2004 P.S.I. Auction

A Boldt Morning After

Thomas and I took the shuttle back to the hotel round 3.40 AM and got to the hotel right after four. I crashed into the bed right away and slept like a rose.

On Sunday morning, the was a last chance to try out the horses and I wanted to see Susan Dutta ride her choice. So that meant getting up at 8.30 in order to be in Ankum again round 10.30.

We had breakfast at the hotel and sat at the same table as Harry Boldt. It doesn't happen every day that you get to eat your cereal, yogurt and fruit with a dressage legend at your table. I couldn't shut my mouth and immediately started talking to him and his American clients from Napa Valley, CA. We discussed the P.S.I. horses together, but it felt really awkward to be asked by Boldt what I thought about San Rubin, Damenwahl and the others. It felt like an interrogation and if I gave the wrong answer I would make a big fool of myself. Fortunately I didn't say anything stupid, because Boldt told "maybe that is because you're right" about a certain horse. Phew. I passed the test.

Back in Ankum we watched the horses being ridden by potential buyers (both amateurs and professionals) and cruised the stalls seeing the horses take a nap before the big action was about to start. We had lunch with Susan, Tim, Lars and Melissa while the crowds were slowly arriving at the auction center for the big day.

Famous faces started to pour in. Dieter Laugks and his wife Dodo were there, Uwe Schulten Baumer, the Kampmanns, and unbelievable but true, the Van der Zwans were back in the building, ready to strike again (they bought Poetin last year).

Text and Photos copyrighted Astrid Appels/Eurodressage - No Reproduction allowed

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