13
I t towers upwards, reaching toward
the sky. The young boy is
so small in comparison to its impressive
size. His father told him all
about it. He can’t read what is inscribed
on it yet, but he knows that
it carries the names of the top stars.
The legends of the sport. He also
knows how people stare at it, from
the bottom to the top, only to gradually
lower their gaze, line by line,
as if by studying it long enough, the
letters and the figures come together
to tell a story. A story
that
we too can seize if we take the time
to comprehend it: the history of
the CHIO Aachen.
“When I stood in front of this huge
winners’ board for the first time,
aged five at the time, it was quite
clear to me: My name should also
appear there one day,” recalls
Philipp Weishaupt 25 years later,
just moments after the most important
ride of his career to-date.
The date is 17 July 2016, the last
day of the CHIO Aachen. Some
40,000 spectators fill the sold-out
Main Stadium to witness the top
40 show-jumping pairs compete
for the “Rolex Grand Prix”.
Philipp Weishaupt and his grey
“LB Convall” enter the ring as the
first to ride. Ahead of them lies 17
formidable obstacles, distributed
masterfully
around the course, demanding
the best from rider and
horse alike. How will “LB Convall”
perform, at just nine years of age?
Philipp Weishaupt settles for a safe
ride and leaves the arena after
jumping clear, but with two penalty
points for time exceeded. These
two points make it unlikely that he
reaches the final round, especially
considering that it’s the top ranked
riders, Olympic gold medallists and
World Champions – with their best
horses – who are due to follow.
But as luck would have it, none of
the other pairs finished the round
without penalty points either; even
the top two performers accrued
one penalty point each for time
exceeded. All of a sudden the sky
was again the limit for Weishaupt
and his mighty grey horse. A clear
second round would assure their
place on the winners’ podium.
Weishaupt and “LB Convall” did
even better than that. As the only
pair to jump clear in both rounds,
they went on to win the “Rolex
Grand Prix” at the CHIO Aachen
2016. The prize-giving ceremony,
the interviews, the congratulations
– the young German floated in a
state of disbelief and euphoria.
And then finally, the moment he
had waited a quarter of a century
for: the champion stood in front
of the winners’ board, this time
with his name on it. Once again
his eyes wander to the top of the
list and back down again. Philipp
Weishaupt. Winner of the “Rolex
Grand Prix” of Aachen. Philipp
Weishaupt. From now on, part of
the elite. Philipp Weishaupt. Legend
of the sport.
THE MAJORS 2016
CHIO AACHEN
2016