Reception in the park of the Surenburg castle - A dreamlike evening On Friday evening, Philipp Freiherr von Heereman Zuydtwyck and his family had invited the participants of the Longines FEI Jumping European Championship 2021 to the reception in the park of the Surenburg castle.

 

During the day fantastic sport, in the evening a celebration of superlatives. The park's ancient beech and oak trees have seen many  celebrations. In the evening, they - as well as the castle in the background - had been specially wrapped in a festive robe of light. The whole thing was accompanied by relaxed live music. Attentive staff ensured that the glasses were always full and spoiled the guests with a flying three-course menu. One had the impression, everyone enjoyed the moment, in which the first large tension of the weekend fell away and one was caught by the affectionate hospitality of the barons.

 

Among the invited guests were numerous prominent ones. There was, for example, Yvonne Gebauer, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister for Schools and Education, the businessman René Benko (Karstadt) and the zu Guttenberg couple. Jan Tops and his wife Edwina Tops-Alexander were accompanied by Athina Onassis. FEI President Ingmar de Vos was present, as was the new President of the German Equestrian Federation (FN), Hans-Joachim Erbel, and FN Secretary General Soenke Lauterbach. Not to forget the representatives of the Global Equestrian Group around European Championship host Ludger Beerbaum and Andreas Helgstrand. And above all, of course, the riders. The Germans in suits with the federal eagle on their chests, the Belgians still in white breeches - everyone as they liked, everyone was welcome. As Baron von Heereman Zuydtwyck announced in his speech: "We are happy, happy to have you here!" And Minister Gebauer summed it up aptly: "Where and how can you celebrate more beautifully than here with you in this beautiful park, with the beautiful castle in the background?" A rhetorical question. 

 

 

Host Ludger Beerbaum had the last word, thanking from the bottom of his heart for the support that made it possible at all to set up the European Championships in Riesenbeck in such a short time. If he could have listened to all the conversations at the white-covered tables, he would have noticed: The gratitude on the other side for hosting this "perfect tournament" is at least as great.