What is CHIO Aachen?
The German city of Aachen, home to the throne and tomb of Emperor Charlemagne, has been a pilgrimage site for years... and not just for tourists with an equine curiosity. On the outskirts of a town where Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands collide, the Soers sports park plays host to a ten-day festival of dressage, showjumping, vaulting, cross country and carriage driving. The first CHIO competition was staged in 1924, together with racing, and it assumed the title 'World Equestrian Festival' in 1992, fourteen years before this network of arenas hosted the 2006 World Equestrian Games.
What happened in 2023's edition?
With this year's competition something of a collaboration between Germany and Great Britain, it was appropriate those nations should take much of the spoils. History will remember 2023 for the exploits of native Marcus Ehining, though Yasmin Ingham lifted a trophy as individual winner of the SAP Cup cross-country for Great Britain, and there was success from a raft of European countries, alongside participation from further afield.