From A Club To A Village

Most of the time Sakkara Country Club is a fairly quiet place where Cairenes come to get away from the city smog, let their children have riding lessons, and read or chat by the pool. The past few days it has been undergoing a major transition to become an endurnance village in the style of the UAE under the guidance of a team from Abu Dhabi. The grass paddock where mares and foals used to graze or children would be led on ponies has had pristine white trot out lanes erected for the past two weeks. The vet gates are placed next to the wooden playground with the sign warning that the equipment is only for children under twelve, but no one is taking time to sit on the swings with tents for the press and important visitors to be constructed. As the teams arrive, the sounds of drills, spray painters and hammers are wafting on the autumn breeze in place of birdcalls and horse chatter from the stables, but the work looks good to be finished in time for the Monday race.



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Many of the members' horses have been moved to neighbouring stables to afford some boxes for the visitors. The Qatar team have been here for almost two weeks on their way home from France. Interestingly, this weekend is the Egyptian International and National Horse Show at the EAO (the Egyptian government stud in Ain Shams) and the line up for the International show is said to be spectacular as many of the horses have come to Cairo en route to a big halter show in the Gulf. Cairo is filled with horses right now.

I stopped by the lonely help desk to find some young people there who were more than happy to help, but who didn't know much about the technical issues I wanted to follow..I suspect that it's going to be much more of a generic help desk. But as I spoke to them I spotted an old friend who works with the Dubai team and the informational log jam broke. He was able to confirm that the set up and the track are being supervised by an organisational team from Abu Dhabi. He was on the team that was arranging the races in 2000 when Egypt was introduced to endurance racing, and said happily that he was enjoying just competing this time. He couldn't stop to chat as he had to meet people. Everyone is hustling now.

The trail looks like a recap of the trail used in the 2000 120 km race with a long loop that comes out of the club and south to the pyramids of Dahshur and then back again. The second and third loops will also leave the club to the south and then branch to the right and then to the left respectively. The encroachment of the Giza municipal dump and the sand and gravel miners on the desert to the west of the club has eliminated any trails to the immediate west or north. The quarries provide trails in abundance but not the sort of trails that are of interest in this racing climate, and they aren't all that photogenic.

The tennis courts at the club have been taken over by an army of men with screwdrivers and paint sprayers who are erecting temporary boxes for visitors. Previously, some of the teams have stabled at farms close to the club, but this is probably a better solution. At this point, it isn't completely clear how many teams are coming. There will be Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Syria, Libya, Bahrain, possibly Jordan, and of course Egypt. I will visit the offices of the set up team at the club to try to get a list of horses and riders today. Endurance riding doesn't even ping on the news radar in Egypt so there have been virtually no public statements available.

In all the bustle of construction, the people working with the horses are on their own more relaxed schedules. All the training that can be done has been and now everyone is just seeing that the horses are calm and healthy, going for walks in the desert and taking them out to graze on the grass at the edge of the desert. Showjumpers from participating countries are joining endurance colleagues as they finish with their competitions and the talk is all horses of course. The Libyans are newcomers and finding the scene a bit daunting, but one of the Qatari riders was saying that they've been encouraging their Libyan counterparts to enjoy the competition and figure out how it all works to be ready for more in the future. The brightly painted horse truck that they used for transport will probably have to give way to air transport at some time.

The Syrian horses were supposed to come in last night and the temporary boxes should be pretty much done by this afternoon, so I expect to see more activity at the club when I check there after my daily schedule of trail rides and lessons for kids. Hopefully, I will find out who is riding for Egypt as well. At this point, I know that one of my neighbours was nominated to the team, but he was expressing some concern about the footing for the trail. The desert here is empty sand with a sprinkling of flint on top. The horses usually sink into the sand enough that the stones don't bruise but the minimum four to six inch layer of soft sand that they have to cope with does take its toll on the tendons. The "trail" is not a track, groomed or otherwise and while the organisers will try to select the best footing, there will be deep spots as well. The temperatures are looking good for riding, with projected highs of about 26 C (about 78 F), fairly low humidity and mixed sun and clouds.

Sultans Cup: Temperature and Humidity statistics

www.Malaysia-Wec.com (full size image)

Dr Balakrishna Polanaidoo, DVM, (aka. Dr. Bala) has prepared a detailed analysis of the weather which prevailed during the 2007 Sultan's Cup.

The following image is a graph of statistical weather data, including air temperature and humidity. Of interest:

lowest temperature: 22.5 C (72.5 F) at 5:45AM
highest temperature: 31.4 C (88.5 F) at 11:45AM
lowest humidity: 70% at 11:45AM
highest humidity: 100% 5:45PM - 5:45AM

USA: Amie Chenault wins 2007 Old Dominion Tripple Crown

11.13.07
Sweet Briar Stable Manager Hangs on for Endurance Riding Triple Crown
Amie Chenault, the stable manager at Sweet Briar College, and her 13-year-old Arabian, Zeek, are winners of Old Dominion Endurance Rides Inc.’s 2007 Triple Crown.

To receive the award, the same horse and rider team must compete in all three distance rides organized by Old Dominion, a Virginia-based non-profit group that promotes and supports the sport of endurance riding.

The first event, the 30-mile “No Frills” ride was held on April 14 in Front Royal. Chenault and Zeek tied for first place with a ride time of four hours.

The second ride, a 50-miler called the “Old Dominion,” was held June 9 in Fort Valley, Va. Zeek and Chenault rode to a second-place finish in seven hours and 56 minutes, winning the Best Condition Award in the process.

The final leg of the Triple Crown, the 50-mile “Fort Valley” ride, was held Oct. 27 in Fort Valley. Chenault and Zeek took first place with a ride time of six hours, 32 minutes.

“I was really shocked at how well we did at the last ride in Fort Valley because Amherst and the surrounding counties had a few cases of Potomac horse fever this summer,” Chenault said. “Zeek tested positive [for it] in July."

Chenault said she was one of the lucky ones who caught the signs of the disease in time.

“Zeek was treated and, as you can tell, he has fully recovered,” she said.

Chenault said she is grateful for her family and friends’ support, as well as her pit crews at home and on the road. Zeek’s home pit crew includes veterinarians Martha Moses and Anne Bonda and farrier Becky Vail. Chenault’s aunt Melissa Carter and her family and her friend Ellen Eagle supported them on the road.

“Without a great pit crew this would not have been possible,” Chenault said.

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Trial Event for the 2008 FEI World Senior Endurance Championship

FEI Press News
November 14
First-place horse and rider, Naser Marzouqi (UAE) riding Hafiza du Mas (photo: Cidinha Franzao)
Heavy tropical storms and torrential rain greeted the 38 horse and rider combinations who set out on the first phase of the FEI CEI 3* Trial event at Terengganu, East Malaysia at 4.30 pm on the afternoon of 10 November 2007.

Eighteen combinations from around the world joined by 20 locally based combinations took part in the trial event to assess the weather conditions and facilities planned for the 2008 FEI World Senior Endurance Championships.

This second trial event was part of the two-year-preparations being undertaken by the organising company YDSM and the Malaysian Equestrian Federation.

The event, The Sultan's Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007, needed to meet the minimum criteria for overseas combinations (40% completion rate within 16 hours ride time) imposed by the FEI to asses the safety and ability of horses to successfully compete in the climate of Terengganu State.

The tropical storm and heavy rains in fact produced cool, near ideal conditions - albeit very wet, which brought about a completion rate of 66% for the overseas combinations who had arrived some three weeks earlier into the extensive quarantine facilities purpose built for the event by the OC.

These facilities are part of a newly constructed International Endurance Centre which includes full equine hospital, central vet gate, full conference and hospitality buildings together with extensive catering outlets.

Some six nations from South America, North America, Europe, The Middle East and Asia were hosted by the organisers. These nations were also joined by riders from the UAE and Malaysian based South Africa and Australian riders. Unfortunately though, no Australian based combinations that had been invited by the organisers were able to compete. They had been prevented from traveling because of the recent equine travel restrictions imposed in Australia.

First to cross the finish line at just after 8.00 am the following morning was Naser Marzouqi from the UAE riding Hafiza Du Mas with a total ride time of 10 hours 31 minutes giving an average speed of 14.86 kph. Jack Begaud from France with Idais Tohiba was second with a speed of 14.82 kph. UAE rider Khalid Al Shafar on Supreme Dream took third place by a short head in an exciting racing finish for the line just ahead of Maria Vitoria Liberal Lins on Filoteu Rach from Brazil, both riding at 14.69 kph.

The first 16 combinations all successfully completed the 160 kms achieving the present minimum FEI Championship qualifying speed of 12 kph.

Full result details can be found on the following link http://www.malaysia-wec.com/sc_results.html

Full information can be found on the official website for the event on the following link http://www.malaysia-wec.com/sultanscup.html

The final ride detail showed that of the 18 overseas combinations that started the ride, 66% achieved completion and were joined by over 50% of the locally based horses and riders. 8 horses were presented for the Best Condition Award later that morning.

Whilst everyone taking part in the trial event accepted that the cool wet weather had greatly assisted in the high performances achieved, there was praise from the teams for the dedication and commitment from the Malaysian organisers.

Ian Williams, the FEI Director for Endurance who attended the event commented, “The trial run has fully met the criteria imposed by the FEI and the facilities present at the venue were of the highest standard. The weather was extremely kind so no one must forget what the temperature and humidity can be like and to think that it is easy to complete 160kms in tropical conditions. However those who have been successful at this trial event have shown that with the right degree of experience and care, and with assistance from the cooler weather, it is possible to compete safely in Terengganu.”

Pan Arab Endurance

"The UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation has nominated the following
UAE riders for the 120-km endurance ride to be held as part of the
11th Pan Arab Games on November 19, 2007, at Saqarah Club Endurance
Village, Cairo, Egypt.

The riders include Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Sultan bin
Sulayem, Mubarak Khalifa Al Shafya, Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subose,
Majed Mohammed Salman Al Sabri and Abdullah Thani bin Huzaim.


The first four riders are included in the Team Event category.

The Pan-Arab Games are one of the most important regional multi-sport
event held in the Arab world, with the first Games being held in 1953
in Alexandria, Egypt."

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Malaysia Confirmed to host World Endurance Championship

Malaysia Endurance Blog


Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Malaysia Confirmed to host World Endurance Championship

IT'S confirmed! Malaysia will get to host the 2008 World Endurance Championship after passing the final test set by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) in Lembah Bidong, Setiu, yesterday.

To qualify for the host job, at least 40 per cent of the foreign riders taking part in the Sultan's Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge at the Terengganu International Endurance Park, had to complete the 160km race.According to event manager Azrin Zuhdi, the foreign riders' completion rate was 67 per cent while the overall completion rate was 71 per cent, well above the international average of 46 per cent.


The race was full of surprises as non-ranking rider Naser Marzouqi of United Arab Emirates (UAE) emerged champion after shrugging off challenges from top ranking riders, including world number one Jack Begaud of France.


Naser crossed the finish line with his 12-year-old mare, Hafiza Du Mas, in 10 hours 31 minutes and 50 seconds, beating Begaud on 11-year-old gelding, Idais Tohiba, by one minute and 23 seconds.


Malaysian rider Faizal Ismail, astride 10-year-old Rayyan, sprang a surprise early on by finishing first in the first two rounds but squandered the lead in the next five rounds to finish 10th.


Third place went to another UAE rider, Khalid Al Shafar, who took 10:39:07s to finish the race with gelding Supreme Dream, a second faster than Brazillian Maria Vitoria Lins on gelding Filoteu Rach.


Yang di Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, riding 13-year-old gelding Harmere Cairo, completed the race in 14:20:26s to finish 23rd.


A total of 41 participants, including 20 riders from Spain, France, Qatar, Argentina, Brazil, the United States, Japan and Belgium, took part in the three-day event.

Posted by Malaysia Endurance at 12:00 PM

UAE: Endurance: Abdullah wins top honours

Gulfnews.com
photo: Abdullah Rashid Mohammad, on EO Fahad, reacts after winning the 100km Boudtheib Endurance Cup for juniors at the Boudtheib Endurance Village in Al Khatem yesterday.

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter
Published: November 10, 2007, 22:52

Abu Dhabi: Abdullah Rashid Mohammad from Al Wathba Stables won the 100km Boudtheib Endurance Cup with a convincing ride on EO Fahad at the Boudtheib Endurance Village in Al Khatem here.

The 15-year-old finished first in each of the four stages of 30km, 30km, 24km and 16km to finish ahead of Al Reef Stables' Naser Khamis Ali Saeed in the season's first competitive ride.

Both Mohammad and Saeed were involved in a close contest and finished almost 30 minutes ahead of third-placed Butti Mohammad Khalaf Al Merri.

"This is my first win here in the UAE. I have won a junior ride in the UK," said Abdullah, who is trained by Al Wathba's top rider and trainer, Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri.

"Conditions were nice in the early part of the ride, but after that it became a bit hot. But my horse [EO Fahad] was in good form," said the youngster.

Abdullah and EO Fahad completed the ride in a total time of 3 hours 59 minutes and 23 seconds. "There are quite a few rides for juniors this season and I am looking forward to some more top finishes. I will also be taking part in a few open rides," said Rashid, who averaged 25.06 km/h speed through the 100km ride.

Naser Khamis, younger brother of top UAE rider Abdullah Ali Khamis, did give Rashid a solid fight. Khamis on Tris Filou finished just over a minute behind the winner while the rest of the field were left far behind.

A total of 32 youngsters took part in the ride which was accompanied by two Qualifier Rides, one over 44km and the other over 80km.

Endurance squad for Arab Games

Bahrain Gulf Daily News
12 November

BAHRAIN's Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa named members of the national endurance horseride team who will take part in the endurance race of the Arab Games scheduled for November 19 in Al Giza, Egypt.

Shaikh Nasser will lead the seven-member team which also includes Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa, Yousif Taher, Ghazi Al Dossary, Ahmed Abdulla, Manal Fakhrawi and Raed Mahmood.

Shaikh Nasser said the selection was based on the performance and results of the riders in recent championships. The team will head for the Egyptian capital on Thursday to prepare for the race.

The Breef chief stressed on the importance of taking part in such regional competitions, adding that he is keen to take a place on the podium in the upcoming event.

UAE's Naser Marzouki Wins Sultan's Cup

Bernana.Com
SETIU, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- United Arab Emirates' Naser Marzouqi edged France's Jack Begaud to win the Sultan's Cup Terengganu Endurance Race 2007 at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) here Sunday.

Naser astride "Hafiza Du Mas" finished the 160km race in 10 hours 31 minutes and 50 seconds while Begaud was a close 10:33:27 behind.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who also took part, finished in 23rd place after posting a time of 14:20:26. Tuanku Mizan, the patron of the championship, rode "Harmere Cairo".

Maria Vitoria Liberal Lins of Brazil was third in a time of 10:39:07.

A total of 41 riders from Brazil, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Australia and Malaysia took part in the championship, which is part of the preparations for the World Endurance Race (FEI 2008) to be held at the same venue next year.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh flagged off the riders at 4.30pm at the TIEP yesterday. His Majesty is scheduled to present the prizes to the winners at Dewan Besar, Wisma Darul Iman tonight.

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40% Completion Rate Achieved

International riders have achieved the 40% completion rate deamed by the FEI as the final test for the Malaysian endurance committee to host the 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship. The Terengganu International Endurance Park will be the venue for the event, currently scheduled for Novemeber 2008.

In addition to achieving the agreed upon goal, 38 competitors who started the 2007 Sultan's Cup Endurance Challenge will achieve an completion rate well beyond that which is normal at FEI events around the globe.

This achievement, the ability to bring a competitive field to the tropics, has shown the skills of the ride organizers, the international team of FEI officials and veterinarians, the riders and, beyond all -- the horses!!!


Full Endurance.Net Coverage

Official Sultan's Cup Site

Official 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship

Book your tickets now!! The invitation is to come early and stay late!! and bring your horse!

MAS: 6 Riders Vie for Finish

Jack Begaud, Naser Marzouqi, Maria Vitoria Liberal Lins, and Khalid al Shafar have closed within 4 minutes of each other as they prepare for the final 10.1 km of the 160km race. Marzouqi and Lins each brought their pace to 18+km/hr for the 6th leg to close the gap. The cool morning air is helping to encourage the riders to move forward with plenty of horse left.

Daylight will great the riders and horses as the pull this final leg along the sea shore of the South China Sea. American riders John Crandell and Kathy Brunges are following closely on strong horses - but must overcome a 15 minute lead to achieve first to finish.

7 have been eliminated at this point of the race, 4 from the list of invited foreign riders.

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Begaud first to Gate 5 at Sultan's Cup

Jack Begaud, the current #1 FEI endurance rider globally, has just arrived first at Gate 5. He was followed closely into the vet gate by Che Ahmad Yusri Muhamad of MAS - entering Gate 4 as the last rider on that phase of the course.

It is 04:51am and beginning to feeling tiredness of 12+ hours of competition!

jt

Video: http://www.malaysia-wec.com/sc_video.html

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Hujan Bukan Halangan Buat Yang Di Pertuan Agong

Oleh: Farezul Fadzal

Yang DiPertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin meredah hujan ketika menyertai Kejohanan Kuda Lasak Piala Sultan Terengganu 2007 di Lembah Bidong. - Gambar ZULKIPLI PUTRA.

Hujan lebat selepas beberapa minit kejohanan Kuda Lasak Piala Sultan Terengganu 2007 berlangsung sedikit pun tidak mematahkan semangat Yang Di Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin meneruskan cabaran sejauh 160km.

Tidak ketinggalan Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah berkenan hadir sambil memberi semangat kepada Sultan Mizan.

Semangat seperti itu menjadikan acara berkenaan bertambah sengit terutamanya apabila acara tersebut turut disertai oleh peserta terbaik dunia, Maria Alvarez Ponton dari Sepanyol.

Dalam pada itu, Menteri Besar, Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh berkata Terengganu Endurance International Park (TEIP) merupakan antara lokasi sukan kuda lasak terbaik di dunia pada ketika ini.

Kata-kata tersebut turut sama diakui oleh peserta luar negara yang menyertai pada Kejohanan Kuda Lasak Piala Sultan Mizan 2007 di Lembah Bidong.

“Kejohanan kali ini menjadi penanda aras kepada kemampuan Terengganu dalam menganjurkan kejohanan yang sama pada peringkat dunia pada 2008 nanti,” kata Dato’ Seri Idris kepada media ketika ditemui pada pada upacara pelepasan peserta pada Kejohanan Kuda Lasak Piala Sultan Terengganu 2007 di Lembah Bidong, hari ini (10 November).

Upacara pelepasan acara berkenaan turut disempurnakan oleh Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh.

Hadir sama menyaksikan upacara berkenaan, Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Sri Laksamana Raja, Ahli Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja; Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kebudayaan, Belia, Sukan dan Badan NGO Negeri, Dato’ Din Adam; Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pertanian dan Pembangunan Wilayah, Datuk Mohd Jidin Shafee dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pembangunan Infrastruktur, Kemudahan Awam dan Komunikasi Negeri, Dato’ Wan Hisham Dato’ Wan Salleh.

Acara yang disertai 38 peserta memulakan cabaran dengan pelbagai rintangan antaranya hujan lebat dan meneruskan acara sehingga lewat pagi bagi menamatkan acara sejauh 160km dan para peserta dijangka menamatkan acara berkenaan pada jam 11.30 pagi esok.

Unit Komunikasi Negeri.

Dato' Seri Idris mengibar bendera ketika membuat pelepasan peserta acara 160km pada kejohanan berkenaan.

Peserta memulakan cabaran selepas upacara pelepasan.

Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Leads Sultan Terengganu Cup Endurance Race

SETIU, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin will lead the Malaysian challenge in the Sultan's Cup Terengganu Endurance Race 2007 at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) here today.

Tuanku Mizan, the patron of the championship, is participating in the 160km race. The No. 101 rider will ride his horse "Harmere Cairo".

The King is expected to come up against stiff competition from world top riders, including world No. 1 Jack Begaud of France, world No. 2 Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton of Spain, John Osborne Crandell III of the United States and Mercedes Tapia of Argentina.

The 17 other riders are from Brazil, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Australia.

The Malaysian challenge will also come from Datuk Abdullah Taib, Datuk Awang Kamaruddin, Ahmad Azura and Azman Mat Ripin from the Darul Iman Endurance Team.

The endurance challenge was flagged off by Menteri Besar Datuk Idris Jusoh at 4.30pm today.

Even the downpour 10 minutes later failed to dampen the spirits of the participants.

The event is part of the preparations for the World Endurance Race (FEI 2008) to be held at TIEP next year.

Tuanku Mizan will present the prizes to the winners at Dewan Besar, Wisma Darul Iman, tomorrow night.

-- BERNAMA

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Young riders raring to go in season opener

photo: wo Qualifier Rides - 80 km and 44 km, respectively - were held at the Boudtheib Endurance Village yesterday.

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter
Published: November 09, 2007, 23:39

Abu Dhabi: After last week's qualifier rides, the UAE's 2007-08 endurance season gets into competitive mode with today's 100km Boudtheib Endurance Cup for Junior and Young Riders.

Over 30 youngsters are expected to take part in the season's opening ride which gets off to a mass start early today at the Boudtheib Endurance Village in Al Khatem, Abu Dhabi.

Two Qualifier rides will also be held today and totally over a 100 horses and riders will be seen in action.

The Boudtheib Endurance Cup is a junior ride and will be run in four stages of 30kms, 30kms, 24kms and 16 kms.

Busy season

Meanwhile, two Qualifier rides for women were held at the Al Asayl Endurance Centre in Sweihan, Abu Dhabi yesterday.

The Qualifier Rides, one over 80 kms and the other over 44 kms, are part of such event organised by the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation to help novice riders and horses to qualify for longer distances.

However, the main competition in the open category will start on November 17 with a 120-km Open ride in Boudtheib Endurance Village.

"The 2007-08 season has already warmed up with the Qualifier rides at Boudtheib last week and yesterday's Ladies Qualifiers at Al Asayl.

"Today we are looking forward to see the juniors in action and some talented riders are in the fray," said Hussain Mohammad Hussain, Secretary General of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation.

"Once again we have a busy endurance season ahead of us and this comes on the heels of a fantastic 2006-07 season.

"Riders from all over the world took part last season with a 24 FEI rides, two National rides and 25 Qualifying rides being held.

"Again the venues will be the Dubai Equestrian Club in Seih Assalam, the Al Wathba Endurance Village, the Boudtheib Endurance Village and the Al Asayl Endurance Centre all in Abu Dhabi.

Sultan's Cup: Gate 1

The riders have left on the second phase of the race as dark settled over a very very wet endurance venue. The 23c - 99.1% humidity is providing a very difficult endurance challenge for all riders and horses. The possibility of elmination at gate 1 faces Mariana Cesarino Steinbruch as she was requested to re-examine her horse b/f passing gate 1.

Mariana is one of the 19 Invited Foreign Riders in the event. The completion rate of 40% of these riders must complete if the TIEP in Malaysia is to be the home of the 20087 FEI World Endurance Championship.

Current Ride Results
Real-Time Position on Trail
Live Video Stream with Archives

38 Prepare for Sultan's Cup Start

Steph Teeter
Endurance.Net
38 Horses and Riders are ready for the 4:30pm start of the Sultan's Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007! The vetting procedure was accomplished successfully by all horses presented. The international competition is a test also for the 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship to be held in November 2008 at the Terengganu International Endurance Park.

International Riders Jack Begaud, Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton, and Mercedes Tapia are just a few of the leading international riders present to attempt the 160km course.

The race with be presented on the Internet with Live video feeds as well as dynamic positioning displays so that all of the world might follow this challenging event!

Offical Web Site
Complete Coverage on Endurance.Net

All systems go for Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007

Posted by Malaysia Equestrian Blogspot

After months of planning, everything is ready to go for the Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007 from 9th to 11th November 2007 at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) in Lembah Bidong, Terengganu.

Forty-one riders from 14 participating countries including Argentina, Brazil, United States, Japan, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Portugal, Qatar, UAE, South Africa, Australia and Malaysia together with their horses have been in Terengganu for the past three weeks training and acclimatising themselves to our hot and humid weather, and also familiarising themselves with the race route covering a multitude of terrains where they will do seven loops to cover a distance of 160km.

“The Organising Committee, the technical staff and everyone involved in the Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007 has been working very hard to ensure that the event is successful. And I believe it will be, with all the preparation work that has put in to make this event happen,” said YBhg. Datuk Seri Dr. Salleh Mohd Nor, Vice Chairman of Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan, the Organiser of the event.

The race itself will be flagged off on 10th November at 4.30pm by Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Hj Idris Bin Jusoh, Menteri Besar of Terengganu at TIEP, and is expected to run through the night with the riders finishing the 160km challenge some 10 to 12 hours later, the next morning.


It will be an exciting and challenging race as the world’s top endurance riders will be competing in the competition together with our Supreme Ruler Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah.

Both the world’s No.1 and No. 2 ranked riders, Jack Begaud from France and Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton from Spain, are participating in this event.

Apart from the race proper, there will be plenty of other activities happening during the Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007. There will be a carnival on the grounds of the TIEP from 9th to 11th November in-conjunction with the race that is open to the public. Visitors will be able to enjoy games, rides, entertainment and also concerts by local artistes.

“We hope everyone will come to TIEP for the event,” said YBhg Datuk Seri Dr. Salleh. “It’s not only an event for horse lovers but for all. We are sure they will have a good time at the Sultan’s Cup.”

This year’s Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge is also significant because it serves as the official trial event for the FEI World Endurance Championship 2008 which will be held at the same venue in Terengganu next year.

Posted by Malaysia Endurance at 12:15 PM

MAS: The Royal Treatment

By MICHAEL CHEANG
Competition horses are given the utmost care to ensure that they are healthy and fit for endurance events.

THE flight started off on a worrying note. As our plane was preparing for take-off, news filtered in that bad weather at our destination had caused an earlier passenger aircraft to abort its landing and turn back to the KL International Airport.

Nevertheless, that news did not worry the crew of our Royal Malaysian Air Force Lockheed C-130 Hercules one bit. Fondly referred to as “Charlie”, the C-130 is the workhorse of the RMAF and has been the main tactical airlifting plane in most military forces worldwide for decades.

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MAS: No horsing around

Monday November 5, 2007


“The horse is paramount in this sport. All the rules are specifically geared to protect the horse. It might sound pretty harsh but, at the end of the day, the riders come second, even though they take the glory,” he said.

Horses are subjected to veterinary examinations throughout the race to monitor their health. For instance, the 160km Sultan’s Cup involves seven vet checks to determine if the horse is fit enough to go on to the next loop. If the health of the horse is not good or if it is lame, it will not be allowed to continue the race.

Zulu Liebenberg

“Even if you finish the entire 160km of the race but your horse is not fit at the end of it, you will be eliminated,” said Liebenberg.

“At the European championship this year, the guy who crossed the line first was eliminated because his horse’s pulse stayed too high. He was supposed to bring the pulse down to below 64 beats per minute within 30 minutes, but his horse took 40 minutes, so he was eliminated,” recalled Liebenberg. “The rider has to know how to pace his horse. If he goes too fast, the horse might get worn out too quickly. The rider must know when to slow down and when to go faster.”

While this practice benefits the horses, it results in a race that is conducted at a rather leisurely pace at times, and can last an entire day. For instance, for the Sultan’s Cup this weekend, riders have a maximum time of 16 hours to finish the 160km ride.

The race starts at 4.30pm. The riders will ride through the night because it is cooler for the horses, and finish the race around noon the next day.

Special efforts have been put in to make this Sultan’s Cup a spectator-friendly affair.

“A special GSM tracking system has been put in place for the horses,” said event manager Azrin Zuhdi. “A map will be projected onto a big screen and spectators can see how fast the horses are moving, where they are and who is overtaking who,” she explained. “This will make the race more exciting and spectator-friendly, since we know where the horses are.”

Azrin Zuhdi

Organised by the Sultan Mizan Royal Foundation, the Sultan’s Cup is an annual event that has been running for several years now. However, this year’s race is significant as it is a trial event for the FEI World Endurance Championship 2008, to be hosted by Malaysia.

“Malaysia has been chosen to be the host for the FEI Endurance Championship next year but under a condition by FEI (International Federation of Equestrian Sports). It will be the first time the championship is hosted by a tropical country.

“There is a technical criterion that we have to meet before we get the official confirmation to host the world championship race – 40% of the foreign riders and horses that start must finish the entire 160km within 16 hours.

“Since it is harder for the horses to compete here because of the heat and humidity, the Sultan’s Cup is a trial to see how the foreign horses adapt to the climate here,” said Azrin. The onus is now on the organisers to keep the horses fit before and throughout the race.

Endurance.Net Event Coverage

41 Entrants in 2007 Sultan's Cup

41 Horse/Rider teams are preparing for the upcoming Sultan's Cup Endurance Challenge in Terengganu Malaysia. The event, which is also the pre-ride for the 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship, will start at 16:30 and continue through the night in this tropical venue.

Riders from 12 countries will test their skills and the endurance of their horses on this jungle course.

Initial starting list is now published.

Full Event Coverage

Uzes Young Horse Championship

by Sophie O’Hara-Smith, Endurance GB Senior Elite Squad Member 2007
A very warm welcome was extended to the four British riders, Sophie O’Hara Smith, Larissa Whiley, Philip Hurst and Rachael Claridge, who went over to Uzes in the south of France as guests of the Society Hippique Francais (SHF). Not only had the organiser Guillaume DeThore provided a translator but had also prepared special copies of the crew routes etc in English, and had decorated some of the tables in the restaurant the marquee with union jacks.

This event is the national showcase for young horses from all over France. It was set up 14 years ago and started with just 40 horses. This year there were over 400. It is designed to pin point potential elite horses and influence their early training so that they are brought in a controlled and well planned manner. I understand it has become a successful a commercial event which was not the original intention and many horses are for sale.

[More ...]

Bahrain: Endurance race season set to begin

Gulf Daily News BAHRAIN's Royal Equestrian and Endurance Team is set for the inaugural endurance race of the season scheduled for tomorrow at the Bahrain International Endurance Village premises in Sakhir.

The team will be led by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and includes top riders like veteran Yousif Taher, Aabdulhaq Qadoori, Khalid Al Ruwaiei and Fahad Ismail.

Team manager Dr Khalid Ahmed Hassan said the team started their preparations for the new season after returning from the FEI European Endurance Championship Open in Companhia das Lezirias, Lisbon were the team finished second overall.

But Hassan said the team's true preparations right after the month of Ramadan with two daily training sessions.

Three stages will be featured at the race. The opening race will be over 90 kms and consists of stages each over 30 kms.

Another race will also be held on sidelines of the main event which is a warm-up race. The race aims to qualify new riders as well as recently-brought horses in this sport.

The Breef, under its president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, earlier approved the schedule of this season which includes races of 120 and 160 kms.

The opening race is to be followed by the National Day Championship on December 12 and will be over 120 kms. Next will be a 120-km Open Endurance Race Championship on January 12 while the fourth race is the 120-km Breef Open Championship scheduled for February 9.

British Riders At The Young Horse Championship Uzes 2007

A very warm welcome was extended to the four British riders, Sophie O’Hara Smith, Larissa Whiley, Philip Hurst and Rachael Claridge, who went over to Uzes in the south of France as guests of the Society Hippique Francais (SHF). Not only had the organiser Guillaume DeThore provided a translator but had also prepared special copies of the crew routes etc in English, and had decorated some of the tables in the restaurant the marquee with union jacks.



This event is the national showcase for young horses from all over France. It was set up 14 years ago and started with just 40 horses. This year there were over 400. It is designed to pin point potential elite horses and influence their early training so that they are brought in a controlled and well planned manner. I understand it has become a successful a commercial event which was not the original intention and many horses are for sale.



The competition took place over three days. Two and three year olds were shown on the Friday and there were competitions for four five and six year olds. All the horses were competing at the relevant distance for the first time. The four year olds at 40k with two 20k loops run between 10-12k with an hours hold; the five year olds at 60k with two 30k loops run between 12-15k with a 40 minute hold and the six year olds at 90k with three 30k loops and no speed limit. We rode in the five year old 60k class.

The venue was at the Haras National (National Stud) with beautiful manicured grounds. It was lively and bustling, with lots to see with vetting going on most of the days. There was a running commentary, electronic information on the races and places to sit and watch the vetting and trade stands, and of course the horses at the stud.



There were large open sided marquees providing food for riders crews and visitors and a VIP marquee with lovely food which we were given passes for. Another nice feature of the weekend was the aperitifs that were provided in the evenings by the SHF which brought the riders and crews together.

On the Saturday we watched the 6 year olds competing. There were some 180 declared with 157 starters of which 91 finished. Only 15 received the coveted elite award by gaining three points, 30 were excellent, 29 tres bon, 12 bon and 5 classe and 66 eliminated or retired. The top successful speed was 18.2 kph.

Later on three of us got to meet our prospective mounts, all except Rachael who rode hers for the first time in the event. The horses all came from well known endurance homes and it was very generous of the owners Francois Atger, Antonio Noguera, Virginie Simone and Stephan Chazel to provide such potentially good horses for us to ride.

In the evening we were treated to a Gala dinner with a display of traditional Carmargue riding. The French team were at the dinner and were presented with gifts to mark their success in Portugal to the rousing strains of Queens “We are the champions of the world”!!



Our 5 year old class was on the Sunday. The 60k ride is run between 12k-15k in two 30k loops with a 40 minute hold. At the end the pulse is taken at 10 minutes. If it is 54 or under the horse scores one point if not it returns at 30 minutes and has to be under 64 and sound. The horses that pass the initial heart rate parameter then come back to be assessed for condition and attitude and trot up in front of the vets and others.

There were 135 starters and we set off in groups of about 10 at five minute intervals. According to reports on last year’s event the organisers had decided to avoid having a mass start after excessive speeds, especially for the 6 year olds. With the number of horses involved I was fully in support of this decision!



The ride was considered flat with a 400m change in levels over the course. There were two different 30k loops from the venue. The first loop was undulating and set off along the road and quickly lead onto a series of broad sandy tracks which had been specially prepared with a new top surface for the ride, these were interspersed with some narrow wooded quite stony sections and hard tracks. There were quite a few minor road crossings and the route took us through several small villages where the tarmac was very very slippery. The lead horse in my group went down on the road but was OK.

The second loop was mostly over flat open agricultural country with less of the beautifully prepared sandy sections. There was one significant climb which gave a fantastic view from the top towards the Cevenne mountains to the north.


We managed to get three of the four horses home within the10 minute pulse rate parameter of 54 which was not bad considering our mounts had had less training than their stable mates, mine was on it’s third ever ride! Three passed the trot up and attitude test, mine shied and failed to get a second point, so we ended up with two excellent and two tres bon. Overall there were 62 horses graded excellent, 48 tres bon, 21 classe and I believe only 4 retired or were eliminated. The owners were delighted and we were presented with tee shirts and stable plaques at the prize giving.




The organiser Guillaume DeThore extended an invitation for us to bring GB horses another year if we wished and said he could organise for us to join the French Federation to be eligible. Anyone wanting any more information could contact me through EGB http://www.endurancegb.co.uk

Endurance riding to start non-racing rides

HorseandHound.co.UK
Abigail Butcher, H&H news editor

27 October, 2007
British endurance riding is to introduce two new categories in the sport in a bid to offer more to existing members and develop interest in the UK.

John Yeoman, chairman of Endurance GB (EGB), told H&H that the new campaigns answered members' requests.

"We want to bring people in at the bottom of our sport, and that's pleasure riding," he said. "A number of our members wanted to have a pleasure riding championship or ride without racing."

The 2008 Pleasure Ride Championship, sponsored by insurance company KBIS, is open to all competitors taking part in any pleasure ride organised by EGB, Scottish Endurance Riding Club (SERC), the British Horse Society and affiliated riding clubs.

Pleasure ride distances vary between 10-40km, and one point is awarded per 1km covered successfully. The combination with the most points at the end of the year wins a championship trophy.

Although people are not required to join EGB to qualify for the trophy, riders must complete at least four rides organised by EGB or SERC.

"We hope to encourage people to come and see what we're doing and maybe have a go at an endurance ride too," said Mr Yeoman. "We're also organising a series of endurance rides for people who don't want to race, called the Performance Equestrian Endurance Challenge Series."

This series also runs on a points-for-distance-completed basis, but over multi-day rides of up to 80km per day. As well as a trophy, there is £500 to the end-of-season winner, £300 for second place and £200 for third.

Nottinghamshire-based Denise Hutchins regularly takes part in pleasure rides, but she said the new points system and trophy would not lure her into "competing".

"As a pleasure rider it probably wouldn't interest me," she said. "I like to get a rosette at the end of the day, but I do pleasure rides because I don't want to compete."

She added: "I'm thinking about joining EGB anyway to do a novice season with my youngster, but I do think of pleasure rides and endurance riding separately."

Mr Yeoman denied that the move is directed as competition to Sport Endurance, a breakaway organisation set up two years ago, saying he hopes Sport Endurance will be part of it one day.

EGB currently has 2,000 members.

www.endurancegb.co.uk

HorseandHound.co.UK

FEI World Endurance Forum – Paris 2007 Task Force Areas of Review

Interim Report to be published by. 31.10.07. •

Final Report published by. 31.3.08.

Current Working Document - Taskforce Format

A Call to Action: Southern California Wild Fires

Donate Now to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund

By Brian Sosby

Make a Donation

Lexington, KY—Over the last few days, the Southern California area has been engulfed in flames caused by wild fires aggravated by the Santa Ana winds. These winds that annually cross the Southern California area have been much stronger than usual, making an already dry area even more prone to catastrophe. These fires have spread quickly over the weekend and ravaged the region.



San Diego County has seen widespread evacuations as a result of the fires. Nearly one-million people have been asked to leave the area as of today. President Bush has declared the situation a Federal emergency. Many evacuees have sought shelter at local community centers and schools, but the largest number—more than 10,000 people—has made Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego their temporary housing.



The situation is particularly difficult for those with large animals. Evacuating and housing horses has its own set of concerns. According to national media reports, the fairground in San Diego County is currently boarding 2,000 horses, with many others finding refuge from the fires where any safe space can be found, including mall parking lots. Some horses have been moved several times due to the widespread fires.



In response to past disasters and in hopes of assisting in future ones, the United States Equestrian Federation established the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund and is now requesting contributions from individuals and organizations wishing to assist those in the Southern California area.

Money donated to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund assists equines of any breed that find themselves victims of disasters, including but not restricted to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, blizzards and fires. The money will be held by USEF in an account restricted for this purpose and disbursed only upon authorization of the USEF Chief Executive Officer.

“During situations like this, it’s imperative that we gather forces to assist in any way possible,” said USEF Chief Executive Officer John Long. “Thankfully, the weather forecasts are good. However, Southern California just experienced the largest evacuation of residents in our country’s history. Of course, that has had an impact on the countless horses that call that part of the state home. The Federation wants to do what it can to assist those horses and owners.”

Donations may be made online at www.usef.org by clicking on the following hyperlink – https://www.usef.org/_AUAIFrames/DisasterRelief/DisasterRelief.aspx. If you wish to contribute to the effort by check, please make it out to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund and mail it to: The United States Equestrian Federation, 4047 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511.

For more information regarding the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund, contact Joanie Morris, USEF High-Performance Communications Manager, at jmorris@usef.org or (859) 225-2052.

Sultan's Cup - International Riders and Horses arrive

The 2007 Sultans Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge to be held November 9-11 in Terengganu, Malaysia will be hosting several foreign riders and horses from all parts of the world. Most of the horses have arrived by now and are stabled at the quarantine complex of the Terengganu International Endurance Park. Riders or grooms are allowed to view certain parts of the course on horseback, following strict quarantine separation rules.

Heather and Jeremy Reynolds from California, USA, have settled in and Heather has kept a diary of their first days in Terengganu:

----------Friday, October 19:
Hi everyone,
We are waiting to take our final flight to arrive in Terranganu. We left on the 14th and will arrive the 20th! It is very hot here and currently raining which happens at least once a day. We saw Kuala Lumpur, the most beautiful city we have ever seen in our lives. We also saw wild monkeys, very cute. All 4 USA horses are well. Talk soon.
Heather & Jeremy

----------Saturday, October 20:
Hello again,
Our last flight which was supposed to be a 50 min flight turned into an all day mission. We flew to Terengganu (pronounced Train- GA- nu) and as we were to land the pilot decided it was unsafe as there was little visiblity so we turned around and flew back to Kuala Lumpur. They unboarded us, gave us luch vouchers and leisurely collected the passengers again and we waited onboard for about another hour and a half and finally flew again with success. all the while our horses, who were supossed to be on a parallel flight had landed first try and were there with out us.
The quarantine barn is huge. It is all screened in. It has 56 stalls. We have 4 horses:) the weather is very sticky and hot. Today it is 89 degrees with 80% humidity.
The pool at the hotel overlooks the ocean and has a disappearing edge. Beautiful. The dining area is open and the ocean breeze comes through. Wish you were all here. Horses are still good.
Heather & Jeremy

-----------Sunday, October 21:
Hi again,
We had our first ride in Malaysia. It was very hot to say the least. Cal has requested to have fans and ice following him:) I rode for 40 min and all I did was walk jog. His body temp. was 102.2. Very disturbing. I hope that with more time adjusting and water available on trail will help this. I also rode during the day, the race will be at night.
Last night Jeremy and I spent much of our sleeping time trying to find a mouse that was in the headboard of our bed. It sounded like he was on our pillows. no luck in finding him. Jeremy even had his headlamp out to try to see him. The food here is terrific. There are many local fruits that I have never heard of that are great.
While running yesterday Jeremy and I saw a group of monkeys making a lot of noise. They were also jumping thru the tree tops. I also had a group of school girls giggling at my running outfit. The school bus was driving on the dirt trail that the horses go on. The bus was the size of a tour bus! While running we saw many local non endurance horses. Very skinny. There are a lot of cats as well, mostly feral.
We have been told that there are tigers, cobras, vipers, elephants and monkeys. But rest assured we have been told that there will be anti venom on ride day:)
Last night we went for a romantic walk on the beach out in front of the hotel. That was all fine and nice until you walked beyond the hotel and realized that the jungle borders that beach and there aren't any lights. All of the sudden we were too paranoid to enjoy the ocean breeze. We got the heebee jeebees and turned around quickly. There were neon glowing flashes in the ocean which I assume are some tropical fish.
Everyday at least once there is a tremendous downpour of rain. Hasn't come yet today, it will.
Well we are headed off into town, we have been here 3 days and John and Kathy's pallet with there clothes and all horse gear is MIA. We will go shopping with them for basics.
Heather

Updates and photos will be posted on the Endurance.Net Sultans Cup coverage site at http://www.endurance.net/international/malaysia/2007SultansCup and at the official 2008 WEC & 2007 Sultans Cup website at http://www.malaysia-wec.com .

I leave Idaho tomorrow and will travel via Los Angeles, Seoul (Korea), and Kuala Lumpur and will arrive in Terenngganu approximately 40 hours after departure! It's a long way around this globe...

Stay tuned-

Steph Teeter
Endurance.Net

NZL: Nelson Endurance Club celebrated 25 years of competition

ANNE HARDIE/Nelson Mail

FAMILY FOCUS: Phillip and Alison Higgins with one of their endurance horses, Omar, at Twynham Station.

Long days in the saddle

Nelson Endurance Club celebrated 25 years of competition at the weekend with an anniversary ride in the Eighty-eight Valley. Anne Hardie talks to a Nelson couple that devote their spare time to getting their horses fit for events that will test the stamina of both horse and rider.

Finding long rides to keep horses fit for endurance events is no problem for Alison and Phillip Higgins, who are surrounded by 1400ha of rugged countryside that forms Twynham Station.

Five kilometres of gravel track and impossible-to-avoid potholes lead away from the public eye along the road between Kawatiri Junction and St Arnaud. The track hugs scrub-covered hillsides before opening up to a long sweep of valley that holds much of the productive land for the station.
[More ...]

Australia: Equine Influenza, changing lives

Jay Randle

The current Equine Influenza epidemic is causing the entire equine industry in Australia a great deal of grief. The bug was apparently brought into the country by a 'shuttle' TB stallion, although the enquiry has not yet determined if the stallion came from Ireland or Japan. You can read about the government's inquiry into the situation at: www.equineinfluenzainquiry.gov.au

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) facility into which these stallions were taken for their 2-week arrival quarantine period has since been shown to have been extremely lax about all methods of quarantine operations!

Our government agencies who are supposed to deal with these types of problems immediately swung into action with a plan that was prepared about 10 years ago, and which was predicated on the virus being spread by direct horse to horse contact. Unfortunately, this virus decided that it would spread itself by a variety of other means, including being borne on the wind, and on people's clothing and vehicles, etc.

Also unfortunately, the spread of the virus was helped by infected horses being moved prior to the virus becoming noticed in them. (You must remember that we have NEVER had EI in Australia before, and our horses have NEVER been vaccinated against it, therefore we have an extremely open naive population.)

And this virus doesn't discriminate! All types of horses are being struck down: some end up worse off than others, some are dying, some are having long-term effects, some have a bit of a snotty nose. This is the breeding season Down Under, so we have thousands of foals on the ground or due, and they seem to be getting the worst of the virus with many foals dying or experiencing unheard-of difficulties.

The equine industry is Australia's THIRD LARGEST industry, for income, employment and associated businesses. This has hit us all really hard! The Racing Industry comprises about 30% of the overall equine industry in Australia, but it is the Racing Industry that is getting the major portion of the support and assistance from the government, including free vaccinations of their horses. Of course, the Racing Industry has a lot of clout, with taxes from gambling and huge figures paid for horses and breeding fees. Also, some of the Racing Industry's high-profile players have an inordinate amount of influence in our government.

The rest of the equine industry are getting pretty peeved about the situation, and if you want to read more about it all you should check out the EI blog page at www.horsedeals.com.au for the latest whinges and comments.

On a personal note: I am a full-time endurance horse and rider trainer, and I have been locked down since 25 August. That means I have had no income since then, apart from basic agistment fees from my clients. I have 28 horses and 1 newborn foal on my 40-acre property, with two more foals due within the month. We have been in drought conditions for years now, so there is no natural feed on the place. I am not allowed to move any of my horses to an agistment property that I lease (where I already have another 8 horses), and I am not allowed to sell any horses.

My feed bill is approximately $1600 per week, and my income has dropped to approximately $700 per week (agistment fees). My usual income is supplemented by training fees, lesson fees, and tours for international endurance riders.

I am certainly not the worst off, however! So far my horses are well, although this morning I noticed a few snotty noses starting to appear. The closest confirmed cases of EI are about 1km away from me, so I certainly expect to get the virus in the near future.

We are not allowed to vaccinate! It is illegal to privately import any vaccines into Australia. The government is limiting vaccinations to the race horses and the TB breeding stock, and certain other "high-value" horses such as police horses, entertainment horses, Olympic horses, etc. Endurance horses (even high value ones like mine :-)) are being ignored.

As of this morning the government has announced that they have purchased enough of the vaccine to start vaccinating 'pleasure' horses as well as racehorses.... far too late for some. This blanket vaccination program will take weeks, if not months, to be finalised, and we will stilll all be in lockdown until after the last horse is over any effects of the virus. The effect on our economy is going to be pretty huge by the time it's all over.

Our endurance season has been stopped in its tracks, with all rides cancelled for the rest of the year. In fact, it looks like we won't have any rides until after May 2008 at the earliest.

Anyway, enough of my whining. Just thought you'd like to know what's going on here, and what EI is doing to us. I am happy to answer any questions.

Best regards

Jay Randle
SPLENDACREST ENDURANCE TRAINING
www.freewebs.com/splendacrest

Malaysia: Sultan's Cup Invites Foreign Riders

Website Link

The 2007 Sultan's Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge will be held November 9-11 at Terengganu International Endurance Park, Terengganu, Malaysia. The second running of this prestigious 160km Endurance challenge will also be the official test event for the 2008 World Endurance Championship (November 6-9, 2008). In addition to Malaysia's best horses and riders, several competitors from around the world will be there to test the course with their own horses, and experience first hand the unique challenges of Endurance riding in the tropics.

19 riders from 9 countries have been invited to participate in this event. The Organizing Committee is covering the costs of travel and accommodation for each rider, a groom and a horse. All horses will be flown to Kuala Lumpur and than transported by van to Terengganu, where they will be housed at quarantine barns in Terengganu International Endurance Park.

The horses and riders are expected to be on site by October 20, allowing approximately 3 weeks for rest and acclimation.

The following riders have confirmed attendance at the 2007 Sultan's Cup Terengannu Endurance Challenge:

Foreign Riders

Argentina

* Mercedes Tapia - NSG Clarisasha
* Ismael Luis Pasini - Thomas

Belgium

* Leonard Liesens - Kiria

Brazil

* Mariana Cesarino Steinbruch - Kaoma KT
* Maria Vitoria Liberal Lins - Filoteu Rach
* Leo Steinbruch - EHK Cristal

France

* Stephane Chazel - Istanboul
* Jack Begaud - Idais Tobiha
* Virginie Atger - Idefix D'Aurabelle

Italy

* Chiara Rosi - Pieskal

Japan

* Seiichi Hasumi - SMR Fayette de Cameo

Qatar

* Abdul Rahman Al Sulaitin - Saruk Nasra
* Atta Mohamed Peer - Pasha
* Essa Ahmed Al Mannai - Moniqi Danilee

Spain

* Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton - Ipso De La Drome

USA

* Heather Reynolds - CP Magestic / Dream On
* Kathy Brunjes - Theatric
* John Crandell III - HH Saba Shams
* Margaret Mary Sleeper - Heraldic

Australia: TOM QUILTY GOLD CUP 2007

by Vicki Reid

HELD IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA @ TUMBULGUM FARM ON THE 28th 29th and 30th SEPTEMBER.


The Tom Quilty Gold Cup was started by one of Australia’s icons R.M.Williams and Tom Quilty in 1966.

In the early years the Quilty was only run in the eastern states being held in NSW. Then it was changed and it now rotates to each state so it only takes place every six year in WA.

On 29th September 2007 History was made the first West Australian to win the Tom Quilty Anton Reid with the horse he breed and trained a beautiful 10 year old chestnut mare Endurowest Kumari.
Equally special to this event is that it is the first time a USA competitor Christoph Shork who placed equal first riding Arovo Mini Harvest a handsome chestnut gelding 10 year old a horse owned and trained by Anton Reid.

Anton Reid of Endurowest Arabian also had two more of his horse that he has trained they placed in the top 10 as well.
Moultan a bay 6 year old place 3rd ridden by Gary Hutchins of WA and Gamellah a beautiful Grey mare aged 9 years old Placed 4th ridden by Sandi Brown from NSW he also had two other horse he trained competing with riders from Japan and Victoria.

To top this off Anton had also entered the team event and Endurowest Arabians team won that as well making the weekend a very successful.

Anton’s horse Endurance Kumari also was awarded the Arabian Society Trophy.



Anton has been chasing the Tom Quilty Gold Cup since 1995 his fist attempt and has finally realised his Dream.

Australia: Unique Endurance Event

HorseTalk.NZ

photo: Glenda Sutton, who is among the best camel trainer/riders in Australia.

Distance riding is a growing sport around the world, and in August 2008 a unique endurance event will take place in a sleepy Australian outback town in central western Queensland.

But this event is not for horses - it's for camels.

The 150km Great Hughenden Camel Endurance Challenge will be run over three days in the area of Porcupine Gorge, from August 22 to 24. Up for grabs is a $50,000 prize purse.

Camels played a major role in the opening up of Australia's vast and desolate interior, covering huge distances with loads that were unimaginable for other beasts of burden.

The race will highlight the Outback and its rugged beauty, those competing will experience hardship and trials as never before and for many just to finish will be a accomplishment of which they will be forever proud.

Camels will come from all over Australia, and from the UAE, America, Asia and Europe. The competition should be fast and competitive and there is potential for a reciprocal event to be held in the UAE in 2009.

Contact Paddy McHugh, 0427216720 or 07 47216720 paddy@paddymchugh.com.

www.aridlandsaustralia.org

FRA: 15 achieve the Covented Elite' at Uzes

The 90km

It was an amazing result. Last year there were only three horses who gained the coveted Elite' and this year 15 were victorious. Another 30 gained 'Excellent'. Altogether 91 horses passed the 90k ride whilst 76 were either eliminated or abandoned.

[More ...]

400 Young Horses Compete in France!

Get two French endurance riders together and, when talk comes round to their youngstock there is only one question ? 'Uzes?'

These four letters (actually a town in the heart of the Languedoc Roussilon area) are the culmination of a season of qualifying rides held by the Society Hippique Francais who are the body dedicated to nurturing, furthering and proving the quality of young French bred sports horses

There are three classes:

• four year olds who are attempting their first 40k - that was today and there were 41 of them taking part.
• six year olds tomorrow who are trying their first 90k and there are 186 entrants for that.
• and nearly two hundred entries on sunday for the five year olds who doing their first ever 60k

Complete Coverage Here

Colombia: Charolina Mutis and Pinkio Capture 1st FEI Event

images by
Carolina

Christina Mutis riding Pinkio finished first at the recent CEI/YR***120km Endurance race held on 22 September at the Los Pinos Polo Club near Bogotá Colombia. Pinkio was also awarded the Best Condition prize for the event. Christina and Pinkio finished the course in 8:18, besting the second place (Senior) Daniel Vasquez riding Luterana to a 9:48 finish time.

[More ...]

USA: USEF Announces US Riders/Staff for the WEC Test Event in Malaysia

The United States Equestrian Federation is pleased to announce that the following riders have been invited and have elected to compete at the World Endurance Championship Test Event in Malaysia November 9-11, 2007. Unlike the Championship (scheduled for November 2008) where the Federation sends a team based on a Selection Procedure that is recommended by the high performance discipline committee and approved by the Federation, riders attending the Test event were invited by the Organizing Committee. The test event serves the purpose of proving that the course and the infrastructure and organization of the OC are up to the standards of a World Endurance Championship.

The riders who were invited and have accepted are:

Kathy Brunjes of Maine, Riding Theatric, an 9 year old Arabian Gelding
John Crandell III of Virginia, Riding Heraldic, a 9 year old Arabian Gelding
Heather Reynolds of California, Riding C P Magestic, a 12 year old Arabian Gelding
Meg Sleeper DVM of New Jersey, Riding H H Saba Shams, an 8 year old Arabian Gelding.

The Federation will send Veterinarian Todd C. Holbrook of Tulsa OK. as Team Veterinarian and Vonita Bowers, USEF Director of Endurance as Acting Chef d’ Equipe(pending approval).Both Dr. Holbrook and Ms. Bowers have served in their respective capacities at Regional Championships in the past.

For Further information Contact Vonita Bowers, Endurance Director at (859) 825-6001 or by Email vbowers@usef.org

Egypt's Maryanne Stroud Gabbani

Egypt's Maryanne Stroud Gabbani is interviewed by Global Voices

"The endurance riders (an interesting group of lunatics who think that it's fun to ride 50 to 100 miles on horses) had contact with the Gulf Arabs because the families of Dubai and Abu Dhabi had taken up endurance in the 90's, and by some weird fluke I had found myself the manager of a 120 km race that was Egypt's first international endurance race sponsored by Mohamed Maktoum in the spring of 2000, just before my husband's death. I was the only person on the organising committee formed in Cairo for the race who had even the vaguest idea what endurance was, though it was entirely academic and my friends abroad helped to coach me through the ordeal."

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Endurance Riding is fast-becoming Ireland's newest competitive equine sport

Independent.ie full article

Tuesday October 02 2007

One hundred miles: a return trip from Dublin to Portlaoise. You could drive there, take a bus there, even hop on a train, but would you ride it?

Imagine how long it would take. Would your horse carry you that far? Would you be able to stay in the saddle for that long?

Endurance riding is a relatively new sport to Ireland, but there are a small number of top endurance riders in this country who set both themselves and their horses the grueling task of completing a 100-mile race.

Kevin Croke is chef d'equipe and high performance manager of the Irish endurance riding team, as well as a director of the Irish Long Distance Riding Association (ILDRA).

"It's a very specialised sport and it takes three years or more to get a horse to the stage where it can compete in a 100-mile race," he explains. "If someone was looking for a 100-mile horse, they would pay good money for it."

By far the most common breed used in endurance racing is the Arab or some type of Arabian cross. "They originally come from the desert and were bred to travel long distances," explains Kevin's daughter Yvonne, who is herself an international competitor.

With a European endurance champion Arab stallion at home, as well as a half-bred Arabian cross and a three-quarter Arab, she is enthusiastic about the breed.

"We have bought some mares to try and breed what we think is the best type of horse for endurance riding," Yvonne explains. The aim is that the foals sired by her two stallions at Delour Valley stud to thoroughbred mares will be crossed back again to Arabian stallions to make the ideal endurance horse.

"The Arab's fundamental qualities are stamina and endurance," she says, before adding that she found Arabs very loyal.

"They will just go and go for you. That goes back to when they would have been taken into the tents by their owners in their native desert home," she says.

However, there is room for more than one breed in long-distance riding and one of her horses, Salubrious Diamond, has roots in traditional Irish breeding.

"Diamond is three-quarters Arab, three-eighths thoroughbred and one-eighth Irish Draught -- he has King of Diamonds on his dam's side," says Yvonne.

Veterinary knowledge and an intuitive grasp of how the horse is coping with a long distance are paramount in a long distance race because there is no point in pushing your horse to finish first if it is then eliminated from the race by the vet. "You need to understand your horse, how it is feeling, you need to be able to read it," explains Yvonne.

"There is a point where the horse, or even the rider, hits 'the wall' and the difference between the best riders and the rest is that the best riders know when they've hit the wall," Kevin says.

"They need to adjust the pace, slow down and both horse and rider must be able to take in food and water, even if their body is saying it doesn't want it," he says.

"But it can sometimes be too late, a bit like putting oil in the car when the light is on: there is already some damage done."

The diet of an endurance horse is linked closely with its performance, and the animals are fed a high concentration of vegetable oils like soya oil and sunflower oil. The benefit of oil is that it gives a slow energy release without the 'fizz' associated with feeding oats.

"As well as that, horses are 30pc warmer without corn in the diet," explains Kevin.

High amounts of protein are also avoided in the diet, because this can make the horse prone to tying up. "We only feed a 10pc protein mix."

For international competitions, there is a mandatory minimum weight of 75kg that the horse must carry, which includes both rider and tack.

"I think around 20pc of the horse's own weight is the maximum he should carry, so, for a horse of 405kg, the target weight should be around 81kg," says Kevin. "If the riders aim for the minimum weight, they could lose weight during the ride and get eliminated, so it is safer to aim for little bit above the minimum."

As regards age, horses must be at least seven years old before they can compete in long distance races.

"Endurance horses are at their best in their teenage years," says Kevin.

"Older horses don't have too many problems, as long as you take care of them. You have to put in a very good foundation to increase the strength of the tendons and muscles," he explains.

"We walk the horses for six weeks before they get a single trot and even then we don't hammer the roads."

Although endurance riding originated in the Middle East, its popularity spread rapidly to the west and throughout Europe.

One of the top Irish endurance riders, Emer Lennon, proved that Irish riders can compete against the best in the world when she finished 34th in the World Equestrian Games.

With her horse, Damascus D'Azat, Emer began the 160km ride against 159 other competitors, including three other Irish combinations: George Finlay and Flint; Emily Miller and DVS Tahini; and Iona Rossely and Auscot Park Astra.

With the other three Irish pairs knocked out at vet gates three and five, Emer completed the race with an average speed of 14.86km/hr in a race which saw 94 of the 159 starters fail to complete the course.

For anyone interested in the sport of long distance riding, the season generally starts in January and runs through to the end of October, although there may be rides throughout the year. The introduction to long distance riding is the pleasure ride, which is open to both members and non-members of the ILDRA.

Ridden over a distance of less than 20 miles, most pleasure rides take less than two hours to complete and are how most riders first get involved in endurance riding.

Pleasure rides (PRs) are just that: rides that are for pure pleasure. There is no competitive element, although there is a trophy awarded each year to the member who has accumulated the highest PR miles during the year.

Riders must be at least six years old and horses at least four years old before they can start pleasure riding. Juniors must ride with an adult accompanying them until they are fourteen years old and adults can only accompany two juniors at a time. So what happens on a pleasure ride?

A typical day will begin between 10.30am and 12.30am when the organisers will explain the route for the day and you will pay your fee of around €10-15. Maps of the route are distributed to each rider, as well as contact mobile phone numbers in case of emergency.

Although some people prefer to ride individually, most people end up riding in groups of two or four, following the route which is marked out with orange tape and yellow spray paint.

Moving onwards from the pleasure ride, the next step for horse and rider is the competitive trail ride (CTR). A CTR is longer than 20 miles and must be ridden within a set time.

Horses must be at least five years old before starting CTRs and jockeys must be at least nine years old. The horses are vetted before and after the ride and if the CTR is longer than 40 miles, there will be at least one -- if not more -- vettings during the ride.

At the CTR stage riders are not competing against each other but working towards a series of awards called the Shamrock awards which start at bronze level and run through silver, gold, platinum and diamond levels. Gold shamrock qualification allows horse and rider to start to compete in endurance races (ERs).

To qualify for the bronze shamrock, horse and rider must take part in two qualifiers of 20 miles each and a final of 30 miles.

Bronze rides must be ridden at speeds between six and eight miles per hour, to ensure that the horse is built-up steadily without being pushed to too high a speed too early in their career.

The silver shamrock requires two rides of 40 miles each, while the gold shamrock involves two 50-mile rides. To qualify for the platinum shamrock award, the horse and rider must complete one 63-mile ride and the diamond shamrock is awarded when the pair completes a ride of 72 miles.

2007 Tom Quilty Gold Cup

The 2007 Tom Quilty Gold Cup is Australia's most famous and prestigous 160 kilometer (100 mile) Endurance challenge. This year's TQ was held on September 29 at Tumblegum Farm on the west coast of Australia. A total of 75 riders started, with 31 completing the challenge.

Top Heavyweight: Norbert Radny on West Coast Acharon in 16:45

Top Middleweight and First Overall:
Tie for First:
Christoph Schork on Arovo Mini Harvest in 16:30
Anton Reid on Endurowest Kumari in 16:30

Top Lightweight: Tanya Ladyman on Winarebee Super Star in 16:17

Top Junior: Corey Lunt on Assiff in 17:14

Full results online at www.endurancedb.com.au

Australian Endurance Riders battle Equine Flu

couriermail.com.au
International endurance riding competitors for Australia, Peter and Penny Toft, have called a meeting at Marburg Community Hall for 7pm tonight to establish a voice for recreational horse owners affected by the crisis.

Mr Toft, who favours vaccination of all horses, said: "Our concerns are that we see no real plans to bring this crisis to an end.

"Our view is that managed one way, this crisis can be over in three months. With the process we are following at the moment, it will take a minimum of seven months

"We want the Government to establish policy and implement plans that can see a speedy return to normal activities and events in the optimum time frame."

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