Aachen's Bid for the 2006 World Equestrian Games

"Aachen: Where Horses are Family"

The bid book, written in English, is composed of three parts:

The first chapter ("Aachen - City with Proud Horse Tradition") refers to the special, century-old horse history of Aachen, to activities aside to and supplementary to the annual CHIO (AachenHorseAcademy, Garden Eden of the Horses in the Soers Valley) as well as to the city's central location in the heart of Europe.

The second chapter is dedicated to the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein and its role of being "host" for the international equestrian family, proven in decades of tournament experience. Presented here are the well-operating organisation, put to the test each year anew, the logistics, infrastructure and modern technique, the experienced workforce of (voluntary) employees in all areas, and last but not least its passionate audience, to which Aachen owes its unique atmosphere.

In the third chapter the plans for the organisation of the WEG 2006 are introduced. The existing structures and facilities are to be supplemented and extended sensibly, to provide ideal conditions for all seven disciplines (show jumping, dressage, four-in-hand driving, eventing, endurance, vaulting and reining). In doing so, the centrality of the facilities in the Soers shall remain be preserved. Because in contrast to other top sport events, all necessary investments are to be sustained for future use: The yearly CHIO-visitors as well as a broad public in Aachen will be able to profit from this beyond 2006.

Aachen's organisers have chosen the motto "Think Global" for the side events of the World Equestrian Games 2006. In a city in which, due to Charlemagne, there had already been horse-contacts all over the world even in the medieval times, the World Equestrian Games are supposed be a "World Festival" for the entire horse family. Not only those nations, which are successful in equestrian sports, shall be invited to Aachen, but all cultures that are connected to horses, which shall then present themselves with their fascinating equestrian traditions. After all, the passion for riding and horses has been binding people of all parts of the world and has found limitless possibilities of expression and design.

All important arguments for Aachen are summed up in fifteen points right on the first pages of the bid book.