Profiles

The History of CHIO Aachen

This annual festival of sport was born in 1898 as a horse racing tournament, later adding jumping, driving, dressage, eventing and vaulting.

A view of the Aachen CHIO stadium at night.

(Andreas Steindl/CHIO Aachen photo)

By: Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping | May 27, 2025

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you're listening to an article from horse sport.com. the history of chio aachen by: rolex grand slam of show jumping. from june 27 to july 6, 2025, the chio aachen – often likened to the championships, wimbledon– will once again welcome the best riders and horses along with over 360,000 passionate fans to the iconic soers showgrounds in germany for 10 days of elite competition. as a cornerstone of the rolex grand slam of show jumping, this globally renowned event, one of the sport’s majors, blends sporting prestige, rich tradition, and an unrivalled atmosphere. the story of the chio aachen stretches back to 1898, when a group of local horse-loving citizens – including the likes of squires, factory owners, and cattle traders – came together to form the laurensberger rennverein club. their aim was to bring excitement and energy to the city of aachen through horse racing. in 1924, the club, by then renamed the aachen-laurensberger rennverein (alrv), expanded its vision by organizing and hosting its first “riding and driving tournament” which attracted 20,000 spectators. in 1927 the first international tournament was held and in 1929, the inaugural nations cup competition was held – a pivotal moment that marked the true start of concours hippique international officiel (chio) era. the 1930s saw huge growth for the event, with 120,000 visitors attending in 1938. however, from 1939 – 45, world war ii meant things came to a halt. however, the chio aachen quickly resumed its place on the world stage after the conclusion of the war, and by 1947, the show once again welcomed numerous nations including great britain, the usa, and the netherlands to compete. over the decades that followed, the event continued to grow in stature, playing host to legendary names such as hans günter winkler, nick skelton, and isabell werth, and attracting fans from around the globe. advertisement scroll to continue with content in the early 2000s, the aachen soers grounds underwent a major transformation in preparation for hosting the 2006 fei world equestrian games, accommodating seven equestrian disciplines – show jumping, dressage, driving, eventing, vaulting, endurance and reigning – and further cemented aachen’s status at the heart of the sport. in 2015, the venue hosted the fei european championships across five disciplines, and next year, in 2026, it will host the fei world championships. rolex has partnered with the chio aachen since 1999, fourteen years before the launch of the rolex grand slam of show jumping – which brings together four of the sport’s most prestigious events. the events, also known as majors, include the chio aachen in germany, the csio spruce meadows ‘masters’ in canada, the chi geneva in switzerland, and the dutch masters in the netherlands, which joined in 2018. to win the rolex grand slam of show jumping, a rider must claim victory in three of these majors in a row – an incredibly rare and remarkable achievement. much like the grand slams in tennis or golf, the rolex grand slam of show jumping is considered the ultimate prize in equestrian sport. the only rider to have claimed the rolex grand slam of show jumping prize to date is rolex testimonee scott brash mbe, who etched his name into equestrian history in 2015. riding hello sanctos, the chio aachen was the second major that brash won on his journey to completing the rolex grand slam of show jumping – having claimed the rolex grand prix at the chi geneva 2014, and winning the cpkc international, presented by rolex at the csio spruce meadows ‘masters’ tournament after aachen in 2015. the chio aachen has always played host to endless spectacular moments, from meteoric debuts to emotional farewells – such as the retirement of legendary german show jumper ludger beerbaum, who has four olympic gold medals to his name – in 2023, which was witnessed by an adoring crowd comprised of some of the most knowledgeable fans of the sport. today, as summer returns to the soers, and the world’s greatest gather once again in pursuit of making more history in the cherished grass arena, the event remains what it has always been – a celebration of tradition, sporting excellence, and the enduring bond between horse and rider. &&>

From June 27 to July 6, 2025, the CHIO Aachen – often likened to The Championships, Wimbledon– will once again welcome the best riders and horses along with over 360,000 passionate fans to the iconic Soers showgrounds in Germany for 10 days of elite competition. As a cornerstone of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, this globally renowned event, one of the sport’s Majors, blends sporting prestige, rich tradition, and an unrivalled atmosphere.

The story of the CHIO Aachen stretches back to 1898, when a group of local horse-loving citizens – including the likes of squires, factory owners, and cattle traders – came together to form the Laurensberger Rennverein club. Their aim was to bring excitement and energy to the city of Aachen through horse racing. In 1924, the club, by then renamed the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV), expanded its vision by organizing and hosting its first “riding and driving tournament” which attracted 20,000 spectators. In 1927 the first international tournament was held and in 1929, the inaugural Nations Cup competition was held – a pivotal moment that marked the true start of Concours Hippique International Officiel (CHIO) era.

An old black-and-white photo of horses and riders lined up at Aachen.

(CHIO Aachen Archive)

The 1930s saw huge growth for the event, with 120,000 visitors attending in 1938. However, from 1939 – 45, World War II meant things came to a halt. However, the CHIO Aachen quickly resumed its place on the world stage after the conclusion of the War, and by 1947, the show once again welcomed numerous nations including Great Britain, the USA, and the Netherlands to compete. Over the decades that followed, the event continued to grow in stature, playing host to legendary names such as Hans Günter Winkler, Nick Skelton, and Isabell Werth, and attracting fans from around the globe.

Scroll to continue with content

In the early 2000s, the Aachen Soers grounds underwent a major transformation in preparation for hosting the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games, accommodating seven equestrian disciplines – show jumping, dressage, driving, eventing, vaulting, endurance and reigning – and further cemented Aachen’s status at the heart of the sport. In 2015, the venue hosted the FEI European Championships across five disciplines, and next year, in 2026, it will host the FEI World Championships.

Rolex has partnered with the CHIO Aachen since 1999, fourteen years before the launch of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping – which brings together four of the sport’s most prestigious events. The events, also known as Majors, include the CHIO Aachen in Germany, the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ in Canada, the CHI Geneva in Switzerland, and The Dutch Masters in the Netherlands, which joined in 2018. To win the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, a rider must claim victory in three of these Majors in a row – an incredibly rare and remarkable achievement. Much like the Grand Slams in tennis or golf, the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is considered the ultimate prize in equestrian sport.

The only rider to have claimed the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping prize to date is Rolex Testimonee Scott Brash MBE, who etched his name into equestrian history in 2015. Riding Hello Sanctos, the CHIO Aachen was the second Major that Brash won on his journey to completing the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping – having claimed the Rolex Grand Prix at the CHI Geneva 2014, and winning the CPKC International, presented by Rolex at the CSIO Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ Tournament after Aachen in 2015.

The CHIO Aachen has always played host to endless spectacular moments, from meteoric debuts to emotional farewells – such as the retirement of legendary German show jumper Ludger Beerbaum, who has four Olympic gold medals to his name – in 2023, which was witnessed by an adoring crowd comprised of some of the most knowledgeable fans of the sport. Today, as summer returns to the Soers, and the world’s greatest gather once again in pursuit of making more history in the cherished grass arena, the event remains what it has always been – a celebration of tradition, sporting excellence, and the enduring bond between horse and rider.