Mongol Derby: For 2 Montanans, unbroken horses and blow-torched marmot come with the territory in 'world's toughest' race

BillingsGazette.com - Full Article

By JEFF WELSCH jwelsch@billingsgazette.com
June 28 2016

They know Guinness calls it the longest and toughest equestrian race in the world – that they’ll be crossing the Mongolia steppe astride a series of unbroken horses while possibly or likely encountering dehydration from searing desert heat, hypothermia from penetrating mountain cold, roving packs of wild dogs, the snarling guard dogs of nomads, intense sleep deprivation, myriad diseases and, perhaps worst of all, dysentery from a local diet comprised of mutton, fermented mare's milk and – we swear this is true – blow-torched marmot.

Here’s what Kelly Hale of Red Lodge and Marie Griffis of Manhattan don’t know about the wild and woolly Mongol Derby, a 1,000-kilometer sprint in August that roughly follows in the hoof prints of an ancient Genghis Khan postal trail.

The route.

“I have two theories on this,” says Griffis, 42, a lifelong Montanan, dedicated horsewoman for just as long, and professional pastry chef. “One, they want to keep it a secret so nobody goes and scopes it out. And No. 2, for our safety.”

We hadn't mentioned the marauding bandits, lubricated by vodka and/or the mare's milk concoction called airag? They're in the Mongol Derby minefield, too.

So it won't be until on or around the Aug. 4 start near the capital Ulan Bator that Griffis and Hale learn, along with 42 other contestants from 13 countries, a remote route they’ll have 10 days to complete...

Read more here:
http://billingsgazette.com/sports/for-montanans-unbroken-horses-and-blow-torched-marmot-come-with/article_2018c549-c9d4-59ec-8670-8dba831b8ab5.html

Scotland: 2016 Cairngorm 100

Cairngorm100.co.uk

June 25 2016

As well as the 100 mile and 50 mile buckles for those completing the distance in the required time, there were two main prizes, the first being the first past the post awarded to the first rider to arrive and pass the final vetting. The second the Overall CG 100 winner. The Overall Winner is chosen by a combination of points awarded at each vet gate inspection, final arrival position and points awarded at the Best Condition inspection on the Sunday morning.

Overall Winner (Prize donated by Mike and Sally Bell)

I’m pleased to be able to inform you that the Overall Winner of the 2016 Cairngorm 100 is

First Ian Patterson on Tannasg Primo Dancer with 183 points

Second Helen McFarland and Just Jake with 172 points

Third Francesca Bakker and Aratahnes Aphrodite with 160 points

Fourth Susan Cox and Eden el Nyhl with 157 points

Fifth place Liz Booth and Zalah with 151 points

First Past the Post (Prize also donated by Mike and Sally Bell)
Helen McFarland, Francesca Bakker and Ian Patterson came over the finish line together in the true essence of the CG100. Sally has kindly offered to engrave two additional tankards so all three will have a first past the post prize.

Golden Oldies Award donated by Performance Equestrian to
Helen McFarland and Just Jake at 21 years (That's Jake not Helen)

50 miles (Half way there buckle)
Julia Harman and Simeric Solaman

Leonne Davenport and Dromasque

100 milers who passed 50 mile vetting awarded the Half way there buckle

Lesley Muirden and Meave

Sally Toye and Emira Bint Letifa

Lisa Falk and Gameboy

Les Sparks and Magic's Mistrel

30 milers

Matt Walker and Cumbria Aswad

It was a tough ride, congratulations to all those that finished

Clive

Australia: Tahlia Franke’s Countdown to Tevis

EasycareInc.com blog - full story

Tuesday, June 28, 2016 by Team Easyboot

With the 2016 Tevis Cup now less than 30 days away, Tahlia Franke isn’t sitting around twiddling her thumbs, she is burning up the trails and the racetrack. On June 25, the 17-year-old from Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, competed in her first track races—and won.

Franke, a senior in high school, has been riding and training both flat track racehorses and endurance horses for Jay Randle’s Splendacrest Arabians for several years. Arabian races are usually held in conjunction with Thoroughbred races, and Franke has “strapped” at a number of them. (A strapper someone who holds a position looking after racehorses. The duties range from cleaning out the stables and yards, feeding, grooming and blanketing horses, plus saddling horses for track-work and races, hence the name.)...

- See more at: http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/team-easyboot/tahlia-franke%E2%80%99s-countdown-to-tevis#sthash.WVcvPJJT.dpuf

Cristina Mutis, the Colombian champion of horse endurance

TheCityPaperBogota.com - Full Article

Richard Emblin
June 27, 2016

Cristina Mutis chuckles at the fact she never made it to her Sweet 16 party, prom, and high school graduation. While other teenagers were busily picking out dresses and sashes, the young endurance horse racer was harvesting trophies at prestigious equestrian events across South America.

Cristina, fondly known as “Tata,” is Colombia’s ambassador of a high-intensity sport. Although this country has specialized riding clubs and many serious amateurs, few have traveled so far on horseback and risen to the challenge of long-distance endurance. For those who know horses – and Cristina grew up surrounded by them – endurance is far more than an outdoor riding experience, but an extreme challenge in which horse and rider must cover rugged terrain of 80, 120, and 160km. The endurance features rigorous veterinarian checkpoints in order to ensure the welfare of the horses.

Horses average a speed of approximately 20 kpm, and regardless of weather conditions and the trail, riders and horses are subject to the same physical and mental challenge in a competition that can last more than 24 hours. At the finish-line exam, horses are once again carefully examined in order to receive a completion certificate and placing. Exhaustion and stress are common obstacles that can lead to elimination from a race.

Cristina has never known a day in which she has not mounted a horse nor been in a stable caring for one. On her family’s farm in the hills near Bogotá she learned about nutrition and how to psychologically bond with the animals.

A childhood passion turned into a professional career for Cristina and riding required her to undergo home schooling. Even though her parents unconditionally supported her ambition to ride in equestrian events across the hemisphere, the process that led to en- durance began with a “good horse” and hours-upon-hours of training...

Read more here:
http://thecitypaperbogota.com/features/cristina-mutis-the-colombian-champion-of-horse-endurance/13453

France: Shaikh Nasser hails royal team success in Lignieres endurance race

BNA.bh - Full Article

26/06/2016

Manama, June 26 (BNA): HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad has praised the extraordinary efforts made by the the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team's jockeys during Lignieres Endurance Race, where the Bahrainis topped the podium as well as bagging the second, fourth and sixth places. HH pointed out that the performances exhibited by the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team reflects the real caliber of the team's jockeys and proves Bahrain strength in this sport.

HH highlighted the strong display of the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team during the event, stating that it will have a positive impact on the morale of the team who will be preparing for other heavy-weight events scheduled to take place soon.

HH Shaikh Nasser reserved special praise for the administrative and technical teams whose efforts were key to achieve this success. It's worth indicating that jockey Yaquob Al Hammadi of the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team secured first place in the 160km race after clocking 8:17:26 seconds on his horse, Prudence...

Read more here:
http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/733959

Australia: Imbil takes the reins for national endurance championships

Mysunshinecoast.com.au - Full Article

June 23 2016

The Mary Valley in Queensland will play host to the 2016 Equestrian Australia Endurance Championships when Australia’s first purpose-built endurance complex opens its paddocks to riders from across the country between 14-17 July.

The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) event has been awarded to the newly founded Imbil-based Sterling Crossing Endurance Association which is preparing to welcome over 50 competitors from across the country to the region.

Matt Sample, owner of Sterling Endurance Arabians and founder of the club, said he was delighted to host the internationally accredited event which would see the best in the sport battle it out for the national title over distances of 82, 120 and 160 kilometres.

“Hosting the Australian Championships at our new facility is certainly a wonderful way to launch the ride base which we have been working on perfecting since April 2015,” said Mr Sample...

Read more here:
http://mysunshinecoast.com.au/news/news-display/imbil-takes-the-reins-for-national-endurance-championships,44330

Canada: Rider hopes to make ‘Hoofprints for Diabetes’

Weyburnreview.com - Full Article

Weyburn Review
JUNE 22, 2016

Alexandra Teske was upset at the effects diabetes is having on her husband Katlin, and on thousands of others across Canada, and decided to do her part to help.

She is planning to ride her horse Hidalgo alongside her husband from Lang up to Regina on Saturday, July 2, as a fundraiser for the Canadian Diabetes Association, a campaign she has dubbed “Hoofprints for Diabetes”.

Alexandra has been riding her horse from her ranch northwest of Yellow Grass into town, a distance of some eight kilometres (five miles), to help build up the horse’s endurance for the longer ride, and over the weekend went on a three-day trail ride in Moose Mountain Provincial Park with Katlin and some friends.

Hidalgo is an appaloosa, and is about seven years old, and as Alexandra noted, he’s a completely different horse from when they bought him two years ago.

“He’s come a long way. He was sort of a mutt horse,” she said, noting the horse’s previous owner called him “Hammerhead”, and was scared of the horse as it could be aggressive and hard to ride...

- See more at: http://www.weyburnreview.com/news/local-news/rider-hopes-to-make-hoofprints-for-diabetes-1.2283733#sthash.1hPwxrJP.dpuf

Australia Announces Short list for the 2016 FEI World Endurance Championships for Seniors

Equestrian.org.au

June 23 2016

Equestrian Australia is announcing the Short List for the 2016 FEI World Endurance Championships for Seniors.

The Championships will be held in Samorin, Slovakia on the 16-17 September 2016.

The Individuals selected for the Short List are:

Jennifer Annetts
Benjamin Hudson
Sasha Laws-King
Sarah McLaughlin
Rebecca Miller
Rebecca Pinder
Jodie Salinas
Kristie Taprell
Alexandra Toft
Penelope Toft

Jordan: FEI announces banned substance positive

FEI.org

21 Jun 2016

The FEI has announced an adverse analytical finding involving prohibited substances.

Samples taken at the 80km CEI*1 in Amman (JOR) on 21 May 2016 from the second-placed horse Obama Al Aswad (FEI ID 104DF50, ridden by Nayef Al Fayez (FEI ID 10066952), have returned positive for the banned substance Boldenone, and the controlled medications Dexamethasone, Meloxicam, Phenylbutazone and its metabolite Oxyphenbutazone.

Boldenone, an anabolic steroid, is a banned substance under the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs).

The corticosteroid Dexamethasone is used to treat inflammatory and auto-immune conditions, while the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Meloxicam, Phenylbutazone and its metabolite Oxyphenbutazone are used for pain relief.

The athlete has been provisionally suspended from the date of notification (20 June 2016). The horse has also been provisionally suspended for a two-month period.

Further details on this case can be found here.

Tom Hagis and Indian Reinman Top FEI World Open Combination Rankings

June 15 2016

USA's Tom Hagis, from Fries, Virginia, in the Northeast region, and his gelding Indian Reinman, rank at the top of the FEI World Open Combination Rankings with 269 points.

Indian Reinman also holds the top spot in the Open Horse World Endurance Ranking with 269 points.

Their 2016 record is 7 for 7, with 1 100-mile completion and 1 Best Condition award. All of their 2016 finishes are in the top 5: 2nd place in the 50-mile Goethe Benefit; 1st place in the 55-mile On the Edge; 2nd place and BC in the 75-mile Broxton Bridge; 3rd place in the 50-mile Down Under Youth Benefit; 5th place in the 100-mile FITS; 4th place in the 75-mile Indian Springs; and 4th place in the 75-mile Biltmore Challenge.

By Czar Nickolas out of Dancing Sunlight by Electryon, Indian Reinman is a 10-year-old gray gelding with 1485 miles in 5 seasons of endurance, and a record of 25 finishes in 28 starts.

Longines FEI World Endurance Championships 2016 Allocated to Slovakia

FEI.org

15 Jun 2016

The Longines FEI World Endurance Championships 2016 will be held in Samorin (SVK) following a decision at yesterday’s FEI Bureau monthly teleconference meeting. A unanimous proposal from the FEI Endurance Committee recommending the Slovakian venue received the support of the full Bureau.

Three bids to host the Championships were received when the bid process was reopened in April of this year following the decision to reallocate the event. Also bidding were Fontainebleau (FRA) and San Rossore, Pisa (ITA), but the Bureau ruled that neither of these two venues were suitable due to concerns over welfare and safety. Both venues proposed mid-October dates, meaning that the rides would start and finish in the dark, potentially putting horses and riders at risk. There is also increased potential for heavy rain in these areas at that time of year.

Samorin Equestrian Centre, the brain-child of Slovakian businessman Mario Hoffmann, staged very successful FEI European Endurance Championships last year. The 2016 World Championships will run from 15-18 September, with the qualification period ending on 16 July.

The Championships had originally been allocated to Dubai and were scheduled to be held in December of this year, but at its spring in-person meeting on 6-7 April, the FEI Bureau voted to remove the Championships from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as it felt that the UAE National Federation is not currently in a position to guarantee that horse welfare would be fully protected.

“We were very happy to receive three bids and appreciate the willingness to support the FEI at such short notice for this year’s World Championships”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said, “but the Bureau had no hesitation in opting for Samorin. Horse welfare has to be the most important element in the allocation of these major events and Samorin has a proven track record, having already run both the young horse and European Endurance Championships very successfully.

“The timing of the Championships was also important and, with the three bids all coming from Europe, the Bureau felt that a September date was more appropriate. Both Fontainebleau and San Rossore were proposing mid-October when the reduced daylight hours could potentially have an impact on safety. Safeguarding the safety and welfare of the equine and human athletes is our top priority in all our disciplines.”

Driving Championships

Additionally, the Bureau allocated the FEI World Driving Championships for Young Horses 2016 to Mezöhegyes (HUN). The Championships, which were reallocated following the withdrawal of original host venue, Conty (FRA), will run from 8-11 September.

Will the FEI break its own rules?

Fair-endurance.com - Full Article

June 9 2016



5. No NFs shall be allocated two (2) consecutive FEI World or FEI Continental Championships in the same Discipline for the same Category of Athletes, unless there are no other suitable applications.

How do you understand this point?

Option 1: No country is allowed to host 2 consecutive World Championships or 2 consecutive European Championships, right?
If World Endurance Championship 2014 was held in France in Normandy, so, World Endurance Championship 2016 can’t be held in France again, right?

Option 2: Or can we interpet this point as “no country is allowed to host the Championships for 2 consecutive years”?
If Samorin was the host of European Championship 2015, it can’t be the host of World Championship 2016, isn’t it?

As we know now, there are three bidders for the World Endurance Championship 2016: Fontainebleau (FRA), Samorin (SVK), San Rossore (ITA).

If we interpret the Article 106.5 in first supposed way, then Fontainebleau is ineligible, because in such case France will host two consecutive World Championships (2014 and 2016).

If we interpret the Article 106.5 in second supposed way, then Samorin is ineligible, because in such case the same venue will host the Championships for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016).

Both Fontainebleau and Samorin are ineligible, because we have another application from third bidder: San Rossore.

So, if the FEI Bureau will announce the new venue of WEC 2016 in Fontainebleau or Samorin, it will be the violation of own rules of the FEI...

Read more here:
http://fair-endurance.com/will-the-fei-break-its-own-rules/

Great Britain: Teenager to tackle 240-mile ride in memory of best friend

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Rachael Hook
06:55 - 12 June, 2016

A teenager will be tackling a 240-mile ride next month in memory of her best friend.

17-year-old Lucy Harley plans to ride from Princes Mead, Winchester, to Daymer Bay, Cornwall.

The Newbury A-level student decided to take on the challenge to raise funds for Allegra’s Ambition.

The charity was set up in memory of her friend, Allegra, who died suddenly in February last year, 16 days before her 16th birthday.

Allegra had a passion for sport and Allegra’s Ambition aims to help other young people enhance their lives through sport and outdoor activities.

Lucy and Allegra enjoyed hacking and hunting together.

“Allegra loved horses,” Lucy told H&H. “I wanted to do something special in her memory — we were at prep school in Winchester and Allegra loved going on holiday every year to Daymer Bay...

Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/teenager-tackle-240-mile-ride-memory-best-friend-allegras-ambition-542985#XAb3zX8ozzuwKidL.99

India: Galloping in a solo saddle

Ratheesh Sundaram photo
NewIndianExpress.com - Full Article

Babu Kunnumpuram’s 15-acre lush green farmhouse in Vaniyampara, 100 km from Kochi, is hardly a noticeable one. But behind his modest house, a muddy road leads to open land enveloped by huge trees, where a stable that houses five horses stands. This is Stallion’s Valley Horse Riding Academy, Kerala’s only horse riding school. Babu leads us inside where the steeds of Kathiawari and Marwari breed, sourced from Bengaluru and Mysuru, stand ready to gallop.

Today, the academy is trotting towards a makeover. Babu has sought the Kerala government’s permission to start Green Farm, a tourist resort which will be equipped with adventure rides, trekking, a rifle-shooting course, walk-in aviary of exotic birds and pets, forest and hill camping, a homestay for horses and dormitary facility. The permission is likely to come next month.

“We will develop the academy into a huge tourist destination. The inspection team will be here next week. Some people are willing to invest and a management consultant has been roped in,” says 31-year-old Babu.

It all began in 2010 when Babu bought an English Breed from Mysuru for `50,000. “I learnt riding on my own, but when the prospect of starting a school popped up, I sought the help of Nharoth Ali, a US-trained professional rider currently involved with the Qatar Equestrian Federation. Just like driving, there are certain principles that we need to adhere to while riding a horse,” he says...

Read more here:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/Galloping-in-a-solo-saddle/2016/06/11/article3474344.ece2

FEI announces two banned substance positives for UAE Riders

FEI.org

3 Jun 2016

The FEI has announced two adverse analytical findings involving prohibited substances.

Samples taken at the CEI1* in Doha (QAT) on 22 April 2016 from the winning horse Centurion, FEI ID 102RM71/QAT, ridden by Abdulla Mubarak Rashed Al Khaili, FEI ID 10076760/UAE, have returned positive for the banned substance human Erythropoietin (EPO). EPO is a banned substance under the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations (EADCMRs).

Samples taken at the same event from the horse SUR (Mabrouk), FEI ID UAE01796/QAT, ridden to second place by Mohd Butti Ghemran Al Qubaisi, FEI ID 10092584/UAE, also returned positive for human EPO.

EPO is a peptide hormone that is produced naturally in the body. It is released from the kidneys and acts on the bone marrow to stimulate red blood cell production. An increase in red blood cells improves the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry to the body’s muscles.

Under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Rules, EPO has been banned as a performance enhancing substance for human athletes since the early 1990s, but a reliable testing method was not in place until 2000. EPO has been banned for equine use under the FEI’s EADCMRs since 2010.

“EPO is well known in human endurance sports in which an increased number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells is an advantage, but the substance has little benefit in equestrian sport and this is the first time we have seen FEI horses testing positive for EPO”, FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström said. “Horses have a large natural reserve of red blood cells stored in their spleen, and the use of EPO would actually have a negative effect in many horses as the increased level of red blood cells would slow down blood circulation.”

“Clean sport is a top priority for all governing bodies”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said, “and a key part of that is protecting our clean athletes. So we will take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that there is no room in our sport for those who attempt to gain a competitive advantage through the use of prohibited substances.”

Both athletes have been provisionally suspended from the date of notification (2 June 2016). The two horses have also been provisionally suspended for a two-month period.

Further details on these cases can be found on this page.