CHIO Aachen: Princess Mary in Aachen

25 June 2013

When it is CHIO-time in Aachen, the partner country is traditionally bid a hearty welcome at the market square in Aachen one day before the official CHIO Opening Ceremony.  Waving red and white flags, around one thousand citizens crowded behind the barriers many rows deep to greet Princess Royal Mary of Denmark and the magnificent Royal Danish Hussar Regiment.

The welcome ceremony of the Danish Royal Bodyguards comprising of 36 guards, clad in their striking blue uniforms, was extremely impressive.  They performed the march of the standard-bearers, which is exclusively played for the Danish Princess Royal and for the Danish Queen.  In addition to the Aachener Stadtreiter (City Riders of Aachen) and 8 Mounted Standard-bearers, 52 Mounted Hussar  Guards “marched” across the market square in Aachen – with their sabres and trumpets.   The Danish gymnastic group from Fünen gave an athletic performance, turning the market place into an open-air gymnasium and dance hall without further ado.  The exceptional ceremony was attended by a number of celebrities, including Prime Minister of NRW Hannelore Kraft; Marcel Philipp, Lord Mayor of the City of Aachen; as well as Carl Meulenbergh, President of the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein e. V.  Of course, the beloved CHIO mascot, Karli, was also present and he is receiving extra support this year too: Together with his new friend, Fair, the mascot of the European Championship in Herning, Karli danced merrily over the market square.  Annette Vilhelmsen, the Danish Minister for Enterprise and Growth, was visibly moved by the “Öcher” (Aachen) Reception and thanked all of the citizens from Aachen in her best German: “The whole city has transformed itself into a festival for the CHIO Aachen, and horses are the focal point.  You all have turned the City of Aachen into a small piece of Denmark this year.  Thank you for this warm welcome.“

Starting at 4.40 pm on Tuesday, June 25^th, the Danish guests will present themselves on an even bigger scale in the Main Stadium of the showgrounds in Aachen during the CHIO Opening Ceremony. Tickets are still available from the hotline on +49-(0)241-917-1111, or online). Princess Royal Mary of Denmark and Emmelie de Forest, winner of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, will also be participating in the Opening Ceremony in addition to many hundreds of athletes, hundreds of horses and the Royal Golden Carriage, which has left Denmark for the very first time ever.

Source: CHIO Aachen