In a few days, Aachen will host the World Equestrian Championships (August 11-23). This is the first time in twenty years that the city has hosted the event, and it is eagerly awaited by all equestrian enthusiasts, given the city's significant role in the sport's history. The German Olympic Sports Confederation will undoubtedly be following the event closely, knowing that the venue could be on the shortlist of the next German bid to host the Games.
"The ideal environment"
Aachen has already hosted six World Championships and nine European Championships. In 2006, during the World Equestrian Games, 576.000 spectators flocked to the city for what remains one of the greatest equestrian events in history. The return to Aachen is all the more eagerly anticipated as riders competing in dressage, eventing, show jumping, and para-dressage will have the opportunity to secure qualifying spots for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
« Few sites in the world of equestrian sport possess such a rich heritage as Aachen., emphasizes Áine Power, FEI Executive Director of Sports and Games. And with good reason, the Soers complex has been hosting competitions for over a hundred years. The knowledge, experience and passion of the Aachen community, combined with world-class facilities and a unique atmosphere, create the ideal environment for the world's best to compete at the highest level. »
Six disciplines will be on the program and These Championships will show the whole world the best that our sport has to offer. “They could also offer a glimpse of future Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Power asserts. Germany will decide this fall between three bids for the 2036, 2040, or 2044 Games: Berlin, Munich, or the Rhine-Ruhr region. If the latter wins out, it will propose Aachen as the venue for the equestrian events. Residents have already been consulted, and they voted overwhelmingly in favor (76,29%). Like tennis at Wimbledon in 2012, what could be more natural than seeing the Olympic Games in the temple of equestrian sports?
