Dressage-News

Riesenbeck in Germany has been named host of the 2023 dressage and para dressage European Championships that will be a qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics.

The FEI board made the allocation Thursday to Riesenbeck that hosted the European Championships for jumping this year to rave reviews.

Riesenbeck is the home town of Ludger Beerbaum, four-time Olympic jumping gold medalist and six-time European Champion, and president of the Riesenbeck Organizing Committee.

“We are very proud to be welcoming yet another European Championship in Riesenbeck,” Ludger said. “The idea to apply for this championship came from my partner in the Global Equestrian Group, Andreas Helgstrand.

“Andreas–a successful Olympic and championship dressage rider–wants to highlight the potential of the facility for his discipline as well.” Global Equestrian Group with Andreas and Ludger as partners has acquired the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida.

The FEI described Riesenbeck as having “a stellar record for hosting top-level national and international equestrian events” with several outdoor arenas and 336 state-of-the-art horse stalls.

“Organizing European Championships, which will also be an Olympic and Paralympic qualifier, is a huge responsibility for us, and we are already hard at work with our planning,” Ludger said. “While our first priority is the safety and welfare of all our human and equine athletes, we also know the importance of providing high quality working facilities for all involved in the organization of the event.

“We are committed to making these championships enjoyable for everyone, especially our equestrian fans, who we hope to welcome in large numbers so they can appreciate all that dressage and para dressage have to offer.”