Getting away on my trip to Germany was becoming a problem during the last couple of weeks, due especially to the arrangements being made by Franz (my separated other half who sometimes doesn’t understand what separated means). He decided to arrange taking himself and the real Lorbas (the stallion) back to Germany during the same time frame which involved, among other things, showing up on my doorstep with big pieces of furniture such as a desk and electric stove that had to be moved in out of the rain. I kept telling him that I couldn’t lift things like that anymore, but that didn’t seem to make any impression on him as he was ordering me to pick up the other end, and I foolishly obeyed. The furniture is in, but my back is out (or at least strained but controllable with good painkillers).

I did get to the airport on time on Thursday, and after three planes, four meals, and a film with Kelsey Grammer, I arrived in Dusseldorf Friday morning where my brother-in-law picked me up for the final car trip to Aachen. He dropped me off at my daughter’s home where her mother-in-law anxiously awaited my arrival.

My daughter Helen has worked in the office of the ALRV (Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein) the organisers of the CHIO (Concours Hippique International Official - the official international jumping, dressage, and driving tournament for Germany) for the past ten years. She didn’t arrive home that evening until after midnight, having worked another 16-hour day preparing for the centennial celebration and the upcoming competitions. She has been away from home so much that the president of the ALRV called to apologise to her husband. Those who have read the story about „Helen’s Wedding" in the international section of Dressage un Ltd, know that she has only been married for a few months.

On Saturday my sister-in-law picked me up early in the morning to attend a nearby regional competition, where my husband’s brother and his wife were entered with their beautiful pair of Polish warmbloods in the combined driving. The first day involved the driving dressage test and the cones competition. My brother-in-law’s wife, Christa, and their pair of 6-year-old chestnut geldings won the dressage test with a 6.8, way in front of the next placed team at 6.3. She was very proud of her boys, and it was a real joy to watch their test. The next class, the cones, posed a problem because their carriage was longer than any of the others, and they had a fault in the 90 degree turn, losing valuable points in that portion of the competition. The final phase, the cross county with obstacles, was the next day. We had just enough time Saturday evening to walk the cross country course with them and examine the obstacles. Each driver must decide the best way to navigate through the obstacles (there are many different options to each puzzle) to achieve the best time. I heard this evening that they came in sixth on the cross country and were very happy with their overall result. They only started competing in combined driving last year.

Some of you will be pleased to hear that there were several Friesians being shown both in singles and pairs and there seems to be a growing appreciation of them, especially in the mushrooming driving sport.

Today, Sunday August 9, 1998 was the open house and hunter’s mass for the beginning of the centennial celebration for the ALRV. It is hard to imagine that even without any actual competitions, literally thousands of people came to take part in the mass in the new dressage stadium in Aachen and that it was carried live on television. There are seats for more than 4,000 spectators and there were another couple of thousand standing on the sidelines, and many more thousands (the Aachen paper estimated a total of 25,000 visitors) remained in other areas of the grounds because they couldn’t get anywhere near the dressage stadium. Helen’s 10 year old stepson attended the mass and later said to his grandmother that it was the first mass that he really enjoyed. It was truly amazing. Taking part inside the stadium along with both the Roman Catholic and Evangelical clergy were a large group of hunting horn players from several different European countries, a large pack of hounds with their huntsmen (women), the mounted police troop, several falconers with their birds on their arms, several coaches including pairs, four-in-hands and tandems, a group of flag wavers, and a marching band. The sermon dealt with appreciating God’s creatures, sustaining the connection between man and beast, and maintaining fairness in sport.

Following the mass about 30 antique classical coaches from several surrounding countries gathered on the coaching warm up field for a parade through Aachen. There were vehicles with three horses abreast, unicorns, tandems, pairs, four-in-hands, five-in-hands (3 in front and 2 wheel horses), and a wide variety of breeds of horses from heavy coldbloods to warmbloods to Friesiens to Hackneys. Many of the passengers and coachmen were in traditional dress with the ladies carrying parasols as they went for a three hour drive through the city to the old court house and back to the tournament grounds with thousands more lining the streets to watch the procession. The sun was shining, the temperature in the 80’s with a nice breeze and a practically perfect day. There were bands playing, beer tents, champagne booths, shops for everything from Australian hats and coats to paintings of famous sires, and tack and boots and riding apparel to drool over. Carousels, pony rides, puppet shows, and men on stilts entertained the kids while fresh warm pretzels, cheeses from Holland, grilled sausages, ice cream, cakes, and candies to tempt anyone.

As we approached the entrance to the grounds I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. It had been almost 20 years since I had last attended the World Equestrian Festival at Aachen. Our first riding school was across the street behind the show grounds, and I have many fond memories of past tournaments. My daughter, Helen, was born during the time that we resided in Gut Hochkirchen. As I greeted Herr Fischer, now retiring after 25 years as sport director of the Aachen tournament, he thanked me for having come to Germany from the United States in the first place, which led to marrying Franz and bringing Helen into the world. As we were walking toward the dressage stadium for the mass, I was warmly greeted by people I had not seen in many years and even by parents of riding students that I had had more than 20 years ago. Horse lovers the world over form a special family, and I am grateful to be a part of it, a feeling brought home to me again here today at Aachen.

Tune in tomorrow for the next chapter of my Return to Aachen