St Francis Bay riders tops at Queenstown Endurance

St. Francis Sport - South Africa
http://www.stfrancissport.co.za/index.php/archives/1306

ESTI STEWART

Endurance horse riders from the Kouga area formed the core of the top riders at the New Stead Ride held in Queenstown over the last weekend in February.

The first leg of an 80km ride started on New Stead farm at 05:30 on Saturday morning February 27, taking the 69 riders through the beautiful and rugged mountains near Queenstown. Conditions for the ride were tough in some places as riders had to negotiate steep up and down hills on rocky mountains.

Jenna Masterson (15) from St Francis Bay was determined to do well and had every confidence in the fitness and ability of her horse Xantium Zulu, owned by Alexander Holliday and trained by his mother Claire Holliday from Jeffreys Bay. She won the Junior Division in a time of 04:30:00 and in the second overall position. Her younger sister Kirsty (11), a Child Rider, rode her own horse Cydrob Crown Amira with their mother Jenny on Maestro, owned and trained by Daan Landman, as according to the rules a child rider has to ride with a senior rider. During the second leg of the ride Kirsty and Jenny was right behind a woman who fell of her horse, seriously injured. In the true spirit of endurance riding Jenny Mastersons and Bob Seegers stayed with the women, delaying them for 35 minutes. Kirsty finished the leg with another senior rider, but waited for her mother at the next compulsory rest period.

Despite the fact that they both lost more than half an hour due to supporting their co-competitor, they both finished with a time of 05:46:00 with Kirsty in second position (Child Riders) and Jenny in first position in the light weight senior rider category.

Daan Landman, Springbok rider from the Tsitsikamma was the first heavy weight home in a time of 04:35:00 on his gelding Shams El Farin Fasab, Chris Landman was second standard weight home on his mare Sahida, the Eastern Cape horse of the year 2009.

The Spirit of Endurance Award was given to Jenny Masterson and Bob Seegers from Graaff Reinett for unselfishly assisting the seriously injured woman, compromising their own positions and time in the competition. Jenna also won the cup for the Best Conditioned Horse in the Young Rider Division.
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