Juniors Paschertz and Pawluk Into the Winner's Circle at the 2025 CDIO Aachen

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2025 CDIO Aachen

Junior riders Clara Paschertz and Veronica Pawluk took center stage in the inaugural junior level competition held during the World Equestrian Festival CDIO Aachen on 3 - 6 July 2025.

Aachen Opens Up to Youth Riders

In 2010 Aachen opened up its CDIO dressage programme to the next generation, initially hosting an annual Under 25 division, which closed the gap between youth sport and the senior ranks. It gave Europe's best U25 riders the opportunity to compete on the hallowed grounds of Aachen.

Since that start much has changed at Aachen. As of 2018 the Aachen Laurensberger Rennverein offers organizers the opportunity to rent the facility and more CDI's began taking place at the venue, including the Aachen Dressage Days (hosted by the Dahmen family) and the Aachen Festival 4 Dressage (hosted by the Belgian Everars family). All of a sudden riders from any age division get the chance to show in Aachen and ride into the famed Deutsche Bank stadium.

The Under 25 division during " Big Aachen" was dropped for a Young Riders class when a date clash with the European Under 25 Championships forced Aachen to attract the Young Riders instead. It merged well with their CHIO Aachen Campus programme which young riders pay for to receive special training and education.

This year another date clash led Aachen to invite Junior Riders instead of Young Riders to the CDIO as the European YR/U25 Championships in Kronberg were scheduled two days after the CHIO.

Paschertz in Front

Former European Children Champion Clara Paschertz is now 18 years old and in her last year as a junior rider. She won the opening class for juniors, the individual test, on Oldenburg stallion For Gold OLD (by Franziskus x Zack) scoring 71.794%.

“The ride was great fun!“, said a delighted Clara later, explaining: “I am very pleased with how the test went. But simply riding into the arena was fantastic – when everyone applauded and then after the test… it was simply mega fun!“ Whereby she had hardly expected to claim the victory as the first starter of the competition. “Not at all. My result was superb, of course, but it was nail-biting right through to the finish. Of course you hope, but there were plenty of good riders, who still had to compete. That is why I am all the more delighted that nobody beat my score.“

Clara added, "being together with all of the professionals behind the scenes, is simply a wonderful feeling. Watching the competitions is cool, of course, too. But seeing them warm up too. The calmness of the professionals and how they take the feeling of the warm-up arena with them into the competitions – that is definitely something one can learn from!“

Second place went to Veronica Pawluk with her Oldenburg-bred mare Fallete OLD (70.559%), followed by Amber Hennes on Allegro v/h Trichelhof (69.677%).

Pawluk Tops the Freestyle

Dusseldorf based Polish rider Veronica Pawluk left no doubt about it on Saturday 5 July and claimed victory in the freestyle. Riding to music from the movie Free Willy, the 17-year old and her Oldenburg mare Falette OLD (by Furstenball x Brentano II) scored a whopping 75.795% for the win in the class sponsored by the Liselott and Klaus Rheinberger Foundation.

“Winning at THE CHIO Aachen, a dream come true…with 75.7%. I had great fun riding this freestyle. The atmosphere here in the stadium is indescribable and I simply wanted to enjoy it,” said Pawluk who trains with Jan Bemelmans. "The opportunity to experience riding at CHIO at the age of 17 is incredible, a unforgettable memory," Veronica added. "I am over the moon to have shared these moments with my team, family and one and only Fallete. She was so amazing this weekend, she tried out her heart and managed to win in such a stadium. The atmosphere and people there were exceptional!"

Pawluk saw Aachen as the perfect preparation for the 2025 European Junior Riders Championships which will take place in Le Mans (FRA) on 30 July - 3 August.

The top three in Aachen was further completed by Clara Paschertz, who finished second (74.425%) while Danish Clara Cordes Arnkjaer rode Brianna to a third place (73.690%).