International Frankfurt Festhalle Riding Tournament popular, thrilling and beautiful

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1 PRESSEMITTELUNG Internationales Festhallen Reitturnier Frankfurt Dezember 2016 International Frankfurt Festhalle Riding Tournament popular, thrilling and beautiful (Frankfurt) The phones have been ringing off the hook with calls from people wanting tickets, and the enthusiasm of the spectators is more than matched by that of the competitors lining up to take part. The International Frankfurt Festhalle Riding Tournament, from 15th to 18th December in the Guud Stuub, will be a real meeting point with an excellent field of competitors and high-class sporting action. Four days of the finest equestrian sport and wonderful socialising in the exhibition and dining areas - the prospect of all this is exerting an almost magnetic pull. Advance ticket sales have exceeded all expectations. There are still tickets available for Thursday, Friday and Sunday, but Saturday is almost sold out Critical stage in the Festhalle Behind the scenes the Festhalle is buzzing with people making painstaking preparations. The team surrounding organisers Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff and Paul Schockemöhle has been in the critical stage of preparations for two days now: kilometres of cabling are being laid, monitors set up, technology being checked, banners, surfaces, warm-up tent, decorations, stables, boxes everything needed is being put in place to transform the Frankfurt Festhalle into the opera house of equestrian sport. The CSI/ CDI has a budget of around 1.8 million euros, of which 360,000 euros (including fees etc.) is prize money. This is divided between 14 international jumping tests, three international dressage tests and the finals of the Nürnberger Burg-Pokal and the Louisdor Prize, including the opening competitions and

2 the sporting challenges that the Hessian Day poses. The highlight of that particular day is the show competition of the Hessian Riding Associations - the Hessian Olympic Centre Prize - presented by the Hessian region. More than 46,000 spectators attended the International Frankfurt Festhalle Riding Tournament in a figure which organisers Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff and Paul Schockemöhle hope to match this year - and ticket sales so far are certainly cause for optimism. The lure of dressage Frankfurt s CDI is becoming quite unmissable, for both national and international riders. With its three world ranking tests, the tournament offers real championship classics. The finals of both dressage series are the cherry on the cake: this year will be the 25th time the final of the Nürnberger Burg-Pokal has been celebrated in the Festhalle. Many a horse has gone on from being presented on this most special platform for seven to nine-year-old dressage horses to win championship medals soon after. The Louisdor Prize for eight to ten-year-old horses seamlessly continues this winning concept. The series for young horses in Grand Prix sport has been around for less than 20 years, but the Louisdor Prize has more than proven itself as a high-quality gateway into the big sport. The most prominent example of this currently is Weihegold OLD. The Oldenburg mare first won the Nürnberger Burg-Pokal, then the Louisdor Prize (both with Beatrice Buchwald) before going on to take team gold in the Olympics in August 2016 and Olympic silver in the individual competition (with Isabell Werth). The combination of these two series with the international tests on offer creates real sporting value and meaning. This in turn means that Frankfurt can look forward to welcoming Olympic champions to its dressage arena: Isabell Werth (Rheinberg), Sönke Rothenberger (Bad Homburg) and Dorothee Schneider (Framersheim).

3 Magnetic show jumping There is an ongoing competition at the International Frankfurt Festhalle Riding Tournament to see whether there will be more dressage fans or show jumping fans in the stands. The question is not an easy one to answer the show jumpers certainly attract plenty of attention. Four world-ranking jumping tests mean serious business: Fraport Prize - the Frankfurt Championship, Helaba Champions Cup, the BHF Bank Prize and the Hessian Grand Prix, the Deutsche Vermögensberatung AG Prize - are the biggest challenges. And future potential waits to be revealed in the international Youngster Tour for seven and eight-year-old horses, who have three chances to perform: in two qualifiers and the final: the LAVAZZA Prize, the Spielbank Wiesbaden Prize and the LOTTO-Hessen Prize. The CSI also provides a combination of opportunities - which is a big draw for competitors - to present both experienced horses in the big tests and outstanding young horses in their own competitions. The principle of bringing both together in one tournament event is something that really attracts riders to Frankfurt. In the Festhalle there are also opportunities for those who are not amongst the world rankings top 50. Angelique Rüsen (Herborn) is one such rider - she has worked with Christian Ahlmann since October 2010, and Marcel Wegfahrt (Schwanheim) is another. The competition is top-notch: Christian Ahlmann, Sweden s Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, Janne Friederike Meyer (Hamburg), Denis Lynch (Ireland), Mario Stevens (Cloppenburg) and Olympic champion and master horseman Michael Jung (Horb) - the eventing champion is also quite the force to be reckoned with on the show-jumping course Frankfurt specials - lounges, football and riders, guests from the UAE High-class sporting action is one thing - great for providing nail-biting drama and phenomenal entertainment. Specials made in Frankfurt are quite another - a work-out for your laughing muscles and good for relaxation. The latter is usually something rather

4 elusive for the grooms at international tournaments. But the International Frankfurt Festhalle Riding Tournament is an exception, thanks to one of the event s partners, Lufthansa Cargo AG. This well-known company will once again in 2016 be hosting the Lufthansa Groom Lounge, providing space for a bit of rest and relaxation for those responsible for the physical and emotional well-being of the event s four-legged athletes. The gesture went down very well indeed in 2015! Stübben Jump & Drive is a test which goes down a storm with Frankfurt s equestrian fans and provides a fantastic atmosphere on the Friday evening. First there s riding, as fast and faultlessly as possible, followed by the riders sprinting to their cars for a second round, where they have to drive as fast and faultlessly as possible through the obstacles on the course. Oh, and the drivers just happen to be the footballers of the Eintracht Frankfurt Traditions Team. One example of what happens when footballers meet riders is the Frankfurt Friendship Cup! In 2015 the match, which takes place on the sand of the hall, between a veteran squad led by Eintracht legend Karl-Heinz Charly Körbel and a team of riders selected by coach Paul Schockemöhle, ended with a fairly disastrous defeat for the riders. They will be out for revenge on Friday 16th December! For the very first time, the tournament in the Frankfurt Festhalle will be welcoming guests from the United Arab Emirates (UAE): The reason for their visit is the forthcoming 1st Al Shira`aa International Horse Show, Abu Dhabi from 11th - 14th January This international event will also form the first world-cup qualifier of the new year. The initiators have taken over the patronage of the Saturday evening programme in the Frankfurt Festhalle with the title Night of Al Shira`aa Horse Show. Two representatives from the ambitious tournament premiere will be guests at the International Frankfurt Festhalle Riding Tournament - internationally successful Grand Prix rider Mohammed Al Oweis and Event Director Christine Stibi.

5 Tickets available here Tickets are available in four price categories for Thursday to Sunday. Tickets will be available to purchase on the day, as long as stocks last. + ADticket: + or by phone on: (0180) as well as at all ADticket advance box offices. An overview of categories and prices is available at with full details of seats, layout and discounts. Further details of the event can be found at Use #FesthallenReitturnier for easy access to information about the event. Facebook and YouTube: Press Release 15th December 2016