In addition to Aachen, four other locations are applying for the 2026 World Equestrian Championships.
As the world association FEI announced, Boekelo (Netherlands), Burghley (England), Al Ula (Saudi Arabia) and Samorin (Slovakia) each want to organize title fights in one discipline.
The decision on renewed Equestrian World Championships in Aachen, last host in 2006, should be made in November. The announcement will be made at the Annual General Meeting in Mexico City on November 18-21.
While the competition only wants to hold one discipline – Boekelo and Burghley are hoping for the Eventing World Championships, Al Ula and Samorin for endurance riding – the organizers of the Aachen CHIO have applied for six disciplines that they would like to organize together.
In addition to the Olympic sports of dressage, show jumping and eventing, Aachen also wants to organize competitions in vaulting, driving and para-dressage. In 2006 there were world championships in Aachen in seven equestrian disciplines.
Multiple venues since 2018
The concept of the World Equestrian Games with all equestrian sports in one place no longer exists. In contrast to Aachen, several of the eight organizers since 1990 have had major financial problems. Since the organizational disaster in 2018 in Tryon, USA, and the economic difficulties, the world championships are no longer awarded entirely to one organizer.
The dressage and show jumping world championships were last held in Denmark a year ago, the eventing competitions took place in Italy.