Japanese Endurance rider/athlete and horse owner, Seiichi Hasumi, passed away from heart failure on December 14, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. He was 80 years old, 8 days shy of his 81st birthday.
Hasumi-san started riding a horse first time at age 59 (2002) after watching a documentary film on TV about the Tevis Cup 100 Mile One Day Ride - Western State Trail Foundation. His very first Endurance ride was in October 2002 at Comstock Arabian Association Endurance Ride in Nevada (USA) with Limited Distance of 25 mile/40km. His last one was in November 2019 in Ito, Shizuoka (Japan) with CEN 80km.
Hasumi-san’s Endurance career (18 years, 2002 – 2019) was essentially cut short by the pandemic. During his career as a rider/athlete, Hasumi-san completed the Tevis Cup 8 consecutive times (2003 – 2011) and participated 4 FEI world championships (2005 WEC Dubai in UAE, 2008 WEC Terengganu in Malaysia, 2012 WEC Euston Park in England, and 2014 WEG Normandy in France). He was honoured by the Japan Equestrian Federation [JEF] for entering four horses in the 2010 World Equestrian Games [WEG] in Lexington, KY, USA.
Hasumi-san's USA AERC Endurance career spanned 12 seasons, with a record of 1555 miles, including 12 100-mile completions and 3 best Condition awards.
As a horse owner, he participated in 5 FEI world championships including 2010 WEG Kentucky (USA), 1 horse in 2005 WEC Dubai, 1 in 2008 WEC Terengganu, 4 in 2010 WEG Kentucky, 2 in 2012 WEC Euston Park, and 4 in 2014 WEG Normandy.
Under his vision, the Organizing Committee of Shining Moon Lake and Ito, Shizuoka in Japan has organized 46 CEI/FEI events between 2007 and 2019.
He was involved in the magazine and publishing industry, serving as president of the Takarajimasha company, which produces several titles in Japan.
For more on Hasumi-san’s Endurance career and the Endurance program in Japan, see the following two stories in 2006 and 2007 by Steph Teeter of Endurance.net.
-2006 October story: Endurance in Japan, http://www.endurance.net/japan/index.html -2007 June story: http://www.endurance.net/international/Japan/2007ShiningMoon/#results
