European Championships 2005

Sometimes, complicated things are easy to solve and impossibility seems to be achievable!

Hof Kasselmann in Hagen a.T.W. provided a prime example for this theory in 2005: "We will host the European Dressage Championships", Ulrich Kasselmann told his staff and partners. And they were more than surprised as they got this information only 14 days prior to the start of the championships.

Moscow as venue suddenly withdrew as organizer of the European Championships. Disagreements with the World Riders Association FEI preceded this decision. A little community in the Osnabrück area superseded the Russian capital. And the organizers in far away Moscow might have expected this event to fail. In Lausanne at the headquarters of the FEI however, they might have only been a bit nervous, if at all.

External observers still call the happenings in the county of Osnabrück a little miracle. The German television station ZDF immediately announced not to withhold this story from its spectators and was rewarded by excellent ratings. The Hagen a.T.W. community, the city of Osnabrück and the county of Osnabrück confirmed their support. Reliable and valuable business partners like stands and horse stall builders, tent rental companies, craftsmen, hotels and horse show experts were brought into action. Details and the perfectly working Kasselmann-network were the minor but important advantage the small Hagen a.T.W. had compared to big Moscow.

But the team did not only care for the important basic sport conditions, but also for the setting that is necessary to create a special atmosphere - from the opening ceremony in front of the Osnabrück townhall and the reception for journalists from 18 nations to the kiss-and-cry-corner for the riders.

The feedback from riders proved the duo Kasselmann and Schockemöhle right, just like the feedback from the audience. The chuzpe with which both Lower Saxonian horsemen accepted the challenge earned them lots of respect.