International Festhalle Riding Tournament Frankfurt (IFRF)

International Festhalle Riding Tournament Frankfurt (IFRF)

Equestrian Sport
Reading time: 8 minutes

Author: Nele Schimmelpfennig

The IFRF is the meeting place for the best riders just before Christmas. Here you can find out everything about the IFRF, the winners of the most important competitions, the history of the tournament and the broadcast dates.

Contents

Anyone who has ever attended the international Festhalle horse show in Frankfurt in December knows how beautiful this equestrian event is. Apart from the high-caliber field of starters, the Festhalle tournament also impresses with its location and atmosphere. The international Festhalle horse show in Frankfurt is an outstanding event that presents the fascination of equestrian sport in all its glory. For many years, this tournament has attracted riders, spectators and enthusiasts from all over the world. In this article, you will find out everything you need to know about the Festhalle tournament every December.

History of the horse show: a history of tradition and innovation

The origins of the Festhalle Riding Tournament go back a long way and over the years it has developed into a permanent fixture on the international equestrian calendar. From humble beginnings to a globally recognized event, the tournament has developed steadily.

The foundation by Josef Neckermann in 1955

The Frankfurt Festhalle Riding Tournament, initiated by Josef Neckermann in 1955 with an initial budget of 800 German marks, is an important event in the world of equestrian sport. The event, which was held until 1971, returned in 1989 after a 17-year break, organized by the Frankfurt Riding and Driving Club, the City of Frankfurt and the German Equestrian Federation.

A new chapter with SKU Veranstaltungs GmbH

In 1991, a significant change took place when SKU Veranstaltungs GmbH became the new main sponsor and organizer. Despite innovative approaches to remove regional parts of the event, this met with criticism and led to the withdrawal of the Equestrian Sports Association of Hesse as the conceptual sponsor.

The era of PSM GmbH and Dr. Kaspar Funke

PSM GmbH later took over the organization of the tournament, and after the business separation from Paul Schockemöhle in 2002, Dr. Kaspar Funke, the former managing director of PSM, became the organizer of the tournament through the newly founded Escon Marketing GmbH.

Highlights and changes to the program

In 2003, the show was in danger of being canceled, but thanks to the commitment of Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff and Manfred Louven, it took place after all. New program items were introduced in the following years, including the show competition of the Hessian clubs and a World Cup dressage competition in 2005.

Changing organizers: From PST Marketing GmbH to Oceanside GmbH & Co. KG

Organizational responsibility was transferred to PST Marketing GmbH, a Paul Schockemöhle company, in 2012 and lasted until the 2018 tournament. From 2019, Oceanside GmbH & Co. KG, represented by Matthias Rath, took over the organization. One notable change was the upgrading of the international dressage classes from CDI 4* level to CDI 5* in 2019.

Challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic

The years 2020 and 2021 brought challenges, as the Festhalle could not be used for the tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, a replacement tournament was created - the "International Festhalle Riding Tournament Frankfurt - Schafhof Edition", which took place at the Linsenhoff-Rath family's sheep farm in Kronberg im Taunus. In 2021, Oceanside GmbH & Co. KG then became Schafhof Connects GmbH & Co. To this day, Schafhof Connects organizes the Festhalle tournament as well as many other exciting equestrian events.

The highlights of the Festhalle horse show in Frankfurt 

The Festhalle horse show in Frankfurt is an important event in the equestrian calendar. Various competitions in the disciplines of dressage and show jumping offer exciting competitions and attract both riders and horse lovers from all over the world.

Nuremberg Burg Cup Final

The final of the Nuremberg Burg Cup for dressage riders is an annual highlight. After the Grand Prix Freestyle on Saturday morning, the best 7 to 9-year-old dressage horses compete in the Prix St. Georg Special. The 2019 competition is endowed with prize money of €10,000. The best three pairs have the chance to compete again in the winner's prize in the evening to secure €3,000. You can find out more about the Nuremberg Burg Cup and the winners of previous finals in the Frankfurt Festhalle in our article on the Nuremberg Burg Cup to find out more.

Final Louisdor Prize

The final of the Louisdor Prize, the next age class for dressage horses, has been held in Frankfurt since 2012. The series gives eight to ten-year-old horses an introduction to dressage competitions at Grand Prix level. The final features a warm-up test and a final test with prize money of around €20,000.

Winner of the Louisdor Prize:

These horses and their riders have already won the Louisdor Prize:
(the final was not held in Frankfurt until 2011)

In an interview: Winner of the Louisdor Prize 2023, Beata Stremler gives insights into her horse Fürstin Bea OLD. She affectionately calls the Oldenburg mare Princess, you can find out more in this interview to see more.

Grand Prix Spécial

The Grand Prix Spécial has been held as part of the Festhalle Riding Tournament since 2012. The qualifying competition is the Grand Prix de Dressage, and the prize money in 2019 is €30,000. The competition was part of the Meggle Champions, a national dressage series, until 2015.

Winner of the Grand Prix Spécial in Frankfurt:

Bella Rose, the success story of the Westphalian mare, ridden by none other than Isabell Werth. A diamond cut by Isabell Werth, but how did the German Olympic champion discover this rough diamond? You can find out more about Bella Rose's success story in "The Story of Bella Rose".

Grand Prix Freestyle

The Grand Prix Freestyle, held in the morning of the last day of the show, offers another fascinating dressage highlight. The competition was endowed with €30,000 in 2019. This part of the Dressage World Cup was to become a stage of the World Dressage Masters from 2012, but this was rejected by the FEI.

Winner of the Grand Prix Freestyle (from 2005):

Did you watch the Grand Prix Freestyle at the 50th Festhalle Riding Tournament Frankfurt by Borja Carrascosa did you miss it? Did you know that you can watch the freestyle(s) at any time in the ClipMyHorse.TV archive and relive the rides of the dressage stars? Relive the Grand Prix winning freestyle of Borja Carrascosa with Sir Hubert NRW.

IFRF 2023: Grand Prix Freestyle Borja Carrascosa with Sir Hubert NRW

Grand Prix

The "Grand Prix of Hesse" is the main competition for show jumpers on Sunday afternoon. The show jumping competition with jump-off has an obstacle height of up to 1.55 meters. The prize money has varied over the years and amounted to around €70,000 in 2019.

Winner of the Grand Prix:

from 2005

The Festhalle Riding Tournament in Frankfurt remains a stage for top performances in dressage and show jumping, and the list of winners reflects the diversity and quality of the participating riders and horses.

Spectator experience

The international Festhalle horse show in Frankfurt is an experience not only for riders, but also for the public. Find out how you can be part of this fascinating event. In addition to regular tickets to the event, you can also stream the Frankfurt Festhalle show live from all over the world. On ClipMyHorse.TV you can not only experience the current edition of the International Festhalle Riding Tournament Frankfurt (IFRF) live, but also relive the past tournaments of recent years and follow the winning rides of the dressage and show jumping riders once again.

A look back at the highlights of past tournaments

From historic events to unforgettable surprises, the Festhalle horse show has a rich history. Take a look back with us at some of the outstanding moments.
Here you will find a chronological overview of the highlights of the IFRF:

  • 39th IFRF from 14.12.-18.12.2011
    The final of the MASTERS LEAGUE featured breathtaking rounds, as the coveted final victory in this highly endowed show jumping series was at stake. Dressage presented itself with the finest sport, including the World Cup Dressage Final for Young Dressage Riders, the Dressage World Cup Qualifier and the final of the Nuremberg Burg Cup. These competitions attracted the international dressage elite to Frankfurt and promised fascinating performances. Variety was provided by the show competition of Hessian clubs on Thursday evening and carefully prepared show elements on Saturday and Sunday. Frankfurt presented an attractive offer for all equestrian sports fans and cordially invited them to the Festhalle.
  • 40th IFRF from 13.12.-16.12.2012
    The Festhalle in Frankfurt once again opened its doors for an outstanding international horse show in the run-up to Christmas. After four decades, this traditional spectacle presented itself in a new guise, now under the management of PST Paul Schockemöhle Marketing GmbH.
  • 41st IFRF from 19.12.-22.12.2013
    This year, the tournament was presented for the second time by PST Paul Schockemöhle Marketing GmbH. The pure entertainment and the high quality of the sport always made the tournament an event worth a visit. Tradition and emotion came together here when the world's elite put their skills to the test on the course and in the arena. The tournament opened with the traditional Hessentag on Thursday. This was followed by a mix of national and international show jumping and dressage competitions that had it all. The spectators got their money's worth when the stars from all over the world traveled to the trade fair city on the Main.
  • 42nd IFRF from 18.12.-21.12.2014
    Once again this year, the Frankfurt Festhalle Show impressed with dressage and show jumping at the highest level. In addition to the usual supporting program, the special award for the best school horse program of the Hessian Ministry of the Interior was a particular highlight in Frankfurt.
  • 43rd IFRF from 17.12.-20.12.2015
    Once again this year, the best school horse program was honored by the Hessian Ministry of the Interior. There was also the Messe Frankfurt special award for the most successful Amazon of the event and the Cerberus Heimkinderwettbewerb supported by b-k-p Consulting, the award for the best obstacle design from social institutions in the region.
  • 44th IFRF from 15.12.-18.12.2016
  • 45th IFRF from 14.12-17.12.2017
    In 2017, spectators were offered a broad show program in addition to the international competitions in which the best riders competed against each other. Of course, there was also a special award ceremony for the school horses. Another highlight was the awarding of the golden riding badge to Viktoria Pavel and Johannes Rühl, presented by Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff.
  • 46th IFRF from 13.12.-16.12.2018
    The highlight this year was the farewell to Unee BB, with whom Jessica von Bredow-Werndl achieved many successes in dressage.
  • 47th IFRF from 19.12.-22.12.2019
    This year, the Golden Riding Badge was awarded to Semmieke Rothenberger. Another emotional highlight in 2019 was the presentation of the Special People Award to Ingrid Klimke.
  • IFRF - Schafhof Edition from 19.12.-20.12.2020 & 18.12.-19.12.2021
    Due to the corona pandemic, there was no Festhalle tournament in 2020 & 2021, but the finals of the Piaff Förderpreis, the Nürnberger Burg-Pokal and the final of the Louisdor Prize were held at the Schafhof in Kronberg. Spectators were not able to watch the tournament on site, but could switch to the livestream.
  • 49th IFRF from 15.12.-18.12.2022
    Back in the Festhalle Frankfurt, the event got off to its usual start and impressed the audience with the usual program before the corona pandemic. This year, Don Henrico was retired from the sport in Frankfurt.
  • 50th IFRF from 14.12.-17.12.2023
    The 50th edition of the Festhalten horse show in Frankfurt was duly celebrated this year with a birthday show. Equestrian fans could look forward to a special surprise, as the organizers had decided to significantly increase the quality of show jumping. Instead of the previous three-star level, the audience could now expect a top-class four-star competition. This made Frankfurt the only venue in Germany to host an indoor tournament at four-star level. One last time "It's Showtime" - this year Dorothee Schneider's Showtime Dorit Zwosta was also delighted to receive the Golden Riding Badge this year.
Farewell to Showtime at the International Festhalle Riding Tournament Frankfurt 2023

Conclusion

In summary, the International Festhalle Horse Show in Frankfurt is an event of great importance and tradition. It not only has a considerable influence on equestrian sport in Germany, but also enjoys an international reputation. The future of the tournament promises exciting developments and innovations that will further increase the fascination for equestrian sport.

FAQs

1. how can I buy tickets for the Festhalle horse show?‍

Ticket information can be found on the official website of the tournament.

2. can you stream the International Festhalle Riding Tournament Frankfurt (IFRF) online?‍

Yes, on ClipMyHorse.TV equestrian fans can stream the IFRF live stream and many more exciting competitions around the world live and on-demand watch.

3. which riders have been announced for this year?‍

The list of participating riders will be published on the website before the tournament. In 2023, these riders, among others, will take part in the Festhalle Riding Tournament in Frankfurt:

and many other riders can be seen at the 50th IFRF.

Author
Nele SchimmelpfennigClinicsMore FROM CMH.TV

Tags

Show Jumping
Dressage
Nürnberger Burg-Pokal
Horse show
Equestrian Sport