

Great Britain will not only shape the Opening Ceremony in the summer, but also the entire show days of the CHIO Aachen. The partner country will also be the central theme for both of the “Horse & Symphony” concerts (June 23rd and 24th) that will feature among others a performance by the British dressage rider, Charlotte Fry, the reigning double World Champion. Beyond this, the typical British flair will be noticeable all over the show grounds as well as in the city itself: The traditional reception for the partner country will namely take place at the market square in Aachen on Monday, June 26th.