World Equestrian Festival Documentary to Screen in U.S.

'The Spirit of Aachen', a one-hour documentary about the annual CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Germany, will be screened in Nevada, Kentucky and Texas.

March 17, 2009 — Special screenings of “The Spirit of Aachen”, a documentary for television, have been confirmed for April 17 in Las Vegas, Nev., April 24 in Lexington, Ky., and June 26 at the Texas Rose Horse Park near Lindale, Texas.

The one-hour program presents a compelling look at the annual CHIO Aachen World Equestrian Festival in Germany. Aachen has been a major fixture on the international equestrian calendar for over one hundred years.

The presentation includes exclusive interviews with noted course designer Dr. Arno Gego (Germany), legendary riders and trainers George H. Morris (USA) and Nelson Pessoa (Brazil), Grand Prix of Aachen winners Beezie Madden (USA) and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Germany), grooms Clark Shipley (USA) and Katherine Walsh (USA), dressage superstar Steffen Peters (USA), and carriage driving champions Karen Bassett (United Kingdom) and Benjamin Aillaud (France)

The documentary also features a visit with Hans Riegler, Chief Rider for the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. Conversations with jazz musician Bob Chisolm, horse owners Dr. and Mrs. Marvin Hausman (USA) and noted horse breeders Dr. Axel Zogbaum and Harli Seifert, both of Germany, are also included.

Principal photography was conducted on-location during the 2005 CHIO Aachen tournament by an international production team, led by California based producer/director, Melvin H. Cox. The recently updated “Director’s Cut” edition incorporates historic photographs pulled from the CHIO Aachen archives

“The Spirit of Aachen” will be shown in the CBC Auditorium (Room A106) on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on April 17. The screenings will coincide with the Rolex FEI World Cup Finals in jumping and dressage, April 15-19, at the university’s Thomas & Mach Center.

The program will also be screened in the Fifth Third Theater at the Kentucky Horse Park at 1:30 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. on April 24 during the 2009 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. Admittance to the Kentucky Horse Park will require a ticket to the Rolex event.

The Texas premiere will be June 26 at approximately 8 p.m.–immediately following the Second U.S. Equestrian Drill Championship Ride of Champions (SportsQuest Cup) competition–in the VIP area (above the main arena) at the Texas Rose Horse Park.

A limited number of free passes to all screenings of “The Spirit of Aachen” are available at www.eventbrite.com/org/149951363?s=1 on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a limit of two passes per order. General admission tickets are $10.

Co-sponsors of the series include e-questrians.com, SportsQuest.tv and the U.S. Equestrian Drill Championship.

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