After 20 years: World Equestrian Games 2026 in Aachen again
The CHIO Aachen will host the World Championships in six equestrian disciplines in 2026. The World Equestrian Federation FEI has awarded the bid to Aachen in Mexico City. The last World Championships were held in Aachen in 2006.
It was a goosebump moment for organizers and equestrian sport fans in Germany when the host for the 2026 World Championships was announced in Mexico City. The almost unrivaled Aachen was awarded the contract, unsurprisingly and without much fanfare or excitement, but absolutely logically.
"2026, the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in six disciplines - how cool is that," said Otto Becker, National Show Jumping Coach, after the decision. For only the second time in the show's history, the tradition-steeped Aachen Soers will host the title competitions of all the major equestrian disciplines, 20 years after the 2006 World Equestrian Games, when equestrian icon Isabell Werth won gold twice.
"20 years after the World Equestrian Games, this WEG in Aachen will also be a great sign for the equestrian sport in Germany and the whole world," assured Hans-Joachim Erbel, President of the German Equestrian Federation (FN), who had applied to host the event together with the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV). CHIO General Manager, Michael Mronz, has already practised being a good host: "We already want to invite the equestrian world to Aachen today, so that we can celebrate an unforgettable event together in 2026."
"I believe it is a stroke of luck for the FEI"
In the disciplines of show jumping, dressage, para-dressage, vaulting and driving, the club and the federation were without competition until the very end and it was considered a formality that they would win the bid. In the competition for eventing, the organizers beat out another location with a long tradition, Burghley in Great Britain, in addition to Boekelo (Netherlands) and also brought it to the Soers. "I think it is a stroke of luck for the FEI that Aachen is hosting the whole event," said Becker.
Aachen is planning big. An expansion of the Soers Sports Park, where the CHIO Aachen, the largest equestrian show in the world, takes place every year, has been planned for some time and 75 million Euros are to be invested for the WEG. The federal government is also playing its part, and before the announcement, funding totaling 6 million euros from the federal budget had already been approved. Becker is thrilled by the decision: "I am delighted. Aachen has often proven over the last few decades that it is capable of hosting such events. We can look forward to a special event in Germany."
"After learning about the World Equestrian Games returning to Aachen in 2026, Otto Becker expressed his excitement by saying, 'How exciting is it to have the World Equestrian Games in Aachen in six disciplines in 2026.'"
"The last time Aachen hosted the World Equestrian Games was back in 2006, but now, after a gap of 20 years, it's set to happen again."
Source: www.ntv.de
