USA's Mallory Capps 2nd in FEI Young Riders World Ranking

August 2 2012

The USA has 4 Young Riders in the top ten of the FEI Young Riders World Ranking as of July 22, 2012. The top spot is occupied by Manuela Basombrio of Argentina, followed by Mallory Capps. Cassandra Roberts ranks 5th, with Katherine Gardener tied for 8th and Kelsey Russell in 10th.

The USA does even better on the Young Riders Combination World Ranking, clinching the top 3 spots. Cassandra Roberts and CA Classy Marina are in first, Mallory Capps and Noslo's Lightning Strikes are in second, and Katherine Gardener and AF Big Bucks are in third. Sydney Sumrall and DCL Mooi Koedoe are in 7th, and Christina Kimeray and DC Macproof are in 8th place.

Bahrain: Quarantine 'puts animals at risk...'

Gulf-daily-news.com

By Ahmed Al Omari , Posted on » Wednesday, August 01, 2012

BAHRAIN'S quarantine facilities could be putting the lives of animals at risk, it has been claimed.

The complex, at the Endurance Village in Sakhir, is poorly equipped and has no air conditioning, which could prove fatal for the animals in summer, warned race horse owner Jalil Al Mallah.

He is due to import six European bred horses, worth a combined total of more than BD45,000, from the UK today and claims he will have to risk their lives just to clear customs.

Mr Al Mallah has already secured the paperwork to take them to the Endurance Village, but plans to stand at the gates of the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club in Sakhir, where he already owns stables, until they agree to take in his horses.

"I will not take my horses to that crummy quarantine just to have them die," the Bahraini told the GDN.

"When my horses come in I will sign them out and I will drive straight to the race club and offload them there until the club lets me in or arrests me.

"One of these horses, called Cheylesmore, sported the Bahraini flag when the team won a race in England against British horses and now I am just trying to bring them home and this is how they are treated.

"These horses win for Bahrain and they should be treated like winners when they come back home."

Officials from the Municipality and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry could not be reached for comment, but sources admitted the facilities could be better.

"The owner is justified in not wanting to send his animals to the quarantine facility in Endurance Village," they said.

"There is no AC in the facility which is dangerous for all animals, but especially horses that come from the UK.

"Horses coming from a cold country will not be able to survive in this heat at that facility."

The source advised the horse owner to seek permission to keep his horses at the Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club.

But Mr Al Mallah already says he has been denied use of the facility, which has its own quarantine.

"This is not the first case of animals from overseas coming into the club stables, so I don't understand why I can't this time," he said.

"I got everything approved, I got all the certificates and the tests done. Not only that, the horses are already in the process of being shipped. "If I cancel the shipping, then I will have to pay a 70 per cent penalty and so I can't just wait."

ahmed@gdn.com.bh

Denmark will Host 2015 European Endurance Championship

Rideforbund.dk

by Rikke Højgaard
[google translation]

The international equestrian federation FEI has awarded Denmark European Championship in distance in 2015. It is Molsridtet to arrange the championship tournament, which means that the approx. 100 participants to try out a 160 km-consuming route of Mols Mountains. European Championship in 2015 distance runs from 31 July - 2 august.
 
Mols Mountains ready for championship bout

"We are both proud and overwhelmed and delighted to get started - it will be a great championship. Today we are 20 people in Molsridtet, but when we reach 2015, we would have grown to 100, so we can provide both participants and spectators a great experience, "says Peter Christiansen, president of Molsridtet.

It is expected that there will be approx. 100 participants at the European Championships in the distance. Riders from non-European countries may also participate in the competition, but can obviously not ride for championship medals.Championship distance 2015 is organized by Molsridtet in collaboration with Danish Equestrian Federation and Syddjurs Municipality.

Australia: Kilkivan Hosts 2013 Tom Quilty

Kilkivanquilty.com

Kilkivan, Queensland, will be the host of the 2013 Tom Quilty Gold Cup on Sunday June 9th.

A tiny town with a heart of gold
 
Queensland’s first gold discovery was at Kilkivan in 1852 and subsequent findings escalated into a gold rush in 1868.  Small pockets of gold are still found today, and a working gold mine offers visitors the opportunity to try their luck at gold panning.
 
The town itself forms the eastern and northern gateways of the South Burnett region of south-east Queensland, Australia. The South Burnett is home to two of Queensland’s biggest inland waterways (Lake Boondooma



and the Bjelke-Petersen Dam) and is also one of the largest wine-growing regions in the State. Most of the South Burnett is located just a few pleasant driving hours from Brisbane.
 
Kilkivan is located on the Bicentennial National Trail which runs right through the centre of the Township with 107 kms of the
Trail running through the Shire itself. The annual ‘Kilkivan Great Horse Ride’ is a spectacular event, attracting over 1,000 riders to its trek along parts of the Trail.
 
As well as lovely accommodation, the local B&B offers sumptuous meals and the opportunity to take some of the goodies with you in a South Burnett gift hamper. Enjoy a drink at the local hotel and meet the owner, Fred Brophy - operator of the famous ‘Fred Brophy’s Boxing Tent’.

Attractions within this area are diverse. Glimpse life as it used to be, by wanderingthrough the town’s historical museum in the main street.  Mudlo Conservation Park, north of Kilkivan, is ideal for birdwatching.
 
Kilkivan may be a small town, but its rich Australian history make this a must-see Quilty event.

Matthew Sample Withdraws from Australian Team for WEC

July 25 2012

Matthew Sample has today announced his withdrawal from the Australian Team for the 2012 World Endurance Championships.

Matthew has kept the Team Vet and myself aware of an unsoundness issue with his horse Brookleigh Ricardo and the decision has been accepted after giving him every opportunity to rectify the problem.

This is disappointing for Matthew after putting in considerable effort to prepare the horse and himself for this level of competition. It is also disappointing for the team to lose one of its valuable combinations.

Regards
Peter Toft
Chef
Australian Endurance Team

Endurance GB Young Riders Team Announced

Equestrianteamgbr.co.uk

26/07/2012
Following a final performance trial at Wolverhampton racecourse on the 22nd July, Endurance GB has announced the team of horses and riders that will represent Great Britain at the 2012 European Young Riders Endurance Championships.

The riders in alphabetical order are:
• Kate Atkinson from Lancashire riding Vanash
• Brett Corcoran from Staffordshire riding Bashir Shamyr
• Carri-Ann Dark from Wiltshire riding Sovereign or Vavavoom
• Beth Langley from Ceredigion riding HS Ametista
• Dace Sainsbury from Dorset riding Balotta
• Andew Theodorou Jamal from Ceredigion riding Jamal

Reserve:
• Louise Rich from Bristol riding Cziko

Team Chef D’equipe Helen Boston said “all our team members are very determined and we stand in good stead for a team medal, particularly following on from a positive and successful pre championship trip to Mont le Soie back in April. The team are not fazed by the challenge and we are all excited about the championships”.

The 2012 Young Riders European Endurance Championships take place on the 8th September at Mont le Soie, Belgium. The 120km championship course sets a great challenge and the 2010 team Young Rider European Champions, France will be out to try to defend their title.

There will be a live twitter feed throughout the day of the Championships @enduranceGB. For further information about the sport of endurance riding visit www.endurancegb.co.uk. For more information about The British Equestrian Team go to www.equestrianteamgbr.co.uk.

Endurance GB Team announced for the Longines World Endurance Championships 2012

Endurancegb.co.uk

24th July 2012
Following a final performance trial at Wolverhampton racecourse on the 21st July, Endurance GB has today announced the team of horses and riders that will represent Great Britain for the Longines FEI CEI 4* World Endurance Championships 2012.

A report from Holdsworth PR

The riders in alphabetical order are:
· Alice Beet from Surrey riding Adara Sauveterre
· Tricia Hirst from Mid Wales riding Madjin des Pins
· Nikki Malcolm from Dorset riding Khartoum With A K
· Annette Masterson from Staffordshire riding El Sabio
· Lesley-Ann Parker from Cambridgeshire riding Velvet Echo
· Christine Yeoman from Somerset riding LM Crazy Girl
· First Reserve - Catriona Moon from Somerset riding Leila
· Second Reserve - Beccy Broughton-Booker from Nottinghamshire riding Tawmarsh Muharram
· Third Reserve - Emma Finnie riding Sha Ali
· Forth Reserve horse – LM Greyson

Chairman of selectors, Di Latham said, on behalf of the selectors and management team, “We are confident that we have a strong Team, with a vast amount of experience at International and Championship level, capable of competing against the best in the World and securing a result to make Great Britain proud of our athletes. We are all excited about having the Championships on home soil, giving endurance enthusiasts the opportunity to support their Team from the front line”.

Chairman of EGB’s International Committee, Emma Miller, said, “The Performance day was made up of horse assessments and work on the race course. They all looked super and I am delighted with the progress that has been made this year. We are on great form and there are good omens for the championship”.

The Longines FEI CEI 4* World Endurance Championships takes place on Saturday 25th August, at Euston Park near Newmarket, Suffolk. The 160km race across the undulating Suffolk countryside will see around 150 riders line up with up to 40 countries represented. Among contenders vying for the top spot at the 14th world title event will be defending world champion Maria Alvarez Ponton of Spain and the United Arab Emirates, winners of the team gold medal at the 2010 world championships.

There will be a live twitter feed throughout the day of the Championships @enduranceGB. For further information about the sport of endurance riding visit www.endurancegb.co.uk. For more information about The British Equestrian Team go to www.equestrianteamgbr.co.uk.

Uruguayan Selection for World Endurance Championship

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

Raid Selection Uruguayan World Cup in Euston Park.

You are defining the selections of the various countries for the Raid World held in Euston Park (GBR), to be held on August 25, 2012, this is the list of Selected Uruguay, land of good horses Equestrian and Endurance certainly played the final triumph:

"Uruguayan Equestrian Endurance Team
On August 25 it runs the Enduro World Equestrian 2012 Euston Park, England.

Uruguay is represented by six pairs:

Antonio Guillen with Canuto Molles
Pia Juan Olascoaga with La Milonga
Jorge Martinez with Nagfour
Nicolas Stirling with Catalino
Bernardo Algorta with Cacique
Paula Fort with Campanina

Alternates:
Esteban Fort with Tuchi Del Yi
Adriana Basso with Mc Teresa

This group is led by the technical team consists of:

Gabriel Mendez
Cyro Pereira
Vet. Joseph Verocay "

Source: Uruguay Audee

Belgian Short List for the 2012 World Endurance Championship

Endurance-belgium.com

July 24 2012

The selection process is still ongoing. As for now there are 8 couples on the short list, taking part at the clinics organized by the Chef d'Equipe at Mont Le Soie.
A qualification threshold had been defined at the start of the season - 17 km/h on a 160km. Not all couples short listed managed to reach this speed but were close. The goal now is to determine the best suited horses and riders and evaluate the condition of the horses that should normally peak at the end of August.
The eight couples are :

• DI GERONIMO Pierrot – SD Mengali
• FALLON Wendy – Karapie d’Alenthun
• JUST Céline – Djellade de Bozouls
• LEQUARRE Michel – Sahid des Fontaines
• PEREIRA Maritza – Lima du Barthas
• VAN CAUTER Julien – Alnasar Adit
• VAN CAUTER Raphael – Taborah de Sier
• WERY Aurélie – Imann Shah

Last year at the European Championship, Belgium clinched the bronze medal. The three riders who achieved this good results were Just, Lequarre and Pereira.

Dutch Long List for the 2012 World Endurance Championship

July 24 2012

Long list for the WEC in Great Britain on August 24, 2012 is:

Carmen Romer-Theunissen - Gitana or Indigo
Jannet van Wijk - Zaire Star
Theo Heldens - D-Prodigy
Barbara Peterse - Pachinco
Donna Oudshoorn - Karrihm

Short list will be available later in August

Spain: Preselection of World Endurance Championship Competitors

12 July 2012

Maria Alvarez - Nobby/Elvis Hab
Oriol Casals - Zarha de Vilaformiu
Alex Luque - Ikland/Louteiro de Eo
Laia Muixi - Flying Tornado
Ivan Autet - Faref Bugati
Alex Criville - Inguru
Monica Comas - Gaeia
Maria Uriarte - Oliver TB
Jaume Punti - Quran el Ulm
Juan Carlos Ruiz - Fuente de

Shaikh Nasser Leads Royal Team to a Historic Victory at Compiegne Race

BNA.bh

21/07/2012

Paris, July 21. (BNA) – As part of the on-going preparations for the FIA World Endurance Championships 2012 that will take place at Euston Park near Thetford in the UK on August 25, Captain of the Royal Endurance Team Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa led Bahrain riders to a stunning victory at the 120km Endurance Horse Ride at Compiegne, in France, in which key European riders competed.

During the five-phase race, Shaikh Nasser secured first place with 05:13:48, rider Raed Mahmoud was second with 05:13:49 and rider Mohammed Abdul Samad was third with 06:26:55.

On the occasion, Shaikh Nasser expressed satisfaction at the outstanding results achieved during the preparations for the world championship, adding that the training programme will continue in Bahrain and Hungary in order to be able to attain the aspired goals.

WHQ

Bahraini riders set to stage comeback

Gulf-daily-news.com

July 21 2012

THREE of Bahrain's most prominent riders will be in action today at the 120km Endurance Horse Ride at Compiegne, in France.

After their heartbreaking finishes at the recently-organised Endurance Horse Ride in Poland where riders were forced to make consecutive withdrawals, the Bahraini team hope to make a solid comeback today.

Royal Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad will lead the Bahraini trio in today's ride. The remaining two are Raed Mahmood and Abdulrahman Al Saad.

It will be the second event for Al Saad, while Mahmood has been with the team since the start of their European tour in June.

The Bahrainis are currently preparing for the FIA World Endurance Championships 2012 that will take place at Euston Park near Thetford in the UK on August 25.

Shaikh Nasser said the team is keen to take advantage of today's ride ahead of the world championships, which will be over 160km.

In the world championships, featuring a total of six stages, riders from 44 countries from all around the globe are due to take part.

The Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and president of the Bahrain Olympic Committee said the Royal Endurance Team will be the main sponsors of the Compiegne Ride.

Meanwhile, in line with Shaikh Nasser's directives, a Bahraini team of juries will be assisting the organisers at the race.

They include technical director of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation Haider Al Zubi, who arrived along with Dr. Abbas Al Haiki, Mohammed Dadulla and Dr Mohammed Al Hammad of Saudi Arabia.

The decision to have several members of the Bahrain ground jury at this ride was to take advantage of conducting one of the ideal races in Europe held under suitable weather conditions.

On their part, the jury members expressed thanks and appreciation to Shaikh Nasser for this gesture. They also noted the continued support of Breef president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa throughout the season.

Five Confirmed Bidders for FEI World Equestrian Games 2018

USEFNetwork.com


RELEASE: June 11, 2012
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: FEI

The FEI is delighted to announce that five countries are confirmed as bidders to stage the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2018. The five bid cities that have now taken on Official Candidate status are Rabat (MAR); Bromont (CAN); Budapest (HUN); Vienna (AUT) and Wellington (USA).

Under the new bidding process put in place last year by the FEI for the FEI World Equestrian Games™, eight signed Expression of Interest documents were received from the National Federations of Australia, Austria, Canada, Hungary, Morocco, Sweden, Russia and the USA in November 2011.

The Australian, Russian and Swedish applications were withdrawn prior to the start of the official Candidate Phase earlier this year, but the five remaining applicants have moved ahead with their bids.

The five Candidate cities all met the 30 April deadline for receipt of the official Applicant Questionnaire. The five Bid Applications and Questionnaires have now been validated by FEI Headquarters. Details of the five bid cities were formally presented to the FEI Bureau at its meeting in Lausanne (SUI) last week.

An FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 presentation will be made to the five Candidates at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne on 11 July to explain the FEI’s expectations and procedures concerning the Games. Legal Documentation will also be given to Candidates during that meeting. Completed Legal Documentation, including a signed Host Agreement, must be submitted to the FEI by 15 December 2012.

“It is fantastic to have five really strong bids for hosting the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2018 and there could be no better endorsement of the FEI’s flagship event”, FEI Secretary General Ingmar de Vos said. “The new bidding process that we put in place last year for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ has generated a huge amount of interest and we now look forward to welcoming the 2018 bidders to FEI Headquarters next month.”

As the final stage in the bidding process, the Candidates will formally present their bids to the FEI Bureau at its Spring 2013 meeting, after which the official announcement of the host organisers of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 will be made.

The FEI Championships Bid Guide can be accessed here.


The FEI World Equestrian Games™ are held every four years, in the middle of the Olympic cycle. The seven FEI disciplines – Jumping, Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining – are all included on the competition schedule.

The inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ were hosted in Stockholm (SWE) in 1990. Since then the Games have been staged in The Hague (NED) in 1994, Rome (ITA) in 1998, Jerez (ESP) in 2002, and Aachen (GER) in 2006. The first Games to be staged outside Europe were the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky (USA) 2010. The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 will be held in Caen (FRA).

Endurance Great Britain Team Shortlist announced for 2012 WEC

Endurancegb.co.uk

2nd July 2012

Following a very successful team selection trial at the Kings Forest ride in Suffolk on the 29th June, Endurance GB has today announced a shortlist of horses and riders for the Longines FEI CEI 4* World Endurance Championships 2012.

The shortlisted riders in alphabetical order are:

· Alice Beet from Surrey riding Adara Sauveterre
· Beccy Broughton-Booker from Nottinghamshire riding Tawmarsh Muharram
· Emma Finnie from Abu Dhabi riding Sha Ali
· Tricia Hirst from Mid Wales riding Madjin des Pins
· Rachel Ingvaldson from Somerset riding Nazeeka
· Nikki Malcolm from Somerset riding Khartoum With A K or L R Bold Greyson
· Annette Masterson from Staffordshire riding El Sabio
· Catriona Moon from Somerset riding Leila
· Lesley-Ann Parker from Cambridgeshire riding Velvet Echo
· Christine Yeoman from Somerset riding LM Crazy Girl or L R Bold Greyson
· David Yeoman from Somerset riding Haszar

The shortlisted combinations have been asked to attend a final performance trial at Wolverhampton racecourse on the 21st July when the final team of six plus reserves will be selected.

Chairman of selectors, Di Latham said, on behalf of the selectors and management team, “we are happy to confirm that the Championship Trial held at Kings Forest this weekend was a great success, with horses stepping up to the challenge. We are delighted with the progress that has been made this year and we are on target for the ultimate goal”.
“We are fortunate to have so many combinations from which to select for the Endurance World Championships. We are committed to sending our best possible Team to the Championships to ensure that we are able to compete on equal terms with the best in the World and to secure a result to make Great Britain proud of our athletes. We are all excited about having the Championships on home soil, giving endurance enthusiasts the opportunity to support their Team from the front line”.

The Longines FEI CEI 4* World Endurance Championships takes place on Saturday 25th August, at Euston Park near Newmarket, Suffolk. The 160km race across the undulating Suffolk countryside will see around 150 riders line up with up to 40 countries represented. Among contenders vying for the top spot at the 14th world title event will be defending world champion Maria Alvarez Ponton of Spain and the United Arab Emirates, winners of the team gold medal at the 2010 world championships.

There will be a live twitter feed throughout the day of the Championships @enduranceGB, for further information about the sport of endurance riding visit www.endurancegb.co.uk. For more information about The British Equestrian Team go to www.equestrianteamgbr.co.uk. The final team announcement will be made as soon as possible after the 21st July.

HoldsworthPR
Public Relations and Marketing

Four year horse-ride from Beijing to London Olympics ends in heartbreak

Newsshopper.co.uk - Full Article

16 July 2012
By Sarah Trotter

A RECORD-BREAKING woman who has been riding a horse from one Olympic Games to another for four years has seen her Greenwich welcome party shattered.

Megan Lewis has faced deserts, mountains, broken ribs and knackered horses in her 8,000 mile charity trek spanning 13 countries from Beijing to London.

But as she approaches her final destination she is saddled with a huge problem.

After dreaming of a welcome party at Shooters Hill's equestrian resource centre, she has been refused entry by Greenwich Council on health and safety grounds as the site is still being built.

She will however be welcomed by Bexley and Bromley councils on her way to Greenwich as she visits Orpington's Chelsfield Equestrian Centre and Bexley's Mount Mascal Stables ahead of the Olympic torch relay celebrations.

The 63-year-old said: "It is almost a bit of an anti-climax...

Read more here:
http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/top_stories/9819628.Four_year_Olympic_horse_ride_ends_in_heartbreak/

Mongolia: B.C. woman enters world’s toughest horse race

Vancouversun.com - Full Article

By Aleesha Harris, Vancouver Sun
July 16, 2012

An ‘average ranch girl from Canada’ to participate in gruelling 10-day Mongol Derby

Riding 1,000 kilometres through the mountainous terrain of Mongolia in what is considered the longest, toughest horse race in the world may sound like torture to many people, but to Vancouver Island resident Katherine Friedley, it sounds like the adventure of a lifetime.

The 46-year-old horsewoman will represent Canada as one of 35 international competitors in a 10-day race through the Mongolian steppe known as the Mongol Derby, beginning Aug. 10. The race follows Genghis Khan’s pony express postal system route.

“Everyone I’ve talked to about this has been so excited for me. It sometimes blows me away that here I am, just your ordinary Canadian woman, off to Mongolia,” Friedley said.

Friedley now lives near Saanich, but she grew up on her family’s cattle ranch in Alberta, near the eastern slopes of the Rockies. In other words, Friedley – who has chosen the nickname Outlaw Kate for the derby – is no stranger to long days in the saddle.

She credits her father, who continues to run the family’s cattle operation at age 88, with her wealth of horse knowledge and her deep respect for the powerful animals.

But she’s still nervous about what’s in store.

“When I first signed up for the race, I did it on gut instinct alone. I know I can compete and I have the utmost faith in my capabilities not only as a rider, but as a navigator, and as a closet survivalist.

“However, once I began checking out my fellow competitors I began to realize that I am in it with the big boys. There are people who are professional equestrians, experienced endurance riders … I am just an average ranch girl from Canada...”

Read more:
http://www.vancouversun.com/woman+enters+world+toughest+horse+race/6938260/story.html#ixzz20tC8sWK1

Great Britain: Nicky sets fast Boconnoc pace on Silver Zourra

Thisiscornwall.co.uk - Full Article

July 13 2012

Over the past few weeks, the heavy rainfall has caused the cancellation of many sporting events, including endurance rides.

Fortunately for local riders, the Boconnoc Estate, near Lostwithiel in Cornwall, escaped the worst of the weather and its annual endurance ride was able to go ahead last Sunday on a largely sunny day.

The going, particularly in the woods, was muddy and slippery in places but that did not stop Nicky Sherry, of St Breward, on her grey Arab mare Silver Zourra, from winning the 80km (50 miles) ER and the Boconnoc Bowl, at an average speed of 18.22kph – not far off the course record.

Nicky finished so far in front of the other competitors that her arrival at the finish took officials by surprise. Fortunately the timekeepers were there to record her arrival time.

Finishing second was Shannon Smith on her Thoroughbred cross pony Bomber at a speed of 16.91kph. This is the third time that Bomber has come second in the Boconnoc ER, an exceptional record against much larger horses.

Third was Annie Joppe on Oision's Wizard, at a speed of 16.73kph and fourth was last year's winner Firebird, owned by Lesley Nott and ridden this year by daughter Emily, at 16.45kph...

Read more here:
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Nicky-sets-fast-Boconnoc-pace-Silver-Zourra/story-16530421-detail/story.html

Bahrain: Royal Team put on brave show

Gulf-daily-news.com

July 16, 2012

BAHRAIN'S Royal Endurance Team members had heartbreaking finishes at the recently-organised Endurance Horse Ride in Poland.

All eight Bahraini riders put on a brave show, but were unable to complete this challenging 120-km event, which was divided into four stages - 37km, 37km, 24km, 24km.

The Bahrain team, led by Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, also comprised Yaqoub Yousef, Abdulrahman Al Saad, Salman Isa, Ahmed Abdulla, Abdulrahman Al Zayd, Jaffer Mirza and Raed Mahmood.

The ride was part of the Bahrainis' preparations for the World Championship that will take place in the UK next month.

Shaikh Nasser, meanwhile, said that the Royal Endurance Team was able to prove its presence at the ride during its debut participation in this event.

The Royal Endurance Team members waged a new experience as part of a series of its European tour, pointing out that the objective behind its presence at the Polish ride was not essentially intended to score results even though desirable but participation is worthwhile.

Shaikh Nasser praised the cavaliers for their efforts throughout all laps of the 120-kilometre ride and lauded their excellent performance since their horses are only ordinary horses found in the Kingdom of Bahrain's Royal Endurance Stables.

Shaikh Nasser asserted that the experience in Poland has been very positive and affirmed the Royal Endurance Team's cavaliers capacity to wage endurance races on all sorts of difficult terrains and locations, citing his team's previous positive results on various European terrains, and looked forward to accomplishing great feats during the upcoming event next month in Hungary.

Australia: Colt was worth the wait

Northernstar.com.au - Full Article

13 July 2012

JUST as champion mare, Refleex, won prestigious endurance races by pacing herself, she also waited a long time to give birth to her first foal.

On Wednesday, 18-year-old Refleex had a colt, Flex-X, several weeks prematurely and caught horse breeders, Joyce Corbett and Steve Clibborn of Jiggi, by surprise.

"I went up to check the cows yesterday (Wednesday) and I was doing a head-count on them, standing in the back of the ute," Mr Clibborn recalled.

"Then I thought, 'Hang on, I've got too many calves'.

"It was quite a big thing because if you leave a foal in a paddock with geldings, like these two, they'll kill it because they're very dominant."

Mr Clibborn and Ms Corbett previously tried to breed Refleex but failed and the retired champion is now considered old to be having her first foal.

However, Ms Corbett said it was symbolic of the champion's nature.

"She is old to be foaling but she has always been an endurance horse," Ms Corbett said.

Horse breeders usually pay for a stallion to impregnate their mares, but Refleex received "a free service" from Eastwinds Axiltation, a top breeding stallion from Maclean, because she is so highly regarded.

In 2004, Refleex became the only non-professional horse to have won the Tom Quilty Cup, a 160 km-long South Australian endurance race...

Read more here:
http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2012/07/13/colt-was-worth-the-wait/