This weekend the CHIO in Aachen, the Equestrian epicenter, kicks-off for yet another year. Totilas and Matthias Alexander Rath are among the 354 athletes and 550 horses from 28 nations to compete at Aachen this weekend. Record prize money totalling €2.68 million is on offer at the show, running from July 11 to 20, and already 200,000 tickets have been sold. The Rolex Grand Prix of showjumping on Sunday has a prize pool of €1 million. Rath and Totilas are on the German team for the CHIO show, and the rider is please to have been selected. An enthousiastic Rath stated he is overjoyed to compete in Aachen. "It is fantastic that I can compete with Totilas in the new Deutsche Bank Stadium. Recently we improved our performance, now we are going to give our best in Aachen," states the German dressage rider. The world's top-riders are heading for the German city this week. They include several of Britain’s top riders, including reigning Olympic dressage gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin, showjumpers Scott Brash and Ben Maher, and eventer Zara Phillips, who won the World Championship title in 2006 in Aachen. Phillips last competed at the CHIO Aachen in 2007.
