Australia: Horse riders reject Green claims

ABC.net.au - Full Article

Posted April 30, 2012

Horse riders have rejected claims that allowing the activity in more national parks in south east New South Wales will devastate the land.

The Greens have slammed the State Government's draft strategy for horse riding in national parks and reserves.

The party says the plan will open up parts of the Wadbilliga and Kosciuszko National Parks to riding, which could spread weeds and damage the landscape.

Endurance rider Fiona Mellor is part of a state advisory council exploring the issue, and says the impacts of horses are minimal.

"We've seen a gradual turnaround in attitude, and a realisation that the so called impacts from horse riders are negligible," she said.

Read more here:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-30/horse-riders-reject-green-claims/3979348

Two Saudi showjumpers face Olympic ban

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Charlotte White, H&H deputy news editor
27 April, 2012

Two top Saudi showjumpers face being barred from the London Olympics after being accused of using a banned drug on their horses.

Sydney Olympic bronze medallist Khaled Addulaziz Al Eid’s horse Vanhoeve tested positive for phenylbutazone (bute) and oxyphenbutazone at the CSI*** in Riyadh (30 November-3 December 2011).

And Abdullah Al Sharbatly’s ride, Lobster 43, tested positive for the same substances at the CSI*** in Al Ain (9-11 February).

Al Sharbatly won silver at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky and both riders were likely to be on the Saudi team for London.

The substances are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and deemed controlled medications under international rules.

The riders appeared before an FEI tribunal on 18 and 19 April, confirmed FEI general counsel Liza Lazarus.

She said tribunal decisions are “generally issued within 30 days of the hearing, but may take longer”.

Of 15 positive dope cases currently being investigated by the FEI, nine involve horses from Arab states — seven in endurance...

Read more here:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/olympics2012/7634/312423.html

Great Britain: Cockley-Adams' double victory

Thisisgloucestershire.co.uk

SEVENHAMPTON endurance rider Janice Cockley-Adams has started the season with two wins in the UK's first two race rides.

An impressive turn of speed saw her head a thrilling gallop for the finish to take the honours in Dorchester's Jubilee Ride, with a winning margin of just one second. The 77km (48 miles) ride was the first race of the 2012 endurance riding season and a perfect sharpener for the UK's first international fixture.

This was the FEI Kings Forest event in Suffolk, where Cockley-Adams was again riding her nine-year-old Arabian mare Serabitibi in the FEI 2 star 120km (75 miles) against a field of 20, including many of the top riders in the country.

"This was Serabitibi's first competition at this distance, so our objective was to secure a completion," she said.

"She rode really strongly and I was delighted with her."

Cockley-Adams' next outing will be at the FEI event in Nottinghamshire on Roxane du Bout du Monde.

Roxane and Janice are shortlisted for the GB team at this year's Endurance World Championships, due to be held in England in August.

Endurance riders head to Belgium

BEF.co.uk

25 April 2012

Members of the Endurance World Class Start and Potential squad (WCSPS) and Young Rider squad will be competing in the FEI2* 120km ride at Mont le Soie in Belgium on the 28th April.

Six members from the WCSPS squad have been selected for the Senior 120km ride in Mont le Soie after good results in the selection ride at Kings Forest last Month. Representing Great Britain are, Caroline Cowley, Jane Greatorex, Alison House, Sue Rich, Rebecca Kinnarney and Jo Malcolm.

Endurance GB, Chair of International, Emma Miller said, "Riders on the WCSPS are there to gain experience, we are looking for them to become qualified for the elite squad and be in contention for a team place in the next few years. Expeditions such as this are designed to give the riders international experience, qualifications for elite level competition and access to the top vets and farriers".

The Young Riders travelling to Belgium to compete as individuals in the Young Riders FEI 2* 120km are, Kate Atkinson, Brett Corcoran, James Dickinson and Louise Rich. Carri-Ann Dark will be taking on the FEI 3* 160km class. This ride is being used as a pre-run for the Endurance Young Rider European Championships to be held in Mont le Soie on the 8th September.

Young Rider Chef d'Equipe, Helen Boston said, "This will be a fact finding expedition ahead of the Europeans in September. We don't want to jeopardise the horses over what is a tough course at this stage so the emphasis is for the riders to complete the course. This year we have a really strong group of Young Riders and we have a good pool of people to select the final team from. This will be the first time competing abroad for Brett and James and they hope to learn a great deal from the experience. Our main goal for this year is for a team medal in September, anything else is a bonus".

British Elite squad member, Tricia Hirst is also competing in the FEI 2* 120km class at Mont le Soie with Valcq Diamond Sparkle.

For more information visit www.endurancegb.co.uk

Find us on facebook www.facebook.com/EnduranceGB or follow @EnduranceGB on Twitter

Australia: In National Squad

Colliemail.com.au - Full Article

RAELENE HESTON
26 Apr, 2012 10:54 AM

“HE’S a tough little horse,” remarked one official, as 13-year-old Arab stallion West Coast Acheron strolled past the finishing line after a 160-kilometre trek through bushland south-east of Collie. His journey had started shortly after a midnight on Friday, following a vet check, and ended between 4.30 and 5pm on Saturday.

The little chestnut had not raised a sweat at the end of his journey around the Collie racecourse and through the bush.

He had been cantering towards the finish when his rider, Norbert Radney, slowed him to a walk.

Another rider explained that coming in quietly would lower his heart rate and help cool him down before the compulsory vet check.

The cool wind would also help, she added.

After the vet check, there were hugs all around when the WA Endurance Riders’ Association honorary veterinarian, Dr Anne Barnes of Murdoch University, announced Acheron and Dr Radney had qualified for the Australian squad to contest the Senior World Endurance Championships at Euston Park near Newmarket in England during August.

Even before Acheron and Dr Radney finished the event, Dr Barnes said they were well within qualifying time so there was no need for Dr Radney to push his mount...

Read more here:
http://www.colliemail.com.au/news/local/news/general/in-national-squad/2535462.aspx

Australia: Endurance Carnival - Toorbul

The 2012 Endurance Carnival will be held on 5, 6, & 7 of May, 2012 at Toorbul, Queensland. It will be a low key event in comparison to the Endurance Festival 2011 due to a very limited number of helpers.

We will endeavour for the weekend to be rewarding and enjoyable for all. Some competitors want to qualify for the 2013 Queensland Quilty, others want to qualify and vie for selection to the World Championships at Euston Park 2012, but for most it's the opportunity to enjoy a day in the saddle with a special horse at your chosen distance.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Peter Toft

For more information, see
http://www.ozenduranceqinc.com/Information-Sheet.html

Australia: Oz Endurance Festival 2011

Spain: Selection Criteria for Pre-World Championship

25 April 2012

Consideration will be given the results in the following competitions for horses and riders:

The raid Spain Championship CEI 3 * to be held on June 9, 2012.

Tests 160km CEI 3 * held in Spain, France, Belgium and the UK

until June 24, 2012. 

To be considered for screening, the binomial testing should be completed at a minimum speed of 15 km / h. May be considered also some evidence to decide on an individual by the coach in 2012 for individual pairs.

The ranking its use as a guide to determine differences between horses with results next. Also, take into account the horses and riders on their own merits (results above) to confirm their status as evidence to decide individually between owners, riders and coach.

We must accept the commitment papers of incorporation to discharge plan

competition that can be found in the section of regulations section RAID Web RFHE.com.

The criteria for the FEI World Championship to contest all raid in UNITED

KINGDOM are:

1. A 160km test at least 14 km / h by the team (together) in the 24

months before the test.

2. The horse must be at least 8 years to compete in a championship.

3. The horse must have completed 3 CEI 2 * or higher (including test point 1).

4. The rider or rider must have completed 5 CEI 2 * or higher (including test

paragraph 1).

* Any changes in national or FEI criteria will be decided by the coach.

South Africa: It's in the Blood!

Perseveranceendurancehorses Blog

24 April 2012

It was a super successful weekend at the OVK Endurance Challenge for the team from Perseverance Arabian & Endurance Horses. Seven horses were entered, with five riders and four grooms, and six finished, with two 3rd places, one 2nd place and one 1st place!

This year, the ride – hosted by the Lormar stud and sponsored by OVK – was held over two days, with 80km, 120km and stepladder distances on both days. The ride was well attended with around seventy entries, including TV stars Barry Armitage and Joe Dawson, from SABC3′s THE RIDE. Barry and Joe were riding Lormar horses in their bid to qualify to enter the Fauresmith 201km national ride in July.

The highlight of Friday the 13th was a racing finish between father & son pair, Pieter & Lourens Marais in the 80km distance! Both were riding in the Heavyweight category, and shared the honours at the end, with Pieter taking 1st place, and Lourens taking Best Condition.

For Team PSV, Ashley Gower and PSV Mauser – standing at number 3 on the ERASA horse rankings – placed 3rd Young Rider in the 80km, while Francois Seegers rode PSV Nile out of novice with a good 80km stepladder. To round the day off for Perseverance, work experience rider Joy Webster did a 60km stepladder on PSV Medina.

On Saturday, third cousins Laura Seegers and Wesley Hayes dashed around the 80km together in the fastest time of the weekend. Wesley also breeds Arabians, and has the Olford Stud in Queenstown… it must be in the bloodline!

Laura was riding PSV Mabruk – currently at number 2 on the ERASA overall horse rankings – and finished in a time of 4h03min. Laura and Wesley crossed the line together with Laura winning Standardweights and Wesley winning Heavyweights. Mabruk trotted off with the Best Condition for that ride AND the Best of the Best award for the weekend’s events!

In his second 80km of the weekend, Ashley Gower and PSV Liberty took 3rd place Young Rider, and Donalyn Hennessey on PSV Ibis came 2nd in the Standardweights.

The 1st Lightweight place in the 80km was taken by Baba Sintu on Alicedale Hidalgo, while 1st and 2nd places in the Young Rider category went to sisters Jenna and Kirsty Masterson from the Hofmeyr club. It was another thrilling finish to the 120km, where Young Rider Rory Rous was chasing fellow YR Ninine Erasmus, and caught up with her on the last leg to sccop 1st place and Best Condition.

Sharp eyes may have spotted that Mauser is back in competition...

Read more here:
http://perseveranceendurancehorses.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/its-in-the-bloodlines-13-14-april-2012/

Australia: Chef d'Equipe Application Date Extended

April 25 2012

Equestrian Australia are calling for applications for the position of Chef d’Equipe for the World Endurance Championships to be held at Euston Park, Great Britain, in August 2012.

The job description, resume template and nomination form are available from the AERA Secretary, Ieva Peters, email: ieva.peters@bigpond.com or from the AERA website.

Applications must be to the Equestrian Australia (National Office) by no later than 30th April 2012.

View/download the job description, resume template and nomination form or contact the AERA Secretary, Ieva Peters, email: ieva.peters@bigpond.com or from the AERA website.

Regards,
Ieva Peters
60445

Belgium: Mont-Le-Soie Pre-Ride

April 24 2012

On the saturday 28th and sunday 29th of April, Mont Le Soie will organize a series of competitions for senior and young riders, all in FEI classes. This will be a unique opportunity for the national squads to discover the competition.

Everyone knows of course how important it is to prepare well in advance all details concerning their participation to a big event.  

On the saturday 28th of April, 5 international competitions:
° CEI**YR120km and CEI*YR100km
° CEI***160km
° CEI**120km and CEI*100km  

On the sunday 29th of April, 3 international competitions:
° CEI**120km
° CEI*100km
° CEI*YR100km

The startlist for the pre-ride is now available here.

Mongolia: Globetrotting - Getting Under the Skin

Globetrotting1.wordpress.com - Full Article

April 23 2012

The girl’s cheeks are flushed beetroot red, her half moon eyes bright with anticipation as her wiry bay pony jigs around in a circle. Shadows of her horse’s ribs are visible beneath the make-shift saddle, a stirrup-less foam pad that is secured by a rawhide girth strap. The number nine is pinned to her back and chest. She is one of 20 child jockeys that will be competing in the Naadam Festival race held in a remote northern region of Mongolia. The child jockeys are stone faced with concentration as they trot their dread-locked, wild-eyed ponies past the group of onlookers.

The children start to sing in mid-trot. Their high-pitched voices echo across the lonely steppe. Our interpreter Molor explains, “they’re worshipping their sky father and giving thanks to the horse.” It’s a haunting, high-pitched chorus that ebbs and flows with intensity as they amble past.

My husband, our two good friends and I were at the beginning of a 19-day horse-riding adventure, where we trekked deep within the remote Darhat Valley, only accessible by horse, reindeer or foot. We were in search of the Tssatan people while getting a taste of a nomad’s life. To arrive in time to see Naadam festivities we jumped on an overnight train, hitched a ride on a regional flight and spent half a day in a Russian army van to reach the windswept town of Khatgal. It’s the frontier town to Lake Khovsgol National Park, the deepest lake in central Asia.

Naadam is a traditional type of festival in Mongolia held in country towns like Khatgal during the midsummer holidays. Translated as ‘the three games of men’, it includes Mongolian wrestling, horse racing and archery.

The dust cloud on the steppe signified that the 25-kilometre horse race had begun...

Read more here:
http://globetrotting1.wordpress.com/tag/endurance-riding-mongolia/

Great Britain: Cheshire Cheese Grin for Horse Riders

Cheshireeast.gov.uk

April 18, 2012

The Cheshire Cheese Loop – the very first long distance horse ride in Cheshire East – is now open to the public. Named Laureen’s Ride, the route runs through the heart of Cheshire East and is ideal for horse riders with friends or family on bikes.

The route is located to the South East of Knutsford, around the parishes of Over Peover, Chelford and Ollerton. Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services, said: “Cheshire East Council is delighted to have been part of this project to improve the environment for people who are eager to get outside and enjoy the Cheshire countryside.

“As part of the project, Cheshire East Council has ensured the route is safe and well sign-posted, so that visitors can enjoy a relaxed trek through the beautiful countryside.”

The Cheshire Cheese Loop passes through pretty countryside with green hedged fields and shady trees created for Cheshire dairy cattle.

There are also magnificent country estates to see, such as 16th century Peover Hall, Colshaw Hall and New Hall, which was used by General George S. Patton during the Second World War.

The route is signposted on roads and way-marked on bridleways and byways. There are also maps and a talk-around service to guide the rider around the 27km (17-mile route). A leaflet is also available, which lists horse-friendly pub stops, accommodation and equestrian services close-by.

Here is what some riders have to say about the route:

“Lovely country lanes and plenty of canter opportunities”

“Very enjoyable, easy to follow ride, through pretty countryside over a variety of terrain providing interest for both horse and rider”.

Laureen’s Ride was developed by North Cheshire Riders in partnership with Cheshire East Council, with funding from the British Equestrian Federation, British Horse Society and local riding groups.

The Cheshire Cheese Loop is one of two loops of Laureen's Ride. The second, Heritage Loop, is currently being developed. To find out more about the various horse riding, walking and cycling opportunities, log on to: www.discovercheshire.co.uk.

Malaysia: Al-Khamsa-RTES Malaysia-Thailand Endurance Open Championship 2012

The Al-Khamsa-RTES Malaysia-Thailand Endurance Open Championship will be held May 17-20, 2012, at Terengganu International Endurance Park in Lembah, Bigong, Malaysia. Events will include a 40 km National Ride, an 80 km FEI1* (Jr & Sr), and a 120 km FEI2* (Jr & Sr).

The 40 km ride will start at 6 PM on 18th May, and the 80 km and 120 km will start at 6 PM on 19 May.

For more information, see
http://www.facebook.com/events/126675324131208/

Poland: ARABIA-Polska Arabian Horse Festival

April 19 2012

Please feel invited to the First International ECAHO Show in Poland since many years. The ARABIA-Polska Arabian Horse Festival, under the Patronage of HE Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will take place at Sluzewiec Racecourse in Warsaw on the 23rd-24th of June.

Our international judges are: Sylvie Eberhardt (Germany), Marianne Tangstedt (Denmark), Katrina Murray (UK) and Raymond Mazzei (US).

Show schedule, Entry Form, VIP reservations and Sponsorship fee are available now! Closing date for entries: 15th of May! Contact us: pp@polishprestige.pl

For more information, see:
http://www.arabianessence.com/waterhole/mailblast/2012/mailblast65-polska.html

India’s Indigenous Horses Trot Into Sunset

Littleindia.com - Full Article

India’s ‘native steeds’ are staring at an uncertain, if not calamitous future, just two years ahead of a century since World War I that will commemorate the greatest contribution of horses towards a human enterprise

By Rajat Ghai

For millennia, they have shared the world with their human masters. They have carried their owners in the thick of battle, across grasslands, hills, plains and the highest mountains. But there has never been a more trying time for India’s six indigenous breeds of horses than now.

The Kathiawari horse, the Marwari horse, the Zanskari pony, the Spiti pony, the Bhotia pony and the Manipuri pony are threatened by the loss of genetic purity, say experts.

In January this year the media in Gujarat speculated that there were fewer than 50 purebred Kathiawari horses left.

Warns Satyajit Khachar, a Gujarat-based horse breeder: “If they are not saved now, a stage will come when because of declining numbers, the gene pool will get restricted. Then breeders will resort to inbreeding to preserve the breed’s purity.”

Raghuvendra Singh Dunlod, secretary general of the Indigenous Horse Society of India, a Jaipur-based NGO working towards conserving the six breeds, said: “A horse breed is declared threatened when fewer than 50 breeding mares are left, according to the Brussels-based OIE or World Organization for Animal Health.

“By that yardstick, I don’t think that these six breeds are on the verge of extinction. But some of them, if not all, will slide towards that end if something is not done soon..."

Read more here:
http://www.littleindia.com/life/12681-india%E2%80%99s-indigenous-horses-trot-into-sunset.html

Scotland: Shoes mandatory in horse v human race – for now

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

By Horsetalk.co.nz on Apr 17, 2012

A campaign to allow barefoot horses in the annual Man versus Horse race in Powys, Wales, has failed to persuade organisers to change the rules for this year’s event.

However, the organisers have promised to review the opinions of the equine and veterinary community and carefully consider the question for the 2013 running of the cross-country endurance challenge.

For now, horses entered in the 22-mile race on June 9 must wear metal shoes.

The course is steep and the terrain varied to make the contest as even as possible. Competitors race across farm tracks, footpaths, forestry roads and open moorland, with several short stretches over tarmac. It is very hilly, with a total ascent of 3000ft.

Green Events chairman Lindsay Ketteringham said the terrain covered meant horses must wear shoes...

Read more here:
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/04/17/shoes-mandatory-in-horse-human-race/

Scotland: Endurance runners take on horses in new Loch Ness event

BBC.co.uk - Full Article

16 April 2012

Endurance runners are to take on horses and their riders in a new race on the southern shore of Loch Ness.

The South Loch Ness Man vs Horse Challenge will be held over 16 miles (26km) on the 5 May.

Thirty spaces are available for runners and the event will be held under Scottish Endurance Riding Club rules. A vet will monitor horses' fitness.

Starting at Foyers Pier, the race includes parts of the Trail of the Seven Lochs and South Loch Ness Trail.

Competitors will climb a trail dubbed the Corkscrew beside the crag of Dun Deardail before tackling the Fair Haired Lad's Pass and finishing at Dores...

Read more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-17726640

Royal Heritage - the story of Jordan's Arab Horses - book

Horsetalk.co.nz
by HRH Princess Alia Al Hussein and Peter Upton
Medina Publishing, July 2011
210 x 218 mm Portrait, 264pp hardcover
RRP £35
ISBN: 978-0-9564170-4-6


Illustrated throughout in colour and b&w with paintings, drawings and a wealth of recent and historical photographs.
Co-authored by HRH Princess Alia, the eldest daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan, and the artist and author Peter Upton, Royal Heritage tells the story of the Arab horse in Jordan, from the early days of the Bedouin tribes to the 21st century, a story closely associated with the Hashemite family of Jordan, direct descendants of the Prophet.

The account also tells of the Arab Revolt of 1916, in which the Emirs Ali, Abdullah, Faisal and Zeid, with T E Lawrence, drove the Ottomans out of the region, and how some of the Hashemite mares became the foundation stock of the Royal Stud in Jordan. Royal Heritage covers many other adventures including the traumatic events which nearly led to the loss of the Stud's precious mares and describes how, despite these setbacks, the Royal Stud has flourished.

In 1987 Princess Alia, Director of the Royal Stud, organised the first Arab horse show to be held in Arabia entitled 'The Arab Horse at Home'. It was an event which inspired other Arab countries to organise horse shows of their own.

Princess Alia includes many fascinating personal reminiscences: about the horses she holds so dear, the people involved in the Stud through the years, the famous and infamous, family and friends, heads of state and handlers. The work is richly illustrated with paintings, drawings and rare photographs from old archives and private collections, as well as up-to-date portraits of the Stud and its horses.

Peter Upton gives an in-depth account of the horses themselves; the breeding, lineage and preservation of the hugely important Jordanian bloodlines.

A story of legend, romance and war, Royal Heritage tells with passion for the first time the remarkable saga of the Arab horse in Jordan.

For purchase information, click here:
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/reviews/522-books-for-sale.shtml

Great Britain: A great test of horses’ endurance

Buryfreepress.co.uk

Published on Friday 13 April 2012

THE FIRST big endurance ride on the horse calendar, which was held at King’s Forest near West Stow, has been hailed a success by one of its organisers.

Dianne Luke, who organised the one-day King’s Forest Spring Ride which saw 130 riders take part, said: “It was a brilliant day, and everybody was very happy with it.

“There were no accidents, which is always good, and no horses were injured, which is brilliant.

“It started off quite cold and chilly, but the riders appreciated that because they could get the first 20km under their belt in cool conditions.”

The event had an international flavour, with riders from Hong Kong, Dubai and Switzerland, as well as 50 British competitors.

Wideham Farm Equestrian Centre, which hosted the event, will also stage the National Championships in the summer.

Janice Cockley Adams was the big winner of the day, claiming first place in the class 1 CEI 120km with her horse Serabitibi.

New Zealand Endurance Championships

April 13 2012

Sian Reid and Mauku Mystique won the 160 km New Zealand endurance championship, held over Easter weekend in Hawarden, South Island, New Zealand. The pair won in a time of 9:46.36, one second ahead of Andrea Smith and Glenmore Tariq. Mark Tylee and Jacob were third.

Frank Aldridge and Merimindi Finale won the 100-km CEI 1* in 5:45.40.

The CTR National Championships were held in conjunction with the endurance.

For complete results and photos from the ride see:
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/04/13/new-zealand-endurance-championships/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-zealand-endurance-championships