Germany Applies for 2026 World Championships of Dressage, Jumping, Eventing, Driving, Vaulting, Para-Dressage at Aachen

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Aug. 24, 2023

Germany has applied to host the 2026 world championships of dressage, show jumping, eventing, driving, vaulting and para-dressage at Aachen, the sole bidder for the lineup of events similar to when it hosted the World Equestrian Games in 2006.

The bid was for the championships of all FEI disciplines except endurance at the grounds of the world’s most prestigious annual horse show and that each year stages all but para-dressage and endurance at the CHIO.

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) announced bids Thursday with Aachen the only venue for six horse sports.

Burghley in Great Britain and Boekelo in the Netherlands bid for eventing only while Al Ula in Saudi Arabia and Samorin in Slovakia want to host endurance.

The FEI will announce selection of the winning bidders in November.

To this day, the WEG in Aachen in 2006 is considered to be the best championships ever of equestrian sport that included dressage, endurance, eventing, show jumping, driving, vaulting and reining that is no longer an FEI sport.

Dressage, for example, was staged in the center of the main stadium before more than 40,000 spectators from around the world.

Remarkably, Aachen hosted the annual CHIO as well as the WEG in 2006. The 2015 European Championships were also held at Aachen, as well as a slimmed down international event.

More than 350,000 spectators make it to Aachen every year for the Olympic sports of dressage, show jumping and eventing as well as driving, eventing and vaulting.