BY STEPHAN DERKS When one hears of the Dutch village Boekelo and its 2,100 inhabitants in the community of Enschede for the first time, their first association tends to be the production of salt, which has taken place in the southern part of the area since 1919. Or, they think of the Dutch jazz percussionist Hans Dekker, who was born in Boekelo 40 years ago. But Boekelo is more. Much more. Seven miles behind the German-Dutch border at Gronau, the tiny village of Boekelo has become the Mecca of eventing in the Kingdom of the Netherlands over the years. In short: Boekelo, to which tens of thousands of people interested in equestrian sports have made a pilgrimage each year since 1971, is to international eventing on the Dutch side of the border what Luhmühlen is on the German side. And so it will be again from October 8 – 11 of this year, when an international eventing competition (CCI***) with individual rankings, national titles and the Dutch championship will be held in Boekelo. “In order to put on this event, we rely, amongst others, upon the cooperation of 50 farmers, as we need some of their grounds,” explains Frans van Meggelen, chair of the organising association, Military Boekelo, to the press. This functions flawlessly. For example, one farmer has volunteered to vacate his barn during the week of the eventing competition so that the English course designer Sue Benson can set up an obstacle inside it. “In addition, an enormous city of tents with a 1,500 meter shopping area will spring up in the beautiful Boekelo heathland over an area of about two hectares,” continued van Meggelen. 60 generators will provide the “travelling circus”, as van Meggelen playfully refers to the eventing competition, with electricity. 12.5 kilometres of cable will be laid for this. And, so that the participants in the international eventing competition, who are expected to come from 15 different countries, can be observed in almost any part of the tent city, a television network with some 4.5 kilometres of glass fibre cables is being set up. Stall tents for 100 horseboxes are also being set up, in which 800 bales of bedding will provide the necessary comfort for the four legged top athletes during the eventing week. Some people have been coming to Boekelo for years: Peter Jansen and Peter Jansen Junior from Goch-Asperden in the Lower Rhine, who run the registration office of this international eventing competition together with Karl-Heinz Nothofer from Kamp-Lintfort. “For us, Boekelo is one of the most renowned eventing competitions,” said Peter Jansen Junior to RRP. Alice Naber-Lozeman, for years the most successful eventing rider in the Netherlands, can only agree. “The most well-known international eventing competition in the Netherlands in the Military Boekelo. Everyone, even people who barely know that a horse has four legs, knows about the event in Boekelo,” she said in a recent conversation. While doing so, Naber-Lozeman puts in a good word for the village, located just a stone’s throw from Gronau. “Unfortunately, the Military Boekelo has only received negative attention in the print media and on television for many years. On television, they nearly only show stumbling horses and falls,” said the Dutch Amazon. She has worked to reform eventing on the national and international levels for many years, as well as investing herself in improving the standards and the safety for both horse and rider. “In terms of safety, we have reacted to the negative press addressed by Alice Naber-Lozeman and improved the safety standards in Boekelo,” explains Franz van Meggelen, clearly proud of the view of some 900 (!) volunteers standing by his side during the event. “But you should see the eventing competitions yourself to feel the excitement for this sport,” advises van Meggelen, infected himself by the “eventing virus” for many years. Whoever would like to be infected by this virus is welcome at the 39th International Military Boekelo from October 8 – 10, 2009. More information is available on the Internet at www.military-boekelo.nl.
ClipMyHorse.de will be broadcasting this event live, providing an opportunity to see the event for anyone who cannot visit it in person.
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Competition 01 • Dressur Teil 2 (Vormittag)
2009-10-09T09:00:00+02:00
ARCHIVE
(PREMIUM)
Competition 02 • Dressur Teil 2 (Nachmittag)