that_show_jumping_girl: July 2013

Whoop whoop, I got to go to the CHIO for the last days too!!!

Saturday was quite an easy day. I arrived at the show grounds around 11AM and the first jumping class would not be starting until 1PM. But saturday morning is always an exciting part of the CHIO anyways, because it's cross country day. Meaning that the eventing riders ride their cross and the cool thing is; the cross always ends in the main stadium. Therefor, I spent all morning in the stands, cheering on the riders as they galloped into the stadium, jumped their last obstacles and eventually cross the finish line. Usually, there's not that many people in the stands, but I love watching it. The starting order is in reverse ranking order, (the dressage test and show jumping part already took place before saturday) so the highest ranked go last. By the time the top 10 riders are starting, it's much closer to 1PM, so more and more jumping people are filling the stands. The Aachen spectators are so generous, they love cheering on the riders in front of them, especially the German ones of course. I have to admit, the cheers when the rider enters the stadium and even more, the cheers/clapping when they cross the finish line after a successful cross country course.. it gives me goosebumps every single time. I mean, crowds are obviously a part of every show, wherever the show is, but there's nothing quite like the Aachen crowds. On the early saturday mornings, it's probably just a couple hundred people there, but can you imagine the roar of 40.000 spectators when a german rider goes clear in the sunday grand prix? Exactly. It's breathtaking. Each and every time.

That takes me to another one of my Aachen favorites. Prize giving ceremonies. I know that must sound crazy because usually, they are a pain in the but. The handshaking, name listing thing always seems to take forever and it's much to everyone's release when they finally announce the lap of honor. However, yet again, in Aachen it's all different to me. At the CHIO, during every prize giving, they play the national anthem of the winning rider while they raise the corresponding flag. Now, this is something many more shows do, but again.. it's those 40.000 people that raise up from their seats as 1 man, hearing the first tunes of the anthem.. it's the huge stadium, with stands all around, which seems to capture the sounds and boost the volume.. it's knowing someone, one very talented, hard working person, has just reached an ultimate goal; winning a class on the holy grounds of CHIO Aachen.

I wish holograms would be deadnormal already, so you could all turn up at the CHIO just to see and feel that in person. I'm trying my best but words just cannot describe, especially when concerning the grand prix on sunday.

Grand prix on sunday leads me to my next favorite, which was actually a first of this year's CHIO; a course walk! I was lucky enough to be able to walk the course for both rounds of the Aachen grand prix as well as the jump off for this spectacular class. Let me tell you, it was BIG. Sloane took me on a course walk in Kentucky once, to kind of explain the basics of walking the course and I figured I might as well practice a bit.. Well. Holy Guacamoly. Walking up to the first fence and standing right in front of it, got me quite impressed but wow.. those combinations later on in the course.. some of the oxers.. the tricky distances.. it was amazing to see. And just take a look of the pic I'll put up here of the triple bar... There is an average/tall guy standing right behind it... It was HUGE.

I guess every GP in Aachen really is one of the toughest classes you can possibly ride in your life as a rider so I have an incredible amount of respect for anyone able to go clear in any of the rounds.. It was no surprise however, that Nick Skelton won the thing this year. His horse Big Star could not have been named more accordingly and Nick himself.. well.. he's just a freak. In the most positive way. Every time I see him ride, I get the feeling you can put him on a lama and he'd still win the class. When I worked for Laura Kraut, his long time partner, I was fortunate enough to stay at his barn in England for a couple days and just for the heck of it, I will include a picture of part of the viewing room overlooking the outdoor arena. In this room, a great collection of Nick's won medals and other trophies are displayed and seriously.. the room is stacked. I'm talking olympic medal almost stuffed between giant silver plates kind-of-stacked. The guy is frigging Albert Einstein on a horse.

Okay back to Aachen. Obviously the prix was a pleasure to watch, very well done too to young Swiss Janika Sprunger and French Patrice Delaveau, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

End of the GP means time for I guess one of the longest living traditions of the CHIO: The 'Abschied der Nationen'. The official closing ceremony one could call it. Every nation sends their riders who participated in any of the disciplines into the stadium once more, all after each other, while the national anthem of the particular nation plays once again. The Aachen speaker then thanks them for coming and wishes them good luck for the future, in the country's main language! Very impressing ;-)

Then, when everyone is in, it's time for one last lap of honor, and now the white tissues come out. Every single soul in the stadium, rider or spectator, has one, and while the CHIO anthem plays, they all wave goodbyes as the riders exit the stadium. It's really quite something to see. And for sure a unique thing in the show world.

So that's it. Another CHIO came to an end, another year is over, another year has just started! I wish you all the best for this year and I hope to see you at the CHIO Aachen 2014!

Tschüß!!! (bye in German)