Australia: 2012 Tom Quilty

Endurancenews.com.au

An exciting weekend of dedicated endurance riders and their horses was to be found at St Helens, Tasmania for the 47th running of Australia’s national endurance event, the 160km Tom Quilty.

Founded by the legendary Australian RM Williams, the first Tom Quilty event was held in 1966 in NSW. The event was named after Tom Quilty, the man who donated $1000 to make the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, which would be presented to the winner of the event. The event has run each year since then, and continues to be Australia’s national event, with riders flocking from across Australia (and at times internationally) to attend.


This years Quilty saw 115 riders entered attempting to gain their Quilty Buckle. This is a smaller number then usual for the national event, but many mainland riders were hesitant to travel their horses to Tasmania and chose to skip this event and aim for attending the 2013 Tom Quilty which will be run from Queensland.

The riders that did attend the event were rewarded with absolutely gorgeous riding weather, the sun shone gaily throughout the weekend with many lovely photo opportunities being offered! The Quilty is renown for being a ‘wet’ ride and riders often joke that the number of dry Quilty’s can be counted on one hand. Being winter, and being Tasmania it was still a very chilly weekend, but the sun was most welcome and made the event a pleasurable experience.

The race was won by well known endurance rider Brook Sample riding the very experienced endurance gelding Brookleigh Excalibur. They cantered across the finish line to win the race in spectacular style in a time of 9 hours and 14 mins. Both Brook and his horse have competed previously in the Quilty with Brook now holding 12 buckles and having an impressive 6 wins. A momentous effort from an exceptional horse person, this achievement can be most appreciated when you look at the full results with only 54% of people entered in the event successfully completing .

Brook Sample and Brookleigh Excalibur with the Tom Quilty 2012 winners cup
Sunday saw the top 5 riders in each division presenting for the Best Conditioned awards, as well as 10 riders presenting for the Pat Slater Cup.

Top 5 Juniors:
Alice Mitchell / Beer Street Takone (Best Conditioned)
Sarah Parker / King Park Aberdeen Pelion
David Anderson / Karrana Crackerjack
Amelia Napier / Bellawongah Holly
Ellie Maddick / Armidale Flash Jack

Top 5 Lightweights:
Jacopo Di Matteo / Lockleigh Park Wildfire (Best Conditioned)
Wendy Dower / Castlebar Tempest
Jennifer Annetts / Churinga Goldfire
Antonia Gilbertson / Kurrajong Shadad
Linda Blanchard / Galoubet

Top 5 Middleweights:
Brook Sample / Brookleigh Exalibur (Best Conditioned)
Bradley Hill / Lockleigh Park Sparks Afire
Akhmed Pshunov / Tarrangower Crecendo
Matthew Sample / Brookleigh Ricardo
Debbie Grull / Lauralyn Notorious

Top 5 Heavyweights:
Dennis Foley Jr / Jack
Robbie Walsh / Free Spirit Czar (Best Conditioned)
Mark Johnson / Sharah Lateefah
Elizabeth Laurie / Kholonial Farrington
Gerald Nicklason / Wongawal Digger
Jeremy Ford / Ruby Running Bare

The Tom Quilty is now over for another year, with many riders leaving ride base smiles from ear to ear for their success, and other riders leaving with the sigh of anticlimax, thinking ahead to next year when they can have another shot at that elusive Tom Quilty Buckle.

Just Chaps sponsors the Endurance Young Riders GB Team and international endurance rider Abbi Tennant

Horseandrideruk.com - Full Article

Just Chaps, manufacturers of the widest range of Half and Full Chaps, are proud to sponsor the Endurance Young Riders GB team and international endurance rider Abbi Tennant.


The Young Riders Squad have been out competing in Mont Le Sole, Belgium this season under chef d’equipe Helen Boston. The riders competed in endurance rides of up to 160km! That is definitely a feat of endurance, and takes an awful amount of training. To help them on their way Just Chaps provided the team with this season’s GB Chaps.

Just Chaps is also proud to sponsor international endurance rider Abbi Tennant. Abbi, at only 22 years old, represents Britain as an Advanced FEI** Endurance rider...

Read more here:
http://www.horseandrideruk.com/article.php?id=2237

USA: Wellington Confirmed as Bidder for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games

Dressagedaily.com

06/14/2012 to World Equestrian Games 2018

Wellington, FL - Wellington, along with four other cities, has been confirmed as a bidder for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG). The world championships of international equestrian disciplines is held once every four years as one of the world's major sporting events. The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) confirmed Wellington along with Rabat, Morocco; Bromont, Canada; Budapest, Hungary; and Vienna, Austria. "We are honored and delighted to be selected as a bidder," said Michael Stone, President of Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP), the management company of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). "We will seek meetings with the Village of Wellington and other local entities to discuss the candidacy, along with the United States Equestrian Federation."

As the facility organizers, ESP submitted Wellington as the host city for the 2018 FEI WEG. Wellington is home to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, already one of the world's largest equestrian facilities and site of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival.

Stone noted, "The FEI put a lot of effort into ensuring the viability of the bid before moving it on to the candidacy status. This is very gratifying for ESP as the organizers."

Following the Bidding Process

ESP has followed the steps outlined by the FEI, including an expression of interest and then an application in April to become an official candidate. The bid includes explaining how Wellington can host the seven international disciplines of the WEG as well as para-dressage. 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 July 11 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 December 15, 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," said FEI Secretary General Ingmar de Vos. "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.

How South Florida Benefits

ESP has estimated WEG visitors would spend 260,000 bed nights in South Florida, 25,000 of them in Palm Beach County for the event in October, a bonus for Florida's tourist industry that peaks over the winter months. Wellington is close to major tourist attractions including Miami and the Everglades, as well as Disney World, Universal Studios, and other major attractions in Orlando, about a 2.5-hour drive.

A study by Deloitte, commissioned by the FEI, found that the WEG in Aachen, Germany, in 2006 had an economic impact of $291 million, $41 million more than Super Bowl XLIV in Miami in 2010. The economic impact of the 2010 Kentucky WEG was put at $233 million. At the Kentucky WEG, spectator spending was almost $100 million, plus $11 million in team expenditures and $45 million for event management, sponsors, trade stands and the media, according to the Deloitte study.

No outside financing-including taxpayer money-would be needed to stage the WEG at Wellington. Operations and additional capital improvements would be funded from ongoing operations and sponsorship. While $80 million was spent building new outdoor and indoor arenas and other upgrades at the state-owned Kentucky Horse Park for the 2010 WEG, most of the capital improvements required at a WEG in Wellington have already been made and were self-funded on an ongoing basis.

With the completion of the new dressage facility that includes one of the world's largest covered arenas, ESP would only have to determine the land used for eventing's cross-country and driving's marathon courses, along with endurance. For the cross-country and driving marathon courses, local golf courses can be used, while endurance could leverage Wellington's extensive bridle trail system.

The FEI World Equestrian Games™ By the Numbers

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).

The World Equestrian Games bring about a half-million spectators and 5,500 volunteers to watch about 650 athletes and 750 horses competing for world championships in dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, reining, vaulting and para-dressage. Approximately 1,600 media representatives from around the world cover the event.

Canada’s Bid to Host the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™

Horse-canada.com

HORSE SPORT JUNE 15, 2012 | 0 COMMENTS
BY: EQUINE CANADA

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Equine Canada, together with the Bromont Bid Committee for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games™ (WEG) has received word that Canada is one step closer to hosting this prestigious international equestrian event. The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) reports that five countries have been confirmed as bidders and move to Official Candidate status: Rabat (MAR); Bromont (CAN); Budapest (HUN); Vienna (AUT) and Wellington (USA).

“This is great news for Canada and the entire equestrian community,” stated Paul Côté, chair of the Bromont Bid Committee. Mike Gallagher, president of Equine Canada, and a member of the committee added, “If successful, this event will create a lasting legacy for our equestrian nation, not to mention world-class facilities for our athletes to train and compete.”

The Bromont Equestrian Park, located in south-east of Montreal in the eastern townships, together with the City of Montreal were host to the 1976 summer games. Bromont regularly welcomes prestigious competitions including the FEI International Bromont in Jumping and the VOLVO CCI3* Bromont Three Day Event held this past weekend, the last North American qualifying competition leading up to the 2012 London Olympic Games.

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

read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/horse-news/canadas-bid-to-host-the-2018-fei-world-equestrian-games%E2%84%A2/

Bahrain: Booklet on world military endurance wins praise

Gulf-daily-news.com

June 15, 2012

A SPECIAL booklet on the First World Military Endurance Horse Ride Championship, to be held in Bahrain on December 15, was met with great interest.

Endurance riders, officials and fans in Europe showed admiration for the recently-printed booklet, which was distributed in France at the Compiegne Ride as well as in Germany for the International German Ride.

The Participants commended the outstanding campaign of Bahrain in promoting the World Military Championship that will take place for the first time in the Middle East.

They lauded the content of the booklet, which features useful information about Bahrain and its sporting, social and promotional programmes and activities throughout the year.

They also praised the excellent level of performance of the Bahraini riders and what they have achieved in both rides in France and Germany.

Bahrain was given the right to organise the World Military Championship, which is in line with the directives of First Vice-Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

The first edition will be organised in co-operation with the International Military Council, with large number of riders from around the world expected to take part. The organising committee is yet to announce further details regarding the upcoming championship.

The working committees, meanwhile, have stepped up preparations for the upcoming event.

Bahrain Military Sports Association president Col. Dawood Hussain Al Manea, along with other committee officials, are sparing no effort to ensure the event is an all-round success.

Australia: Inspiring endurance rider battles back from injury

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

By Horsetalk.co.nz on Jun 15, 2012 in News

“The road to recovery from an Acquired Brain Injury is a lifetime of small steps. I am luckier than most as I have a horse to carry me on this journey.”

So wrote Meg Wade in her acceptance speech for the FEI Against All Odds Award 2011, which she was unable to accept in person due to a last-minute flight cancellation.

Until her fall at an endurance ride in early 2009, Meg Wade was one of Australia’s leading international riders in the discipline.

Her accident left her with a traumatic brain injury. She was in a coma for six weeks and spent nine months in hospital.

“It was when I rode a horse for the first time in November 2010, a fat Appaloosa called Chippie, with Riding for the Disabled in Melbourne, that I felt I was really on the road to recovery,” Wade said.

A few weeks after that first moment back in the saddle, Wade rode in her home arena. In January 2011, her driving licence was reinstated, meaning she could drive to events in an automatic car and ride a quad bike onto courses to monitor the horses she has continued to train and enter into competitions with other riders. For a woman who had been fiercely independent and even made solo helicopter flights across Australia, being able to drive again was empowering...

Read more here:
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/06/15/inspiring-endurance-rider-battles-back-from-head-injury/#.T98sQStYtVM

Spain: Interview with National Coach of Raid. Ignasi Casas

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

13 June 2012
[google translation]

On Saturday, June 9, 2012, as he was developing the Absolute Spain Championships Casarrubios Raid on the Mount in Toledo, and while we waited for news of the various phases of testing, I got the idea to do an interview with our coach D. Ignasi Casas.
In the course of the morning news while I was, I was putting together the interview, that last hour of Saturday I referred, not to interfere with his duties of a busy day of championship.

Almost by return mail, I forwarded the responses to this interview and thank you on behalf of all readers.

This is the interview:

1 st. - Blog The Raid: How about has been the Championship of Spain of Raid and the level achieved?

coach: The Championship of Spain 2012 has been very interesting, with several pairs in front of the race until the last phase, and a level of competition and quality very attractive.

2 nd. - Blog: Can be selected horses for the World in Euston Park, horses that are running this Championship of Spain?

coach: In principle all pairs that meet the minimum requirements EIF and screening criteria published in his day on the website of the FEI, are selectable. Therefore, horses have not run the Championship of Spain 2012 are not excluded. We aim to be as flexible as possible to always selecting those pairs that we believe will best represent our sport.

Read more here:
http://ggjineteraid.blogspot.com/2012/06/entrevista-con-el-seleccionador.html

Australia: Brook Sample Repeats Tom Quilty Win

9 June 2012

Brook Sample won the Tom Quilty Gold Cup for a record sixth time.
It was a repeat win for Brook and Brookleigh Excalibur, who also won the Tom Quilty in New South Wales in 2012. Time for this year's ride was 9:14.16.

Best Conditioned horses for the Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2012 are:

Junior Division - Beer Street Takone/Alice Mitchell
Lightweight Division - Lockleigh Park Wildfire/Jacopo Di Matteo
Middleweight Division - Brookleigh Excalibur/Brook Sample
Heavyweight Division - Free Spirit Czar/Robbie Walsh

Winner of the Shareym Award was Brookleigh Ricardo and Tarrangower Crescendo (ridden by Akhmed Pshunov) owned by Matthew Sample.

Winner of the Pat Slater Cup was Kristie Taprell & Castlebar Gulfstream.

Winner of the NEWBRIDGE TROPHY was Lockleigh Park Wildfire ridden by Jacopo Di Matteo.

Statistics from the ride:
Ride Completion statistics are

JUNIOR / 17 entries / 8 completions = 47.06% (8 Vet out, 1 Withdrawn)

LW / 25 entries / 15 completions = 60% (9 Vet out, 1 Withdrawn)

MW / 54 entries / 28 completions = 51.85% (23 Vet out, 3 Withdrawn)

HW / 19 entries / 11 completions = 57.89% (7 Vet out, 1 Withdrawn)

Total entries = 115

Total Completion = 53.91%

Australia: Endurance riding - Stepping up to the challenge

Tenterfieldstar.com.au - Full Article

13 Jun, 2012

Tenterfield Endur-ance Riding Club held its 26th ride on May 19 and 20 with the theme of “Step Up”, encouraging riders to elevate to a greater distance.
The theme was carried through with the last riders in the 100km rewarded with a small stepladder kindly donated by Pat O’Brien, a new member with a great sense of humour.

This year’s ride followed on from last year’s successful Hi Ho Silver 25th Anniversary Ride.

Tenterfield is well known to endurance riders both north and south of the border as a challenging and fun ride operated in a welcoming and friendly atmosphere from its unique bush setting in Girard State Forest.

This year a social ride of 20km elevating to 30km was run on the Saturday.

Twenty-three riders entered this event with fantastic completion rates. Ten chose to elevate and ride the extra 10km to complete 30km.

On Sunday morning, 46 riders headed off into the forest at 3am on the start of the 100km ride with 14 completing the full distance and the others choosing to retire at the 80km mark.

At 6am, the training ride of 40km saw 31 riders leave camp with six choosing to elevate and ride the extra 20km.

It is wonderful to see mums and/or dads riding with their children over all distances...

Read more here:
http://www.tenterfieldstar.com.au/news/local/sport/equestrian/endurance-riding-stepping-up-to-the-challenge/2588233.aspx

Oman Royal Cavalry Wins First Place in French Endurance Horse Race

Omannews.gov.om

Paris, June 9 (ONA)---- Ahmed bin Salim al-Hamadani from the Royal Cavalry won the first place in the French endurance horse race (110 Km), which is organized by the International Equestrian Federation with participation of 53 jockeys from different countries around the world.

The race included (4) stages; the first stage amounted a distance of (30 Km), the second (20 Km), the third (34 Km) and the fourth stage (26 Km). Maj. Sinan bin Sulaiman al-Abri, Officer of Endurance Department at the Royal Cavalry and Supervisor of the team racing in France said that the race witnessed strong competition among participants and was characterized by different terrain tracks. He added that the third stage of the race was the most difficult for Ahmed al-Hamdani due to the many slopes in the race route and rains.

It is worth noting that Ahmed bin Salim al-Hamadani is one of the Royal cavalry seven jockeys who qualified for World Endurance Championship due to be held in Britain next August.

Longines named as title sponsor for FEI World Endurance Championships 2012

DATE: 7th June 2012

Swiss watchmaker Longines has become the title sponsor and official timekeeper of the 2012 Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Endurance Championships (25th August 2012) at Euston Park, near Newmarket, Suffolk, UK.

The FEI CEI 4* competition over 160km, organised by Janah Management, will officially be known as the Longines FEI World Endurance Championships.

The 14th running of the FEI World Endurance Championships will see around 160 riders from up to 40 countries lining up for the contest around the undulating Euston Park track.

Reigning world champions, Spain’s Maria Alvarez and Nobby hold the record as the only combination to have claimed two world titles in succession and Spain will be hoping that Ms Alvarez is again among their line-up. The UAE currently holds the team world title. Alvarez’s winning time of 7hr:35min.44sec at the Alltech Kentucky World Equestrian Games in 2010 will be a target for the winning rider at this summer’s World Endurance Championships.

Walter von Känel, President of Longines said: “Longines is proud to be title sponsor and official timekeeper of the FEI World Endurance Championships. Thanks to its long dedication as official timekeeper of equestrian sports since 1881, Longines is considered as an essential partner to a sport which embodies the brand’s values.”

The Swiss watchmaker is a significant partner of the sport of endurance – the HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup presented by Longines is now in its fifth year.

Ian Williams, FEI Non-Olympic Sports Director, said: “The Longines FEI World Endurance Championships 2012 will be an event of the highest sporting quality and we are grateful to the title sponsor for their support.”

Championship organiser James MacEwan said: “We are fortunate to have the support of such a prestigious company at such a high level. We are looking forward to producing a memorable championship in a great year for sport in this part of the world.”

Alongside title sponsor Longines, organisers welcomed two Dubai industry giants, Meydan and Emaar Properties as additional supporters of the championships.

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director, Emaar Properties, said: “Equestrian events are part of the Arab world’s heritage, and Emaar has a strong history of supporting such noble initiatives.

“We are honoured to support the FEI World Endurance Championships, which brings together participants from over 40 countries, underlining the strong global interest in the event.”

Saeed H. Al Tayer, Chairman of Meydan Group said: ““The opportunity to support the 2012 World Endurance Championships compliments the focus of the Meydan Group, as the sport of Endurance riding is a great part of the equestrian legacy of the UAE and Dubai.

“We are pleased to serve as one of the event’s sponsors and welcome the opportunity to promote the great sport of Endurance riding in Dubai and across the world.”

With around 1000 participants, riders, crew and officials, the championship will have a significant economic impact on the area around Euston Park and the Newmarket area during the build-up and immediately post competition.

For media information, accreditation or images, please contact Longines FEI World Endurance Championships PR, Elizabeth Peplow;
Tel: +44 07917 647663, Email: wec2012media@gmail.com

Spain: Alex Luque and Louteiro de Eo are National Champions

Alex Luque and Louteiro Eo won the Spanish National Championship at Mount Casarrubios, Toldedo, Spain, on June 9 2012. Time for the 160 km race was 8:34.58, for an average of 18.64 km/h. Louteiro Eo also won Best Condition. Second place went to Alejandra Dachs riding Yesmane in 8:37. Nuria Serrabassa followed 39 seconds later to earn third place on Dakila Pascale

17 of 45 riders completed the race.

For more results, see
http://ggjineteraid.blogspot.com/2012/06/resultados-provisionales-del-campeonato.html

Saudi Arabia: Discovery at al-Magar

Saudiaramcoworld.com - Full Article

by Peter Harrigan
photo courtesy of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities

When Mutlaq ibn Gublan decided to dig a birka (pond) to keep his camels watered, he arranged for a backhoe and drums of diesel fuel to be driven from the road to the site on his ancestral grazing lands in southwest Saudi Arabia. The spot he had chosen, amid finger-like valleys that cut through low sandstone hills, was near traces of an ancient waterfall, which hinted that, in millennia past, nature itself supplied more than a mere birka.

His pond was never completed. As he supervised the excavation, he says, "I spotted a smooth, shaped stone sticking out of the ground. I recognized it was an old and important object." He could tell at once it was a statue of an animal. It was buried upright, head toward the surface, he says. "I paid off the operator and told him to follow his tracks back to the road."

Over the next few years, Ibn Gublan unearthed some 300 objects there. Though none was as large as the first, his finds included a small stone menagerie: ostrich, sheep and goats; what may be fish and birds; a cow-like bovid (Bovidae); and an elegant canine profile that resembles one of the oldest known domesticated breeds, the desert saluki. In addition, he found mortars and pestles, grain grinders, a soapstone pot ornamented with looping and hatched geometric motifs, weights likely used in weaving and stone tools that may have been used in leather processing, as well as scrapers, arrowheads and blades—including an exquisitely decorated stone knife in the unmistakable curved design of the traditional Arabian dagger.

Two years ago, he loaded it all up in his Jeep, drove it to Riyadh and donated it to the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (scta).

"When I first saw the pieces, I just could not believe it. It was, how can I say, incroyable," recalls Ali al-Ghabban, head of antiquities at the scta, his French-accented English giving away his years at the University of Provence. "This is Neolithic material," he states, from "a sophisticated society possessing a high level of art and craftsmanship that we have not previously seen." Al-Ghabban had a laboratory run a radiocarbon analysis on trace organic remains found later alongside some of the objects. That dated the material to between 6590 and 7250 bce, he says...

Read more here:
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/201203/discovery.at.al-magar.htm

South African Horse Exports Could Surge As Controls Recognized

Bloomberg.com - Full Article

By Tshepiso Mokhema - Jun 8, 2012

South Africa’s horse exports could rise fourfold if the recognition of the country’s controls on African Horse Sickness by the World Organization for Animal Health eases shipments, Racing South Africa said.

The controls were recognized late last month, South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries said on June 6. The country has the immediate potential to export 300 horses annually, Peter Gibson, the chief executive officer of Durban-based Racing South Africa, said in an e-mailed response to questions late yesterday.

“With improved protocols, this figure could double within 24 months,” Gibson said of the country’s potential exports.
Before 1950 South Africa exported a total of about 300,000 horses, according to Racing South Africa. The continent was declared endemic for African Horse Sickness in the late 1950s meaning that South African horses had to be quarantined before if they were sold to buyers in the U.S, boosting costs. The first exports from South Africa took place in 1788.
An outbreak of the disease near the town of Stellenbosch in 2004 halted all exports for two years and horses sent to Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates were subjected to lengthier quarantine periods.

South African horses are prized for sporting use, most notably endurance races and thoroughbred racing, Gibson said. They are also used for polo...

Read more here:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-08/south-african-horse-exports-could-surge-as-controls-recognized.html

Serbia: Endurance Horse Race

ENDURANCE HORSE RACE “WHITE HORSE”, Krčedin, 16 June 2012

The competition is organized in accordance with the “Rulebook on Organization and Implementation of Distance Racing” published by the Serbian Association for Equestrian Sport for the Olympic Games and FEI disciplines for horse welfare.

The race is organized by:

1. Equestrian Club “Kremen”, Pančevo; 060/037-1613, Višnja Andrić, hipodrom.pa@gmail.com

2. Equestrian Club “Arandjelovac”; Arandjelovac, Jelena Obradović 060/6711-7057, kkarandjelovac@gmail.com

The race is hosted by Rabbit Burrow Homestead, Krčedin, Uče Zekovića 7, www.zekinsalas.com, e mail office@zekinsalas.com, Radica Gligorić

The endurance race on White Horse Track in Krčedin is run alongside the site of the same name at which the Celtic tribe Skordisci created a huge profile of a horse in white stone, in the manner it used to mark its territory throughout Europe. The WHITE HORSE in Krčedin was still visible at the beginning of the 20th century.

One lap of WHITE HORSE Track in Krčedin is 21km

Recreational riding is available on WHITE HORSE Track on the same day after 4 pm, as well as on every first Saturday of a month, requiring previous booking at 064 641 5572, Slaven Živković, Manager, Rabbit Burrow Homestead, or by e-mail at office@zekinsalas.com

Australia: Short List for 2012 World Endurance Championship

May 26 2012

I am very pleased to have today endorsement from the Equestrian Australia High Performance Manager Brett Mace, on behalf of EA, of the selections of rider and horse combinations made by the panel for the World Senior Endurance Championships, 2012. We are also grateful for EA’s support in administering the processes required to ensure all the official deadlines are met, and in supplying member services to these riders so that they can represent Australia at this event.

So, I am delighted to announce, on behalf of the selection panel of Barb McDonald, Trish Mackay and myself, the short list, in alphabetical order:

Talea Haskow-Stewart and Blake’s Heaven Bombora

Andrea Laws King and Razorback Love Song

Norbert Radny and West Coast Acharon

Matthew Sample and Brookleigh Ricardo

Alexandra Toft and Emily Jones te; reserve horses Travina (and Rupert te, pending final qualification)

Penelope Toft and Travina; reserve horse High Society

All riders and horses have done a wonderful job so far, achieving the stringent qualification standards, engaging with the selection process, and aspiring to represent Australia. We know the team will be in excellent hands, with Chef d’Equipe Peter Toft and team vet Dr Narelle Cribb, and hope that we are all able to support them, in whatever way possible, to achieve their very best.

FEI, OIE Unite to Improve High Performance Horse Transport

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Christa Lesté-Lasserre
May 31 2012, Article # 20097

In a major step towards worldwide policy change, the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) has announced its solidarity with the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) in seeking to improve the international movement of high-level performance horses.

Speaking at the opening of the OIE's annual assembly in Paris last week (May 20-25), director general Bernard Vallat, DVM, said his organization recognized "important constraints to the movement of horses" that have come to their attention as international equestrian sport--which has grown 34% over the past three years--continues to expand.

"It is clear that there is a need to define the criteria for healthy, high performance horses as a subpopulation, which reflects the low level of disease risk involved in their movement," Vallat said.

At the 2012 FEI Sports Forum, which took place in early May in Lausanne, Switzerland, the international movement of high performance horses was a hot topic of discussion. It was concluded that having globally standardized testing and quarantine requirements--which currently is not the case--for this particular group of horses, which by necessity must be in impeccable health, would facilitate easier and more streamline international movement...

Read more here:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=20097

Australia: Endurance race with a midnight start

ABC.net.au - Radio interview

By Tony BriscoeFriday, 8 June 2012

Horse riders from across Australia will gather at midnight tonight at St Helens on the east coast of Tasmania for an endurance race with a difference.

The 160 kilometre Tom Quilty Gold Cup will be held over a course which involves farmland and forestry.

The endurance ride was last held in Tasmania at Sheffield in 2005, and attracts riders from the city as well as country areas.

Organiser Sarah Adams says the race is very strictly controlled and animal welfare is at the forefront of the race.

Radio Interview with Sarah Adams:
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rural/tas/countryhour/201206/r955076_10228156.mp3

Australia: Just happy to be competing in Tom Quilty

Theadvocate.com.au - Full Article

8 June 2012

FOR Sheffield's Stuart King and stepdaughter Sarah Parker, this weekend's Tom Quilty Cup will certainly be a family affair. The most coveted Australian equine endurance event, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, will be held at St Helens, starting at midnight tonight.

Horses and riders will travel 160km within a time limit of 24 hours. Teams from all over Australia have converged on the East Coast for the Cup.

For King and 15-year-old Sarah, this weekend has been a long time coming.

"I've been trying to make it to a Tom Quilty for eight years or more now, so it's great to finally get to one, especially in my home state," King said...

Read more here:
http://www.theadvocate.com.au/news/local/sport/equestrian/just-happy-to-be-competing-in-tom-quilty/2584041.aspx?src=rss

Great Britain: Lincolnshire mother and son take on 266-mile horse-riding challenge

Thisislincolnshire.co.uk - Full Article

June 7 2012

A MOTHER and son team are set to undertake a gruelling 266-mile endurance horse-riding challenge starting from Stickney this weekend.

Jane, 46, and Michael Evans, 23, are attempting the gruelling challenge on their faithful horses, Rookie and El, to raise much needed funds for the Stroke Association.

Jane said: "We chose the charity because there's a history of stroke in the family and because my job allows me to see firsthand how the money goes to help change the lives of local stroke survivors."

Starting from Stickney on Sunday, June 10, the duo will follow the Heritage Trail which will lead them through to the beautiful landscape of Yorkshire and will arrive in their home town of Durham two weeks later.

Jane said: "My son and I are both keen endurance riders and it was my best friend, who lives in Stickney, who gave me the idea to do the challenge...

Read more here:
http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Lincolnshire-mother-son-266-mile-horse-riding/story-16291327-detail/story.html

Great Britain: Man vs. Horse Marathon

http://www.green-events.co.uk/events.html?id=54

The Man v Horse Marathon began in June 1980 following a chat over a pint (or three) in the back bar of Neuadd Arms Hotel. The then Landlord, Gordon Green overheard two men discussing the relative merits of men and horses running over mountainous terrain. The enterprising Gordon, never one to miss an opportunity to promote Llanwrtyd Wells and improve business at his hotel, decided to put it to the test. And so began Green Events and its first, longest standing and now internationally acclaimed event, The Man versus Horse Marathon.

The course was changed in 1982 to provide a more even match between the man and the horse resulting year on year in very close finishes - sometimes with the horse winning by only a few seconds. It took 25 years before a man finally beat a horse, Huw Lobb won in 2hrs and 5mins beating the fastest horse by 2 minutes.

******
http://www.journeymart.com/holidays-ideas/festivals/man-horse-marathon.aspx

When: 9th June 2012
Where: Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales

Man vs. Woman. Normal.
Man vs. Man. Routine.
Man vs. Horse. Bizarre.
~~~~
Horse beats Man. Natural.
Woman beats Man. Way to go.
Man beats horse.
Man beats horse? Wow!
It takes real horsepower to beat a horse at his own game. Many a runner has put his best foot forward but only one man has taken a horse head on and come out ahead. And not just by a nose.
Like all good stories, this one too began in a pub. With a few pints inside him, one man claimed men were equal to horses any given day. Several pints later, it was decided to publicly test his claim and the first race took place in June 1980.
From that year forth, the action takes place in Llanwrtyd Wells, host town for the unique horse vs. man marathon. This year will be the 32nd time when over 300 runners test their legs and lungs against that of 20 horses in a gruelling 22-mile cross country race in the Welsh mountains.
The odds favour the horses despite a 15-minute head start for humans - up for grabs is a substantial booty to the runner who beats a horse to the finishing line. Any takers?

For more information on Wales Tourism | Wales Holiday Calendar

Italy: A New Kind of Endurance

27 May 2012

Italian endurance rider Stefano Chidichimo created a special opportunity for new endurance riders that normally wouldn't have a chance of experiencing the sport. Handicapped riders participated in the first promotional event of endurance and equestrian rehabilitation: a 3 km simulated endurance ride in the Tuscan countryside of Maremma at the Pietriccio Rosso Equestrian Center owned by the Aldi Family.

Stefano reports: [translated] "For the first time, in a special project I made, share and built in only one month with Italian Federation, a ride for people of many different abilities, was in endurance, up and down easily on the hills, like a real champions.

Junior and Senior handicapped riders, blind, with Downs syndrome, and other mental disabilities, came from Tuscany, Sardinia and Liguria, and completed the ride at 5-8 km/h average, perfect at vet gate in 20 min. under 64 beats per minute… Incredible! All participated in a prize-giving ceremony with their high level technicians: Alessandra Pes di San Vittorio, Francesca Gentile and Maria Ignazia Marras and their Staff.

There were no limits for riders Ameri Andrea, Battistini Alessio, Castaldi Gaia, Del Rio Giovanni, Iorizzi Giulia, Marano Vincenzo, Mura Paolo, Ugolini Stefano, Ulivastri Fabio ... Really enjoyed in harmonic concentration and natural free aptitude for a new therapeutic opportunity!"

[slide show]

2014 Normandy: The Team Above All Else!

JEMFEIAlltech2014-normandie.fr

5/30/2012

The Organising Committee took a major step forward at the beginning of April by appointing the team in charge of the eight official disciplines. Getting all these experts together and making them an integral part of the Organising Committee was perhaps the most significant part of this development. In short, being able to mould eight individuals into a team!
To help things along, a working seminar was organised at Le Pin National Stud in the Orne area of Normandy – the venue playing host to the Cross Country of the Eventing competition on 30 August 2014. The eight discipline managers were of course present, along with their counterparts from the Fédération Equestre Internationale, who were, by the way, impressed by the sumptuous setting of the Le Pin Stud. “It’s important to get the FEI involved in our work from here on”, explained sports director, Laurent Cellier, just after the seminar.

"In my view, the most positive thing to come out of this experience is the creation of a collective movement that goes above and beyond individual expertise. We have always explained that we would encourage team spirit and with this new group we have everything we need to create a truly great event in 2014.”

This is a feeling shared by the discipline managers, and most notably by Michèle Pfender, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy’s “Mrs Reining”: “I was delighted to meet the team and find out about all the work that had been done beforehand by the members of the Organising Committee, who are young, competent and enthusiastic. Reining is a relatively unknown discipline and so I was touched by the openness and curiosity that the other discipline managers showed.”

Michèle Pfender also appreciates the spirit of the World Equestrian Games, “particularly the respect shown towards the horse which is a fundamental principle, and then the idea that the event won’t just be a one-off affair but will leave a lasting legacy. That’s really important for reining.”

Other similar seminars will probably take place every six months or so. “The next one will be in Caen in October, so that we can get to go to other competition sites after our stay in Le Pin, explains Laurent Cellier. We are already going over the technical issues to be raised with the FEI. And by then, our discussions will have become more and more regular.”

Mohammed congratulates Hamdan on UK race win

Emirates247.com

By Sheikh Mohammed's website
Published Tuesday, June 05, 2012


His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, watched as Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, rode to victory clinching the UK endurance ride title at Austin Park.

Sponsored by Meydan, the CEI*** endurance event in the UK is organised by the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) under the supervision of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed claimed the title finishing in 7:43.00 hours despite the harsh weather conditions of heavy rain and cold wind. Riders from 14 countries participated in the endurance event.

Mohammed Ahmed Al Abbar came in second place finishing in 7:56.08 hours, while the third place went to Mohammed Ali Al Shafaar.

The UAE team's participation in the event is part of their preparations for the FEI World Endurance Championship scheduled for 26 August, 2012 in the UK.

Countdown to the 2012 Tom Quilty Gold Cup

Tophorse.com.au - Full Article

The 2012 The Tom Quilty Gold Cup Endurance Ride commences this Thursday June 7 and runs throughout the Queen’s Birthday long weekend until Tuesday June 12. It’s expected to attract a field of over 130 riders from around the world with competitors flying in from the Middle East, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the USA and Europe to compete alongside the Aussies, who are ranked world-class in the sport of Endurance.

Accompanying the riders will be their support crew, media and spectators which will swell the population of St Helens to around 2,000 during the week of the event.

The ride is a punishing 160km endurance pursuit with the objective being to test horse and rider…”100 miles on one horse in one day”. Competitors will begin their ride over bush tracks commencing at midnight on Friday June 8. Although each horse and rider has 24 hours to complete the Tom Quilty Gold Cup ride, the winners are expected to cross the finish line in about half that time, arriving on Saturday afternoon. Riders will also be vying for the coveted Best Conditioned awards, which acknowledges the excellent physical condition of the top endurance horses...

Read more here:
http://www.tophorse.com.au/countdown-to-the-2012-tom-quilty-gold-cup__tom_quilty_cup__N

Germany: Bahrain's Isa wins 160km event in style

Gulf-daily-news.com

By RAMI HULAYYEL , Posted on » Sunday, June 03, 2012

BAHRAIN's Salman Isa won the 160km Endurance Horse Ride held yesterday at Dillingen, Hamburg.

The Royal Endurance Team rider, who came on top in the World Championship last year in Compiegne, France, was again in superb form to complete the German event in first place on Olympic larzac.

More than 70 riders from across Europe competed it out in the 160km ride, which lasted for over 12 hours. But it was the Bahraini rider who emerged victorious, showing some excellent riding skills to cross the finishing line in just nine hours, eight minutes and 45 minutes with a 17km per hour speed average.

Isa was followed by Margaret Beumer (9:08:46) of Germany in second place, while another Dutch rider Dornsiepen Bernhard (9:09:49) rounded off the podium by coming third overall.

The top three will be honoured this morning at a special prize-giving ceremony at the race venue.

Bahrain Royal Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who also took part in the race, had to pull out after his horse Hondo stumbled during the third stage.

He was joined by Yacoub Al Hammadi, winner of the King Cup and the Crown Prince Cup, besides Raed Mahmoud, Houd Ibrahim, Jaffar Mirza, Mohammed Al Thawadi, Salman Isa and Mohammed Abdulsamad.

The Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president congratulated Isa following the race and expressed pride on this achievement.

Shaikh Nasser said he was pleased with the condition of the venue surface, which he described as one of the best in Europe.

Experience

He said the German ride was a useful experience for members of the Bahrain team, who are preparing for the Asian Championship that is due to take place in the UK in August.

This was the first time Bahrain Royal Endurance Team was competing in a race in this German region.

Meanwhile, Bahrain Royal Endurance Team director Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa, Yousef Taher and Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa also competed in the 120km ride held on the day.

Shaikh Mohammed was the last Bahraini survivor in the race after his teammates were forced to pull out in the early stages.

Riding Isfandyar, Shaikh Mohammed could hold up to the fourth stage, where his horse was eliminated after failing to pass the veterinary examination following the fourth and penultimate stage. The Bahraini team were also present at the 90km ride, which saw Yousef Taher complete the event in third place.

Riding, Elnino, the veteran Bahraini rider could only finish the race with a total ride time of five hours, 46 minutes and 17 seconds.

Top UAE riders qualify for world championship

Gulfnews.com

41 countries confirm their participation in equestrian event in August

By M. Satya Narayan, Abu Dhabi Deputy EditorPublished: 00:06 June 1, 2012

Abu Dhabi: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who led the UAE to a team gold in the 160km endurance event at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010, has already qualified with a few horses for the World Endurance Championship to be held on August 25 in Euston Park in the UK.

Two more 160-km qualification rides are to be staged in Euston Park on June 3 and 24, respectively, to help riders and horses from around the world qualify for the August 25 event. Over a 100 riders are expected to tackle the tough course in Euston Park with the 160-km distance raced in loops of 38km, 29km, 30km, 20km, 23km and 20km, respectively.
Shaikh Mohammad, along with Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture, have already qualified along with a few other UAE riders.
The UAE, led by Shaikh Mohammad, had won the team gold and the individual silver and bronze medals at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky and are likely to be starting off as favourites once again in the World Championship.

A final list of riders will be submitted by July 24 for both the individual as well as team events. So far, 41 countries including the UAE have already confirmed their participation.

Meanwhile, the Americans, who have surrendered their domination of the event to the UAE, France and Spain in the last decade, have named two champion lady riders in their tentative squad.

Becky Hart, the only rider to win the World Championship thrice in a row and Valeri Kanavy, another multiple world championship winner, have been named on the UAE squad.

Hart, riding her own horse No Repeat, has qualified and is in the US Long List. If selected, Hart will be bidding to win the world championship nearly 20 years since she won her third consecutive title. Hart and the legendary horse R.O. Grand Sultan won the World Championship in 1988, 1990 and 1992.

Turkmenistan: FEI Equestrian Raid I

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2012

Our Member of Raid, D. Rafael Garrido, sends us a chronicle of the first Raid Equestrian, according to FEI rules, held in the distant lands of Turkmenistan, lands where they begin to accept the FEI rules and serves to expand the hobby to the world of Equestrian resistance to rules which ensure the health of the horse.
This is the chronicle of the first Raid in Turkmenistan:

"The raid at the International Conference Ajal-Teke Horse in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, 2012

In late April, a small delegation of members of the Spanish Association of Akhal-Teke horse we go to the horse's Day celebrations in Turkmenistan at the invitation of the ministry's horse country. We accompanied the national team raid Ignasi Casas and Alberto Cotelo equine dentist, as lecturers. There were delegations from the various national associations of Asia, Europe and America. We had almost daily program for a week, including the first raid under FEI rules to be made in Turkmenistan. We all know that equine resistance paths are part of the history of Turkmenistan. To start in the FEI rules of the sport, the organizers had asked the participating national associations that provide their specialists.

We witnessed the rise of the necessary infrastructure to host an equestrian event in the desert, consisting of a yurt village, placing colored flags to give a background to the event framework complementing the Kopet Dag mountains, about three miles of flags placed to define three sides of the event area, the construction of tandyr to make bread, lifting three huge swings and wrestling ring - the winner gets a sheep - a scenario and a huge esplanade covered with rugs. Everything was being flooded with the influx of a large audience, women with their tight dresses and embroidered bibs and around the neck, with two black braids or artistically handkerchief tied around a bulky bun, men in suits and with his cap in head and the venerable AK-sakal white beard and sheepskin hats.

The day of the raid we were gracious, with a layer of clouds that accompanied us most of the day. There was a marvelous display of Akhal-Teke horses. The association brought the rider Uruguayan raid Olascoaga Pio, who was assigned one of the horses belonging to a private breeder.

The race consisted of two phases of 30 km each. Turkmen riders made ​​their first raid with international standards and not all were clear about the method. The breeders did not agree with these rules once they started to remove some horses. The judges did have clear rules and so wanted them to be accepted. Our president of the association, Blanca de Toledo, was translated and anyone wishing to kill the messenger. There were two horses in the country's president in the raid, removed one, all logic dictated that he must win the other.

Pio asked by several guests told us that some horses, not all, were well trained, some have taken a great result with an experienced rider and was very happy with the horse he had ridden. Olascoaga Pio and his family are dedicated to breeding and training horses and endurance raid in Uruguay (there are two different categories), with customers in the UAE. They recently introduced its first Ajal-Teke in competition, a 11 year old horse is competing in 120 km.
I do not want to pretend that everything was like silk, but the first international raid Turkmenistan took place April 25, 2012 and 24 horses and riders and breeders of these horses and the Turkmen Atlary made it possible and laid the foundations of this sport in their country.

Ingrid Schulz
Spanish Association Ajal-Teke Horse
Almeria, May 24, 2012."


Greetings from Gabriel.
El Raid Blog

Arab women clear the hurdles to their horse-riding dreams

Thenational.ae - Full Article

Ayesha Al Khoori
May 30, 2012

Ayesha Al Khoori talks to some female Arab horse riders whose families were not always supportive of the sport.

When she was a young girl, Salama Al Saadi's family members would laugh about her dream to become a horse rider.

She still sought her mother's permission, to no avail.

"I want to try, but they implanted fear in me," says Al Saadi, now 22.

While the men in her family are allowed to horse ride, Al Saadi's mother believes it is unsafe for girls in particular to engage in the sport.

"It's a culture thing," Al Saadi says.

"But the idea is still on my mind," she says, believing horse riding will instil in her responsibility and confidence. "I'm not losing hope. I still wish to be a horse rider one day."

For 21-year-old Dana Al Mutawa, it wasn't difficult to convince her parents to allow her to ride horses. "Although my father didn't accept the idea for a while, he changed when he observed how devoted I was," she says.

Al Mutawa, who has been riding for seven years now, adds that having male cousins and family friends engaged in the sport has "made it easier for my family to go through the process of acceptance".

While her parents like seeing her active, her father draws the line when it comes to competitive horse-riding events, finding competitions to be time-consuming.

Al Mutawa says this restriction once caused her to briefly withdraw from her family. "But I know they will reconsider it," she says. "And someday they won't pressure me to stop."

Her friends were initially against her hobby, but later on became supportive.

"Through the years many local girls have entered the equine field, so it became a normal phenomenon in our society," she says.

Referring to religious traditions, Al Mutawa argues that whenever she rides horses, she keeps herself fully covered...

Read more here:
http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/well-being/arab-women-clear-the-hurdles-to-their-horse-riding-dreams

Bahrain: Al Saad fifth in French race

Gulf-daily-news.com

May 29, 2012

BAHRAIN's Royal Endurance Team riders Abdulrahman Al Saad and Raed Mahmood were fifth and seventh, respectively, at the Compiegne Endurance Horse Ride held in Compiegne, France. Al Saad completed this 160km ride in seven hours, 51 minutes and 35 seconds, while Mahmood crossed the finish line in 7:51:35.

The race was won by Qatar's Faleh Nasser, steering Cughenaim Antall De Jalima, who timed 7:49:18.

He was followed by a trio of French riders. Jean-Philippe Frances (7:51:11), riding Qrafik La Majorie, came second, ahead of compatriots Philippe Tomas (7:51:12) on Quotien Persky and Enora Boulenger, who were respectively third and fourth.

Oman's Mahmood Marhoon finished sixth between the two Bahrainis, with French rider Pierre Fleury coming eighth, followed by Juilien Goachet, Lisa Riou, Geraldine Brault and Cecile Demierre, all of France.

Meanwhile, France were first overall among teams, finishing ahead of teams from Brazil and Qatar, who came second and third, respectively.

The French team consisted of Jean-Philippe Frances, Philippe Tomas, Pierre Fleury and Lisa Riou.

Both Bahraini riders were congratulated by team leader Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa after the awarding ceremony held at the endurance village.

Shaikh Nasser, the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports chairman and president of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, expressed pride after watching his teammates finish in the top 10.

He said the results underline Bahrain's strong presence in world-class endurance events, and wished them progress in future races.

France: Compiegne CEIO*** 160 km Nations Cup

27 May 2012

Faleh Nasser Bughenaim of Qatar won the CEIO*** Nations Cup at Compiegne on 27 May, riding Antall De Jalima in a time of 7:49.18. Following 1 minute 44 seconds later was a close race for 2nd among French riders, with Jean Philippe Frances and Qrafik La Majorie edging ahead of Philippe Tomas and Quotien Persky, and Enora Boulenger aboard Melia Du Barthas. Bahrain's Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Saad was in 5th riding GW Pagena Ox.

There were 31 finishers from 58 starters.

Complete results here:
http://www.atrm-systems.fr/index0eng.htm

Photos by Osama Mohammed here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/112590388649341553131/CompiegneNationsCupOsamaMohammedPhotos52712

Endurance Using Easyboots in the UK

Easycare Blog - Full Article

Sunday, May 27, 2012 by Team Easyboot
Submitted by Karen Corr, Team Easyboot 2012 Member

I love reading the reports from endurance riders from other parts of the world but there seems to be a lack of reports coming from the UK, so I thought it was about time I put fingers to keyboard and attempt a blog for the first time.

I've been competing in endurance rides for about 15 years and have only managed to sample endurance outside the UK once - the President's Cup in Abu Dhabi, crewing for a British rider, whose horse was spun after 25 miles. But we got to see the rest of the race in full flow and followed some of the horses along the course in the desert - an experience I'll never forget. We have travelled the length and breadth of the UK to compete in endurance rides but with the ever-soaring price of diesel, we are becoming more selective as to where we go and how far we're willing to travel. The furthest we'll travel now is a maximum of three hours to get to an event. That's probably just down the road for a lot of riders in the USA. My favourite rides are in the North of England - they tend to be a lot hillier and more varied in terrain and generally more of a challenge.

Over the years, I've tried a number of different boots for endurance riding and until 2010 I was undecided as to which worked best. However, in 2010 I was sponsored by the UK distributor for Easyboots - Trelawne Equine - this was an amazing opportunity to try out the Gloves and Glue-Ons throughout the season. My gelding was eight years old and at Advanced Level - in the UK this means he had completed two 65km rides and one 80km ride at a set speed. The aim for that year was to introduce him to some faster work at this level and aim for his first race rides. Upping the speed was no problem for him - he had the base of distance work behind him and at the beginning of July he completed his fastest 65km ride to date at the Wirral (fast and flat on the West Coast) in Easyboot Gloves...

Read more here:
http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/team-easyboot/endurance-using-easyboots-in-the-uk-2010-to-2012-by-karen-corr-team-easyboot-member-2012

Australia: Unexpected response to Hendra virus

Equinescienceupdate.com - Full Article


A survey of equine veterinary practices in Queensland Australia has shown that veterinarians are stopping doing equine work because of the risks posed by Hendra virus.

Hendra virus (HeV) infection primarily affects fruit bats, but was first reported in horses in 1994. During the initial outbreak 14 horses died. Seven other horses were shown to have been infected and were humanely destroyed.

Human infections, although uncommon, most often affect people in contact with horses. Of seven cases of human HeV infection, five have involved equine veterinary personnel conducting post mortem or endoscopic examinations. In three cases the infection was fatal.

A study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, explored the issues faced by staff of equine veterinary practices relating to HeV infection-control and workplace health and safety...

Read more here:
http://www.equinescienceupdate.com/articles/urhv.html

Australia; History of The Tom Quilty Gold Cup Endurance Ride

Equestrianlife.com.au - Full Article

With the 160 km Tom Quilty Endurance ride commencing midnight on the 8th June in Tassie , read a quick history of the event.

Endurance riding has been an organised sport in Australia since 1966. Reports of the Tevis Cup endurance ride in the USA began reaching Australia. One person inspired by the concept of a long distance competitive horse ride was R. M. Williams, editor of Hoofs and Horns, a pioneer horse magazine in this country. An invitation was extended through the magazine for people interested in conducting Australia's own 100 miles in one day ride.

It was decided if the Americans could do it, so could the Aussies! The venue would be in the Hawkesbury district, near Sydney, New South Wales, being a relatively central, scenic location, with the support of the University of Sydney's Rural Veterinary Centre, Camden. A committee was formed to organise the first 100 mile ride.

R. M. Williams wrote to his friend Tom Quilty, a great horseman and cattleman in the Kimberly area of Western Australia. Williams asked for his support for the 100 miles ride, and Quilty donated $1000. This was used to make a gold cup, the prize for the winner of the event. This is a perpetual trophy, and the ride was named the Tom Quilty Gold Cup in his honour. The original Gold Cup now resides in the Stockman's Hall of Fame, in Longreach, Queensland.

Cash prizes were originally offered as incentive for competitors, however, at the last minute it was pointed out that local by-laws prohibited racing for money, over public roads. A meeting of riders and officials was held, and all resolved to ride for the satisfaction of simply participating, and for the honour of wearing the handsome silver Quilty buckle. The Quilty buckle is still a highly regarded prize in endurance with those who earn one treasuring it as equivalent to an Olympic Gold Medal.

The winner of the first Quilty was Gabriel Stecher, who rode his Arabian stallion ‘Shalawi' bareback the full 100 miles...

Read more here:
http://www.equestrianlife.com.au/articles/History-of-The-Tom-Quilty-Gold-Cup-Endurance-Ride

Great Britain: Golden Horseshoe on Exmoor gives a challenge and a lot of cheer for riders

Thisissomerset.co.uk - Full Article

May 25 2012

The Golden Horseshoe Ride on Exmoor is well known as the toughest challenge on the endurance calendar. It certainly lived up to its reputation this year, with only two horses successfully finishing the 160km (over two days) class, out of six starters.

David Yeoman from North Brewham, Somerset, on his 12-year-old French part-bred Arab Marlouf de Norvavre, won a silver medal, and Linda Kidd, from Marlborough, on her Anglo Arab mare Drastik with AK, also 12-years-old, a bronze.

Both riders are Golden Horseshoe veterans, having completed the ride several times before on different horses.

David won the Golden Horseshoe 100-mile cup, the Saxon Trophy for the Highest Place part-bred Arab and the Top Man Award. Linda won the Handling & Presentation Award, the Showgirl Trophy for the highest-placed mare, the Dunlop Heywood Veterans’ Award for the highest- placed horse whose rider is 55 or over on the day of the ride, and the Top Lady Award.

Successes for South West Group members included three out of the six gold medals in the Exmoor Experience class and a silver in the Exmoor Eighty.

Torrential rain for several weeks before had put the whole event in doubt as flood water poured down the Exmoor rivers and washed out some of the tracks. At one point even the venue field looked unusable...

Read more here:
http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/Golden-Horseshoe-Exmoor-gives-challenge-lot-cheer/story-16185184-detail/story.html

Netherlands: Carmen Romer is New Dutch Champion

20 May 2012

Carmen Romer became Dutch Champion when she won the CEI*** 160 km Championship, riding Gitana, at Leersum, Netherlands on19 May 2012. With a finish time of 9:59.55, they were almost 20 minutes ahead of the nearest competitor, Raphael Van Cauter of Belgium, ring Taborah De Sier. Linda Cowperthwaite of Great Britain, riding Marady Mystharon, was third. Five riders out of 10 completed the 160 km.

The Netherlands' Daphne Sloots won the CEI** 126 km on Kain in 7:20.53, ten minutes ahead of second place Andre Vidiz and Negreplise. Belgium's Kristel Van Den Abeele and Tizghi de Florival was third. Ten of 15 completed the race.

Seven juniors and young riders competed in the CEIJYR** 126 km, with The Netherlands' Marijke Visser winning the ride on Nib Karaskan Star, in 7:20:25. Belgium's Olivia Antoine and Wigor Za came second just 38 seconds later, with Belgium's Romane Yernaux and Gazelles du Bosphore 34 seconds behind in third. Five of 7 completed the race.

Ten riders competed in the CEI* 91 km race, with France's Vincent Dupont and Khandjar du Boulve finishing first in 5:47.15, 25 minutes ahead of second place Danny Droghini and Caprice, of Belgium. The Netherlands' Esther Groen and Zakholy's Shadiya were third. Nine riders finished.

Caledon Equestrian Park Named Host Venue for 2015 Pan American Games

USEFNetwork.com

RELEASE: May 19, 2012
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: Jennifer Ward for Starting Gate Communications

Palgrave, Ontario - Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, Ontario, was the first sport venue to be named for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games in a special groundbreaking ceremony held May 18. TO2015, the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Organizing Committee, the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario and the Town of Caledon joined together to announce Caledon Equestrian Park as the official venue for equestrian sport, while also unveiling plans for facility improvements and community legacy.

Held during the Caledon National show jumping tournament, competition was halted to allow athletes and their families and friends to gather for the groundbreaking ceremony. Canadian Equestrian Team members Yann Candele of Caledon, ON, and 2008 Olympic Team Silver medalist Jill Henselwood participated in the on-site announcement.

“After years of preparation and planning, we are honoured not only to have Caledon Equestrian Park named as the official host of equestrian sport for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games, but to also be selected as the very first sport venue announced by the TO2015 Organizing Committee,” said Craig Collins of Equestrian Management Group (EMG), a funding partner and the operating group of Caledon Equestrian Park. “To make the announcement in front of hundreds of our competitors, whether they are children on ponies or junior riders with international aspirations, really underlines the legacy that hosting the Pan Am events will create for the future of our sport. I am sure many of these young riders will remember gathering together on the hill for this momentous announcement, and possibly start dreaming of one day standing on the podium to claim a medal for our country.”

Mike Gallagher, President of Equine Canada, echoed those sentiments, recognizing the impact hosting the Pan/Parapan American Games will have on equestrian sport both locally and nationwide.

“This investment ensures that Caledon Equestrian Park will provide an accessible public legacy for the region to develop and train elite athletes and recreational riders for decades to come,” said Gallagher. “As the National Sport Federation representing, promoting and developing horse sport and interests in Canada, Equine Canada fully supports the suitability of Caledon Equestrian Park as a venue for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.”

Caledon Equestrian Park is a municipally-owned facility that will host dressage and show jumping competitions during the Games, as well as the dressage and show jumping portions of the three-day eventing competition. A nearby venue in Orangeville is currently under review for the cross-country portion of the eventing competition.

TO2015’s venue selection process is based on standards set by International Sport Federations (IFs), approval of the sport program by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), and consultation with the National Sport Federations (NSFs).

“Caledon Equestrian Park is a world-class facility with a well-earned reputation in the international equestrian community,” said TO2015 Chief Executive Officer, Ian Troop. “What’s more, it’s a publicly-owned facility so the investments we’ll be making for the Pan Am Games will benefit the public for many years to come. That’s one reason why we are calling Toronto 2015 the ‘People’s Games,’ because the investments we’re making are aimed at making events accessible to the public, and will create a rich public legacy.”

“The Harper Government is pleased to announce Caledon Equestrian Park as the official equestrian venue for the 2015 Pan American Games,” said the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport). “Our Government’s significant investment in these Games for sport infrastructure, legacy and essential federal services will not only result in economic prosperity for Caledon and the Greater Toronto Area, but will leave a lasting sporting legacy here in Canada for years to come.”

In preparation for the Toronto 2015 Games, the Caledon Equestrian Park will receive capital investment from the Government of Canada, Town of Caledon, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and Equestrian Management Group for upgrades and improvements, which will include:

- A new main stadium building.
- Permanent spectator seating areas and areas for temporary Games-time seating.
- Relocation of and improvements to stabling areas.
- A new grand prix ring, warm-up rings and training areas.
- A new indoor riding arena.
- Infrastructure improvements such as services and grading.
- Other related amenities such as blacksmith area and veterinary area.

Ontario will be supporting the cost of venue overlay and Games operations through its $500 million contribution to the TO2015 budget.

The improvements and upgrades will be overseen by Equine Canada and TO2015 with John MacDonald Architect Inc., a local firm that was awarded the contract in January 2012 through a public tendering process led by the Town of Caledon. Construction is targeted to begin in fall 2012 with completion by the spring of 2014.

The participation of Caledon Equestrian Park in the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games will have a significant economic impact on the Town of Caledon. A study conducted by the Canadian Sport Tourism Association for the Town of Caledon found the annual economic impact of these improvements estimated at $15.1 million.

“I am very proud that Caledon will be part of the 2015 Pan American Games by hosting equestrian events at our world-class Caledon Equestrian Park,” said David Tilson, Member of Parliament (Dufferin–Caledon). “We are looking forward to welcoming athletes and spectators from across Canada and the Americas to Caledon in 2015.”

“The ‘People’s Games’ will create jobs, support the community, and keep the local economy in Caledon on track for our children and grandchildren,” said Charles Sousa, Ontario Minister responsible for the Pan/Parapan American Games.

“The Town of Caledon looks forward to working with the TO2015, its partners and ours, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Equestrian Management Group and Region of Peel to ensure that collectively we host the most successful Pan Am Games yet,” said Mayor Marolyn Morrison, Town of Caledon. “We are very proud that the Caledon Equestrian Park was selected for the Toronto 2015 equestrian events, and our team is committed to ensuring that the facility will serve our community for years to come.”

“We are very confident that Toronto will deliver a great competition and we are looking forward to working on the 2015 Pan Am Games together with the Organizing Committee and Equine Canada,” said Ingmar de Vos, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), in a statement supporting the announcement.

Attracting more equestrian athletes annually than any other competition venue in Ontario, Caledon Equestrian Park has hosted four Pan American Games selection trials, two Olympic selection trials, 15 World Cup qualifying events, and more than 150 Grand Prix events. Currently hosting 16 equestrian events annually, Caledon Equestrian Park will close out its 2012 season with the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament held September 19 to 23 for the benefit of the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada.

Australia: Crossing finish line goal for 66yo rider

TheAdvocate.com.au - Full Article

EQUESTRIAN
18 May, 2012

A STRONG contingent of Coastal endurance riders are gearing up for this year's Tom Quilty Cup at St Helens.

The Australian Endurance Championships will be held from June 8-10, with a strong presence of Coastal riders expected to tackle the gruelling 160km ride, including Turners Beach rider Fran Jordan.

At 66, this will be Jordan's first Quilty, where she will ride her nine-year-old gelding Tierview Saadat (known as Louie).

"I've always wanted to compete in the Tom Quilty," Jordan said yesterday.

"I only took up endurance riding three years ago and because the Quilty is only in Tasmania once every seven years, as it is shared around the states and territories, this will be my first and probably last opportunity to compete in it."

Jordan successfully qualified Tierview Saadat after completing the 160km qualifying ride, the 2011 Sassafras Endurance Ride, in July.

Tierview Saadat secured the best lightweight and best conditioned horse at that ride...

read more here:
http://www.theadvocate.com.au/news/local/sport/equestrian/crossing-finish-line-goal-for-66yo-rider/2560591.aspx

Sweden: Endurance trainer gains success in Arabian flat racing

Horsereporter.com - Full Article

May 18, 2012
By Pamela@horsereporter

With 28 starts, Maria Hagman Ericsson is not a newcomer to Arabian racing. Well known to the international endurance community, where she competed for Sweden in 14 countries, Hagman – Ericsson has also turned her attention to racing Arabians close to home.

Number two under the wire was Neira Royal (Neiron x Efta Royal) and number three in was Speedy Faq (Daffaq x Skazka). The race had 14 entries...

Read more here:
http://www.horsereporter.com/?p=3555

Great Britain: Great success at Golden Horseshoe

Goldenhorseshoe-ride.co.uk

Friday 18th May - 08:00 And finally, for this year, here is Press Officer Nicky Moffatt's press release after the event:

Great success at Golden Horseshoe

Riders from across the UK took part in this year’s Golden Horseshoe Ride, which was held on Exmoor from the 13-15 May. Not put off by the recent bad weather, almost 300 endurance enthusiasts made the journey to Somerset to take part in the pleasure ride and competitive classes at this year’s event.

David Yeoman riding Marlouf de Norvavre (who gained a silver medal) and Linda Kidd on Drastik with AK (who won a bronze medal) were the only two to finish the course and pass the final vetting in Class 1 – The Golden Horseshoe – which covers 100 miles/160kilometres split over two days. Says Linda: “Finishing this year’s course means everything to me. I am thrilled to bits with Drastik and depending on how she goes from here, I hope to bring her back next year.” Linda also gave a huge thanks to ride organiser Barbara Wigley and her husband Ian, who made a great effort to keep the ride running this year despite the persistent rain leading up to the event.

There were more medals to be won in classes 2, 3 and 4 – The Exmoor Stag, The Exmoor Experience and The Exmoor Eighty. Last minute entry Lisa Adshead and her Arab gelding Shakmari Gold travelled from Carmarthenshire to ride in the 80-kilometre Exmoor Experience and finish on gold time. Says Lisa: “I was very grateful to the organisers for keeping the ride on despite the recent wet weather. I am lucky because my riding at home in Wales is open mountain, similar to the conditions on Exmoor. Bryn (Shakmari Gold) gave me a lovely ride, eating up the ground with his big floating stride – a typical Arab!”

Of course the Golden Horseshoe wouldn’t be the same without its native pony, the Exmoor, and this year there were two Exmoor ponies taking part. Mary Hannah and her daughter Katy took part in the Exmoor Experience aboard their two ponies Kingsby Nutmeg and Kingsby Elderberry. Says Mary: “Our ponies are half sisters and they gave us a great ride. While Exmoor ponies aren’t built for speed, their sheer determination and stamina is what makes them a good choice for endurance riding. Also, the breed is used to the boggy patches on the moor, so you know they’re going to look after you well.”

Setting out over a revised course, which kept to the drier areas of the moor, riders were far from disappointed about not being able to ride further afield. “It was a beautiful ride across a stunning part of the country,” says Linda, “yet still as challenging as ever. Horseshoe is a firm favourite in my book.”

For more information about this year’s Golden Horseshoe Ride, visit www.goldenhorseshoe-ride.co.uk

Press enquiries
Nicky Moffatt 07889 234796
nickymoffatt869@btinternet.com

New Zealand: Decision on the 2012 World Endurance Championship

NZEquestrian.org.nz

20/04/2012

The High Performance Endurance Panel and the ESNZ Endurance Board wish to advise that with the season at an end the decision has been made that NZL will not be represented at the 2012 World Endurance Championships at Euston Park.

The High Performance Panel reviewed various combinations performance records and Andrea Smith with Glenmore Tariq was the only combination to achieve the required consistent performance standard. However Andrea has declined the right to compete at the World Championships as she has a focus on the 2014 World Equestrian Games.

The High Performance Endurance Panel is currently reviewing their strategies for the next 2 and 4 years and will look to conduct potential squad member interviews in June this year.

Australia: Peter Toft appointed as interim Chef d'Equipe

AERA.asn.au

Peter Toft has been appointed the interim chef d’equipe for Endurance following the resignation of current chef d’equipe Mark Freeman. Peter will hold the position of interim chef d’equipe until 25th September 2012 following the world endurance championships in August.

Equestrian Australia & AERA would like to thank Mark Freeman for his service and wish Peter the best of luck as the new Chef d’Equipe.

Regards,

Felicity Dubois

Executive Assistant
Equestrian Australia
National Office
felicity.dubois@equestrian.org.au
www.equestrian.org.au

Great Britain: Golden Horseshoe ride goes ahead

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

By Horsetalk.co.nz on May 13, 2012 in Focus

Despite heavy rain in Britain, the Golden Horseshoe Endurance Ride on Exmoor is going ahead, with competition starting today.

Treacherous underfoot conditions have meant many of the country’s biggest equestrian events have been cancelled, but ride organisers have checked the routes and make alternative plans. Riders will set off from the usual venue in Exford.

“Obviously horse and rider safety has to come first, but we are confident that the routes we have chosen for each class are rideable,” said ride organiser Barbara Wigley...

Read more here:
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/05/13/golden-horseshoe-ride-goes-ahead/

Welfare and dope concerns dominate endurance talks

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Pippa Cuckson

11 May, 2012

Arab nations have been heavily criticised for the high incidences of broken legs and dope violations in Middle Eastern endurance yards.
The comments were made during a round table discussion at the FEI sports forum in Lausanne on 2 May.

FEI endurance judge Jean-Louis Leclerc alleged that multiple horses suffer fractures on single yards per season and he asked what the FEI was doing to improve the situation.

The FEI’s Ian Williams said it is looking into causes and prevention of fractures in endurance “to ensure that the welfare of the horse is the central pillar [of the sport] in the future”.

The Animal Health Trust in Newmarket is also studying orthopaedic injury rates in endurance horses globally, which will play an important role in the FEI study, he said.

Top endurance vet Fred Barrelet labelled the high level of endurance medication violations from Arab nations investigated by the FEI as “disgraceful...”

Read more here:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/competitionnews/389/312583.html

In UAE, horses are big business as well as passion

Vancouverdesi.com - Full Article

Published on May 9, 2012 by DesiWireFeed
* Dubai growing as racing and trading hub

* Business recovers from 2009-2010 debt crisis

* Show jumping popular, not just endurance and flat racing

* Home-grown studs, other local businesses expand

* Money overcomes environmental obstacles

By Martin Dokoupil

DUBAI, May 9 (Reuters) — When an economic crisis in Uruguay strained the finances of Pio Olascoaga Amaya’s family farm, he found salvation halfway across the world: the horse racing industry of Dubai.

Olascoaga took one of his horses from Uruguay to try his luck in an endurance race in Spain. After the horse finished third, he was able to sell it to a trainer working for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler and an avid sponsor, owner and rider of horses.

That led to Olascoaga opening business ties with Dubai and 10 years later, at the age of 31, he helps run a family business selling Uruguayan-reared horses with Arabian blood to the United Arab Emirates. He acts as an agent for other farms in Uruguay as well as his own farm, which has 600 horses.

“If I sell a horse in Uruguay for let’s say $20,000 on average, here you can sell at a minimum $40,000,” he said. The margin makes it worth paying the $10,000 cost of transporting a horse by plane from Uruguay to Dubai, more than 17 hours away.

“Here in the UAE is the Formula One of horses. They need horses all the time, and from all around the world,” Olascoaga said after making a presentation to Saudi owners at an Arabian horse fair in Dubai...

http://vancouverdesi.com/sports/feature-in-uae-horses-are-big-business-as-well-as-passion/

Australia: Endurance Festival Named Event of the Year

KER.com

May 7, 2012

The Al Reef-RM Williams Endurance Festival, run by long-time KER clients and supporters Peter and Penny Toft, won the title of Event of the Year at Equestrian Australia's 2011 Sport Achievement Awards of Excellence this month. The Endurance Festival featured the FEI*** National Championships and was the largest endurance ride in Australia in 2011, attracting a record number of entries from multiple countries. In addition to this, the event was designated as a Tom Quilty Cup qualifier and doubled as a qualifier for the 2012 World Endurance Championships.

The Endurance Festival and competition was broadcast to a global audience though a live webcast. International officials were offered a unique opportunity to partake in the Australasian Endurance Forum held in conjunction with the festival and competition. Peter Huntington, B.V.Sc., KER's director of nutrition, presented the latest research in endurance horse nutrition during this forum, and KER nutritionist Clarissa Brown-Douglas, Ph.D., attended the festival and competition to provide on-the-spot nutrition advice for riders.

Bahrain: Al Hazza rallies to a fine victory

Gulf-daily-news.com

May 06, 2012

ISA Al Hazza was a surprise winner in the Season Ending Endurance Horse Ride Championship yesterday.

Some of Bahrain's elite riders competed in this 120-km night ride, which was held at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir. But it was the Royal Endurance Team who dominated the show, securing a 1-2 finish as they lived up to their top billings.

Riding Garibha, Al Hazza completed the five-stage ride on top in five hours, 21 minutes and 31 seconds and with a 22-km per hour average speed.

Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Royal Endurance Team captain, followed his teammate in second place on Warraba in 5:38:09 and with an average speed of 21-km per hour.

Sultan Salim Al Hadhrami, representing Al Asayel Stable, rounded off the podium by coming third on Sche in 5:49:40 and with a 20-km per hour average speed.

The Royal Endurance Team riders headed into the concluding event of the season as favourites.

Indeed they lived up to many expectations as team member Ahmed Abdulla led the 30-km first stage in 1:13:27.

Closely

He was closely followed by Mohammed Abdulsamad (1:17:19) of Al Khalidia Stable and Shaikh Nasser (1:18:00) in second and third places, respectively.

Shaikh Nasser then moved up to top spot at the end of the second stage, which was also over 30 kms in 1:18:31.

The Royal Endurance Team skipper completed the stage ahead of Shaikha Najla bint Salman Al Khalifa (1:19:07) of Ahmed Al Fateh Stable, who came second, while Al Hazza (1:19:26) was third.

In the 20-km third stage, Shaikh Nasser extended his lead to 54 minutes and four seconds, while Shaikha Najla (52:56) and Al Hazza (52:54) maintained second and third position, respectively.

Shaikh Nasser held on to his solid lead after finishing the fourth and penultimate stage, which also covered 20 kms in just 57:33 minutes.

Al Hazza (57:39) climbed into second place, followed by Shaikha Najla (1:01:48), who slipped to third

Shaikha Najla, however, was eliminated from the race after failing to pass the veterinary examination after the fourth stage.

Excitement mounted in the 20-km fifth and final stage as Al Hazza took over the lead from Shaikh Nasser in the final moments to capture the trophy.

The prize-presentation ceremony took place at the endurance village right after the race.

It was attended by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who honoured the top three riders.

Shaikh Khalid also presented certificates of recognition to members of the veterinary commission in appreciation of their efforts in making the event an all-round success.

Veterinarians from Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman were part of the organising committee. The commission has nine members, headed by president Dr Yassine Motemri of Tunisia.

Other members are Mohammed Al Hammad, Mohammed Al Daen, Kuldip Kuhad, Zahid Rafiq, Ebrahim Yousif, Sabah Al Kabie, Abu Obaidah Yacoob and Abdelrahman Abu Shook.

Great Britain: Golden Horseshoe incentive for Exmoor ponies

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

By Horsetalk.co.nz on May 06, 2012 in Just Briefly

A special prize is on offer for Exmoor ponies taking part in next weekend’s Golden Horseshoe Endurance Ride.

World-famous physiotherapist Mary Bromiley has offered a £100 prize to the first Exmoor pony and rider to complete 50 miles in one day.

Ride Organiser Barbara Wigley said it was hoped that there would be Exmoor ponies competing in the 80km advanced class for the first time this year.

“If no-one completes the course, the £100 prize will be carried over until next year,” she said...

Read more here:
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/05/06/golden-horseshoe-incentive-for-exmoor-ponies/

Great Britain: Rain no barrier to Golden Horseshoe endurance ride

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

By Horsetalk.co.nz on May 04, 2012 in Focus

Despite wet weather forcing the cancellation of many equestrian events in Britain this season, the country’s most famous endurance ride will go ahead as planned.

Organisers of this year’s Golden Horseshoe Ride have alternate routes planned should sections of the track become too wet.

The event, on Exmoor from May 13 to 15, has the usual combination of hills, moorland, firm tracks and river crossings.

“Despite the fact that we’ve had all this rain, the moor is actually in reasonable condition at the moment,” Ride Organiser Barbara Wigley said. “However, the going for the ride depends on what the weather throws at us over the next few days. Exmoor will never be too dry, but much more rain could cause problems in some areas.”

Like all endurance events, Golden Horseshoe always puts the horses’ welfare first...

Read more here:
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/05/04/rain-no-barrier-to-golden-horseshoe-endurance-ride/