UAE: Women race ahead in endurance test

Cnn.com - Full Article

By Paul Gittings, CNN
updated 8:27 AM EST, Thu January 31, 2013

(CNN) -- Purebred Arabian stallions dominate the world of endurance horse events, but it is increasingly likely that the rider guiding them to glory will be a young woman.

The United Arab Emirates is the hotbed of equestrian's fastest growing discipline, and new entrants to the top level of the sport such as 18-year-old Fatima Al-Marri are already upsetting the established order.

"We love to challenge the men," she told CNN's Winning Post, while fellow competitor Mariam Mothana has another take.

"The best thing is when you see the look on their faces when they pass the finish line," Mothana said.

"It's nice to see that they understand that the women here can challenge the men -- they can be as strong as men."

Some 40% of registered endurance riders are now women, and the bar has certainly been set high for the likes of Fatima and Mariam.

Back in 2010, Spanish rider Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton won her second world title just seven weeks after giving birth to her first child...

read more here:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/31/sport/women-endurance-horse-racing/

Bahrain International Endurance Race 2012: A success story narrated in the media worldwide

BNA.bh

30/01/2013

Manama: Jan. 30 – (BNA) The success story of the Bahrain International Endurance Military Championship still echoes in the media all over the world who praised the Kingdom of Bahrain's excellent organizing of the first such championship hosted in the Kingdom.

The widely-circulated and leading German daily newspaper (Dilingen Extra) allocated considerable space for its coverage of the championship hosted in the Kingdom of Bahrain last December 2012 under the kind patronage of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

A large number of prominent personalities and world-class chevaliers participated from all over the world including the UAE Vice President and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Leader of the Kingdom of Bahrain's Royal Team His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Chairman of the Royal Equestrians and Endurance Federation cum Commander of Al-Khalidiya Stables HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa participated in the 5-lap, 120-kilometer endurance race whose events the prestigious German newspaper has covered and interviewed a number of participants who gave their impressions on the optimum atmospheres provided by the Kingdom of Bahrain for the highly-competitive international horse-race. (IY)

Australia: Endurance ride spurs passion for endurance

Warwickdailynews.com.au - Full Article

30th Jan 2013 7:00 AM

WHAT started out as a business deal 22 years ago, turned into a lifelong passion for accomplished endurance rider Dick Collyer.

Dick, who operates his Arab stud from his 688 hectare property Totara at Leyburn, with partner Jill Crowley has been breeding arabs for 40 years.

I saw all these exhausted people come in to check points on their horses and then take off again and I admired them so much. There was real buzz about taking off at midnight.
However, it wasn't until he sold one of his "good horses" to a bloke he thought was a "good rider", that his love of the sport was born.

"It was 1991 and a bloke I knew wanted to win the 1994 Tom Quilty Endurance Ride, as he had already come second twice in what is regarded as the pinnacle of the sport," Dick said.

"However, the horse and the bloke didn't suit each other, so I took the horse back and decided I would take up endurance riding myself," he said.

"I set my sights on the 1994 Tom Quilty, as it takes about three years to train a horse to compete in a 160km ride..."

Read more here:
http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/addicted-to-endurance-tough-rides/1734150/

India: Manipur endurance riders feted

E-pao.net

Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, January 28 2013: State riders who have won many medals in the National Junion Endurance Championships 2013 held at Dibrugarh, Assam were felicitated in a function held at the Manipur Pony Breeding Farm, Lamphelpat, Imphal.

President of Manipur Equestrian (MEA) Championships, Dr S Joykumar, Vice President of MEA Ningthoukhongjam Bedajit and President of Manipur Horse Riding and Polo Association, S Budhachandra graced the felicitation function as presidium members.

The Manipur team won two silver and one bronze medals in the championships.

In Individual event, L Atangba of Chingkheihunba Polo Club won a silver medal while E Robin of the club won a bronze medal.

In team event, L Atangba, E Robin, S Bronson and Chand won silver medal.

Other riders who represented Manipur in the championships were Prakash Bhandari of Imphal Riding Club, Chand and Saratkanta of Thangmeiband Youth Polo Club, John of Imphal Riding Club and Th Kaoba of Chingkheihunba Polo Club.

T Pradipkumar and S Bimol were the Coach and Manager of the state team. Manipur Equestrian Association awarded a cash incentive of Rs 1000 each to the riders and Rs 1,500 each.

Spain: Ignasi Casas Confirmed as Chef d'Equipe

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

In yesterday January 28, 2013, the Spanish Equestrian Federation designation adopted several agreements on technical structures of the FEI. and composition of the various Technical Equipment equestrian discipline.
In regards to our discipline The Raid, confirmed to D. Ignasi Casas as Director of the discipline. It specifies the crew, when we have this information we will post it.

This is the note from the Spanish:

Peter King and Luis Lucio, directors and Dressage CCE
Posted: 29 Jan 2013 12:31 AM PST

The FEI has appointed Peter King and Luis Lucio as directors of Eventing and Dressage, respectively. He has decided the locations of several championships in Spain and Spanish Cups.

The Board of Directors of the Spanish Equestrian Federation adopted several agreements on Monday January 28, among which were the designations relating to the technical structure of the FEI. Thus, in regard to the composition of different technical equipment, confirmed the following designations:
Jumping

Director: D. Marco Fuste
Attached to the address: D. Mike Florence


Dressage

Director: Luis Lucio


Eventing

Director: Peter King


RAID

Director: Ignasi Casas


"All of them," the FEI said in a statement, "will be assisted by respective Technical Committees of Selection to be composed of representatives of different sectors integrated in each of the disciplines."

Read more here:
http://ggjineteraid.blogspot.com/2013/01/confirmacion-de-ignasi-casas-como.html

Arabian Horse Int'l Issue 4

Arabianhorse.com.br

Issue 4, January 2013, of Arabian Horse Int'l is now online

It features the first World Military Endurance Championship in Bahrain, the first Arabian Horse Championship in Oman, and the Dona Carolina Festival in Brazil.

http://www.arabianhorse.com.br/magazine/digital_magazine_jan_2013/

Endurance clinic & FEI race in Namibia with Virginie Atger

Caval & Go has organized an Endurance clinic & FEI race in Namibia with Virginie Atger (3rd in the World classificationFrance champion in 2011, European champion in teams in 2011).

16 to 25 June 2013

10 days / 9 nights (incl. 2overnight flights) with:
3/4 days endurance training/clinic with safari on horseback
Endurance race FEI 1* & 2* or NERA (Namibian Endurance Ride Association) on 22/06/2013

A unique experience combining a horseback safari observing African wildlife with a training course or an introduction to endurance riding on superb thoroughbred Arab horses.

Details: 
http://www.cavalandgo.com/media/documents/cavalandgo_endurance_clinic_fei_race_namibia_16-25_june_2013_virginie_atger.pdf

And : 
http://www.cavalandgo.com/products/86/horseback-safari-endurance-namibia

Benefits from the training/clinic:

• The International FEI race (1* and 2*) on 22/06/2013
• The Endurance clinic coached by Virginie Atger, trainer in various countries: France, Emirates, Brazil…
• The combination of a horseback safari an endurance race
• The high quality horses, trained for endurance riding
• High quality, light weight and comfortable saddles
• The reserve’s wide range of animals: giraffes, antilopes, lions, rhinos, oryx, zebras, crocodiles, birds, baboons, lynx…
• The charming and comfortable lodge

Caval&go – Unique Horseback rides
Tel. +33 (0)9 80 32 90 42 /
Email. contact@cavalandgo.com

www.cavalandgo.com

Caval&go was created by Phoebé, Virginie and Aurélie, who each share a passion for horses and travelling.

These three curious and adventurous young women regularly set off for trail rides in France and further afield. With an interest in developing tourism that benefits the local population, they have formed a bond with local guides, farmers and horse owners on each of their trips, who share with them their culture, their love for their religion and, of course, their love of horses.

With this experience of travelling and meeting locals, they created their travel agency specialising in equestrian tourism, organising trail rides and personalised horse riding holidays, in 2009. With a specialised knowledge of each destination and a close relationship with each travel partner, they create original holidays allowing each person to discover the world on horseback.Having ridden since they were children, they have each developed different areas of equestrian expertise over the years and will be able to advise you according to your level of ability, your desires and your budget, in order to find the most suitable trip for you.

Great Britain: Rising to the top of the endurance riding league

Farmersguardian.com - Full Article

21 January 2013

LINDA Cowperthwaite and Maraday Mystaron ended 2012 at the top of the FEI World Endurance Combination rankings. Angela Calvert went to meet them.

Heading the FEI (international equestrian sport governing body) rankings as a result of accumulated points from races during the season was a phenomenal achievement for Linda Cowperthwaite and Maraday Mystaron.

However, Linda believes the best is still to come from her horse and plans are already under way for this season.

Linda is no stranger to endurance riding, having competed for the last 20 years alongside her aunt, Evelyn Helme, herself a former national champion. Evelyn stables Maraday Mystaron, known as Ron, at her home in St Michael’s on Wyre, Lancashire.

Linda says: “Endurance is one of the fastest growing equestrian sports and is something anyone can get involved in.

“It starts with pleasure rides, but goes right up to international competitions, so there is something for everyone.”

The maximum race distance of 160km (100 miles) in a day can involve up to 10 hours in the saddle and championship races are often won at 20kph (12mph).

In 2012, the UK hosted the FEI World Endurance Championship at Euston Park, Thetford, which was won by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum with Madji Du Pont in a ride time of seven hours at an average speed of 22.82kph (14.2mph)...

Read more here:
http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/equestrian/rising-to-the-top-of-the-endurance-riding-league/52539.article

Great Britain: National honour for Dorset pair

Dorsetecho.co.uk - Full Article

By Adam Summers
26 January 2013

JABEENA Maslin and Valerie Bradshaw have received prestigious national awards with their ex-racehorses, Quel Ange and Magic Powers.

Maslin, a horse owner from Beaminster, and Bradshaw, a rider from Holwell, were presented with the South Essex Insurance Brokers and Retraining of Racehorses’ (RoR) Elite Performances Awards for ex-racehorses at the Breeders Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Grange Hotel in London.

The Elite Performance Awards offer a prize fund of £2,500 to the winner and £500 to the runner-up, donated by RoR.

The awards provide a focus for ex-racehorses competing in the disciplines of eventing, dressage, show jumping, endurance and showing.

Maslin’s ex-racehorse, Quel Ange, won the SEIB & RoR Elite Performance Award for show jumping and is ridden by Kathryn Ellison. Quel Ange was in training with Somerset trainer, Ron Hodges, he ran on the flat and was placed a couple of times.

After he retired from the racecourse, event rider Sophie Hawke took him on and evented him up to intermediate level. Maslin then purchased him to take show jumping.

She said “He is an absolute fireball and wins everything, Kathryn rides him brilliantly. He is still a stallion – I have been forbidden by several judges from having him cut as he has such a phenomenal jump.”

Maslin trains the Olympic British Modern Pentathlon team in show jumping and Quel Ange was one of the horses used for the show jumping phase of the Modern Pentathlon at the London Olympics.

He was ridden by competitors from Latvia and Poland and completed his two rounds successfully. Quel Ange is currently competing at 1.25m and Maslin hopes he will start competing at 1.30 and 1.40m this year.

Runners-up in the SEIB and RoR Elite Performance Award for Endurance were Val Bradshaw and her own, Magic Powers. Magic Powers ran several times on the flat without distinction...

Read more here:
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/sport/10186698.National_honour_for_Dorset_pair/

UAE: Women Endurance Riders Featured in CNN Video

CNN
January 17, 2013

CNN's Winning Post meets a group of Emirati women, to discuss how they took up the challenge of long distance racing.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/sports/2013/01/17/winning-post-endurance-racing-girls.cnn#/video/sports/2013/01/17/winning-post-endurance-racing-girls.cnn

USA Young Riders Invited to Abu Dhabi's President's Cup

January 25 2013

USA Young Riders Devan Horn 19, from the AERC Central region, and Jessica Dicamillo from the AERC Southwest region, have been invited to participate in the 2013 HH The President of the UAE Endurance Cup in Abu Dhabi on February 16. The FEI CEI*** 160 km race will take place at Emirates International Endurance Village.

Devan will be riding CJS Maverick, owned by Ceci and Jason Stasiuk, a 9-year-old National Show Horse gelding. Jessica will ride RGS SHA Strike Two, owned by her mother Karen Binns-DiCamillo.

It will be the first time Young Riders from around the world will be participating in the Abu Dhabi race.

Coverage will be here:
http://www.endurance.net/international/UAE/2013PresidentsCup/

New Zealand: Smith Takes North Island Title

NZEquestrian.org.nz


22/01/2013 9:52:54 a.m.

Kuratau in the central North Island was the location for the 2013 North Island Endurance Championships which were held over the weekend. Hosted by the Waikato Endurance Club, the tracks took riders over nice rolling central north island country with views to Lake Taupo. Snow on the mountains on Thursday evening brought temperatures that were better suited to the winter, with a chilly 3 degrees being recorded for the start of the 160KM ride at 1.00am on Saturday morning.

12 combinations started in the feature event, the 160KM, which was eventually taken out by an impressive performance from Andrea Smith and Glenmore Tariq finishing nearly an hour a head of her competition. This gives Andrea another “tick in the box” toward her 2014 WEG campaign.

2013 North Island Championships Results - Full detailed results will be available soon.

CEI 3* 160km
1st Andrea Smith & Glenmore Tariq 8.52.35
2nd Emma Armstrong & Blue Thunder Shimar 9.51.50
3rd Mark Tylee & Jacob 9.57.58

CEI 2* 120km
1st Rosemary Revelll & AA Mystic Charm 7.14.14
2nd Michael Wakeling & Tulsa 8.06.43
3rd Donna French 8.39.50

CEI 2* JY 120km
1st Georgia Smith & Glenmore Vixen 7.14.15
2nd Leanne Ireland & Alshar Blue Levi 8.06.42

CEI 1* 100km
1st Joanne Fowler & Makahiwi Kutaisi 5.51.35
2nd Cherry Brown & Samurai & I 5.52.04
3rd Amanda McConachy & Makahiwi Geneca 6.06.49

CEI 1* JY 100km
1st Emma Mason & Tararua Mistalight 5.56.26
2nd Brigitte Smith & Vigar Marissa 5.56.33
3rd Georgia Wakeling & Kedar Sarita 6.01.54

CEI 1* 80km Non Championship
1st Ross Berrett & Makahiwi Paris 4.59.33
2nd Robyn Kendrick & Playdough 4.59.43
3rd Rowena Tyler & Wyndyn Whlloh 5.00.08

CEI 1* JY 80km Non Championship
1st Bridgett James & Sayfwood Manzzoni 4.59.16
2nd Charlotte Berrett & Hampshire Park Zebedee 4.59.18
3rd Johanna Angermaier & Aspen Hills Ida 5.03.09

CEN 60km Senior
1st Petra Deacon & Saamen Dance Away 2.59.51
2nd Trevor Walton & Lotus Blue Moon 2.59.52
3rd Stephanie McLeod & Makahiwi Jericho 3.28.22

CEN 60km Junior
1st Georgia Smith & Aurora Australis 4.06.02

UAE: HH Sh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup Featured in CNN Video

CNN
January 21, 2013

Endurance racing in the Dubai desert

Francesca Cumani embarks on a 4X4 vehicle to track the competitors' as they take up the challenge of long distance racing


http://edition.cnn.com/video/?hpt=imi_t5#/video/sports/2013/01/21/winning-post-cumani-endurance-wrap.cnn

The FEI "Helmet Rule" at a Glance

THE FEI “HELMET RULE” AT A GLANCE

Starting 1 January 2013, the use of a properly fastened Protective Headgear will be mandatory while riding on the show grounds (article 140.1, General Regulations).

* This rule applies in all Disciplines

* “Protective Headgear” is defined as “appropriate helmet or Headgear that is in compliance with the applicable international testing standards” (Glossary, General Regulations).

* Failure to wear Protective Headgear where and when required after being notified to do so by an Official, shall result in a Yellow Warning Card, being issued to the Athlete.

In the field of play, the sports rules apply, and each Discipline has its own rule rules. See this page for details.

UAE: Jaume Punti and Maria Alvarez Featured in CNN Video

CNN
January 18, 2013

CNN's Francesca Cumani visits two endurance legends to find out more about the makings of a champion in the short video, "The Arabian horse: King of endurance". Featured are trainers Jaume Punti and multiple World and European Endurance Champions Maria Alvarez and Nobby, and the 2012 World Endurance Champion Intissar.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/sports/2013/01/18/winning-post-arabian-horses-endurance.cnn#/video/sports/2013/01/18/winning-post-arabian-horses-endurance.cnn

UAE: CNN films Dubai Endurance race

Digitalproductionme.com

by Chris Newbould on Jan 20, 2013

CNN has been filming in the region this month, when the documentary ‘Winning Post’ showcased an unusual race of 160 km, the HH Sheik Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup, taking place at Dubai International Endurance City.

CNN's Francesca Cumani headed to the desert to meet with the horses, riders and trainers. With 40 percent of its registered riders being female, the sport is hugely popular amongst women. ‘Winning Post’ gathered with a small group of Emirati female riders and discussed the race as well as looking into how they took up the challenge of long distance racing.