CHIO Aachen returns from 23 June – 2 July and will play host to the second Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major of 2023. This year, CHIO Aachen will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, the sport’s ultimate prize, having hosted the inaugural Major in 2013. The 10-day show will culminate with the Rolex Grand Prix, which will see some of the world’s top horse and rider combinations from 16 different nations, including seven Rolex Testimonees, compete over Frank Rothenberger’s masterfully designed course.

Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping – Rider Watch

All eyes will be on one rider; America’s McLain Ward as he aims to become only the second person to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. The World No.3, who won the Rolex Grands Prix at both CHI Geneva and The Dutch Masters aboard the 17-year-old mare HH Azur, will be looking to write his name into the history books. Ward has experienced success at the show in the past, last year taking victory in both the Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe and RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as placing fifth in the Rolex Grand Prix. As a fierce competitor who knows how to win in the unique Main Stadium, he will be one to watch. Ward will be joined by four compatriots who will all be making the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean to the celebrated venue, including his 2020 Tokyo Olympic teammate, Laura Kraut.

He will, however, face competition from the very best in the world including last year’s victor Gerrit Neiberg. The German, who recently took the top spot in the CSI5* Grand Prix in Hamburg, will be seeking to continue this form to become the first rider to win this prestigious class back-to-back. In total, 18 German riders will contest the international showjumping at this year’s World Equestrian Festival including Daniel Deusser and Marcus Ehning, both of whom are also past victors of this prestigious class.

Looking ahead to the 2023 edition, Nieberg stated: “I cannot wait to return to CHIO Aachen to try and defend my title. Winning the Rolex Grand Prix in front of my home crowd truly was a dream come true and something that I will never forget.”

Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs, a double Major winner at CHI Geneva, comes to CHIO Aachen on the back of an impressive victory in the Rolex Grand Prix at CHI Royal Windsor Horse Show with Conner Jei. Fuchs will be hoping to claim his first victory in the Rolex Grand Prix at CHIO Aachen. Fellow countryman, Steve Guerdat, is another amongst the talented field who has never won this coveted title. Guerdat, known for his horsemanship skills, will bring four horses with him to Aachen, including the exciting Dynamix de Belheme and Venard de Cerisy, the horse he rode to victory in the CP ‘International’, presented by Rolex in 2021.

Belgium’s Nicola Philippaerts also returns to the hallowed grounds of CHIO Aachen on stellar form, having taken the Rolex Grand Prix at CSIO Jumping International de la Baule earlier this month with the brilliant mare Katanga V/h Dingeshof, who will also jump at CHIO Aachen. Philippaerts will be joined by his twin brother, Olivier, who similarly will be brimming with confidence following a victory in the CSI5* in Stockholm last week with H&M Miro. They will be joined by Belgian teammates Gregory Wathelet, Wilm Vermeir, and Vereecke Koen.

Great Britain’s Scott Brash will be hoping to improve on his second place in the Rolex Grand Prix last year to reclaim the title he won in 2015 enroute to winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping. His teammate, the individual Olympic champion Ben Maher, will be competing at his first Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping Major since his injury in February. He will be bringing his his FEI World Championship™ partner Faltic HB, as well as two less experienced mounts Dallas Vegas Batilly and Enjeu de Grisien. Rolex’s youngest Equestrian Testimonee Harry Charles, brings forward the experienced, yet evergreen stallion, Balou du Reventon and is another who could produce a good result on the final day of the World Equestrian Festival.

Other notable entries include show jumping legend Rodrigo Pessoa, who has returned to the top of the sport with a new string of horses, World No. 12 Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam, and the ever-competitive Frenchman Simon Delestre, the current World No. 7.

Congratulations! You are still the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping live contender, how are you feeling ahead of CHIO Aachen? 

I feel good, but I am always cautiously optimistic. We've tried to make sure that the horses are in the best form possible. We compete HH Azur very sparingly because of her age and just aim her towards big events. You have to have belief in your programme and trust that you have got everything right, especially when you're not competing regularly, but she feels good. We are very focused on CHIO Aachen in general –  we look at Aachen as a championship. For us, it is the biggest and most prestigious event in the world. I am trying to keep grounded and not let other possibilities seep into my head – I think you get easily distracted by these things.

How did it feel to win at The Dutch Masters?

It felt incredible. It was a class that I didn't think was setting up very well for us when there were so many clear rounds. The Dutch Masters is held in a small indoor arena and with her big stride, I thought it would be difficult to be fast enough. I had a plan to try to do everything we could to win, but I did not expect to win and so when it all came together it was extremely exciting and fulfilling. I then became the only person, apart from Scott Brash, to win two Majors in a row, which is a huge accomplishment and something that I am very proud of. 

How have you been preparing, and which horse are you hoping to compete with in the Rolex Grand Prix?

I am lucky to have a great string of horses and I also have some really exciting horses coming up through the ranks. I will be bringing Callas, Contagious, and HH Azur to Aachen, they have been competing very well throughout the spring and early summer. HH Azur has only done one small national show, just to make sure she was fit and give her a jump in a competitive setting. We have kept her preparation the same as we have done for all the Majors – keeping her fresh and targeting the event.

CHIO Aachen is one of the biggest stages in equestrian sport, how does it feel to compete there? 

For me, it's the biggest stage. In my opinion, it is the mecca of our sport, and it is the place that means the most for riders to win. So far, the Rolex Grand Prix has eluded me, but I've been very close on a number of occasions. It is the one Grand Prix in the world that I desperately covet, and the fact that it is part of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping only heightens the energy. There is no place like Aachen; the atmosphere, the crowd, the venue, the history, the level of the sport is all unmatched. I think that everybody rises to the occasion there – it is a very special place.

The last two Majors have been held indoors – will any of your tactics change competing in the Main Stadium at CHIO Aachen?

You have to think more about fitness in a bigger outdoor arena as the course is longer with more galloping involved. On paper, a big arena would suit HH Azur as she has a very big stride, but she has performed exceptionally well in indoor arenas. It truly is a testament to how great she is that she is able to be so successful in multiple venues.

She has also performed brilliantly at Aachen – I think she has been in the Rolex Grand Prix jump-off two or three times, as well as double clear in the FEI Nations Cup™ at least two or three times. I need to ensure that I stay focused and keep my head right so that we can deliver the result that we are capable of.

What do you think are the attributes that a horse and rider must have to be able to win a Major?

You need a horse that has the talent and physical abilities that it takes to jump those courses, but they also need to have the brain to understand what they are being asked to do. It takes years of training and honing those skills for everything to come together at the right time. There are only four Majors a year, and therefore usually three or four winners – so there are not that many combinations who have been able to achieve this feat. 

What would it mean to you and your team to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping at CHIO Aachen?

Honestly, I think that it is unexplainable. I have a long history with Aachen, with some good and bad moments. Since I was a small child, it is the competition that I have always dreamed of winning – I have always said it has been the girl I could never get a date with. This will be the last time that HH Azur competes at Aachen, so to win the Rolex Grand Prix there with her and for that to mean that we had won the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping – that truly is something that I do not think I can describe. 

The Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is celebrating its 10th anniversary – how big an impact has it had on the sport? 

I think the greatest impact that it has had is that it has raised the level of competition above any other competition in the world. It is so important, and we needed that in the sport. We need the Rolex Grand Slam Majors to be separated from the other 5* events, as they encourage riders to continue to raise their game and perform in a different gear. I think that the riders have recognised that these are the best events in the world and aim for them – very much like The US Open or The Masters in Augusta or The French Open, these are the most coveted competitions in our sport.

The equestrian calendar is very full! How do you decide which shows to enter and which horses to compete with? 

It is a busy schedule. Like most sports, there is an event every week that you could go to if you chose. I am very lucky to have a great team behind me, as well as a great group of supporters and owners. I, therefore, have a strong string of horses of all different ages and levels. My team means that everything moves well, and they ensure that the horses are kept healthy and fresh. To be honest, I do not over-compete – if you look at the FEI World Rankings, I have normally competed in fewer events than most of my colleagues. I like to come home occasionally and aim toward an event. 

We look at the schedule anywhere from six months or a year ahead when, for example, we are aiming towards an Olympic Games or a major Grand Prix. We therefore we work backward from that date. The longer-term plan is a little looser and the shorter-term plan is a little tighter. I like to compete in Europe to test my skills against the best in the sport. The level in the United States has also come up considerably in the last few years and we have a lot of great events here now. We lay out the schedule for the year, depending on the horses we have and what the main goals are, and then we break it down into a more detailed schedule on a shorter timeframe.

In tennis, Novak Djokovic has dominated and has now won 23 Grand Slams, do you think there will ever be such dominance in show jumping?

I think to some degree; you see a group of riders that are always very close to the top of the FEI World Rankings over a long period. You could pick a handful of riders, who over the last decade, have been near the top of the rankings. The major factor that is different in our sport is the horse. So, while a human athlete can be at their best for a certain amount of time, your horse may get injured or not feel good, thus you have this variable that it is you and the horse, which differentiates our sport.

I don't think you'll ever see a rider at the top of the FEI World Rankings for a decade. But, for example, Henrik [von Eckermann] right now has been World No.1 for nearly 12 months, in a time when he arguably has the best horse [King Edward], and he is a brilliant rider. It is likely that when the horse is retired, Henrik will stay near the top, but it is probable that he won't dominate in the way he does in this current moment.

If you look through the history of the sport, whether it has been Baloubet du Rouet, Milton, Shutterfly, Hello Sanctos, all of these horses and their riders were a little better than the rest and dominated the sport. I think it is hard to imagine one rider staying at the top of the ranking for more than a couple of years – two or three years at best. I do think that if you look over the last decade or even 15 years, you will see the same names who have stayed consistently at the top.

From 23 June – 2 July, CHIO Aachen will once again welcome the world’s finest horse and rider combinations to the unmatched Aachen Soers Showground. Often compared to The Championships, Wimbledon, CHIO Aachen is a globally renowned event steeped in history and prestige. Over the course of the show, The World Equestrian Festival will host five equestrian disciplines, and will welcome over 360,000 spectators, all whom will be eager to experience the unique and electric atmosphere that CHIO Aachen offers. In addition, 10-year anniversary celebrations of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, the sport’s ultimate challenge will begin at CHIO Aachen.

The show will have a Royal opening, with Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal attending the iconic Opening Ceremony on Tuesday 27 June, celebrating the show’s partnership with the United Kingdom this year. Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal is sure to have fond memories of the show as her daughter, Zara Tindall, won individual gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games^TM held at the venue in 2006. The theme of the evening will be based on the Beatles’ legendary song “All You Need is Love” and will include performances from breath-taking Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry and the exhilarating Shetland Pony Grand National.

The 5* show jumping commences on Wednesday 28 June with the Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe. Held under the floodlights of the Main Stadium, the class provides riders with their first opportunity to qualify for the feature class of the show, the Rolex Grand Prix. The next evening will see the return of the Mercedes-Benz Nations´ Cup, a team competition held over two identical rounds, where only the top eight teams progress through the final round. With the FEI European Championships taking place later in the summer, riders will be eager to impress their selectors. The pinnacle of the show, the Rolex Grand Prix, will take place on Sunday afternoon in front of 40,000 knowledgeable and passionate fans. Much like The Masters Tournament in golf, this is the competition that all of the riders want to win. This year history could once again be rewritten, as American rider, McLain Ward, looks to secure the win to become only the second person in history to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping following his previous wins at CHI Geneva in 2022 and The Dutch Masters earlier this year.  

Dressage will take centre stage in the Deutsche Bank Stadium across the course of the show. The highlight for the crowd will come from the Deutsche Bank Prize, where harmony and precision between horse and rider will be showcased. Dressage fans will also be delighted to learn that FEI Individual World Champion, Lottie Fry, will perform as part of the “Horse & Symphony” on 23 and 24 June. Music will be provided live by the Aachen Symphony Orchestra and is set feature a variety of classic British songs.

Hosted on the final Friday and Saturday of the show, the SAP-Cup, welcomes world-class eventers. Often referred to as equestrianism’s version of a triathlon, the three disciplines involved test the horses’ bravery, athleticism, and accuracy. Eventing legend SAP Hale Bob OLD, Ingrid Klimke’s multiple medal-winning horse will retire in front of his home-crowd on Saturday 1 July.

Away from the sporting action, ticket-holders will be treated a variety of different shopping outlets as well as a huge range of food and beverage stalls.