US: FITS at Goethe Feb. 28 - March 5

A sanctioned, large-scale horseback endurance ride is coming to the area at the end of the month.

The Fun in the Sun endurance rides event (FITS) will be held at Goethe State Forest Feb. 28-March 5


So just what is endurance riding?

Valerie Kanavy, a gold medallist in the sport, describes it as a marathon for horses.



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UAE: Mohammad and Hazza to lead UAE's challenge

www.gulfnews.com



Abu Dhabi : General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence, and Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan are expected to lead a strong team of UAE riders in tomorrow's His Highness The President of the UAE Cup endurance ride.
The 160-km ride, held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, will get off to a mass start at 6am at the Emirates International Endurance Village here in Al Wathba.

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EnduranceNet Coverage

FIrst UAE Woman to Compete in President's Cup

EnduranceNet Scoop!
Photo by Grace Ramsey


Sheikha Madiya bint Hasher Mana Al Maktoum will ride Saif al Arab in the upcoming President's Cup on the 17th of February. She will join 125 other competitors in the grueling 160km course through the sands near Abu Dhabi UAE. Sheikha Madiya is an avid endurance competitor andwill attempt to complete the course within the allotted time.

She previously competed in the UAE CEI** Nation Cup event in January. Successfully completing the course. Her first 160km completion came last August at the Abu Dhabi Arabian Nights CEI*** event held in Oreana Idaho USA.

Sheika Madiya has trained extensively in preparation for this event and brings with her a seasoned mentor in Grace Ramsey of the United States.

Sheika Madiay is setting a fine example for riders in the UAE, helping to spread the feeling that endurance is accessible to all who which to become riders!


Full Event Coverage by EnduranceNet

Carthage family hooked on endurance horse riding

By Ryan Malashock
Globe Sports Writer
2/14/05

CARTHAGE, Mo. ? About three years back, Dina Stevens? curiosity had bubbled over. Stevens begged her friend Genie Wunderlich, who had participated in competitive endurance horse riding since 1989, to allow her to accompany Wunderlich on a ride.

?It was just a conditioning ride, but I took her on the fastest, wildest ride I had ever taken anybody on,? Wunderlich said.

Evidently, it wasn?t too wild, because Stevens was hooked. Upon her return home, Dina?s husband, Carl, could immediately sense a passion that needed to be delved into further.
?She came home and seriously that was all I heard about for a few days,? Carl said. ?So, she had five weeks to get ready for her first race, and it all took off from there.?

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Bahrain: Taher lifts title in endurance race

YOUSEF Taher of the Royal Endurance Team won the seniors race while Fahad Sulaiman of Al Asayel Stable bagged the juniors crown in the Bahrain International Endurance Horseride Challenge, organised by the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef), yesterday at the Endurance Village in Sakhir.

The event, which was sponsored by Batelco, featured two races for the juniors and seniors over 119 kms in addition to two qualifying races which were warm up events held over 85 and 60 kms.


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UAE: HH President's Cup Field

Top class field for President?s Cup endurance ride
gulfnews.com

Abu Dhabi: A strong field of UAE and international riders are expected to take part in the sixth edition of the prestigious HH The President of the UAE Endurance Cup, to be held on February 17 at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.

The 160-km ride is being jointly organised by the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation and the Emirates International Endurance Village under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs.



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EnduranceNet Coverage

UAE: Australia Fields Riders for President's Cup

6 Australian Champions Attend Event

Fresh from their success at the World Championship, Australia, winners of the team Silver Medal, have six invited riders competing in 2005 HH Presidents Cup in Abu Dhabi.

The husband and wife team of Peter and Penny Toft were members of that successful team. Both the Tofts will be riding horses from the Al Reef Stable of HH Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.



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EnduranceNet Event Coverage

UAE: HH President's Cup Invited Riders List

An International Race of Champions

30 International Riders have been invited to participate in the 6th annual running of HH President's Cup Endurance Race on 17 February 2005. In most cases, these invitations are awarded to winners of prestigious endurance events from around the world. This makes the HH President's Cup an race of international champions!

The 160km CEI*** event will be held at the Emirates International Endurance Village near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
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EnduranceNet Event Coverage

Breaking records all the way

By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter
Gulfnews.com

Dubai: A host of VIPs and royals participated in the FEI World Endurance Championship. General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Minister of Defence, led the way for the UAE with his three sons: Shaikh Hamdan, Shaikh Rashid and Shaikh Majid.

Others taking part were Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain of Jordan, Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa and his brother Shaikh Khalid from Bahrain, Sultan Mizan Zailnal of Malaysia and Shaikh Mohammad Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani from Qatar.
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France and New Zealand suffer early exit

By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter
Gulfnews.com

France and New Zealand could not hide their disappointment after being channelled out of the competition yesterday.
"It was disappointing to be out of the team title competition early during the ride," New Zealand team member, Mark Tylee told the Gulf News after his mount Jamahl went lame.



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Shaikh Hazza's golden decision

By M. Satyanarayan, Staff Reporter
Gulfnews.com
Dubai: Shaikh Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan can be pleased with his late decision to switch horses, as it brought him a record-breaking performance.

He was supposed to ride the leading Purebred Arabian endurance horse Shahdon, formerly ridden by two-time world champion Valerie Kanavy.

Instead, he opted for Hachim, the horse he rode to victory in Bahrain. Sure enough, the 11-year-old bay gelding from the Wrsan Stables unleashed tremendous fighting spirit.

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WEC: Teamwork and spirit are keys for Italy

By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter
gulfnews.com

Dubai: Talk about surprises in sports and think of Italy... at least in endurance riding.
With a strong line-up of teams like hosts UAE and the US along with former champions France and New Zealand, practically no one had the Italians booked as likely winners of the team gold at the end of a hard day in the desert.



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WEC: Hazza on top of the world

Shaikh Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Hachim registered the fastest time ever in a 160-km ride to become the World Endurance Champion at the Dubai International Endurance City yesterday. Italy emerged as the winners in the team championship.

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Shaikh Hazza lifts endurance crown

Shaikh Hazza lifts endurance crown
Gulf Daily News

DUBAI: Shaikh Hazza bin Sultan Al Nahyan yesterday clinched the individual gold medal while Bahrain finished fifth in the team competition in the 160-km FEI Endurance World Championship at the Dubai Endurance City. Riding the 10-year-old Bay Gelding Hachim and averaging 22.68 kmh, Shaikh Hazza pulled back a deficit of one minute and 35 seconds to clinch the sixth and final stage and complete the 160-km marathon ride in seven hours, three minutes and 22 seconds.

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EnduranceNet Coverage

Hazza is new world champion

Hazza is new world champion
By Amith Passela
Khaleej Times
28 January 2005

Photo by Gilly Wheeler

DUBAI ? Shaikh Hazza bin Sultan Al Nahyan won the world endurance championship crown for the UAE after a little-known French rider turned the world?s premier race into a Grand National steeple chase finish-like atmosphere here at the Dubai International Endurance City yesterday. Barbara Lissarague, 38, turned the heat on in the final 19 kilometres of the race to claim silver and prevent the Emirates from a medal sweep in the 10th FEI Endurance World Championship.

General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, took the bronze on Nashmi and Shaikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan finished fourth astride Mindari Aenzac.



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EnduranceNet Coverage

WEC: Australia wins Silver

Australia wins silver in race marathon
National Nine News
11:47 AEDT Fri Jan 28 2005

An exhausted but jubilant Australian team has taken out a silver medal in the toughest and longest horse race in the world, the World Endurance Championships.

The Australian team was narrowly pipped by Italy in a field of 179 horse and rider combinations from 41 countries, competing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Only a few of the starters completed the gruelling nine and a half hour marathon across the desert, 70km from Dubai, which ended overnight.

Few national teams survived to the finish with most - including New Zealand, Britain, Germany, and even hot favourite, France - disqualified by the half-way point.

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EnduranceNet Coverage

WEC: Start and Gate 1

Full coverage at EnduranceNet:

• WEC: Team Standings at Gate 1
  
• WEC: Images from Start and Gate 1
  
• WEC: Start List with teams
  
• VetIn/TrotOut Images
  

Full Coverage

Mohammed welcomes ?Endurance family?

Mohammed welcomes ?Endurance family?
Khaleeji Times

DUBAI ? With 183 horses representing 41 different nations, Dubai will stage the biggest equestrian endurance event in the sport?s history when the FEI Endurance World Championship gets under way today from the purpose-built Dubai Endurance City.


The UAE will be hosting the event for the second time with sponsorship backing of Omega, Nakheel, the National Bank of Dubai and Nissan.

The festivities began with an opening ceremony yesterday before the horses and riders take on the six-stage, 160km race across the UAE?s punishing desert terrain tomorrow. The finals will culminate in a closing ceremony, with an awards presentation on Saturday.

Over the past few weeks, the horses have been arriving in the UAE to acclimatise for a championship that was last held in the emirates back in 1998 when 37 nations took part.

This year, the UAE will compete with General Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the UAE Defence Minister, leading the way, while Shaikh Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Maktoum will be looking to retain the title he won at the 2002 World Endurance Championship at Jerez in Spain.

Speaking to the international media gathered at the Endurance City, General Shaikh Mohammed said: ?This is a sport that is growing very fast and this week it is our pleasure to stage the biggest gathering ever in endurance history. All Arab horses come from the Arabian Peninsula and I am happy to welcome them home.?



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WEC: Endurance riders set for top race

Endurance riders set for top race
Gulf Daily News

BAHRAIN's endurance horseride team continued their preparations for the World Championship which is scheduled for tomorrow starting at 5am Bahrain time at the Dubai Endurance City.

A total of 183 horses from 48 countires are taking part in this one-day event, the biggest equestrian endurance event in the sport's history which will cover a distance of 160 kms.

The Bahraini team is led by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa of the Royal Endurance Team and includes Breef first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Al Khaldiya Stable, Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa of Al Talia Stable, Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa of Ahmed Al Fateh Stable and Royal Endurance Team riders Hamad Al Meraisi and Yousef Taher.


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EnduranceNet Coverage

Australians geared up for assault

By M. Satyanarayan, Staff Reporter

Dubai: Penny and her husband Peter Toft will be representing Australia, the 2000 team champions, in the World Endurance Championship here on January 27.

But the Toft family has a larger role to play in guiding the fortunes of Australia, one of the stronger teams in world endurance.

For this edition of the world championship, the Australians have devised a novel method of selection and are hoping it would fetch them team gold.



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