Aachen Out of Trans-Atlantic Nations Cup Series–But Maintains CDIO5* Team Competition
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Feb. 22, 2024
By KENNETH J. BRADDICK
Germany has dropped Aachen out of the trans-Atlantic Nations Cup series, ending its 12 years as a founding member of the lineup of events but will maintain its 5* team competition.
Germany’s withdrawal from the series that began at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida this week came about as a result of a change in which nations can be invited.
The series this year includes Wellington, CDIO5* Compiègne, France May 2-5; Budapest, Hungary CDIO4* May 14-18; Rotterdam, Netherlands CDIO5* June 20-23 and Falsterbo, Sweden CDIO4* July 11-14.
Aachen’s World Equestrian Festival, founded as a horse show in 1898 and that is the pinnacle of horse sports has scheduled its CDIO5* for July 2-7.
The FEI–International Equestrian Federation–changed the format this year to limit the number of teams to eight countries–Austria, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and the United States as the top seven teams from the 2023 European Championships plus USA as the best non-European team at the 2022 World Championships.
The format and invitation schedule was approved by the FEI.
The FEI said it and the Aachen organizers agreed to remove the event from the dressage Nations Cup 2024 calendar, but that it will still go ahead as a regular CDIO5*.
This decision reflects the desire of the CDIO5* Aachen organizers to confirm invitations as soon as possible, which the FEI said is contrary to a new rule whereby all countries are eligible and invited to take part.
“This is a new rule which comes into play in 2024, and was introduced in a bid to provide greater transparency in the invitation process, and requires all FEI Dressage Nations Cup Organizing Committees invite all NFs and to confirm which teams will take part at the time of the definite entries, based on order of merit calculated using the average of the points of the participating team athletes on the FEI Dressage World Ranking list,” the FEI said.
The USA, which will decide its team of three plus one reserve immediately following the Rotterdam Nations Cup June 23, initially included Aachen on the European schedule for its top riders and is keeping to its schedule for the moment.
