The light was milder than usual at the CHIO in Aachen and the mood was more sentimental.

But what was important with the autumn version of the equestrian classic: To realize that everything is still there.

The Soers with their magnificent stadiums and lots of green.

The world of horses and horse people.

The industry.

The conclusion of the week: The CHIO is alive.

Even if he missed the last explosive this time, the hectic nomination of the nations for the next championship.

Evi Simeoni

Sports editor.

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After the postponement from early summer to September caused by Corona, it was clear: If there is riding in the Soers, the sport year is already over for many. But Aachen is Aachen - you heard the sentence more often than ever. “Everyone wants to be on the board,” said tournament director Frank Kemperman, referring to the list of winners that he had put up 20 years ago before the entry. He stole the idea from the tennis tournament in Paris. So the 2021 tournament was also a statement. “But when it comes to finances, we don't cheer,” said Kemperman.

The board entry for 2021: Daniel Deußer with Killer Queen.

The 40-year-old Hesse, who lives in Belgium, was the first to start the seventh jump-off, remained clear and put forward 41.85 seconds, a lap that none of the following pairs could top.

Second place went to the 20-year-old American child prodigy Brian Moggre on Balou ahead of the Belgian Gregory Wathelet with Nevados.

It had been difficult to find a new date at all.

It actually only remained the week in September, sandwiched between three European championships, and the organizers thought that the Corona restrictions would then be largely over, but it did not happen at all.

Now the indoor season is shaking, the tournaments in Stuttgart and Munich have already been canceled.

The question was: which starting fields would result from the postponement?

"There was no problem in show jumping, the money is looked at," said Kemperman.

Olympic champion Ben Maher, for example - fourth in the Grand Prix - saddled his gold horse Explosion not for the European Championships in Riesenbeck, but rather two weeks later in Aachen.

The winner Daniel Deußer also did without the EM.

Of course: there was a total of 2.7 million euros to be won in jumping, including one in the Grand Prix on Sunday.

Deusser's strategy worked, the prize money for the world's number one was 330,000 euros.

Gentle program in dressage

Due to the general fatigue in dressage, the organizers decided on a gentle program in which the top pairs only had to complete two instead of the usual three rides. The result was the same as usual: Germany won the Nations Cup, but with a new composition. Double Olympic champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl came with her young horse Ferdinand, who is 12 years old but a late bloomer.

The gold and silver winner from Tokyo, Isabell Werth, offered the eleven-year-old stallion Quantaz, whose big time is yet to come. In the freestyle on Sunday, however, he set the shattering final chord of the season - after being a bit wild at the first appearance on Friday. Isabell Werth won the Great Dressage Prize of Aachen for the 14th time with 88.335 percentage points, and already with the sixth horse.

The celebrity duo was joined by two who had held the bar for the German team in preparation for the Olympic Games. Frederic Wandres from Hagen am Teutoburger Wald with Duke of Britain and Carina Scholz from Sassenberg with Tarantino had participated in the quarantine training camp - also held in Aachen - but then stayed at home. “You deserve it,” said national coach Monica Theodorescu. The two fought differently. While Carina Scholz was only penultimate after a few mistakes in the Grand Prix Special, Wandres made it better in the freestyle with fifth place.

The largest self-awareness group with many newcomers was in versatility: Also in the German team, which had to spare its top pairs for the European championships. The title fights begin on Thursday in Avenches, Switzerland. Ingrid Klimke is one of the most experienced eventing riders of all, but her nine-year-old young horse Siena was amazed at the spacious arenas. When she was asked to jump over a wooden treasure chest while riding the terrain in a water complex, she did not recognize the task and ran past. "She learned a lot here," said Ingrid Klimke, who recently recovered from a serious fall injury that landed in 33rd place.

The best German was Andreas Ostholt from Warendorf with a Corvette in fifth, who was a bit disappointed with the team result: The German learning community was fifth and penultimate.

But he enjoyed the long-missing audience in the Soers.

Although only half of the capacities were allowed, all of them were checked according to the 3-G principle.

"But they were pretty loud and you can feel that too and that wears you," said Ostholt.

All in all, 121,000 came, a third of the normal audience, but at least.

William Coleman was the first American to win the Aachen event with the Irishman Off The Record, who must be a very special horse.

Sometimes he comes out of the stable completely stiff, said Coleman.

"Then it's like riding a kitchen table." But it is faster: "A kitchen table with a turbo engine."