Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Racing returns to mainland Europe

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

Info@endurance-world.com
31st March 2021

Lausanne, Switzerland, Wednesday 31 March 2021.

The FEI has published the ‘return to competition’ measures that will allow a safe resumption of international sport in mainland Europe on 12 April following a six-week shutdown to control the spread of the neurological form of the Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1).

The measures focus on six key areas: Pre-event venue preparations by Organisers; Athlete pre-event preparations; Examination on Arrival; Onsite at Event Venue; Departure from Events; and Jurisdiction.

The Return To Competition measures, which were comprehensively reviewed at a stakeholder consultation session last week and fine-tuned by both the FEI Veterinary Epidemiology Working Group and the FEI Veterinary Committee, have now been approved by the FEI Board...

Read more here:
https://endurance-world.com/racing-returns-to-mainland-europe/

Thursday, March 25, 2021

World endurance champs to go ahead, despite EHV outbreak

HorseTalk.co.nz - Full Article

March 25, 2021
Horsetalk.co.nz

The FEI Endurance World Championships that were postponed from September 2020 because of Covid-19 are scheduled to go ahead on May 22 in Pisa, Italy, despite a high-level request to reschedule following the European Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) outbreak.

Event organisers and the Italian National Federation cited the uncertain evolution of Covid-19 and the impact of EHV-1 in Europe in their request for another postponement. Two other dates had been proposed — July 10, 2021 and September 25, 2021 — but the FEI Endurance Calendar Task Force recommended to the FEI Board that the May 22 date be maintained, as it “would provide National Federations more opportunities to select their best and most fit combinations”...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2021/03/25/world-endurance-champs-go-ahead/

Azizi Developments Sponsors Hh Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Ride for Ladies

Albawaba.com - Full Article

Published March 24th, 2021

In line with its master-planned community presence in Meydan and long-standing partnership with Dubai Racing Club, Azizi Developments, a leading private developer in the UAE, sponsored the HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Festival Ride for Ladies for the fourth consecutive time. The 120-kilometre endurance race began at 7am on Tuesday, the 23rd of March, 2021, and concluded with a prize ceremony.

A prestigious stop on the world endurance riding calendar, the Azizi-sponsored ride was held at the purpose-built Dubai International Endurance City. Mr Mirwais Azizi, Founder and Chairman of Azizi Developments; Mr Farhad Azizi, CEO of Azizi Developments; and officials from the Dubai Equestrian Club, awarded the race winners...

Read more here:
https://www.albawaba.com/business/pr/azizi-developments-sponsors-hh-sheikh-mohammed-bin-rashid-al-maktoum-endurance-ride

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Endurance GB Confirms International FEI Ride Programme for 2021

EverythingHorseUK.co.uk - Full Article

21/03/2021 News Team

• Four venues currently set to host nine days of FEI competition subject to Covid measures
• Hunt is on for fresh location for the Endurance GB Inter Regional Championships after local Forestry England Covid-19 restrictions force cancellation of King’s Forest Summer, previously planned as a selection ride for the European Championships

Endurance GB has confirmed four venues so far are set to host nine days of International FEI sport in England this summer. The FEI classes are currently planned for Euston Park 3*, Royal Windsor 2*, Revesby Park 3* and Lavenham 2*. A further venue, the popular King’s Summer event in Thetford Forest, Suffolk, scheduled to take place on 18-19 June has been cancelled after confirmation on Friday by the Thetford and Sandlings Forestry England Region that it would not be able to accommodate event bookings this summer due to pressures on the area as the country emerges from lockdown.

The Royal Windsor Ride is the first confirmed date for the resumption of international endurance which organisers H Power have announced will take place on the Friday 2nd July from its usual home in Windsor Great Park...

Read more here:
https://everythinghorseuk.co.uk/endurance-gb-fei-ride-programme-2021/

UAE: Sheikh Mohammed Cup headlines four-day Dubai Endurance festival

GulfToday.ae - Full Article

21 March 2021

The four-day His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance, Festival, the top highlight of the UAE Endurance Calendar, will be held from Tuesday to Friday.

Topping the programme is the prestigious His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Endurance Cup, which draws participation from top local and international endurance riders. Together the festival is a celebration of the sport’s most eminent supporter, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The main ride, the Sheikh Mohammed Endurance Cup is held over 160km and will be held at the Dubai International Endurance City (DIEC). The event is an annual tribute to the extraordinary impact Sheikh Mohammed has had on the sport of endurance riding and global equestrian sport...

Read more here:
https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2021/03/21/sheikh-mohammed-cup-headlines--four-day-dubai-endurance-festival

Saturday, March 20, 2021

Bahrain: Al Hashemi wins thrilling contest

GDNOnline.com - Full Article

GDN Online Desk
Sat, 20 Mar 2021

Al Raud Stable’s Mohammed Abdulhamid Al Hashemi won the Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Endurance Cup after an exciting race at the Bahrain International Endurance Village yesterday.

The champion clocked 4 hours, 47 minutes and 23 seconds in the 120-kilometre event. He was followed by Victorious’ Isa Al Enzi (4.47.30) and Al Zaim Sultan Al Romaihi (4.54.40)...

Read more here:
https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/939640/Al-Hashemi-wins-thrilling-contest

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

17 Sport Horses Now Dead in Spanish Herpes Crisis

HorseSport.com - Full Article

Further casualties include 5 aborted foals; hundreds more horses blocked from competing as a third Spanish venue is linked with cases.

By: Pippa Cuckson | March 17, 2021

Seventeen horses are now confirmed dead in relation to the outbreak of the aggressive neurological form of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) at jumping tours in Spain.

The latest deaths include a newborn foal in Germany at stables where two horses recently returned from Spain have also died and where five mares have aborted foals. In Belgium, two more jumping horses have died.

Cases associated with a third Spanish tour have led to the FEI blocking 856 more horses from competing. This is the Mediterranean Equestrian Tour (MET) in Oliva, just a few miles from Valencia where the outbreak was first reported...

Read more here:
https://horsesport.com/horse-news/17-sport-horses-now-dead-spanish-herpes-crisis/

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Bahrain: Stage set for endurance championship

GDNOnline.com - Full Article

16 March 2021

The three-day Nasser Bin Hamad Endurance Championship will begin tomorrow at the Bahrain International Endurance Village.

His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) will patronise the competition.

The championship includes a 40km qualifying race, and three other races covering 80, 100 and 120km...

Read more here:
https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/939182

Monday, March 15, 2021

Australia: Vets urge horses, owners to get Hendra virus vaccine as new strain identified

ABC.net.au - Full Article

March 11 2021
By Bridget Murphy

Equine vets are urging horse breeders and owners to vaccinate against Hendra virus, following the discovery of a new strain of the deadly virus by Australian researchers.

The research project, titled Horses as Sentinels, has linked the new strain, found in a flying fox in Adelaide, to a previously unexplained death of a horse in an undisclosed area of Australia in 2015.

Peter Reid, a veterinary scientist with the Australian Veterinary Association [AVA], said that breeds of flying foxes that had not been known to transmit Hendra virus in the past could be carrying the new strain in areas previously deemed as low risk.

These areas include parts of New South Wales, Victoria and southern Australia, where grey-headed flying foxes are found.

Hendra virus, which was first recorded in Australia in 1994, can infect both humans and horses...

Read more here:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-11/new-hendra-virus-strain-discovered-in-horses-and-bats/13235488?utm_medium=40digest.7days3.20210311.home&utm_source=email&utm_content=&utm_campaign=campaign

Sunday, March 14, 2021

Longines FEI Endurance World Championship 2021 organiser studying the possible necessity to adapt the health safety protocols

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

info@endurance-world.com
5th March 2021

Pisa, San Rossore, Italy. Friday 5 March 2021.

The Longines FEI Endurance World Championship 2021, scheduled in Pisa San Rossore – ITALY on 22 May, wants to be stronger not only regarding the Covid-19 pandemic – for which the Organizing Committee is preparing a detailed safety protocol to best guarantee the attending NFs teams – but also regarding the recent spread of Equine Rhinopneumonitis (Ehv-1) which has led the International Equestrian Federation to suspend international events in France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Poland, Netherland, Germany and Slovakia until March 28, 2021.

The organizing committee of the Longines FEI Endurance World Championship 2021, in steady coordination with the International Equestrian Federation and the Italian Equestrian Federation, is following the evolution of the case and studying the possible necessity to adapt the health safety protocols. These actions go hand in hand with setting up the organization of the event in the name of maximum safety...

Read more here:
https://endurance-world.com/longines-fei-endurance-world-championship-2021-organiser-studying-the-possible-necessity-to-adapt-the-health-safety-protocols/

Saturday, March 13, 2021

FEI extends shutdown of international events in mainland Europe due to EHV-1 outbreak

FEI.org

12 March 2021

The FEI has imposed a further two-week extension of the shutdown of all international events in mainland Europe until 11 April 2021 due to the ongoing outbreak of the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1). The FEI had previously announced a 28-day shutdown on 1 March 2021.

The move, which aims to minimise the further spread of the very aggressive strain of the virus, was unanimously approved at an emergency FEI Executive Board meeting today. The extended lockdown applies to all FEI disciplines.

The decision is based on detailed scientific risk assessment conducted by world leading epidemiologist Dr Richard Newton and the FEI Veterinary Department.

The extended lockdown applies to all countries that have international scheduled events in the period to 11 April – Austria, Belgium, Spain, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Sweden. However, the FEI again strongly recommends that all National Federations in mainland Europe cancel their national events in order to minimise horse movement.

The shutdown will mean the cancellation of the FEI World Cup™ Finals for the second consecutive year following the loss of the 2020 Finals in Las Vegas (USA) to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Final and the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Final were scheduled to be held in Gothenburg (SWE) from 31 March to 4 April 2021.

“The extension of the lockdown is difficult for everyone, and the loss of the FEI World Cup Finals for a second year is particularly devastating, especially for the qualified athletes and for our loyal Top Partner Longines,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “We know how much work Tomas Torgersen and his incredible team in Gothenburg have put into organising the 2021 Finals, which would have been part of the 400th birthday anniversary celebrations for the city, so this is a desperately bitter blow.

“We cannot eradicate EHV as it is endemic in many countries, but we need to work together to minimise the transmission of this particular strain, which has already caused the death of 12 horses in Europe. All of the original in-contact horses from Valencia, Vejer de la Frontera and Doha are already blocked on the FEI Database, but the whole community needs to be on the alert and monitoring their horses. We strongly urge all European-based FEI athletes to avoid travel with their horses during this prolonged shutdown, as travel is a very clear risk factor.

“Sadly this additional lockdown is crucial to slow down the spread of the virus so that we can preserve the rest of the season, get our athletes and horses back competing safely and allow as long a period as possible for those aiming for Tokyo to earn their Minimum Eligibility Requirements and confirmation results, and of course to prepare their horses for the Games.

“Nobody wants to see an outbreak like this ever again. There will be a comprehensive and fully transparent investigation into every aspect of this outbreak and the way it has been handled, and the findings will be published so that, together with our community, we can all learn from this.

“We will be putting in place enhanced protocols to allow for a safe return to play once this outbreak is under control, and we will advise our community on those well in advance of the resumption of international events, but the priority right now has to be the treatment of sick horses and getting healthy horses back to their home countries in a safe and biosecure way. We all need to focus on safeguarding not just FEI horses, but the wider European horse community.”

Work on identifying the gene sequencing of this strain of the virus is already underway, and the FEI is continuing to monitor the evolution of the virus through the FEI Veterinary Epidemiology Working Group, which was formalised this week. The Group is composed of world-leading EHV specialists, the FEI Veterinary Director and FEI Senior Veterinary Advisor, supported by the Chair of the FEI Veterinary Committee. Reports and recommendations from this Group will be published on a weekly basis.

The FEI is also publishing daily updates on the dedicated EHV-1 hub.

11 Horses Dead From EHV-1 Outbreak in Spain

Thehorse.com - Full Article

Nearly 200 horses remain held at the competition venue in Valencia by government officials in Spain, where EHV-1 is a reportable disease.

Posted by Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA | Mar 11, 2021

The death toll has risen to 11 in the equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreak that began at an international jumping competition in Spain in February. Competition organizers and scientists are scrambling to understand the details leading up to the crisis.

A horse died March 9 in the Valencia University Equine Hospital, making it the 11th fatality in the epidemic, which has included many neurological cases and is “very, very aggressive,” said Göran Akerström, DVM, veterinary director of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

Since The Horse’s previous report on March 4 of six horse deaths, two more at the Valencia hospital have occurred, as well as one in Barcelona and one in Germany, the FEI reported...

Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/197975/11-horses-dead-from-ehv-1-outbreak-in-spain/?utm_medium=Welfare+enews&utm_source=Newsletter

Sunday, March 07, 2021

UAE: Saeed Rashed Bin Ghadayer: From winning several horse and camel racing championships to becoming a household name

Bangkokpost.com - Full Article

5 March 2021

Horse and camel racing have been deeply embedded in Emirati culture for centuries. These sports are to the United Arab Emirate (UAE) what football is to Europe: a way of life. Saeed Rashed Bin Ghadayer is a household name when it comes to the equine industry, and for good reason.

Saeed has an amazing way with horses and a deep love for these majestic animals. He grew up with them and began working with them from a very young age. What makes this extraordinary is that Saeed was born with about 10 percent of his vision, yet has always been totally comfortable around horses.

This was never more clearly demonstrated than the 2007 Pan Arab Games in Egypt, when Saeed rode in the long-distance races to claim silver and gold medals. Yet, even the most accomplished endurance riders can experience tragedies. In 2018, during his second year as a trainer, one of his most beloved horses died from a fall during the Group 3 Jebel Ali Mile. While Saeed has trained numerous champions, Frankyfourfingers still holds a special place in his heart, being lauded as the best horse imaginable for a new trainer...

Read more here:
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/pr/2078971/saeed-rashed-bin-ghadayer-from-winning-several-horse-and-camel-racing-championships-to-becoming-a-household-name

Wednesday, March 03, 2021

F3 Stables King of Dubai Crown Prince Festival

Endurance Dubai photo

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

Info@endurance-world.com
3rd March 2021

Dubai International Endurance Village, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. From Wednesday 24 February until Saturday 27 February 2021.

This was the thirteenth edition of the Dubai Crown Prince Festival and it was clear to see that the number of entries was down compared to previous years, but the intensity and battles for victory were perhaps even better than usual.

The long weekend was a pure display of supremacy by F3 Stables, owned by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the force behind this festival. The stables entered three of the four races and won all three of them.

But also worth mentioning is the feat of Laetitia Glorian – FRA, who managed to start and end all four races of the festival with very respectable finishes. In the ladies race she came in 15th place with Django Des Graves – ABH Endurance Stables; in the Private Stables race 40th place with Darley Des Aubepines – Bin Daeen Private Stables; in the Al Yamamah race in 21st position with Torchwood Jazz Paws – Al Aasfa 3 Endurance Stables; and in the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup in 13th position with Eus Royal Viper – ABH Endurance Stables...

Read more here:
https://endurance-world.com/f3-stables-king-of-dubai-crown-prince-festival/

Australia: Queensland endurance riding season off to a ’stirling’ start

NoosaToday.com.au - Full Article 16/03/2024 Erle Levey It was like the first day back at school as Queensland endurance horse riders st...