Hesse's largest equestrian event closed its doors very successfully on Sunday evening. The exhibition grounds in Giessen became a meeting place for over 9,000 horse lovers young and old. 180 exhibitors presented a wide range of products and services for all riding enthusiasts from October 11-13. A show program with around 120 horses thrilled the spectators.
Whether the horse needs a new saddle, a change of feed or suitable care products for a shiny coat and shimmering mane - experts were on hand at the Giessen Equestrian Sports Fair with an extensive range of products and recommendations on all these topics. But it wasn't just the animals that could be equipped with a variety of halters, saddle pads and reins. Riders were also able to dress themselves in riding breeches, helmets, accessories and much more to make the rider's heart beat faster.
The halls were full and the aisles and especially the riding rings were packed with visitors. Compared to the previous year, the trade fair recorded an increase in visitors of around 30%. This led to a lot of encouragement from the 180 exhibitors (80% increase compared to 2023): They reported many interested parties and praised the organization of the event.
"On Friday, we had particularly good discussions with trade visitors such as physiotherapists and vets. More private individuals visited us at the weekend. This mix was ideal for us," emphasized Imke Rieken and Heinrich Grossbongardt from Simply Warm. The company develops special heat pads for horses and was exhibiting for the first time.
Simone Kienast was also there for the first time and presented her "Horse ID Card". A helpful tool for communication and management when caring for animals. Horse owners store the most important information such as feeding habits, medical data or emergency contacts relating to their horse here. In an emergency, the most important information can be called up using a QR code. The response from many other exhibitors was also very positive: They already expressed their great interest in participating in the fair again. Neele Koblitz would "definitely like to be there again" in 2025 with her start-up "Panikschlaufe". The team from "Rookie Equestrian" is also looking forward to next year and praised the helpfulness of the trade fair staff in particular.
In addition to the shopping experience, visitors had the opportunity to find out more at the specialist presentations given by numerous experts. Finally, around 120 horses performed in the colorful and varied show program. That's more than twice as many as in 2023. One highlight was the spectacular show jumping show with Evan Leuret. In a duel against two S-class show jumpers, the Frenchman wowed the spectators with his jumping power and mastered the obstacle up to a height of 1.60m.
The new Western Riding exhibition area, to which an entire hall was dedicated for the first time this year, proved very popular. In addition to western accessories, saddlery and clothing, numerous western demonstrations were offered in an additional riding ring. In cooperation with Ralf Birkenhof, the popular Western Cup took place on the Sunday of the fair under the motto: "Fair goes first!". Another crowd-puller were the demonstrations by the "Pro Horse Union", an association of horse trainers founded under the direction of Thomas Günther and Erich Busch. All fans of the Pro Horse Union can already look forward to the 2025 reunion.
The date for the next equestrian fair has already been set: next year, Hessen's biggest horse event will take place from October 17-19.
