The 2004 International Rally in Borculo was attended by around 275 participants from 15 countries including 122 Germans and 37 Dutch. It was hot!
Jos Beerstecher from WIMA Netherlands reported: 30 degrees and not a breath of wind and not a cloud in the sky, it was so hot! And how many wasps there were!
On arrival on August 1, it appeared that the communication with our guests from Japan had gone wrong regarding the bedding. They assumed that would be included. A roundup with the other participants quickly yielded enough sleeping bags.
On August 2 there was an opportunity to participate in the traditional Dutch folk game ‘klootschieten’. This is a game in which a predetermined course must be completed in as few throws as possible with a ball weighted with lead. As far as is known, without any major accidents, although it could happen that a team coming from behind managed to throw a little further and thus got too close to the teams that had started earlier. The advice was then to wait. This day it was also possible to register for the gymkhana. In the evening, the welcome buffet and the performance of the local folkloric dance group, the Diekhookse Klumkes. Of course, after a few dances, our guests were asked to join in.
The field that was used for the gymkhana on August 3 was divided in width for the different parts, such as biting a biscuit, spearing rings from a tandem, filling buckets with water that had to be transported in cups on the head while walking, tug- of-war and other games. Everything came to a standstill when a Japanese pair who had never cycled before and who, once on the saddle, could no longer reach the ground with their feet, did not cover the field in width, but probably in length due to a steering error. They provided an unforgettable and hilarious performance and eventually managed to return to their starting position without falling. Whether they had speared a ring is unknown and does not matter. The participants from then on will vividly remember the burst of laughter that crossed the field.
August 4 was dominated by the tour ride and an evening stroll in Borculo. In view of the heat, many WIMAs had moved to the nearby lake to cool off, enjoy a lazy swim and sunbathe. This was also the day Lichtenstein finally arrived. Three beautifully attired ladies in homemade dresses trimmed with ladles, slippers and plastic bottles arrived in a carriage decorated with bunches of balloons and drawn by a team of horses. The horses were briefly upset by the crowds, but luckily the coach driver had them well in hand. Later that evening, the ladies performed ABBA songs.
On August 5, people could choose to either go to the Veluwe Park and the Kröller Muller Museum, where a permanent exhibition of Vincent van Gogh is displayed, or to Het Loo Palace. In the evening a thunderous performance by the women’s band ‘Too Hot to Handle’, a party band that raised the roof and despite the heat, the hall was swinging to every song.
August 6, the day of the parade. The parade was led by an old-timer ladder truck of the fire brigade. The Captains of the participating countries sat in and on this car, behind it a string of motorcyclists, who together made a ride of about 30 kilometres in and around Borculo as a thank you for the hospitality. The farewell dinner and speeches, the award ceremony, the presentation of Sweden and the disco followed.
