Aachen-Laurensberger racing club
The Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein eV ( ALRV for short ) is an equestrian club based in Aachen .
The non-profit association is the organizer of the annual World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen . It was founded in 1898 by the manufacturers Arnold Deden and Hubert Wienen, the riding instructor Gustav Rensing, and some wealthy landowners, farmers and merchants in the region. A total of 35 founding members came together. The association currently has around 600 individual members and 30 member companies.
history
Beginnings
In 1898 landowners, manufacturers, farmers, cattle dealers and riding instructors from the region initially joined forces to form the Laurensberger Rennverein . The aim of the association was to organize public horse races for the equestrian enthusiasts from Aachen. The historical footsteps that one wanted to follow were already huge at that time. A thousand years earlier, under the patronage of Charlemagne , riders had competed against each other in Aachen - purely sporty, of course. In the 19th century it was mainly numerous races in Aachen suburbs such as in Brander field or in Schönforst that in 1830 by industrialist James Cockerill initiated in the English style, and in 1870 by his grandchildren and distinguished gentlemen riders Otto and Henry Suermondt expanded been were and enjoyed great popularity. But after the equestrian event there had to be stopped by the organizing Aachen racing club due to financial bottlenecks, especially in Brand with the last race in 1896 , the still young Laurensberger racing club wanted equestrian sport with the help of its influential relationships with business and politics revive the tradition of previous events in the Soers.
Weimar period
After first attempts at walking, the club, which was renamed Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein on June 15, 1923 , found its present-day home in the early 1920s on the extensive show grounds in Aachen's Soers . In 1924, in addition to the usual race day, the first so-called riding and driving tournament, combined with flat and hurdle races, was opened here. 20,000 spectators were counted and the foundations laid for the later CHIO.
Nevertheless, the association experienced a first serious crisis afterwards, as it saw itself at a disadvantage compared to competing events outside the occupation zone due to the Allied occupation of the Rhineland , whereupon there were significant members withdrawals and the association was about to be dissolved. It was only thanks to massive financial support, especially from District Administrator Hermann Pütz , the incumbent Lord Mayor Wilhelm Farwick and his successor Wilhelm Rombach, and personalities from the business world that the association and the other planned events could be saved.
In 1927 the first international tournament followed and two years later the first Nations Cup , which marked the beginning of the actual era of the CHIO (Concours Hippique International Officiel). With the end of the occupation of the Rhineland, the ALRV also opened its tournament to the Reichswehr , thereby making it possible for the following tournaments to have an additional military character and serve as a stage for patriotic confessions .
Period of the Third Reich
This development continued after 1933 and a large part of the association let itself be engaged for the interests of the National Socialist government. The acting chairman Hubert Wienen joined the NSDAP , which led to numerous resignations of deserving members such as Richard Talbot within the association . Thanks to the help of the mayor and also NSDAP member Quirin Jansen , Wienen managed to invite high-ranking political officials to the following tournaments. Among others, Hermann Göring first appeared , who was even declared an honorary citizen of the city of Aachen for a short time during his visit to the tournament in 1933, and later the Reich Sports Leader Hans von Tschammer und Osten , who declared the tournament in 1935 as an advertising measure for the 1936 Olympic Games and thus in his function as propaganda upgraded.
In 1938 around 120,000 guests from all over Europe traveled to the Soers, and 600 horses and their riders competed against each other in fifty tests. The 1939 tournament was all about the unleashing of the Second World War.
post war period
The war marked a turning point, but neither for the tournament nor the club was the end. As early as 1947, the flags of the former German war opponents Great Britain, the USA and the Netherlands were waving in the wide area around the riding stadium. Sport as international understanding - and the start of a new era. Fritz Thiedemann , Hans Günter Winkler , Alwin , Paul and Werner Schockemöhle , Piero and Raimondo D'Inzeo or Nick Skelton , Reiner Klimke , Josef Neckermann , Liselott Linsenhoff , Elena Petushkova or Nadine Capellmann and Isabell Werth ; Richard Talbot, IJsbrand Chardon and Michael Freund subsequently shaped the history of equestrian sports in Aachen. The association organized the World Equestrian Festival, the world (jumping 1955, 1956, 1978 and 1986; dressage 1970) and European championships (jumping 1958, 1961, 1965, 1971; dressage 1967, 1973, 1983).
21st century
The population of Aachen takes part in the horse events and gives them the character of a festival. The number of spectators for the tournament is rising steadily, in 2008 it was 360,000. The CHIO has long been considered the most prestigious horse show in the world.
From 2004 to 2006, the tournament grounds were completely renovated and the preparations for the fifth world championships / world equestrian games in seven disciplines - show jumping , dressage , eventing , driving , endurance riding , vaulting and reining - from August 20 to September 3, 2006, were made. The tournament took place in Germany for the first time. Almost 800 athletes and their horses fought for 16 gold medals - and 576,000 visitors and 1.6 billion television viewers watched the competitions.
organization
The supervisory board consists of 6 people. The Chairman of the Supervisory Board or President is Carl Meulenbergh . His deputy or vice-president is Wolf Baron von Buchholtz, other members are Hans Kauhsen, Wolfgang Mainz, Stefanie Peters and Peter Weinberg.
- Honorary President : Klaus Pavel
- The board consists of Frank Kemperman (chairman) and Helen Rombach-Schwartz.
- The advisory board consists of 20 people.
- Events: World Equestrian Games Aachen 2006 (WEG Aachen 2006), FEI European Championships Aachen 2015 , German Youth Championships Aachen 2010 (DJM Aachen 2006) and German Youth Championships Aachen 2017 (DJM Aachen 2017) as well as the annual junior tournament Salut Festival (since 2017 Aachen Youngsters)
literature
- Aachen - World Equestrian Festival 1898–1998 . Published by Rita Mielke and Wilhelm Stein on behalf of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein eV. Aachen 1998, ISBN 90-5433-115-1
- FEI World Equestrian Games Aachen 2006 . Publisher: Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein eV and Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung eV, FNverlag of the German Equestrian Association, Warendorf 2006, ISBN 978-3-88542-484-0
- Annette Fusenig: How to invent a 'World Equestrian Festival' - The Aachen jumping, riding and driving tournament from 1924 to 1939 . Dissertation, RWTH Aachen, 2004 ( digital copy [PDF; 1.0 MB])
Web links
- World Equestrian Festival. CHIO Aachen. July 14-23, 2017 . Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein eV
- Aachen Youngsters 2017 . Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein eV