Aachen, Germany – July 02, 2024 – From June 28 to July 7, the CHIO Aachen welcomes the world’s top horse and rider combinations to the iconic Aachen Soers showground for the hundredth time. Since welcoming riders and carriage drivers for the first time in 1924, the CHIO Aachen has been a cornerstone of equestrian sport, and this year’s event promises to be a remarkable tribute to a century of equestrian excellence. The World Equestrian Festival at the CHIO Aachen will showcase five thrilling disciplines: show jumping, dressage, eventing, driving, and vaulting. An electrifying atmosphere is guaranteed as 360,000 spectators will gather over 10 days to witness a new chapter of sporting history unfold.

Following the iconic Opening Ceremony on Tuesday 2 July, Wednesday 3 July will see the start of the 5* show jumping at the CHIO Aachen. The Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe , held in the evening under floodlights, offers the first opportunity for riders to qualify for the show’s pinnacle class, the Rolex Grand Prix. The excitement will continue the next evening with the Mercedes-Benz Nations’ Cup CSIO 5*, where eight teams will compete over two identical rounds, with the best three results per team counting. In this Olympic year, selectors will be closely monitoring performances in this class to finalise their teams for Paris.

The grand finale, the Rolex Grand Prix, will take place on Sunday afternoon in front of 40,000 of show jumping’s most passionate and knowledgeable fans. Much like The Championships, Wimbledon, this is the competition that every rider aspires to win. The CHIO Aachen is one of four Majors that make up the prestigious Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, which rewards any rider who consecutively wins the Rolex Grand Prix at three of the four Majors. Following his success at The Dutch Masters, Dutchman Willem Greve (NED) is the current live contender for this extraordinary achievement, a feat previously accomplished only by Rolex Testimonee Scott Brash (GBR).

In dressage, the ultimate display of harmony and precision will be showcased in the Lindt-Prize, the Dressage Grand Prix of Aachen Freestyle to Music, taking place on Sunday, 7 July. The home crowd will be thrilled to see their very own Isabell Werth take centre stage. The Rolex Testimonee aims to etch her name on the CHIO Aachen winners’ board for the fifteenth time, as she prepares to pursue her thirteenth Olympic medal in July. Her top competition will likely come from compatriot Frederic Wandres, Sweden’s Patrik Kittel, and reigning FEI individual World Champion Charlotte Fry, to ensure an exhilarating atmosphere in the Deutsche Bank Stadium.

On the final Friday and Saturday of the World Equestrian Festival, the SAP-Cup will feature the world’s best eventers. The competition begins with dressage and show jumping tests on Friday, followed by the thrilling cross-country phase on Saturday, 6 July. Once the cross-country concludes, attention will then turn to carriage driving with the world’s top four-in-hand drivers will set off in the Prize of Schwartz Group Marathon driving competition, often likened to the ‘Formula One’ of carriage driving.

Beyond the thrilling action supplied by the world-class equestrian disciplines, visitors can also indulge in a range of attractions including diverse displays, shopping, and exquisite dining. The two ‘Horse & Symphony‘ concerts, a breathtaking prelude to the CHIO Aachen, will this year also celebrate the show’s one-hundredth anniversary, adding a touch of musical grandeur to this historic milestone.

Source: Press Release from Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping

Photo: © CHIO Aachen via Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping

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