WEC: USA - Hayes withdraws from Competition

Horsewoman pulls out of endurance race in Dubai
By DARYL GADBOW of the Missoulian

Ovando rancher Suzanne Hayes and her horse Quincy have had to withdraw from the United States equestrian team preparing for the World Endurance Championship race in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 27.

Hayes and Quincy, whose official name is Tezero's Gold, went into training with the U.S. team in Florida ranked among the squad's top six horse/rider teams that qualify for the world championships. But Quincy had developed some lameness while training there.

"As I suspected some weeks ago, around the first of January," Hayes wrote Wednesday in an e-mail to the Missoulian, "Quincy was just not improving to the point that I was happy and comfortable with, so I withdrew him from the traveling team consideration. This horse was an amazing animal, and while he had worked his way to very near the top of all the horses selected, I did not want to take up a spot on the USA team, and not feel that we could contribute in a big way."
It was an extremely emotional decision for her and the team, Hayes said.

"Every single member of the USA team and staff had tears in their eyes and disappointment on their faces," she said.

But Hayes' hard work and perseverance paid off when the team members named her team captain during the world championships.
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WEC: UAE Riders Announced

UAE team for World Endurance Championships
10 January 2005

DUBAI - General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, will lead a formidable team of riders that will represent UAE at the World Endurance Championship, which will be held here on January 27.

No horse names accompanied the announcement.

The 11 members of the UAE team are:

Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Shaikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Shaikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Shaikh Hazza bin Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Shaikh Khalid bin Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Sultan bin Sulayem
Ali Al Muhairi.

EnduranceNet Coverage

WEC: USA Press Release

Nine Horse and Rider Teams to Travel to the UAE for World Endurance Championship and President?s Cup



Lexington, KY?The nine horse and rider teams representing the United States for the World Endurance Championship (United Arab Emirates, January 27) and President?s Cup (UAE, February 17) have officially been named. They appear below in alphabetical order by rider:

Carol Giles of Prineville, OR and SR Tiki Stranger
Beverly Gray of Park City, UT and Regalidon
Becky Harris of Medina, OH and Ga Tyfa Mynte
Carolyn Hock of Riverside, CA and GT Sando
Michele Roush, DVM, of North San Juan, CA and PR Tallymark
Meg Sleeper, VMD, of Frenchtown, NJ and Shyrocco Troilus
Joyce Sousa of Hydesville, CA and LV Integrity
Dennis Summers of Gifford, WA and Ebony Rose
Sue Summers of Gifford, WA and Raymond Blur

The four teams and two individuals who will represent the United States in the World Endurance Championship will be named just prior to the start of the ride. The other three horse and rider combinations will compete in the President?s Cup next month. The remaining national team members will travel to the UAE with the squad and will act as support crew for their teammates during the ride.


For more information, please contact Sarah Lane, Public Relations Manger, by phone at (859) 225-6974, or via e-mail at slane@usef.org. USEF press releases are available on our website, www.usef.org.

EnduranceNet Coverage

WEC: FEI World Endurance Championship

FEI Press Release
05/01/2005

HE Sh Rashid Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum

A record number of 185 riders from 44 nations have announced their participation at the FEI World Endurance Championship, to be held on 27 January 2005 in Dubai. The Definite Entries List will be available from the FEI website endurance section by the end of the week (section what's up).

For more information and accreditation, please contact the Organising Committee :
Emirates International Endurance Racing (EIER)
P.O. Box 50333
Level 26
Emirates Towers
Shk Zayed Road
Dubai

Tél: 0097 1 433 00 800
Fax: 0097 1 43 00 070

Sue Sidebottom: sue@emiratesendurance.com
General: info@emiratesendurance.com

[EnduranceNet Coverage]

WEC: Arrivals Begin in UAE

Mohammed to lead strong UAE challenge
Khaleej Times
9 January 2005

DUBAI - General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, will lead a formidable field of riders in the Federation Equestre Internationale World Endurance Championships to be held at the Dubai Endurance Village from January 26-29.

The event forms part of the Dubai Shopping Festival 2005 calendar of events. With a record number of horses from 41 nations participating this year, the UAE will be hosting the event for the second time. The ride, which is a sure test of strength and stamina through long and ardous terrain, is hopefully to be added as a discipline to the Olympic Games.

The horses were all due to start arriving in Dubai from yesterday allowing them time to acclimatize ahead of the competition.

The first endurance event, which was held in 1998 with participants from 37 countries, was shaped into a mega racing affair thanks to the keen initiative and directives of the late president, Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who was behind the development of the sport in the country. Subsequently the event went on to be recorded as the biggest of its kind in the Guinness Book of Records.

With the championship planned to be one of the highest international standards and approved by FEI, the UAE office of Emirates International Endurance Racing (EIER), is sparing no efforts in organising this mammoth event. As all preparations are done under the supervision of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the event acts as another harbinger of world-class sports and business in the UAE.

Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum is the current holder of the World Endurance Champion title he won in 2002 in Spain.

Each participating country can enter a team of four or three in the teams competition and can also compete as individuals. The Dubai Endurance Village, the Organising Committee and the FEI now look forward to welcoming the expected 800 riders, crew members, team vets, team doctors, horse owners and officials who will participte in what is likely to be the biggest Equestrian World Championship ever.

The Dubai Shopping Festival 2005 runs between January 12 and February 12.

[EnduranceNet Coverage.]

FEI WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP - Update

FEI WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP
DUBAI (UAE), 27 JANUARY

A record number of 185 riders from 44 nations have announced their
participation at the FEI World Endurance Championship, to be held on 27
January 2005 in Dubai.

The Definite Entries List will be available from the FEI website endurance
section by the end of the week (section what's up).

For more information and accreditation, please contact the Organising
Committee :
Emirates International Endurance Racing (EIER)
P.O. Box 50333
Level 26
Emirates Towers
Shk Zayed Road
Dubai

Tél: 0097 1 433 00 800
Fax: 0097 1 43 00 070

Sue Sidebottom: sue@emiratesendurance.com
General: info@emiratesendurance.com

Great Britain: Endurance Riders Strain at the Leash

It may be ?off-season? in Great Britain but for some endurance riders it?s all go in the lead up to three major championships in 2005.

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