Aachen CHIO, Dressage un Ltd, Unlimited Dressage

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CHIO Aachen
June 11 - 17, 2001

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Tuesday, June 12, 2001

Flights from Toronto, Canada (Bonnie Rombach) and Tulsa, OK (Kyra Beth Houston) were smooth, baggage arrived, rental car was ready but not red. Ky remembered how to drive a standard transmission, and arrived in Aachen about noon, Monday. Checked out the dressage stadium, watched the vet jog, delivered the videos, and then headed to the hotel for dinner with Bonnie following in her daughter's car. About half way, the rental car started to smoke, and three weeks from the hotel, died. Bonnie pushed us to the side of the road and took us to the hotel. We called the rental company who arranged for pick up of the car and the next morning arranged for delivery of a RED automatic. Dinner at the hotel was the first food we'd had since breakfast on the plane, we shared sauerbraten, snitzel, and lamb. Hotel staff is friendly and efficient, rooms are impeccably clean, the bed and shower welcomed! A good night's sleep.
Breakfast at the hotel included fresh fruit, cheese and meat, real German rolls and strong coffee. Bonnie picked us up at 9. We stopped at the press room, put our gear in the locker, met Klaus Balkenhol and arranged for video interviews with Klaus and Nadine Capellmann, then watched the German riders practice in the arena. About noon, the crew arrived to set up the dressage arena and we ate lunch in the Rider's Club. Mrs. Monica Hagemann-Fischer who ran CHIO office for more than thirty years before her retirement in 1998, welcomed us to CHIO and enthusiastically discussed the videos we are producing.
Back in the press center to try out the new laptop and finally figured out the modem hookups.
Grand Prix starting order online. Jerez 2002 WEG are featured in the Opening Ceremony tonight. We watched a bit of the practice session yesterday, including ten Andalusian mares, attached side by side with only neckbands, controlled by the handler's voice, passing down the lane in perfect right half pass to "rechts" command.
There are approximately 120 Spaniards here with 50-60 horses for the performances representing the Spanish Riding School of Jerez, Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre, in addition to musicians and folklore groups.

Dressage driving freestyles tomorrow morning and dressage starts tomorrow with the first day of Grand Prix starting at 1:30.

Bonnie Rombach and Kyra Beth Houston reporting from CHIO Aachen.

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