The German Olympic Equestrian Committee celebrated its 100th anniversary on 3 January 2013 and this centenary will be celebrated with a string of events throughout the year.
On 3 January 1913 Emperor Wilhelm II's son, crown prince Wilhelm, gathered the elite of the horse scene for a meeting at the Berlin Palace where they founded the "Committee for the Horse Competitions at the 1916 Berlin Olympic Games". This committee was the forerunner of today's German Olympic Equestrian Committee (DOKR) in Warendorf.
The Crown Prince was not thrilled by the average performances of the German officers at the first Olympic Equestrian Games in 1912 in Stockholm. Almost all gold medals were won by Swedish officers and the German delegation had returned with 'only' two silver medals. The goal for the 2016 Olympics on home turf was gold.
Among the invited guests was the young equestrian journalist Gustav Rau, who became the secretary-general of the organization. He meticulously worked out the committee's strategy plans but they were all in vain as World War I broke out and the 1916 Olympic Games were cancelled. The foundation turned into the current DOKR in the 1920s and has been supervising all selections for international championships.
The centenary was not celebrated on 3 January 2013 but instead a series of celebratory events will take place in 2013. At the 2013 CHIO Aachen a book "100 Years DOKR" will be presented and at the 2013 Bundeschampionate an exhibition will take place at the Warendorf town hall. On Saturday 7 September a gala evening with shows will be held in the main stadium in Warendorf.
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