Aachen, 29. Juni 2008

Spectators impressed by the "Horse & Symphony" concert
Harry Potter, equestrian stars and the Aachen Symphony Orchestra together at the Soers

The presenter Volker Raulf had spotted "hoards of nervous parents" among the crowd in the Deutsche Bank Stadium. However, the anxiety proved to be superfluous: The approx. 5,000 spectators, the participants themselves and of course their parents were equally thrilled with the "Horse & Symphony" concert at the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen (June 27th - July 6th), late on Saturday evening. Whilst the Aachen Symphony Orchestra played chansons, marches and film music under the direction of the General Music Director, Marcus R. Bosch, the riders and dancers - among them a number of youths and children from the region - demonstrated their sporting abilities in the arena under the direction of the choreographer Renate Dahmen.

"We are going to take you on a trip around the world," explained Raulf's co-presenter Kai Weßeler from the Aachen Theatre. And he didn't promise too much either: From Germany with music from Richard Wagner and a pony cadre quadrille, the journey sped on to the market place in Seville, where twenty flamenco dances emanated Spanish flair. The Lobberich Riding Club performed an entire Hungarian thanksgiving festival to the music of the "Gypsy Baron" by Johann Strauß, and the cowboy riders, the "Thunderguys", carried out spectacular stunts on the backs of their horses to the film music of "Indiana Jones". Even two camels were integrated into the dressage show in the Deutsche Bank Stadium under the direction of Frank Bock. "If the national dressage coach Holger Schmezer ever has problems with his cadre, he can simply try out the camels instead," joked Volker Raulf.

However, the many-time Olympic gold medallist Monica Theodorescu, who performed a pas de deux together with the Russian rider Alexandra Korelova accompanied by music from "Swan Lake", proved that Schmezer definitely isn't having any difficulties with his team at the moment. Meanwhile the Vaulting World Champion, Kai Vorberg, received plenty of spontaneous applause for his acrobatic exercises, and so did the Aachen Dancing Centre for its Emperor Waltz. The young spectators were for their part enchanted as Harry Potter entered the Deutsche Bank Stadium together with the small elves of the Carla Brettschneider Dance Workshop. They banished an evil magician from the arena with the help of the young aspiring riders of the Dahmen Dressage Stables. Yet, it was perhaps Heiner Schiergen who provided the most emotional moments in the finale, when he trotted into the stadium in the dark past the Aachen Riding Corps with their torches on his top breeding stallion, Lord of Loxley. Images that also impressed the General Music Director Marcus R. Bosch. "We had great fun on the stage today. With this crowd and under the blue evening sky - what more could you ask for?"

In spite of all of the sporting and music highlights, there was still enough time left for a good cause: The CHIO organisers, the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e.V. (ALRV), donated part of the proceeds from the concert ticket sales to UNICEF. ALRV Chairman Klaus Pavel handed over a cheque for 10,000 Euros to the new Vice-Chairman of the Children's Emergency Fund, Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff. "We are very grateful to you all for your commitment," commented Linsenhoff. The money is going to be used for a project in the Sierra Leone in Africa. "A country where the death rate of children is extremely high, but which is often overlooked by the media," the former dressage rider said.

Opening hours of the CHIO Aachen 2008 ticket sales:
Sunday, 29.06.2008 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday, 30.06.2008 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, 01.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, 02.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, 03.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday, 04.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, 05.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday, 06.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ticket hotline: +49-(0)241-917-1111