From Angie on Sunday: Hello from Munster

David and Albert arrived yesterday around 6:30pm. They both looked happy to be here. The truck that brought them in from Amsterdam was outrageous. It looked like a deluxe fire truck just shy of having a full-size pool and spa in the back. Albert looked like he belonged on the rig and looked stunning as he came off the ramp. We put him in his straw-filled stall, where he immediately had a big 'ole pee, a huge drink of water then he began to fill his belly with grass hay and the straw he was bedded in.

Klimke's barn if wonderful. The oldest buildings date back to 1545, so cool. There are three large brick barns were the horses can stick their heads out the back of their stalls. This morning when Sam and I arrived to feed Albert at 7:30, a bunch of the horses had their heads sticking out of their stalls letting the raindrops stream down their faces. This morning was definitely jacket weather. There are two indoor arenas and two outdoor arenas. His barn is surrounded by lush trails for riding. So beautiful! Leaving Sam to tend to Albert's needs I went back to the hotel (only about a 5 minute drive) to get David so he could work with Scott.

WOW what a horse, everyone loved him! Susanne, Scott's wife has never seen Albert and had one compliment after another. She and Scott were well aware of Albert's story and were very impressed by the way David has trained him. It was wonderful to watch. Lars and his 6-year old stallion, Mixmax, were also wonderful to watch. Scott was extremely encouraging about our team's chances this year. The show, they say, is like nothing we've ever been to before. We can hardly wait to get there.

Here's how they place the horses. On the first day of competition (08-02-07), all the 5-year olds will compete, between 40 and 50 horses. They break them down into groups of 5, and the winner of each group goes to the finals on Sat. After the winner of each group is determined, the remaining horses compete the following day, Fri., in a consolation class and the top 3 from the consolation class are also moved into the finals on Sat. So if you don't do well on the first day, you still have a shot at the final. Cool!

We watched Buggati, Bimmer's daddy, go this morning. He is so stunning. Scott worked with Michael Klimke and Buggati on passage, so great to watch. They have so many beauties here. They also have a full riding school with school horses. And amongst the school horses are several Fjord. Sam and I fell in love with Garfield, a 3-year old Fjord and such a lover. I'll attempt to forward a picture of him.

Tonight will be an early night as last night was not. Then it's back to the barn. I only wish I could ride--I'm dying to get in the saddle!

Love to all,
Angie & Sam