“How cool is that?”
After 20 years: Equestrian World Championships 2026 again in Aachen
November 19, 2023, 10:40 a.m
In 2026, world championships in six equestrian sports disciplines will take place on the grounds of the CHIO Aachen. The World Equestrian Federation FEI has given the Aachen team the nod in Mexico City. The last world championships were held in Aachen in 2006.
It was a goosebumps moment for organizers and equestrian 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 drumbeat or excitement, but absolutely logical.
“In 2026, the World Equestrian Championships 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 its tournament history, the traditional Aachen Soers is bringing together the title fights of all major equestrian disciplines, 20 years after the World Equestrian Games in 2006 achieved this, when equestrian icon Isabell Werth won gold twice.
“20 years after the World Equestrian Games, this World Championships in Aachen will also be a great sign for equestrian sport in Germany and the whole world,” assured Hans-Joachim Erbel, President of the German Equestrian Association (FN), which is a partner with the Aachen- Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV) had applied as an organizer. CHIO managing director Michael Mronz has already practiced being a good host: “We want to invite the equestrian world to Aachen today to celebrate an unforgettable event together in 2026.”
“I think it’s a stroke of luck for the FEI”
In the disciplines of jumping, dressage, para-dressage, vaulting and driving, the club and association were candidates until the end without any competition. The fact that they would be awarded the contract was considered a formality anyway. In order to promote diversity, the organizers chose Burghley in Great Britain, another location with a long tradition, in addition to Boekelo (Netherlands) and brought them into the Soers too. “I think it’s a stroke of luck for the FEI that Aachen is hosting the whole thing,” said Becker.
Aachen is planning big. An expansion of the Soers Sportpark, where the world’s largest equestrian tournament, the CHIO Aachen, takes place every year, has been planned for some time; 75 million euros are to be invested in the World Cup. The federal government is also playing a role in this; before the announcement, funding totaling 6 million euros from the federal budget had already been decided. Becker is moved by the decision: “I’m really happy. Aachen has proven many times over the last few decades that they can handle such events. We can look forward to a special event in Germany.”