Agenda starts with the Horse Inspection

"Horses back at the Soers at last." The Show Director, Frank Kemperman, is visibly looking forward to the start of the Aachen International Jumping. He hasn’t got to wait long now. The first competition begins at 9 a.m. on Friday. The horse inspection was on the agenda prior to that.

Extensive hygiene measures, a limited number of spectators, the Deutsche Bank Stadium instead of the “Holy Grass”: This year a lot of things are different to what one is used to at the CHIO Aachen. This certainly isn’t affecting the mood; the riders are pleased to be able to compete again. Prior to this however, all of the horses have to satisfy the scrutinising eyes of the jury of the horse inspection. In the end, the verdict was all 198 horses are “fit to compete”. One horse had to be presented again on Friday before the first class.

A further horse didn’t even appear for the vet check: Simone Blum’s “DSP Alice”. The World Champion pair will not be able to compete at the Aachen International Jumping, a case of lumbago put an end to their competition plans. Simone Blum will now be saddling “DSP Cool Hill” instead.

73 riders from 18 nations will be in action in the ring from 9 a.m. on Friday. After a two-phase jumping competition of the Medium Tour, the young riders will be battling it out in the NetAachen Prize from 12:45 p.m. onwards. This will be followed by a jumping competition of the Large Tour with a jump-off, subsequently the young horses will be demonstrating their abilities in the Sparkassen-Youngsters-Cup.