Denmark: Icy winds and warm hearts in Feldborg

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

27 March 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of Mette Holm Halvorsen

Feldborg. Denmark. Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 March. Every year, the Feldborg endurance ride marks the beginning of the Danish endurance season, held in a large pine tree plantation in the western parts of the country.

A very popular two day event with riders from the Scandinavian and other European countries, due to the long stretches and good footing which allows a steady speed and a good way to start the new season.

This year the effects of a special weather phenomenon over the Arctic, leading to wintery conditions unusually late in the season, challenged the riders with frozen ground and very icy winds blowing, even snow at times. The cold could not dampen the spirit of the hardy endurance riders and their horses, however, and the mood was happy and relaxed throughout the event as is the norm at Feldborg. As many as 20 riders started on March 17, in the longest 120 kilometre CEI2* with participants from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Holland...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/icy-winds-and-warm-hearts-in-feldborg/

Australia: Riders to tackle 320km in the Mary Valley this Easter

MySunshineCoast.com.au - Full Article

27th of March 2018

One of the longest endurance horse riding events in Australia will again take place in the Mary Valley over the Easter weekend, with riders taking on the challenging 320km marathon as part of the Far-A-Way Easter Endurance Carnival being held at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex.

The event will see over 200 competitors put their riding skills to the test across the program of eight rides ranging from the ‘tiny tots’ 5km ride to The Far-A-Way Marathon – a four-day, 320km event.

Far-A-Way Riders Club Secretary Saasha Grogan said riders competing in The Far-A-Way Marathon would cover approximately 80 km per day over four days, with the ride renowned for its technically challenging course in the forestry and hills of the Mary Valley.

“Depending on conditions, marathon front runners usually finish the ride after around 30 hours of riding time, so the level of commitment and endurance from the horse, the rider and their support teams is phenomenal.”

“While the marathon is timed and the leading rider awarded line honours, the focus of endurance riding is very much on the bond between the horse and rider, and both parties finishing in good condition..."

Read more here:
https://mysunshinecoast.com.au/news/news-display/riders-to-tackle-320km-in-the-mary-valley-this-easter,54061

The Foolproof Way to Reduce Doping Violations: Stop Testing!

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Cuckson Report | March 26, 2018

The endurance “round table” at the 2012 FEI sports forum was the first time stakeholders started to openly shame the desert sport.

The evening before I was introduced to the UAE delegate Dr Hallvard Sommerseth. Perhaps anticipating the next day’s debate, he told me the only reason the UAE recorded far more doping violations than anyone else was because the UAE had far more horses and did far more sampling than anyone else.

While this had a simple logic, I am always sceptical when people justify their position to someone they’ve only just met. That is sometimes a good instinct; three years later the FEI suspended Dr Sommerseth for faking ride results on an industrial scale.

Dr S might, of course, have given me 100% bona fide information about the UAE’s anti-doping measures in 2012, though I wouldn’t have been able to check it out independently; back then the FEI only divulged anti-doping returns from competitions staged in Europe.

In 2012, though, you could at least get a snapshot of Dubai’s attitude to doping from a decade’s worth of sampling returns from Euston Park, Sheikh Mohammed’s satellite venue in the UK. Sampling was undertaken at just 11 (40.7%) of Euston’s 27 FEI fixtures, and the only time horses ridden by Sheikh Mohammed himself were sampled there was the 2012 world championship – compulsory testing because it was a FEI medal ride and he won it...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/cuckson-report/foolproof-way-reduce-doping-violations-stop-testing/

Spain: Llanes Endurance Cup 2018

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

25 March 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of Alejandro Asensio.

Porrua, Principado de Asturias, Spain. Sunday 11 March 2018. XVII Raid club Montañas y Caballos. Llanes Endurance Cup 2018.

Porrúa, a small village of the LLanes region, located between the northern Spanish coast and the Picos de Europa national park, was headquarters of the 17th equestrian endurance race organized by the “Club Montañas y Caballos”. The 85km CEI1* event had 22 registered, along with other qualifying races (at controlled speed) of 80km, 60km and 40km.

The loops were conducted on the tracks of “Camino de Santiago”, coastal paths and the Mañanga and Cuera forests. Spring weather for much of the day, gave a respite to the previous’ weeks’ rains, and an optimal soil for the horses. This race, although without significant altitude differences, can be considered technical, since it crosses beaches, rivers and villages in the area...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/llanes-endurance-cup-2018/

Four adverse drug findings in horses announced, three of them in endurance

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

March 26, 2018 Horsetalk.co.nz

Prohibited substances have been found in four horses, three of them competing in endurance, according to the FEI.

The horse Flor Del Caribe, ridden by Argentina-registered Federica Rossi, tested positive to GW1516 Sulphone after competing in a CEI3* 160km endurance contest at Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, on February 10 this year. GW1516 is listed on the FEI drugs database base as an anabolic agent and is said to increase a horse’s exercise capacity. It is a banned substance.

The horse Bolota De Alcantara, ridden by Portugal-registered Rodrigo Picão Abreu, tested positive for O-Desmethyl Venlafaxine after competing in a CEI2* 120km endurance race in Reguengos de Monsaraz, Portugal, on February 17 this year. Venlafaxine is listed on the database as an antidepressant agent. It is a banned substance.

The third endurance case involves a horse named Sohair Des Bruyere, ridden by Russian-registered Elizaveta Minina in a CEI2* 120km endurance race in Doha, Qatar, on January 20 this year. The horse tested positive for the banned anabolic agent testosterone...

Read more at https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/03/26/four-adverse-drug-findings-horses-three-endurance/#kpaTyOeVaFVB684y.99

Brooke Becomes Official Charity for FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018

Equnews.com - Full Article

March 22, 2018
Katrien Equnnews

The Organizing Committee of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (WEG) is proud to announce the non-profit organization Brooke, Action for Working Horses and Donkeys, has been chosen as the “Official Charity for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018” taking place at Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina, USA this September 11 through 23.

The WEG, which takes place every four years, is the major international championship event for the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) regulated-disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining. This year, the WEG will be held at the 1,600-acre Tryon International Equestrian Center at Tryon Resort, co-founded in 2014 by the Tryon Equestrian Partners, which is comprised of six equestrian families who are all committed to the long-term development and growth of equestrian sport: Mark and Katherine Bellissimo, Roger and Jennifer Smith, Lisa Lourie, Jenji and Diana Mercer, Howard and Gwen Dvorkin, and Joe and Cindy Mitchell.

Headquartered in the UK, Brooke is an international charity that protects and improves the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules, whose labour keeps millions of poor families in developing countries around the world out of poverty.,,

Read more here:
http://equnews.com/championships/world-equestrian-games-en/brooke-becomes-official-charity-for-fei-world-equestrian-games-tryon-2018/

First Edition of E-Magazine Arabian Horse Int'l Published

Arabianhorseintl.net

March 13 saw the release of the first edition of Arabian Horse Int'l Magazine, an online monthly magazine which focuses on the global sport of endurance riding, Arabian flat racing, and Arabian horse shows in order to promote and disseminate the breeding of Arabian horses.

Publisher Cidinha Franzão of Brazil is an equestrian journalist and publisher since 2000, having traveled around the world following her passion of covering main events concerning the Arabian horse.

The first issue of Arabian Horse Int'l features an interview with World Champion Becky Hart, 10 years of the HH Shaikh Mansoor Festival, Germany's Sabrina Arnold's 2017 European Endurance Championship win, touring the island of Sardegna, and much more.

You can see the issue here:
http://arabianhorseintl.net/index.html

ESNZ Nationals at Springfield the FEI Championship Series Decider

NZEquestrian.org.nz

by Daryl Owen

The ESNZ Endurance Championship series comes to a close over Easter weekend with the ESNZ Endurance Nationals, being held at Springfield, Canterbury. It’s also the final event of five in the FEI series. With only one ride to go Naomi O’Shaughnessy and Castlebar Party Girl hold a commanding lead in the FEI series, this year sponsored by Mitavite. In the Championship series the competition is much closer, with only point between leader Alison Higgins on Northwinds Apollo and Naomi. Mistakes or misfortune by any one of those on the leader board could change the allocation of trophies tremendously. This region is renowned for challenging conditions and rocky ground so riders will need to be vigilant.

There are strong entries for this year’s Nationals. With a matter of days before competition starts just less than 100 horses are entered. Almost a third of those are entered in CTR classes, testament to the great work being done by host club, Canterbury Endurance and Trail Riding Club, in promoting the sport and encouraging new riders...

Read more at:
https://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/2018/03/esnz-nationals-at-springfield-the-fei-championship-series-decider/

Morocco desert stallion race pushes limits of endurance

Arabnews.com - Full Article

Published — Saturday 17 March 2018

ERFOUD, Morocco: Battling gusts of sandy wind, riders from across the world struggled to control feisty stallions as they raced in the first Gallops of Morocco, a desert endurance challenge.

In a country with an ancient history of horsemanship, the event in the wilderness of Merzouga was the first of its kind — a six-day test of stamina, navigation and teamwork.

Competitors spend four to seven hours a day in the saddle, covering up to 30 kilometers (18 miles) of rough terrain a day.

“You need a certain physical resistance,” said Deborah Amsellem, 30, who headed from Toulouse, France, with four friends to take part in the race near the oasis town of Erfoud...

Read more here:
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1268141/sports

France: Riders and horses put to the test in Raid des Contrebandiers

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

March 15 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of Sarah Sillero Photography

Hasparren, France. Saturday 25 February 2018. After days of hard rain, a splendid winter sun made each colour true for the “Raid des Contrebandiers” where riders were able to gallop between Pyrenees mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.

This first race of the year, is a good opportunity for endurance riders to prepare their racing season. A well-established event with its unique course in France, much appreciated by the riders. Many don’t hesitate to make the journey; local Aquitain riders as well as a courageous team from Brittany (headed by France Paul and Paul Bard), Marja Salomaa from Finland, and Spanish riders (Oier Etxenique from Guipuzkoa; Jesus Muniz from Asturias and Carlos Louis de Villa from Cantabria)...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/riders-and-horses-put-to-the-test-in-raid-des-contrebandiers/

British Equestrian Federation could lose £21m funding after bullying is revealed

TheGuardian.com - Full Article

• Commission finds climate of elitism, bullying and self-interest
• Federation faces losing £21m of funding

Press Association
Thu 15 Mar 2018 07.40 EDT

The British Equestrian Federation has been told it risks losing public funding of more than £21m after a damning report found evidence of bullying, elitism and self-interest within the sport.

The independent report was commissioned by the national governing body in October following the abrupt resignation of its chief executive, Clare Salmon, in July. She had been appointed in February 2016 to modernise the BEF but, as the report details, her approach ruffled feathers within equestrianism and she was forced out.

Salmon thanked the three-strong review panel, which was chaired by John Mehrzad, the lawyer who prepared a similar report for British Cycling last year.

“From day one I was set up to fail by people who were deliberately frustrating the change required,” Salmon said. “I was bullied out by people driven by self-interest and elitism. This is unacceptable for an organisation receiving more than £20m of public money...”

Read more here:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/mar/15/bullying-elitism-self-interest-british-equestrian-federation

First FEI ride of the year in Ecuador

Endurnce-world.com - Full Article

March 8 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of Nathalie Weemaels

Malchingui, Ecuador. Saturday 24 February 2018. Ecuador, a small Latin American country located in the middle of the Andes, is well-known for its biodiversity and wide variety of climates and topography.

Nevertheless, not only is the environment idealistic to practice endurance, but also the traditional horse culture, a key factor for the development of the discipline.

Unlike in other Latin American countries, the story of endurance riding in Ecuador is a relatively recent one as Endurance Ecuador, the main endurance association, is celebrating this year its tenth anniversary. Together with Endurance Azuay, from the Southern part of the country, they organize 12 official competitions a year, 4 of them being CEI/YJ...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/first-fei-ride-year-ecuador/

World Equestrian Games could bring $400M boost to WNC: 9 things to know

Citizen-times.com - Full Article

John Boyle, jboyle@citizen-times.com
March 11, 2018

MILL SPRING – The biggest horse event in the world is about to happen, and it's going to be right in our backyard.

The FEI World Equestrian Games — which organizers say may become the largest sporting event in North Carolina history — are slated to run Sept. 12-23 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Polk County. The event is expected to draw participants and spectators from around the world, and it could have an economic impact approaching a half billion dollars.

Equestrian Center founder Mark Bellissimo hopes locals join the international crowd for the games, which draw Olympic-caliber talent and are held every four years.

"We want people to realize that this is not only an event for equestrians; this is an event for people who love horses in any capacity," said Bellissimo, who with his business partners has invested more than $200 million in the TIEC...

Read more here:
https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2018/03/11/world-equestrian-games-could-bring-400-m-boost-wnc-9-things-know/401242002/

End of the adventure for the Gallops of Morocco 2018

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

by Admin

Drâa-Tafilalet, the golden dunes of Merzouga, Morocco. Sunday 4 March 2018
It is with emotion that the edition of the Gallops of Morocco 2018 ends. A human adventure where strong bonds are created.

After a week of fierce competition between the sixteen teams, it is the Ch’tis led by Grégoire Verhaeghe, already present at Gallops of Oman, who won the first place followed closely by the women’s team Quazane.

The polo club of Chantilly and Blue Ghallah share the third place of this 100% French podium! A victory brought by organized, communicative teams, who managed to preserve their horses throughout this raid despite the difficult weather conditions beating sandstorms and hot weather!

Participants will remember this unique experience that allowed them to enjoy breath-taking landscapes within the dunes of Merzouga and the city of Erfoud, as well as to discover the generous, endearing and robust Barb and Barb-Arabian. A privileged bond between man and horse, even so powerful that a rider decided to buy the horse she rode throughout this race, a beautiful proof of recognition!...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/end-of-the-adventure-for-the-gallops-of-morocco-2018/

Strong 2017 Season Propels Canadian Endurance Team to 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games

Equestrian.ca

March 8 2018

Canadian endurance athletes saw success across the globe in 2017, putting many riders in the position to declare for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Mill Spring, NC.

To be considered for the WEG Canadian Endurance Team, athletes must achieve a completion rate of 75% or greater with a minimum of five starts for 120km and 160km single-day rides. With a highly successful qualifying period (which began July 13, 2016 and runs to July 13, 2018) underway –– the following Canadian athletes have declared for WEG to date, making it the biggest longlist in Canadian endurance history:

Karen Badger – Grand Prairie, AB
Wendy Benns – Campbellcroft, ON
Lesley Danko – New Lowell, ON
Colleen DeVry – Bruderheim, AB
Teresa Finnerty – Palgrave, ON
Robert Gielen – Flesherton, ON
Jaylene Janzen – Spruce Grove, AB
Anya Levermann – One Hundred Mile House, BC
Wendy MacCoubrey – Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, QC
Ariel MacLeod – Montney, BC
Tara MacLeod – Montney, BC
Dessia Miller – Berwick, ON
Kimberley Woolley – Finch, ON
Yvette Vinton – Morriston, FL
Lexi Vollman – Regina, SK
Tracy Vollman – Regina, SK
Jaye Yavis – Winfield, AB
Jessica Yavis – Blacksalds, AB
Nancy Zukewich – Ottawa, ON

Read about the riders and horses here:
https://www.equestrian.ca/news/L5PfaySi3WAEuXXqe/strong-2017-season-propels-canadian

Canadian Athletes Announced for 2018 World Equestrian Games Endurance Test Event

Equestrian.ca

Ottawa, ON, March 6, 2018 – The following Canadian athletes have been invited to the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) Test Event – Endurance CEI 2*, to be held April 26-28, 2018 in Mill Spring, NC:

• Robert Gielen – Flesherton, ON
• Wendy MacCoubrey – Sainte-Justine-de-Newton, QC
• Kimberley Woolley – Finch, ON

The three athletes were chosen to compete in the 120km race based on their standings in the 2017 FEI Open Riders World Endurance Rankings, in which MacCoubrey was the highest placed Canadian, followed by Gielen and Woolley as the second- and third-highest Canadians.

MacCoubrey had an exceptional 2017 season that included multiple top-three finishes on her nine-year-old part Arabian mare, Black Bart’s Lolita (sired by Vondar Black Bart). The duo ended the year strong, earning fourth in the FEI Open Combination World Endurance Rankings.

Gielen was close behind in the FEI Open Combination World Endurance Rankings in eighth with his horse, More Bang for Your Buck (Doran x Forty Thieves). The nine-year-old Arabian gelding and Gielen have won six consecutive endurance races together at the FEI level since 2016.

The final athlete competing in the WEG Test Event, Woolley, has competed with her 12-year-old Arabian mare, Schakka Khan (Sambors Destiny x Hesa Champ), at the FEI level since 2013. The duo came in second at the 2017 Coates Creek Challenge, covering the 120km distance at an average pace of 12.14km/hr.

More information on the 2018 World Equestrian Games can be found at https://tryon2018.com.

Australia: FROM THE PADDOCK TO THE FIELD: Stuart Lymbery gives an insight into the world of endurance riding

TheRural.com.au - Full Article, photos, video

by Nikki Reynolds
March 1 2018

THE Riverina is home to some of the finest agricultural producers in Australia. It is also a region that is renowned for sporting success stories.

It is not unusual for an individual to juggle the commitments of working in a family farming business or the rural sector and then backing it up with several sessions of strenuous training a week to meet their sporting goals. This week The Rural talks to Wagga Livestock Marketing Centre operations manager Stuart Lymbery who is also a successful endurance rider and horse breeder based at his Big Springs property “Garone Park.”

STUART Lymbery loves nothing more than a big challenge.

For him that might mean completing the toughest endurance ride known as the Shahzada in St Albans.

The Shahzada stretches some 400 kilometres and is considered one of the most gruelling and challenging events in the sport.

It is an opportunity for horse and rider to be matched against tough terrain big distances and it is the ultimate test of fitness and soundness.

Mr Lymbery has successfully completed this event 11 times. And his gelding Garonne Park Walker has also earned the coveted title of best managed horse...

More at:
https://www.therural.com.au/story/5259068/from-wagga-saleyards-to-the-world-of-endurance-riding-photos-video/

Higgins claims the double at ESNZ Endurance South Island Championship

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

Race Report made with the assistance of Daryl Owen
28 February 2018

Cannington, Canterbury, New Zealand. Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 February 2018. ESNZ Endurance’s South Island Championship event took place this month in the picturesque Canterbury region of New Zealand.

This region is renowned for areas of rough stony ground which is not to be underestimated, and so it was, with two of the six starters completing the event.

Alison Higgins and Northwinds Apollo won the 160km Championship in a gallop finish narrowly ahead of Australian rider Naomi O’Shaughnessy riding Castlebar Party Girl. Higgins’ time across the line was 11:18:33, with O’Shaughnessy a second behind. The two rode the whole ride together, along with junior rider Kate James on Chartei. James, in her first 160km event, safely completed the distance in 11:33:38...

More report and photos here:
http://endurance-world.com/higgins-double-esnz-endurance-south-island-championship/