Each summer, the world’s equestrian elite gather at CHIO Aachen not merely for competition, but for something greater: the pursuit of excellence in its most distilled form. Known as the Wimbledon of equestrian sport, Aachen is never just a horse show. It is a stage where craft, courage, and connection come into rare alignment, and nowhere is that truer than on the cross-country course.
Text Christine Bjerkan Photos Morgan Froment
While the festival spans five disciplines, including jumping, dressage, eventing, driving, and vaulting, it is the eventing’s cross-country phase that offers something elemental. In 2025, amidst outstanding performances and Spanish influence, there was a sense of legacy building ahead of the 2026 World Championship. And once again, the cross-country proved why it stands apart.
A Theatre of Intensity and Connection
The Aachen course threads through the Soers parkland before funnelling into the vast stadium; a space that dwarfs most dressage and show jumping arenas, yet is charged with the hush of collective breath as each rider approaches the final stretch. For horse and rider, that tunnelled gallop into the arena is both a test and a triumph: the crowd’s roar meeting the rhythm of hooves in one timeless moment.
Though only introduced in 2007 following the 2006 World Equestrian Games, Aachen’s eventing has quickly earned mythic status. Doubters once claimed a world-class cross-country couldn’t be carved from such a compact footprint. But Aachen didn’t just prove them wrong: it redefined the parameters of what the sport could be. Spectators line the course, drawn into a shared narrative, able to watch multiple fences unfold within metres of one another. Riders, meanwhile, have no room to settle. Every stride requires intention. Every line demands clarity.
Traditions like the Farewell to Nations, where white handkerchiefs flutter in farewell, offer a poetic counterbalance to the sport’s raw physicality. It reminds everyone – rider, groom, official, and fan – that they are part of something quietly sacred.
A Course that Asked Everything
Under longtime course designer Rüdiger Schwarz, the CHIO Aachen track became known for its sinuous, technical nature. Riders faced a test of reactions, not endurance: a 4*-short format that packed precision, courage, and risk into a 6-minute 50-second window. In 2025, newly appointed designer Giuseppe Della Chiesa brought a fresh perspective.
Known for his work at championship level, Della Chiesa’s design honoured the venue’s compact terrain while threading in new combinations that rewarded subtlety. Accuracy, adjustability, and confidence were key. Riders spoke afterwards not just of the challenge, but of the satisfaction: the quiet sense of fulfilment that comes from executing a plan.
Decisive Moments on Course
The new combinations in 2025 brought a subtle shift in dynamics. While the final combination before the stadium entrance retained its traditional difficulty, it was Fence 14AB, The Spanish Steps: a sharply angled double of narrow brushes on a downhill slope that proved the day’s most influential. A tight approach and the deceptive camber of the terrain caused several problems, demanding full commitment from both horse and rider before even seeing the second element. It rewarded those who trusted their instincts.
Also critical was Fence 7, The Lighthouse Turn: a single vertical followed by a sharply bending line to a skinny. Though not visually imposing, it caught several early riders who underestimated the importance of straightness and control.
The 2025 Shift: New Eyes, New Voices
2025 brought more than a new course designer; it marked a generational shift. Della Chiesa’s appointment was symbolic of change, but the energy in Aachen extended beyond the fences. Spain, honoured as the year’s Partner Nation, lent the show a Mediterranean warmth: Flamenco dancers, Iberian horses, and vivid artistic touches echoed throughout the venue, even into the course itself.
But it was the riders who embodied the spirit of renewal. While established champions returned to defend reputations, Aachen 2025 was equally defined by the confidence and maturity of a rising generation already making their mark.
Caroline Pamukcu, representing the U.S. with Paris 2024 and multiple 4* victories to her name, delivered a composed and efficient round aboard HSH Blake. Her performance reinforced not only her place among the sport’s elite but also the strength of the next chapter already in motion.
Monica Spencer, part of the winning New Zealand team, showcased the value of unconventional pathways. Her mount, Artist, a former racehorse, delivered an electric yet measured performance that drew admiration from veterans and fans alike.
