Sponsors are withdrawing, volunteers are harder to find, scandals are making headlines. What is the status of German tournament sport? And are there solutions to the problems?
Whether in Mannheim, Hamburg or Aachen: Thousands of equestrian sports fans flocked to international equestrian tournaments in May to be up close and personal with stars like Richard Vogel and Isabell Werth. Equestrian sport continues to fascinate, but it also polarizes due to individual scandals. And sometimes he even fears for his future, partly because of a lack of sponsors.
“If we don’t make an effort here in Germany and in Europe, then more and more equestrian sport will take place somewhere else, but no longer here,” says Dennis Peiler, CEO of Equestrian Sport Germany. Because the top riders mainly go where there is a lot of prize money to be won.
Equestrian tournaments in Germany: numbers declining
Nurses, veterinarians, farriers – everyone has to be paid. “Of course we want to compete at home in front of full ranks. But of course there are times here and there that we have to think economically,” says Richard Vogel, European show jumping champion. “As sport becomes more global, which is a good thing in itself, we are on the move more and have to travel more.”
Many lucrative tournaments now take place in the USA and the Arab world. “There is a lot of economic power there and many sponsors who are prepared to invest a lot of money to give equestrian sport a stage,” analyzes Dennis Peiler. There are more than 3,000 tournaments per year in Germany – most of them amateur. The trend: falling.
Plannability for Tournament organizer difficult
“Equestrian sport is cost-intensive for the tournament organizer, but also for each individual rider,” explains Dennis Peiler. “As a leisure-oriented tournament rider, I have to think very carefully: Can and do I want to afford the effort?” At RFV Ludwigsburg-Oßweil you will experience that this question is not always so easy to answer.
“Many people don’t want to decide weeks in advance whether they’re going to start or not. That makes it more difficult for us to plan,” says Jutta Gramespacher. She has invested many hours herself so that there will be another tournament at the club facility this year. One obstacle is that fewer and fewer people want to help on a voluntary basis.
Declining number of starters, increased costs
In Ludwigsburg-Oßweil they are also noticing that the number of starters is declining – a trend at many tournaments. “That also has something to do with the catering industry and that’s where you actually make the most money,” says Jutta Gramespacher. The topic of money dominates both small and large tournaments. Logistics, energy, personnel – costs are rising in all areas.
Every year around 70,000 riders take part in several tournaments in Germany. Over the past ten years, the number of launches has fallen by 28 percent. According to Equestrian Sports Germany, there were around 1.5 million in 2015 and only around one million in 2025.
Organizers are talking about cost increases of more than 25 percent since Corona, and in some areas significantly more. In addition, finding sponsors is difficult. “The current economic situation is not exactly rosy. Companies are saving and starting with the “unnecessary things”. And that’s where sponsorship is part of it,” explains Peter Hofmann, tournament director of the Mannheim Maimarkt tournament.
Traditional tournaments fight for their future
Despite the many worries: equestrian sport still attracts thousands of fans to the stadiums. But entry fees alone are not enough to finance a tournament. In Hamburg, Münster and Warendorf they help each other with a sponsor from Abu Dhabi – for some this is not entirely uncontroversial. “That doesn’t automatically mean that we put ourselves in the hands of sponsors who then say how the sport should work,” says Dennis Peiler.
Germany is an equestrian country. The World Championships will take place in Aachen in August and yet traditional events are fighting for their future. In Donaueschingen, for example, the municipal Reitturnier GmbH has so far been unsuccessful in its search for a new organizer. “Unfortunately, the circumstances are such that a great history and an attractive tournament area do not guarantee a long-term successful event,” explains Andreas Haller from the city of Donaueschingen.
Are there solutions for the future of tournament sports?
But how can things continue? In Donaueschingen there are considerations about reducing the size of the tournament and possibly going down from international to national level. Cooperation between the organizers could also help, as could an attractive supporting program. “Some organize family events, concerts or trade fairs related to sport. I think that is also the way of the future,” says Dennis Peiler.
An event can only be sustainable if it remains economically stable, socially accepted and emotionally relevant, according to SWR’s request from Aachen. One thing is needed above all for social relevance: fewer negative headlines. Individual scandals with allegations of animal cruelty damage the entire scene. Critics are also calling for a review of the equipment and adjustments to the regulations.
Size challenges for equestrian sports
“I think we can create golden times for equestrian sport again if we all show that we really care about the welfare of animals,” says André Hascher from the R-haltenswert initiative, which advocates for horse-friendly equestrian sport. The challenges seem great, but if everyone involved draws the right conclusions, thousands of equestrian sports fans could continue to flock to German tournament venues in the future.
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