Riders endure much for the love of horses

The Oregonian
03/21/04
WALLY BENSON

It's a vacation most of us probably have never imagined taking.
An hour south of Nampa, Idaho, in late October. Far from warm beaches -- or warm anything, for that matter. Milling about in a small city of pickups, horse trailers, horses and dogs, with water hoses that freeze overnight and outhouses that don't have roofs.

Really.

This was a gathering of people who love horses -- and of people who love those people. This was a world where riding a horse 25 or even 30 miles is considered 'limited distance.' "

[More ... ]

Argentina: Relaxed Anticipation

2004 Pinamar CEI***/2005 PanAm Pre-Ride

By Steph Teeter



Beatiful morning! Coffee and toast at the hotel then off to the stable which will be full of activity today.

Lots of rain yesterday, poured and poured for a couple hours, then cleared up, the course should be perfect, the rain will settle the sand and make it easer for the horses.

Yesterday we moved the horses to the official stable at the Hipocampo. Did registration stuff, looked around, checked horses, visited the other barns, then it began really really raining - like the downpours in Virginia - warm rain though.

[More ...]

---

Pinamar Argentina 2004: Life on the Pampas

We returned to Miguel and Celina's estancia Sunday last afternoon. I had spent the morning working on photos and checking my email at one of the Internet Cafes in Pinamar. Miguel picked me up at the hotel and we took a small tour of Pinamar, a very charming beach resort town, and he showed me the various hotels and villas that were available so I could report back to the USET folks in case they sent staff and riders to the Pan Americans next year.
We coincidentally met a friend of Miguel's - Alina (Lola) Gonzales Vidal (a trainer and rider who has been working in the Emirates) and Jason Kirk, the Australian trainer at the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club. Jason was in Argentina looking at endurance horses, and after talking with Alina and Miguel he decided to come the next day to Miguel's to look at his horses. Argentinean horses are becoming well known now in the Emirates, horses bred and sold by Los Estribos (Elena Romero Onata) recently placed 1st and 5th at the Presidents Cup, and 1st at another recent Emirates race - so Argentina is the new 'hot spot' for endurance horses. There are many buyers coming to look for both younger horses (5, 6 yrs) and horses that have competed well,"

[More ...]

Bahrain: 18Mar Endurance Championship

Gulf News: Bahrain Endurance race set


Shaikh Nasser during a practice session TEAMS resumed practice yesterday for their participation in His Majesty King Hamad's Endurance Horseride Championship which will be held on Thursday at the endurance village premises.

The Royal Team, which is captained by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, underwent extensive training sessions at the venue in preparation for the prestigious event.

Members of Al Khaldiya team, under the umbrella of the Royal Team, also had their practice session under their leader Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is the federation's first vice-president.
The event, which is the final round of the first Bahrain Endurance Challenge, will be run over a distance of 120km and divided into five stages. "

[More...]

Argentina: PanAm Pre-Ride

Argentina Arabian Horse Society Endurance Ride
Steph Teeter - 13 March 2004
Pinamar, B.A. Argentina


Today I rode a 45 km Endurance ride in Argentina!!
For this week and next, I am the guest of Miguel Pavlovksy. Miguel is a medical doctor, a hematologist, in Buenos Aires. He and his wife Celina own and operate a large estancia in the pampas, south of Buenos Aires. The estancia produces agricultural products (corn, soy, sunflower), cattle and sheep, and is most famous for its Arabian horse breeding program.

Haras San Andres del Moro is the home of truly exceptional performance (track, driving and endurance) Arabian and Arabian cross horses. With over 30 mares and several foundation stallions, the Haras is very productive. The ‘Moro’ horses are beautiful, with size and substance. One of the foundation stallions ‘Fugativo’ who has sired most of the ‘Moro’ endurance horses has also performed well in dressage, jumping and driving. His strength and versatility are typical of his offspring as well, with good minds and a very willing work ethic.

[More ...]

Al Wathba takes Emirates Endurance Championship

Hammadi takes tally to seven
By Amith Passela

12 March 2004

ABU DHABI - The Al Wathba juggernaut took their Emirates endurance championship tally to seven by claiming yesterday's Emirates Challenge trophy at the Emirates International Endurance Village.

Hassan Yousef Abdulla Al Hammadi won the truncated CEI Two-Star ride on Ro-Fabiola from stable-mate Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri riding Parlour Mountain Anzac after Al Reef Stables Matar Ali Al Hammadi's 13-year-old Arabian gelding, Mylex Cherokee, was eliminated for lameness after crossing the finish line first.
The 130km race was reduced to 110km in the middle of the second loop because of the rising hot weather condition."

[More ...]

La Baule

Un nouveau tracé pour la course d'endurance
Pour la 2e année, La Baule fait se côtoyer les
champions de deux disciplines équestres : le
saut d'obstacles et l'endurance - la version
équestre du marathon - :163 kilomètres en
une seule journée, à une vitesse moyenne
estimée de 18 km/heure pour les meilleurs, en
six étapes et cinq contrôles vétérinaires et
haltes de repos obligatoires, tel est le menu du
2e Concours d'Endurance International Officiel
de France, disputé le samedi 8 mai.
Le départ des 160 kilomètres se fera dès 8h30
sur la plage de La Baule, à marée
descendante, à la hauteur de l'hôtel Hermitage
Barrière. Soixante concurrents, soit le double
de la 1ère édition, sont attendus pour le premier
CEIO de la saison 2004. Une préparation
incontournable en vue des championnats du
monde de janvier prochain à Dubaï.
Les 1er et 3e "vet-gate", à Herbignac, se feront
comme l'an passé, au pied des somptueuses
ruines du château médiéval de Ranrouët.
Penestin accueillera concurrents et suiveurs à
l'heure de la halte déjeuner en bord de mer,
non loin des Falaises de la Mine d'or. La fin de
journée se déplacera vers Guérande où le PC
course sera installé au pied des remparts de
cette vieille ville pleine de charme. Enfin,
retour pour l'arrivée sur la plage de La Baule
aux alentours de 20 heures, à peine la marée
redescendue pour les plus rapides. Les plus
lents passeront la ligne d'arrivée à la lueur des
lampes de mineur fixées sur leur casque,
jusqu'à minuit...
L'équipe de France championne d'Europe en
titre (2003), et gagnante par équipe l'an
dernier, devrait retrouver ses concurrents les
plus coriaces, les cavaliers des Emirats
Arabes Unis, qui avaient trusté les places de
premier et troisième en individuel.


[More ...]