The World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany, has been cancelled, despite initial thoughts of postponing it from its June dates.
But the pandemic dictated otherwise.
“People’s health takes top priority,” said Frank Kemperman, chair of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein.
The announcement came on the heels of word that the Dublin Horse Show in July also has been cancelled.
The Dublin Horse Show is always a landmark of the season and plays to a packed house, with the Nations Cup for the Aga Khan trophy as the highlight.
Aachen, for its part, is considered by many as the world’s greatest horse show, since it offers multiple disciplines.
“This was a very emotional and very difficult decision for us,” stated Michael Mronz, general manager of the Aachener Reitturnier GmbH (ART). According to Mronz, in spite of the fact that the CHIO Aachen is well situated thanks to its reliable partners and the support of its loyal spectators, the situation still presented too big a challenge.
“We will organize a virtual CHIO Aachen 2020,” he said, maintaining it will at least be possible to experience the show’s atmosphere in digital form. More details will be forthcoming over the next few days.
Hmmm. Why do I think it won’t be quite the same as having the 10-day live show, with competition in dressage, jumping, eventing, four-in-hand driving and marvelous exhibitions, as well as 350,000 spectators?
International equestrian events have been staged in Aachen since the 1920s, with the only hiatus coming from 1940-45 during World War II. Showgoers love their Aachen,with many of the ticket holders deciding to forego having their ticket price reimbursed to demonstrate support for the show.
Alternatively, tickets that have been purchased can be converted into tickets for the CHIO Aachen 2021 June 25–-July 4. All information and further options can be found at chioaachen.com/tickets. The CHIO Aachen team will contact all registered ticket customers, but asks everyone to currently refrain from placing telephone inquiries because of the time it will take to set up the technical requirements needed for that purpose.
Also in Germany, the Luhmuhlen, Germany, 5-star three-day event, set for June 18-21, is reviewing its options.Plans call for reopening of some businesses in Germany in the next few weeks, but major events on the order of concerts will be banned until the end of August, another reason for cancelling Aachen.
Meanwhile, Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious diseases at Kobe University, said he is “very pessimistic” about the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place next year. Japan Times reported he does not believe the coronavirus pandemic will be under control by next year.
“Holding the Olympics needs two conditions: one, controlling COVID-19 in Japan and (two) controlling COVID-19 everywhere – because you have to invite the athletes and the audience from all over the world,” he said.
“Japan might be able to control this disease by next summer, I wish we could, but I don’t think that would happen everywhere on Earth, so in this regard I’m very pessimistic about holding the Olympics Games next summer,” he said.