2015 FEI European Championships Ready to Kick Off in Aachen

By: Ramona Billing

Reining is one of the five disciplines of the 2015 FEI European Championships at Aachen that’s scheduled for August 11th until 23rd. The President of the organizing institution, the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV), Frank Kemperman, is talking about the show preparations in the following weeks and why the European Championships is such a great chance for Reining in Europe.

Question: Only two more months until the beginning of the FEI European Championships…

Frank Kemperman: “We are all really looking forward to this event. I hope everybody is still remembering the exciting World Equestrian Games in 2006. We would like to continue what we started then.”

Question: Reining is not one of the traditional CHIO Aachen disciplines…is it?

Kemperman: “That’s right, and that’s why we asked AQHA past president Johannes Orgeldinger to be part of our team again as an expert for Reining. The CHIO visitors are excited to have the reiners back in Aachen again, but the event is also a great chance for Reining in general. Aachen is an ideal platform to present Reining to a major audience, not only to those who are visiting the event, but also via live television. Hundreds of journalists from all over the world will come to the FEI European Championships and report about the sport. On the other hand, riders of the other disciplines will have the chance of getting a glimpse at Reining.”

Question: What’s part of your concept of course?

Kemperman: “Five disciplines – one location. That’s our idea. All the show arenas will be close together, and riders from the various disciplines will get an idea of how the other disciplines are training and showing. We will have about 60 reiners here in Aachen. Let’s see how many of them will uses the chance of watching the other disciplines.”

Question: The first Reining horse will enter the arena on August 14th. Is there a lot to prepare before then?

Kemperman: “With the Deutsche Bank Arena, we have got an excellent show arena for the reiners. The arena will be covered, and of course, we will fill in a special ground for Reining. At the moment, there is the Geomix-ground for Dressage in it. As soon as the roof is there for the arena, the ground will be changed: clay below and then sand on top.”

Question: How will the arena be covered?

Kemperman: “The bigger parts of the roof will be pushed inside, and then everything will be built up from there. We are working together with Dutch company specialized on such roof constructions. We will start at the beginning of July. In the middle of July everything should be ready.”

Question: What are your memories of 2006 when Reining was part of the WEG at Aachen?

Kemperman: “Oh, that was loud! That was where things were really happening, with the cheering fans. That was a real experience, and I’m looking forward to that again!”

From August 11 until 23, 2015, Aachen will host the FEI European Championships in five disciplines: dressage and show jumping, reining, vaulting and four-in-hand driving. Also the three-day-eventers will meet there, but their show will not be part of the FEI EC. More than 400,000 visitors are expected at the event which offers a purse of more than EUR 3 million altogether. For more information visit www.aachen2015.de