WEC Reports

The Landgestüte Quadrille Photo by Kit Houghton

Let there be colour, let there be music, let there be harmony, let there be horsesport!

The fifth FEI World Equestrian Games were officially opened today during a wonderful ceremony blending tradition and modernity, art and sport.

The celebration began with 500 children who formed the logo of the 2006 FEI WEG with their umbrellas. This colourful welcome was followed by a tribute to the past WEG editions: from ABBA’s Dancing Queen for Stockholm to the temperamental rhythm of Andalusia and Jerez de la Frontera, all four previous host cities were beautifully acknowledged.

Time had now come for some truly Aachen tradition: from Charlemagne’s greatness in the Middle Ages through to the Aachen princes’ guards and their baroque splendour on to Napoleon times and vibrant carnival.

What followed was an unforgettable pièce de résistance: the Landgestüte (State Studs) quadrille composed of four groups of 16 riders each. All was brightness of the parade uniforms, harmony of movement, celebratory atmosphere and enthusiastic public. The opening ceremony was turning into a perfectly festive occasion.

But, after all, today’s festival was a celebration of horsesport and the demonstrations in the seven FEI disciplines in competition in Aachen were there to prove it. German champions along with young talented riders jumped, piaffed, went across country, drove carriages, vaulted, reined or went endurance riding to the joyful rhythm of music.

But what would the FEI WEG be with no one to take part in them? Time had come to welcome the representatives of the 61 nations in competition at Aachen. Big delegations and smaller ones, nations with long tradition in horsesport and newcomers made a joyful entrance to be loudly cheered by a packed stadium. All the participants were welcomed by Mr Klaus Pavel, President of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV), organising the event. The 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games were then officially opened by the FEI President. The German flag along with the flags of the FEI and the ALRV were flown and the German national anthem played. To wish the competitors and their mounts the best of luck, fountain jets rose above the stadium. This city, after all, has been known as the city of healing water or Aquis Granum since Roman times.

And finally seven carriages carrying 14,000 balloons drove in to flood the sky with the colours of the FEI disciplines. The ceremony was over; it is time for sport.