Welcome to the 75th CHIO Rotterdam
A very special welcome to all attendees and visitors of the 75th CHIO Rotterdam by Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb:
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CHIO Rotterdam is an icon for our city. The first international competition took place in 1948. This year, CHIO Rotterdam celebrates its 75th anniversary, making it the city's oldest sporting event. Seventy-five years of equestrian sports in our Kralingse Bos, a beautiful tradition with great significance for the city and region. The CHIO is not only a high-level equestrian event but also provides a venue for meeting at a beautiful location in the Kralingse Bos. It is an opportunity for entrepreneurs from the city and region to meet and exchange ideas.
The CHIO demonstrates that sports, business, and social impact go well together. It has been calculated that sporting events generate 1 billion euros annually for the city. About half of that is tangible cash, and the other half is harder-to-measure added value, such as better health, lower absenteeism, less school dropout, and more social cohesion. The CHIO is also actively involved in ANBI projects to involve as many people as possible in equestrian sports, including those for whom this sport is not an obvious choice, such as children with physical or intellectual disabilities. They can greatly benefit from it.
That my farewell as mayor of Rotterdam coincides with the 75th anniversary is a pleasant thought. I will certainly convey the importance of this event to my successor. Thank you for all the wonderful receptions over the past years! I wish CHIO Rotterdam a bright future with an even broader audience enthusiastic about equestrian sports."
Ahmed Aboutaleb,
Mayor of Rotterdam