Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Record money and corona worries
The world equestrian festival is back
The CHIO is back after a year of corona pause and entices with record prize money. Olympic champion Isabell Werth is happy about the “good sign” for equestrian sport, which is facing a harsh winter. For the organizer, it’s also about saving the CHIO from disappearing.
The special thing about the CHIO 2021 is that it takes place at all. One year after the cancellation due to Corona, it is not only the organizers who are relieved that the tournament, which is celebrated as the world equestrian festival, is being ridden again in the Aachen Soers. “That it takes place is very important for us and for equestrian sport. That is a good sign,” said the seven-time Olympic dressage champion Isabell Werth. Because already for the upcoming indoor season there are signs of a corona disaster for riding in the face of numerous tournament cancellations.
The CHIO is also of great importance for the German Equestrian Association FN. “Another rejection would have been very bitter. The whole world of sports is watching the famous CHIO,” said FN sports director Dennis Peiler. “In addition to the sporting aspect, the tournament also has a social value.”
Unusual plexiglass
The organizers assure in their announcements that the 2021 edition will be a CHIO “as people know and love it”. Still, a lot will be different. Even the time in September instead of the usual beginning of summer is unusual. In addition, there are the corona measures, the number of viewers reduced by half and the 3G rule (access only for vaccinated, recovered and negatively tested people).
And sometimes the unfamiliar corona-related shows up in the details. “I’ve never seen so much Plexiglas as here on the grounds,” said tournament director Frank Kemperman before the official opening event on Tuesday evening. Countless devices for air purification have also been purchased. “We have a large budget for the corona costs,” said the 66-year-old.
This year too, the total budget is around 18 million euros. The prize money in the competitions in jumping, dressage, eventing, vaulting and driving even rose to a record high of almost 3.4 million euros. The show jumping elite alone is fighting for 2.7 million euros. The endowment in the Nations Cup on Thursday evening was increased to one million euros, the Grand Prix on Sunday is, as usual, also advertised with one million euros.
The fear of disappearing
It is unlikely that the tournament will pay off economically in Corona times. “The important thing is that the tournament can take place. Then we have to see how we get out of there to some extent. But I don’t think we can celebrate big here,” said Kemperman. “But it can’t get any worse than last year.”
Another rejection like in 2020 would have had negative consequences for the tournament and the CHIO brand, says Marketing Director Michael Mronz. If necessary, a CHIO could have taken place this year without a spectator, he said in an interview with the “Rheinische Post” last week.
With that “the main driver of the CHIO mood would have been missing”. But it is also about the question of “how many years as a brand, as a brand, can I disappear from the scene before I also disappear from the focus of people,” said Mronz. And by the way there are also jobs, “we have 40 employees here in Aachen”
Unusual appointment
Early this year, Kemperman, Mronz and their team decided to move the tournament to September in the hope that “the world would be back to normal”, as Kemperman said. The relocation has changed the sporting value of the tournament. Otherwise, the CHIO is always ahead of the Olympic Games and championships and is a determination of the position for the world class or a final screening for the national teams. Also, the tournament in July does not have much competition from other tournaments.
Now, after the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the European Show Jumping Championships in Riesenbeck and the European Dressage Championships in Hagen near Osnabrück and immediately before the European Eventing Championships in Avenches in Switzerland. “Usually we say that this is a hot candidate for the Olympics or for the World Cup or the European Championship. Now we say: He or she won gold,” said Kemperman.
In fact, the dressage Olympic champions Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and Isabell Werth, eventing Olympic champion Julia Krajewski and show jumping Olympic champion Ben Maher show up in Aachen. But only the Briton brings his gold horse Explosive with him to the Soers.
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