CHIO Aachen


The CHIO Aachen is a popular international horse show held in Aachen, Germany held each summer.

The event

At the CHIO Aachen competitions in show jumping, dressage, eventing, four-in-hand driving and vaulting are held.
According to the rules of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports, each country may only stage one Nations Cup event in each horse sport discipline. In Germany, the Nations Cup events in show jumping, dressage, eventing and four-in-hand driving are held at the CHIO in Aachen. Also a vaulting nations competition are held here. Its organizer is the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein society, which was founded in 1898.
The CHIO Aachen is in show jumping and dressage the most prestigious horse show in Europe. In addition to the title and following the nomenclature for the tournament, the CHIO has been held under the self-chosen name "Weltfest des Pferdesports" since 1992.

History

The first horse show were held 1924 in Aachen, together with a horse race. In 1927 the horse show lasted six days. The first show jumping nations cup was held here in 1929. From 1940 to 1946 the event was not held because of the Second World War. Also in 1986 no horse show held because of the Show Jumping Championship in Aachen.
In 2006, the CHIO and some months later the World Equestrian Games are held in Aachen. Because of the World Equestrian Games a flood light system was installed in the show jumping and in the "Hauptstadion.
Since 2007, influenced by the World Equestrian Games, also eventing and vaulting are disciplines of the CHIO Aachen. Also since 2007 the Show jumping Nations Cup is held at Thursday eventing - in the television prime time. In 2011 the 80th time a horse show is held at the Sport Park Soers in Aachen.

Venue

The event is held at the Soers in the northern part of Aachen. Here the different disciplines held at different places. The show jumping competitions are held in the "Hauptstadion" of the CHIO Aachen, the dressage event are held in the "Deutsche Bank Stadion" and the vaulting competitions are held in the "Albert-Vahle-Halle", all in the Soers.