FEI Board confirms allocation of FEI Dressage & Para Dressage European Championships 2023

Riesenbeck in Germany has been named host of the FEI European Championships in the Olympic and Paralympic disciplines of Dressage and Para Dressage in 2023.

The allocation was made by the FEI Board at its monthly teleconference on 21 October 2021, with the exact dates to be confirmed and listed in the FEI Calendar for 2023 once approved by the FEI Secretary General.

The Championships will be one of the FEI sporting highlights for 2023, and will serve as qualification events for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024.

Riesenbeck has a stellar record for hosting top-level national and international equestrian events, including the recent Longines FEI Jumping European Championships 2021.

The FEI Dressage and Para Dressage European Championships 2023 will take place at the Riesenbeck International equestrian centre, which operates several outdoor competition arenas, one indoor arena and 336 state-of-the-art stalls.

“It is a pleasure to have the Riesenbeck Organising Committee on board to host the FEI Dressage and Para Dressage European Championships in 2023,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.

“The Organising Committee did a fantastic job hosting the Longines FEI Jumping European Championships 2021 and we know that our able-bodied and para athletes will give their best sporting performances in Riesenbeck’s state-of-the-art facilities.”

Riesenbeck is the home town of German Jumping legend Ludger Beerbaum, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time European Champion, who is also President of the Riesenbeck Organising Committee.

“We are very proud to be welcoming yet another European Championship in Riesenbeck,” Beerbaum said. "The idea to apply for this Championship came from my partner in the Global Equestrian Group, Andreas Helgstrand, who - a successful Dressage rider himself – would like to highlight the potential of the facility for his discipline as well.

"Organising European Championships, which will also be an Olympic and Paralympic qualifier, is a huge responsibility for us, and we are already hard at work with our planning. While our first priority is the safety and welfare of all our human and equine athletes, we also know the importance of providing high quality working facilities for all involved in the organisation of the event.

“We are committed to making these Championships enjoyable for everyone, especially our equestrian fans, who we hope to welcome in large numbers so they can appreciate all that Dressage and Para Dressage have to offer.”

“We are very pleased that Riesenbeck International has been awarded the FEI Dressage and Para-Dressage European Championships 2023,” Secretary General of German Equestrian Federation Soenke Lauterbach said.

“Riesenbeck has a successful championship history and it is great that Ludger Beerbaum and his team, after having organised the Longines FEI Jumping European Championships 2021 in the shortest time, are immediately taking on the next big task.”