I have a confession to make. Although I have been
covering the elite auctions in Vechta for
years, I have actually never have been to one. OK,
I did attend a Munster auction and have tried out horses
there, but I can't deny that the auctions in Vechta
(and Verden) speak much more to my imagination of grandeur,
top quality and a great atmosphere, and are, therefore,
much more appealing. This year the time has been ripe
for many new experiences. I attended the Oldenburg
Stallion Licensing, went touring through Germany visiting
various stallion stations, revisited the Belgian competitions
and was crazy enough to fly to Florida for horse
shows twice in three weeks. So why not add the Vechta
Spring Elite auction to this programme?
I'm a driver's-licence-late-bloomer. I only got it
last October (2003) and have driven to Germany once
for the P.S.I Auction in December. Though I have played
German G.P.S for friends who went horse shopping
in Germany on many occasions, my trip to the Vechta
Elite auction was my second 'major' drive into Germany
on my own.
It
was
Friday today, so that meant weekday rush-day traffic
and, boy, let me tell you that German drivers are pushy!
They
get so close to your fender indicating to move your
ass in the other lane right away, or otherwise they'll
run over you. It takes exactly 343 kilometers from
my home in Mol, Belgium to the parking of the auction
centre in Vechta, Germany. That means a 3-hour drive.
I parked right behind the barn, got my camera out
and headed towards the office where I saw my first
familiar face, Thomas Rhinow. He is just fantastic.
Rhinow is the dressage spokesman at the auction and
will help any client with questions about the dressage
horses
in
the collection. Rhinow is himself
a former auction rider, but exchanged his boots for
a computer and now does desk work and counselling at
the Vechta center. Don't be fooled, however, on his
desk there is a picture of him riding Jaye Cherry's
Donnegal on his most recent visit to Los Angeles with
Johannes Westendarp. The horse (riding) virus can not
be destroyed!!!
Yippie yeay, Holly Simensen was there too (I knew
that because she invited me over once again, the sweet
heart) and she brought along two new American faces;
Cherise Gasper from
Lexington,
KY,
who missed her very first Rolex Kentucky Event this
weekend in more than twenty years by being here at
the auction, and her friend Lotte Osol from Vermont. Both
ladies are shopping
for a
dressage
prospect. Visiting the auction of course coincides
with a stop in the most beautiful tack store in Europe,
Reitsport Schockemohle in Muhlen, Germany. I restrained
myself from buying anything, except a nice Trakehner
stall plate for my friend Petra who is horse-sitting
my babies at home. Lotte and Cherise both bought Konigs
boots.
Holly made a quick stop at Ludwig Kathmann's, where
she keeps two broodmares (European Mare Champion Esperanza
(Feiner Stern x Figaro) and a Painters Row xx mare),
one foal (by Don Romantic that will be auctioned tomorrow)
and yearling out of the Painters Row mare.
Images copyrighted: Astrid Appels/Eurodressage.com
- no reproduction allowed
I have a confession to make. Although I have been
covering the elite auctions in Vechta for
years, I have actually never have been to one. OK,
I did attend a Munster auction and have tried out horses
there, but I can't deny that the auctions in Vechta
(and Verden) speak much more to my imagination of grandeur,
top quality and a great atmosphere, and are, therefore,
much more appealing. This year the time has been ripe
for many new experiences. I attended the Oldenburg
Stallion Licensing, went touring through Germany visiting
various stallion stations, revisited the Belgian competitions
and was crazy enough to fly to Florida for horse
shows twice in three weeks. So why not add the Vechta
Spring Elite auction to this programme?
I parked right behind the barn, got my camera out
and headed towards the office where I saw my first
familiar face, Thomas Rhinow. He is just fantastic.
Rhinow is the dressage spokesman at the auction and
will help any client with questions about the dressage
horses
in
the collection. Rhinow is himself
a former auction rider, but exchanged his boots for
a computer and now does desk work and counselling at
the Vechta center. Don't be fooled, however, on his
desk there is a picture of him riding Jaye Cherry's
Donnegal on his most recent visit to Los Angeles with
Johannes Westendarp. The horse (riding) virus can not
be destroyed!!!
