Wednesday, 01 February 2023
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 ist 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.
Tickets for the Opening Ceremony and for the two “Horse & Symphony” concerts are available online at our ticketshop or from the hotline on +49-(0)241-917-1111.
Watch a video interview with British Equestrian Chief Executive, Jim Eyre
Words: CHIO Aachen