US riders have their task cut out

By M. Satyanarayan, Staff Reporter

Dubai : Riders from the US are here on a mission. After having dominated the first seven World Endurance Championships, they have drawn a blank in the last two editions. However, the six-member strong US team have arrived to take on the world, particularly hosts UAE.
While team officials have already indicated their focus would be on the team honours, the individual US riders have been quietly working towards a good finish on Thursday


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WEC: The Stage is Set

Stage set for World Championship
The Gulf News
25 January 2005

DUBAI ? The 10th edition of the FEI World Endurance Championship will kick off with record field of 186 riders from 41 countries around the globe saddling their horses in the purpose-built state-of-the-art facility in the heart of the desert, off Dubai City on Thursday morning, it was announced yesterday.


General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence will lead the 12-man squad which will carry the hopes of the host country in the international extravaganza.

According to the organisers, it has not been yet decided who will be representing the country in the individual and teams competitions, and the issue will be worked out by the captain of the team General Shaiklh Mohammed and will be announced probably one day before the riders line up for the big test.

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EnduranceNet Coverage

WEC: Bahrian National Endurance Team

Endurance challenge for top riders
Gulf News

THE Bahrain national endurance horseride team, led by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, arrived in the UAE for the World Championship on Thursday starting at 5pm Bahrain time at the endurance village premises in Dubai.

The six-member Bahraini team qualified for this event after completing three races over 160 kms last year. The team will be hoping for victory in this one-day event over a distance of 160 kms with 186 riders representing 48 countries in the fray.

Shaikh Nasser qualified for the championship following his success at the Bahrain Endurance Championship, the New Market Race in the UK and Florac Race in France.

The remaining riders are Breef first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa of the Royal Endurance Team, Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Mubarak Al Khalifa of Al Talia Stable, Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa of Ahmed Al Fateh Stable and Royal Endurance Team's Hamad Al Maraisi and Yousef Taher.

Team manager Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa said a meeting will be held today for officials of the participating teams. The opening ceremony is also scheduled for today at 6pm Bahrain time while the riders' weigh-in will be held tomorrow at 7am Bahrain time.

EnduranceNet Coverage

WEC: Course Description Announced

The course at the Dubai Endurance City will be laid out in a sequence of 6 stages. The competitors will, at the end of each stage, present to a standard "Gate to Hold" for a mandatory rest and evaluation period. The competition clock will stop for each entrant when they pass through the In Time gate in to the hold area.

Riders must then present their equine for evaluation of metabolic and mechanical characteristics within 30 minutes. Following the presentation of the equine to the evaluations, the hold time begins. This time varies with each phase (gate), ranging from 30 minutes early in the competition, to 40 minutes in the later stages of the event.

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EnduranceNet Coverage

www.emiratesendurance.com

WEC: Australian Border Riders go for Gold

Border riders to go for gold at world event
The Border Mail 19Jan05
DI THOMAS

TWO Border endurance riders have arrived in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and are making final preparations before they take on the worlds best at the World Endurance Riding Championships next week.
Meg Wade, of Burrowye, and Kristie McGaffin, of Wodonga, are among a team of six Australians who will join riders from more than 40 other countries in the sports premier event.

McGaffin will celebrate her 21st birthday on the day of the race on January 27 and her twin sister Naomi has also flown to Dubai as a member of the Australian crew.
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[EnduranceNet Coverage]

WEC: British Endurance team settles well in Dubai

The riders and horses of the Senior World Endurance Championship British team are settling in well in Dubai after all but two flew out via Heathrow earlier this month, Beccy Broughton and Sarah Kellaway having been out there since late last year with their horses.

The team are staying in the purpose-built Endurance City, at the Bab Al Shams Hotel, designed and built in just thirteen months and only recently opened. The City, like Athens, has hundreds of men working 24/7 to finish the complex before the Championships, which take place on Thursday 27 January.

Rachael Claridge, Sarah Tyson, Katie Smith and Pam James stabled their horses overnight at the Chiltern Equine Clinic based in Chalfont St Giles, where the animals were examined by the team vet, Hugh Salmon, and equine osteopath Gavin Schofield, before going on to enjoy excellent hospitality at RAF Uxbridge the night before departure. All the horses travelled well during their seven hour flight, cared for by professional grooms supplied by Darley Transport.

Since arriving, both horses and riders have been working on fitness and acclimatisation, power-walking some 10-15km twice a day through the desert with riders also going swimming and using the hotel gym. Daily temperatures are between 20-25 degrees (C) with a few spots of rain and a deceptively dehydrating cool wind, so everyone is drinking plenty of water. Team officials Jo Chisholm and Hugh Salmon have also been working on their fitness for the big day.

The team riders have been able to experience vetting procedures under race ride conditions already as a 120km Nation Day Ride took place on Thursday (13 January). Sarah Kellaway had a young horse entered, ridden by Phil Hurst, and Beccy Broughton crewed for Anna Williams, daughter of FEI Head of Endurance & Reining, Ian.

For more information on how the team are progressing in Dubai, visit the Endurance GB website: www.endurancegb.co.uk and click on "Jo's Diary".


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USA: Fun In The Sun Endurance Festival

Fun In The Sun Endurance Festival (FITS) is slated for February 28 thru March 5 near Dunnellon, Florida. The ride will take place on the Goethe State Forest with the basecamp on private property next to the Goethe State Forest Headquarters at The Apex.

FITS offers a wide array of rides for the endurance rider. Each day will have either a 50 or 55 mile endurance ride and a 25 or 35 mile limited distance ride. In addition, there are two 3-day Pioneer rides being offered. To top that off, we are hosting three 2-day 100 FEI CEI*** rides (the 2-day 100 rides are not AERC sanctioned). Additional sanctioning for each day will come from SERA and SEDRA.

Riders coming to the Goethe State Forest to ride the Fun In The Sun Rides will be grateful to have such well-marked, scenic trails with nice footing. Basecamp is a large open field with primitive camping. It will open for the riders on February 24th.

Festivities will kick off with a Welcoming Party hosted by Gulf Coast 4 Star Trailer Sales at the Black Prong Equestrian Center. Riders will enjoy a driving demonstration first at 3:30 pm and will end with a Bar-B-Q being served around 4:30 pm.

The Kanavy Saddle Co is sponsoring the ride by offering a saddle to be raffled off to each day?s participants. That?s right, six saddles! Another sponsor is Southern States Feed who will be giving a horse nutrition talk on Thursday March 3rd along with a pizza party. Other sponsors include Equipads, Mobile Milling, Highermark, Animal Tacker, Tropical Rider, and Leather Therapy.

The ride?s web site is up and running at www.fitsenduranceride.com . Riders will find entry forms, schedules, trail descriptions, local information, and links to the sponsors.

Entries are due by February 14 at the request of management so we can get a head count. Entries can be mailed, emailed, or phoned in. Riders can pay when they get there. For more information contact:

Jan Stevens;
H.C. 71 Box 1203;
Ashland, MT 59003;
phone (406) 784-2469 or
email at circlebarranch@rangeweb.net .


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