Monday, December 31, 2018

Copa Chile was finally here and it was better than expected

Endurance-World.com - Full Article

30th December 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of André Alvarez

Matetic Wineyard, Casablanca, Chile. Saturday 15 December 2018. The Copa Chile turned out to be a beautiful and crowded event with more than 120 riders. The first category began a 06:30 in the morning.


29 horses competed for the first place on FEI2* 120km for adults and also tickets to the Dubai Crown Prince Cup scheduled for 16 March 2019 in Dubai.

Everybody was interested about this race because aside of the honour of the cup and the prices, there were the best horses of the season in the same race.

In the first loop Paula Llorens on Vikingo took the lead. They did great average speed on every loop and even better recovery times than the rest. This way they made it very hard for their competitors to have a chance...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/copa-chile-was-finally-here-and-it-was-better-than-expected/

Sunday, December 30, 2018

2018: A Year in Driving and Endurance

FEI.org - Full Article

27 December 2018

Young riders and horses were among those who impressed most during the year in Endurance, the discipline which puts human and equine stamina and determination to the test.

The FEI European Championships for Young Riders & Juniors took place in Pisa, Italy in July over a 120km course. Spain’s Raquel Costa Codina took the Individual title with bay Tunez Costa ahead of Slovakia’s Micahela Supekova and France’s Lilou Tomas Arnoud.

Codina made it a double victory as she also helped Spain to the Team prize, as they edged host nation Italy into second place.

In September, the World Endurance Championship for Young Horses was staged in Šamorín, Slovakia...

Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/driving-endurance-review-2018

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Token Reimbursement Offered for Disastrous Tryon Endurance Ride

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

December 28, 2018 | Comments
by: Pippa Cuckson

Countries represented in the abandoned endurance ride at the World Equestrian Games are to be reimbursed 1000 CHF ($1006) per rider by the FEI.

The token sum – equivalent to the entry fee – is described as a “subsidy” in a FEI letter to all national federations. It is accompanied by a reminder that the FEI was not to blame for the false start and other disastrous events at Tryon on ride day, September 12, and that the decision to cancel was force majeure.

The FEI board decision follows unsuccessful compensation requests from an undisclosed number of national federations. News of the “subsidy” has intensified anger on social media from riders who had been hoping for more detail from the Equine Community Integrity Unit (ECIU) investigation into that disastrous day...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/token-reimbursement-offered-disastrous-tryon-endurance-ride/

FEI uses emergency powers to improve care of seriously injured endurance horses

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Pippa Cuckson
11:15 - 28 December, 2018

A loophole that enabled fatal or career-threatening equine injuries to be “airbrushed” out of FEI results has been tackled by the FEI’s new temporary endurance committee.

The FEI has used emergency powers to approve the new rule, just days after it was drafted under the chairmanship of Britain’s Dr Sarah Coombs.

From 1 February, endurance judges can apply a new severe injuries (SI) elimination code, which will carry the same sanctions for riders as the existing catastrophic injury (CI) category.

It is hoped the SI code will promote transparency and remove incentives to prolong an injured horse’s suffering...

Read more at https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/fei-uses-emergency-powers-improve-care-seriously-injured-endurance-horses-674294#OKHT6OCbWqDZQ1g7.99

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Estonia: Padise Equestrian Centre to bid to host 2021 FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Riders & Juniors and for Young Horses

PEC.ee

Beautiful Padise county is located in Estonia - the small country in Northern Europe that has an amazing variety of landscapes, from over a thousand picturesque lakes to dense forests, where various animals live.
The rare endurance venue can offer the loops which include the forest tracks, field roads, and beach sand. Padise is one of them. This place is located just a few kilometers from the coast of the Baltic Sea.

In 2017 Padise Equestrian Centre hosted two FEI Endurance international events, under the name Padise Endurance Festival I and II respectively.

In 2018, Padise Equestrian Centre hosted six FEI events during the season, naming them Padise Endurance Festival III to VIII.

Nine FEI events are scheduled for 2019, to be named the Padise Endurance Festival IX to XVII.

Organizers prepared the world-class facilities, including the permanent endurance village with a cozy national design, impressing all the officials and participants.

For more information about Padise Equestrian Centre visit website www.pec.ee

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Umbria Endurance Lifestyle 2018 – Winter edition

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

23rd December 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of sistemaeventi.it

Horses Sporting Club La Lame in Montefalco – Umbria Region, Italy. Sunday 16 December 2018. The winter edition of Umbria Endurance Lifestyle 2018 has not betrayed the expectations, it brought not only the beauty and the charm of the unique territory of Montefalco, Bevagna, Trevi and Foligno, but also the strength of a constantly growing movement.

The five rides hosted in the structures of the Horses Sporting Club Le Lame in Montefalco saw the highest quality and expert riders and horses claiming the podium spots.
Therefore, the satisfaction of the organizers was legitimate, starting from Gianluca Laliscia, managing director of sistemaeventi.it, and Giovanni Zampolini, owner of the Horses Sporting Club Le Lame who confirmed the great potential of his equestrian centre for what concerns the organization of major events...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/umbria-endurance-lifestyle-2018-winter-edition/

Monday, December 24, 2018

Oman: Ammar bags first place in endurance race

TimesOfOman.com - Full Article

December 23, 2018 | 9:34 PM by ONA

Barka: Horse rider Ammar Al Balushi (Horse Marfal) secured the first place in the one-star international endurance race for 100 kms organised by Oman Equestrian Federation for season 2018-2019 at the Endurance Village at Seih Al Mahamid in the Wilayat of Barka.

Sixteen out of 44 horses succeeded in crossing the finish line after having passed the veterinary tests one day prior to the race.

Ammar Al Balushi secured the first place in the one-star international endurance race for 100 kms after completing in 4 hours, 7 minutes and 20 seconds...

Read more here:
https://timesofoman.com/article/647983/Sports/Ammar-bags-first-place-in-endurance-race

Sunday, December 23, 2018

FEI Board moves swiftly to close loophole over catastrophic injuries in Endurance

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 23, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

FEI officials have moved quickly to close a loophole over catastrophic injuries to endurance horses.

The current FEI Endurance rules define a catastrophic injury as one requiring euthanasia.

Sanctions are applied on the basis of the owner agreeing to the horse being euthanised and can be avoided if euthanasia is refused, with obvious serious welfare consequences for the horse.

The Endurance Temporary Committee, set up by the FEI in a further bid to tidy up undesirable aspects of the discipline and return it to its “original roots”, discussed the catastrophic injury issue during its December 12 meeting.

It proposed that, in addition to catastrophic injury, the sanction would also apply when there is a “severe injury” to the horse...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/12/23/fei-loophole-catastrophic-endurance-injuries/

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Endurance Department Updates

Inside.Fei.org

21 Dec 2018
FEI Endurance Rules

At present, the FEI Endurance Rules define a Catastrophic Injury as one requiring euthanasia. Sanctions are applied on the basis of the owner agreeing to the horse being euthanised and can be avoided if euthanasia is refused with obvious serious welfare consequences for the horse. The Endurance Temporary Committee discussed this serious issue during their meeting on the 12 December and has proposed that, in addition to catastrophic injury, the sanction would also apply when there is a “Severe Injury” of the horse.

In order to protect the welfare of the horse, the FEI Board unanimously approved during their teleconference of 19 December 2018 the following modification to Article 815.3 of the Endurance rules which can be found here. This change would become effective as of 1 February 2019.

Please take note that in keeping with FEI Statutes Art. 20.3, the FEI Board may pass resolutions which are normally the prerogatives of the General Assembly. In such cases, the National Federations are promptly notified. If a majority of the National Federations eligible to vote, respond within thirty (30) days of the date of the notice, signifies its disapproval, the measure shall be rescinded if possible.

In addition, as the Endurance Temporary Committee continues working on its proposals for Endurance Rule changes for 2020, which will be discussed at the FEI Sports Forum next April, the FEI will actively reach out to Organisers to test the implementation of modified Heart Rates and presentation times in order to gather valuable information that will be presented as part of the Endurance discussions at the Sports Forum.

Should you have any question, do not hesitate to contact Marc Chovelon at marc.chovelon@fei.org or Aude Barby at aude.barby@fei.org

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Spain Fails in Second Appeal for WEG Endurance Medals

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

December 17, 2018
by: Pippa Cuckson

Spain, front-runners when the World Equestrian Games endurance ride was controversially called-off, has failed in a second attempt to receive medals in hindsight.

The FEI Tribunal dismissed an appeal from the Spanish Equestrian Federation in a decision notice published this week. Spain’s first appeal at Tryon on September 12th also failed.

Tribunal rejected the claim on a number of legal points, notably that under FEI rules the winning horses must have completed the “entire course” and passed the final vetting. By definition, the FEI said, anything cancelled cannot have a winner.

Tribunal also rejected the argument that precedent was set at the Euston Park 2012 world championship, abandoned during a heavy storm. On that occasion, Tribunal said, 52 combinations and four teams had completed the whole competition before the thunderstorm arrived...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/spain-2nd-appeal-weg-endurance/

Saturday, December 15, 2018

Long Rider Jing Li cements his place in equestrian history


Jing Li has ridden thousands of kilometres across some of the world’s most remote terrain. Photos: Longridersguild.com
Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 15, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

Jing Li, once dubbed the world’s most elusive Long Rider, has completed an epic ride across Russia, and is now making plans for an 11,250-kilometre horseback journey from St Petersburg, Russia, to Jiang’an in China.

Long Riders’ Guild founder CuChullaine O’Reilly says the Chinese-born rider has established himself as the foremost equestrian traveller in the saddle today.

The completion of his latest ride from the Caucasus Mountains across Russia has added to Jing Li’s remarkable series of achievements in the saddle.

At the end of the 4380km journey, he carried the Guild flag into the Moscow lecture hall of the Russian Geographical Society...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/12/15/long-rider-jing-li-equestrian-history/?utm_medium=40digest.prsonly.20181215.home&utm_source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign

Friday, December 14, 2018

Spain: France's Virginie Atger wins the 65th International Raid of Barcelona – Santa Susana

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

14 December 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of Marc Grèbol

Sant Pol de Mar, Barcelona. Thursday 6, Friday 7 and Saturday 8 December 2018. The French elite rider Virginie Atger won the 65th Barcelona International Raid – Santa Susana (sponsored by SportHG and Meydan), the oldest equestrian endurance competition in Europe.

Atger completed the 192km race, divided over two days, on her horse Come’t d’Ardene with a time of 11:45 and demonstrated his enormous quality at the end of the European endurance season.
For 20 years, the town of Santa Susana has hosted the Barcelona Raid in the first week of december. The event enjoys a special prestige among the European riders of this discipline, both for its age and the closure of the sports season. The discipline of endurance or raid, in peak in recent years, consists of traveling long distances on horseback, divided into several phases. Thus, a great physical and mental resistance is required for both the rider and the horse, as well as great skills of domination of time and energy...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/virginie-atger-wins-international-raid-of-barcelona-santa-susana/

‘Cheating must be stamped out’: new endurance committee faces up to challenges

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Eleanor Jones
17:28 - 13 December, 2018

The people tasked with cleaning up endurance say they are “under no illusions about the challenges” they face, after their first meeting.

The temporary committee set up by the FEI board in October, to “urgently review the endurance rules in order to address the issues currently affecting the discipline”, met at FEI HQ in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday (12 December).

Committee chairman Sarah Coombs, a British vet, said: “Today’s meeting generated really strong and productive debate and, together with input from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, we have already drawn up a list of our key focus areas. Your voices are being heard.”

Committee members had already had a “huge amount” of feedback from the endurance world, on a number of key areas.

These include: increased testing of horses for prohibited substances, increased sanctions for horse abuse, reviewing speeds, reassessment of rules on mandatory rest periods, redefinition of elimination codes (particularly catastrophic injury), qualifications, hyposensitivity screening, heart rates, over-training and over-competing, course design and crewing numbers...

Read more at https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/cheating-must-stamped-new-endurance-committee-faces-challenges-673162#2kHk5XZkwv5DKmK8.99

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Endurance committee takes first steps to clean up sport

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 13, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

A temporary committee charged with an urgent review of the FEI’s endurance rules has had its first in-person meeting at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

The committee has a remit to bring the discipline back to its original roots of endurance riding as opposed to endurance racing. Britain’s Dr Sarah Coombs, chairwoman of the committee, said it had received “a huge amount” of feedback from the endurance community on an array of topics, following its establishment by the FEI Board.

Coombs said the committee would do “whatever is necessary to rebuild the trust of our community and restore the image of a discipline that has every right to remain a part of the FEI, provided the rules are adhered to and enforced to ensure that our horses are protected and cheating is stamped out.”

She said the meeting generated “strong and productive debate”, and its key focus areas had been decided...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/12/13/endurance-committee-clean-up-sport/

FEI Endurance Temporary Committee Holds First In-Person Meeting

Inside.FEI.org

12 Dec 2018

The Temporary Committee, established by the FEI Board in October to urgently review the Endurance rules in order to address the issues currently affecting the discipline, held its first in-person meeting at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) today.

Dr Sarah Coombs (GBR), who chairs the Temporary Committee, said after the meeting: “Today’s meeting generated really strong and productive debate and, together with input from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, we have already drawn up a list of our key focus areas. Your voices are being heard. We are under no illusions about the challenges of the task ahead, but the future of the discipline is under the spotlight and we will do whatever is necessary to rebuild the trust of our community and restore the image of a discipline that has every right to remain a part of the FEI, provided the rules are adhered to and enforced to ensure that our horses are protected and cheating is stamped out.”

The Temporary Committee has already received a huge amount of feedback from the Endurance Community on a number of key areas, including:

• Increased testing of horses for prohibited substances;
• Increased sanctions for horse abuse;
• Review of speeds;
• Reassessment of rules on mandatory rest periods;
• Redefinition of elimination codes (particularly Catastrophic Injury);
• Elite athlete status and “jockey riders”;
• Qualifications, including qualification as a combination;
• Increased completion percentage before allowing upgrade to next level;
• Reinstate and redefine two-hour invasive treatment rule;
• Hyposensitivity screening (the use of the FEI Hyposensitivity Control System (HCS) was voted in at last month’s FEI General Assembly for implementation in 2019);
• Heart rates and presentation times at Vet Gate;
• Definition of and registration of trainers;
• Over-training/over-competing;
• Mandatory medication logbook and out of competition testing;
• Extended provisional suspension for horses testing positive to Banned Substances
• Course design
• Tack and equipment
• Crewing numbers

This first meeting also provided the Temporary Committee with the opportunity to establish the methodology it will use to fulfil its remit to carry out an in-depth review of the rules that will bring the discipline back to its original roots of Endurance riding as opposed to Endurance racing, with horse welfare and horsemanship at its core, while still maintaining the competitive aspect of the sport. The Temporary Committee also agreed a consultation process that will involve further liaison with stakeholders to avail of their expertise and in-depth knowledge of the discipline.

In addition to the chair Dr Coombs, the other members of the Temporary Committee are Endurance athlete and member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee Tarek Taher (KSA), chef d’équipe of the Dutch Endurance team Pieter Wiersinga (NED), FEI Veterinary Committee member Dr Tim Parkin (GBR), who heads up the scientific research conducted at the University of Glasgow as part of the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study (GEIS), and Valerie Kanavy, a former member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee and the Athletes’ Representative on the Endurance Committee (2014-2018).

FEI Vice President Mark Samuel (CAN) joined today’s meeting and will facilitate communications between the Temporary Committee and the FEI Board. The FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez, FEI Endurance Director Manuel Bandeira De Mello, FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström and other FEI staff members also attended the meeting.

The Temporary Committee will hold its next in-person meeting on 15 January 2019 and there will be a dedicated Endurance session at the FEI Sports Forum 2019 (15-16 April) during which the Temporary Committee will provide an update to delegates.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Seddon event opens New Zealand season

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

Race Report made with the assistance of Heidi Bulfin
9th December 2018

Marlborough Club, Seaview, Seddon, Marlborough, New Zealand. Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 December 2018. ESNZ Endurance’s 2018-2019 FEI Series got off to a start with the beautiful Seddon CEI2* event, hosted by the Marlborough club.

The ride went wholly over the Yealands’ and Pernod-Ricard’s vineyards at Seaview, with breath-taking views over the sea to the North Island, and the Awatere river to the south.
Rain earlier in the week in Marlborough ensured near-perfect underfoot conditions, with not a single lameness vet out for any of the endurance classes. The vets and officials helped with the smooth running of the event, and the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting. Riders had travelled from as far afield as Palmerston in the South and the Wairarapa in the North...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/seddon-event-opens-new-zealand-season/

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Can This Latest Endurance Review Make a Difference?

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Cuckson Report | December 10, 2018

The temporary committee charged with reinventing endurance (yet again) has been bombarded with ideas before its first face-to-face meeting with the FEI on December 12th.

The committee’s new athlete representative, Tarek Taher, is also launching a long overdue riders group – the True Endurance International Riders Association (TEIRA.) It should eventually enjoy the same MoU with the FEI as the rider groups for jumping, dressage and eventing.

TEIRA hasn’t hung about, commissioning a detailed survey which, among other things, showed that most of the 700 respondents want stricter qualifying criteria to improve riding standards and encourage longevity in the horse...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/cuckson-report/latest-endurance-review-make-difference/

Portugal: Weed in pasture was behind horse’s failed drug test, FEI Tribunal finds

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 11, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

An endurance horse who tested positive for scopolamine most likely came to have the drug in his system through ingesting a paddock weed, the FEI Tribunal has ruled.
Fadista Das Tapadas, ridden by Carlos Cunha, of Portugal, took part in a 1-star 80km endurance ride in Madrid, Spain, on May 19 last year.

Samples taken from the horse on the day subsequently tested positive for scopolamine.

Scopolamine is a parasympatholytic drug used as a smooth muscle relaxant for the treatment of gastro-intestinal spasms. It is listed as a controlled medication under the equine anti-doping rulings.

From January 1 it will be formally identified as a specified substance – a category of substances recognised as able to enter a horse’s system inadvertently due to a credible non-doping explanation, such as pasture contamination...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/12/11/weed-pasture-horsedrug-test-fei-tribunal/

Friday, December 07, 2018

Valerie Kanavy Joins Endurance Temporary Committee

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

December 5, 2018
by: Equestrian Canada

Valerie Kanavy (USA), the former athlete representative on the Endurance Committee, is to replace her compatriot Dr Margaret (Meg) Sleeper on the Temporary Committee set up in October to urgently review the Endurance rules in order to address the issues currently affecting the discipline.

Meg Sleeper, who was initially announced as one of the members of the Temporary Committee chaired by Dr Sarah Coombs (GBR), has resigned after advising the FEI last week that she could be in breach of the FEI rules on mandatory rest periods after competing in two national events in the US...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/valerie-kanavy-endurance-temporary-committee/

Thursday, December 06, 2018

Australia: Sarah Lymbery wins at prestigious Orange endurance riding event

TheRural.com.au - Full Story

December 5 2018
Nikki Reynolds

A WAGGA endurance rider has earned top accolades at the Matar Stables Bullio Cup in Orange.

Sarah Lymbery is from a family of endurance riders and competed in her first 20-kilometre ride on her fifth birthday.

Her long association with the sport, and a commitment to training, has allowed her to perform at the highest level. She won a saddle for her efforts in Orange recently. “It felt surreal and overwhelming,” she said after returning to Wagga.

“I feel so proud of my horse to have been able to win the cup against these riders on a such a challenging course,” she said...

Read more here:
https://www.therural.com.au/story/5794754/going-the-distance-in-endurance-riding/?cs=6528

Australia: Wild Ride: Former NT stationhand’s crazy time during Mongol Derby

WeekyTimesNow.com.au - Full Article

Andrea Davy, Rural Weekly
December 3, 2018

SHORT hooves, a kind eye and something that looked like it was ready to run.

Those were a few of the features Kathy Gabriel looked for when picking a semi-wild horse for the Mongol Derby — a 10-day race that stretches 1000km across the vast country.

“But basically … I was just looking for something that wouldn’t kill me,” she joked.

This year, Kathy, who is the rural personality behind popular, and often humorous, Facebook page Experience Australian Agriculture, pooled much of her resources into competing in the iconic race.

She was injured on day three, after a fiery ride on a bolting horse that only came to a stop with the aid of two handy Mongolian horseman, and eventually pulled out by day five from a shoulder injury.

Despite this, she is determined to save again for the $18,000 entry fee and take the risk riding half-broke foreign horses...

Read more here:
https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/rural-weekly/wild-ride-former-nt-stationhands-crazy-time-during-mongol-derby/news-story/7dfc1ad26ce3fd4baa48c1d8621e9e49

The Next Four Years: Random Thoughts on Ingmar's Road Map

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Cuckson Report | December 3, 2018

Since the FEI general assembly in Bahrain two weeks ago, the FEI website has featured a portrait of Ingmar de Vos, re-elected president unopposed. “The sky really is the limit” says the blurb, in a somewhat sweeping statement. Broad brush strokes are indeed the theme of Ingmar’s “road map” for his next four years.

There is not much sport-specific detail. Eventing gets mentioned once, in the context of future Olympic venue selection. Dressage is mentioned in terms of needing a title sponsor for the World Cup series – now in its second season funded wholly by the FEI after the contract serviced by Haya’s buddy Reem Acra expired. No mention of rollkur, notwithstanding the oft-repeated mantra that welfare is TOP priority.

The only thing that to me has the sky as its limit is Jan Tops’s Global Champions Tour. My word, how the Global has mushroomed during the first four years of Ingmar’s presidency – and despite the FEI, not because of it.

While bringing riches to jumpers akin to other top sportsmen, the Tour has unwittingly undermined the very Olympic participation that most senior jumpers believe their sport compromised itself to maintain. I can only comment on what I am hearing in the UK, but there have now been several championships and key Nations Cups for which Scott Brash and Ben Maher were unavailable, due to commitments to the Tour. Plenty of folks are murmuring that riders who don’t help GB qualify (as we are not there yet) should not be on the Tokyo team. Whether or not that bites off one’s nose to spite one’s face, the mindset hardly builds camaraderie.

Still, the Tour is hard to knock from a spectator perspective. Because of its pay card-related business model, a number of get-rounders are par for the course, but the cream always rises to the top. No principal class jump-off all season has been less than electrifying.

And now, significantly, the Tour moves indoors for the first time, with the new “play-off” show in Prague (December 13-16) boasting an eye-watering 12m euro (US$ 13.6m) purse. If a Global winter indoor league is being developed, more than the FEI Nations Cup is at risk.

Incredibly, there is not one mention of the E-word in Ingmar’s road map, despite endurance being the FEI’s biggest public relations/welfare problem of all time. Endurance’s “issues” are hardly top secret, why not discuss the strategy, unless there isn’t one, of course...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/cuckson-report/ingmars-road-map/

Wednesday, December 05, 2018

Ireland: Successful year for ILDRA’s Ulster Branch

Farmweek.com - Full Article

By Bree Rutledge - December 4, 2018

THE 2018 Irish Long Distance Riding Association (ILDRA) Ulster Branch season kicked off with a New Year’s Day ride spent at the beautiful Gosford Forest Park. Horseback riding is always the perfect way to wish in the New Year and the CTR riders were out in force at this pleasure ride event to begin their training for the 2018 endurance season.

Several stunning venues have been visited by ILDRA during 2018 and many of these venues are the hidden gems of the Northern Irish countryside, offering beautiful off-road riding in safe, scenic landscapes. Whether those attending are keen endurance riders or pleasure riders, everyone always enjoys the day out with their four-legged companions exploring the endless trails. The enjoyment offered by attending Ulster Branch events is evident in all the riders, they always return from their rides with beaming smiles and kind words of thanks for the ride organisers, praising their hard work and admiration for the riding venues offered by ILDRA...

Read more here:
https://farmweek.com/successful-year-for-ildras-ulster-branch/

FEI announces new member of Endurance Temporary Committee

Inside.FEI.org

4 Dec 2018

Valerie Kanavy (USA), the former athlete representative on the Endurance Committee, is to replace her compatriot Dr Margaret (Meg) Sleeper on the Temporary Committee set up in October to urgently review the Endurance rules in order to address the issues currently affecting the discipline.

Meg Sleeper, who was initially announced as one of the members of the Temporary Committee chaired by Dr Sarah Coombs (GBR), has resigned after advising the FEI last week that she could be in breach of the FEI rules on mandatory rest periods after competing in two national events in the US.

Dr Sleeper competed with her horse Syrocco Cadence (FEI ID 102UO89) in a national ride on 22 September and the mare completed 137.6 of 160 kilometres before being eliminated for irregular gait (lameness). Dr Sleeper then entered the mare for a second 160-kilometre national ride on 27 October, which she won, but was subsequently advised by her National Federation that she could be in breach of FEI rest period rules.

This has now been confirmed to the FEI by US Equestrian, and the FEI today notified Dr Sleeper that she has been given 100 penalty points under FEI Endurance Rules Articles *815.3.1 and 815.3.3, resulting in an automatic two-month suspension commencing today (4 December 2018).

“We are sorry to lose Meg Sleeper, and we appreciate her honesty and transparency in immediately advising us of this issue, even before it had been confirmed by her National Federation, but it was clear that her position on the Temporary Committee was untenable in these circumstances”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “This meant that we had to find a replacement and the FEI Board has agreed that this should be Valerie Kanavy, who is an athlete, a former member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee and also an organiser, so she brings a wide range of experience to this new role.”

Dr Sleeper, who has competed in FEI Endurance since 2005 and is also a trainer, official veterinarian and veterinary cardiologist, commented: “As soon as I realised that I could be in violation of FEI rest period rules I immediately contacted the FEI and my colleagues on the Temporary Committee and explained the situation. Once it was confirmed, I knew that the right thing to do was to resign. I made a mistake and I bitterly regret it, but the work of the Temporary Committee will shape the future of my discipline and that is too important to allow my mistake to deflect from that goal.”

Valerie Kanavy, who won individual gold with Pieraz at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Den Haag (1994) and took the world title again four years later with High Winds Jedi in Abu Dhabi (UAE), was a member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee and the Athletes’ Representative on the Endurance Committee for the four-year term 2014-2018. She has been competing at the elite level of the sport for more than three decades and won her most recent FEI event, a CEI2* 120-kilometre ride with Amir El Arab AT in July of this year, a week before celebrating her 72nd birthday.

The other members of the Temporary Committee are Tarek Taher (KSA), an international Endurance athlete elected by his peers as a member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee earlier this year; Pieter Wiersinga (NED), chef d’équipe of the Dutch Endurance team, a Police Commissioner and former Head of the Mounted Police in the Netherlands; and Dr Tim Parkin (GBR), who was elected onto the FEI Veterinary Committee at last month’s FEI General Assembly and who heads up the scientific research conducted at the University of Glasgow as part of the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study (GEIS).

The Temporary Committee is chaired by Dr Sarah Coombs (GBR), a top FEI Endurance veterinarian who has many years’ experience of officiating at FEI Endurance events. Dr Coombs was formerly the British Endurance team vet, is a Trustee of the global equine charity World Horse Welfare and is also chair of its Veterinary Advisory Committee.

FEI Vice President Mark Samuel (CAN) will also be involved in the work of the Temporary Committee and will help facilitate communications between the Committee and the FEI Board.

The first in-person meeting of the Temporary Committee will be held at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) on 12 December. This first meeting will establish the methodology to be used to fulfil the Committee’s remit to carry out an in-depth review of the rules in order to identify the most effective way of bringing the discipline back to its original roots of Endurance riding as opposed to Endurance racing, with horse welfare and horsemanship at its core, while still maintaining the competitive aspect of the sport. The Temporary Committee will also use this first meeting to determine the crucial consultation process with relevant key people in order to tap into their expertise and in-depth knowledge of the discipline.

Notes to Editors:

In order to protect horse welfare, FEI rules on mandatory rest periods apply to both international and national events, even in cases where the National Federation rules do not include rest periods.

*FEI Endurance Rules, Art 815.3 Mandatory Rest for Horses
If a horse participates in a CEN during the mandatory rest period, the Athlete will receive an official notification from FEI Headquarters. The 100 penalty points will be applied on the date of the FEI notification and consequently the Athlete’s two month suspension will take effect as of the date of the FEI notification.

About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org

The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.

The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.

The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.

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