US: Wild West tests riders' endurance

Skillman Campground will be the site of the sixth annual Wild West Endurance Ride through the Tahoe National Forest this weekend.

One hundred riders are expected to saddle up for 30- and 50-mile loop journeys out of the campground Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

"We started this because we wanted to share endurance riding, at all levels, in the beautiful trails up in the Tahoe National Forest," said Melissa Ribley, co-manager of Wild West Ride
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Mohammed?s horse claims award

23 May 2005


QUEENSLAND ? An Australian based endurance horse owned by General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, scooped the coveted award for Best Condition in the 160-km 3-Star FEI ride at Gatton in Queensland recently.


His eight-year old Arabian gelding, Jordanvale Red Cloud, ridden by Kristie McGaffin, a member of the Australian slver medal team, narrowly missed winning the ride by a mere nose.

The crews and spectators saw two riders emerge out of the darkness holding hands as they rode the last few metres. In true racing fashion the grey mare China Doll stuck her nose out as she crossed the finish line to claim first place for her rider and owner Meg Wade.


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Malaysia:Shaikh Hazza is the favourite

MUSTAPHA KAMARUDDIN
May 20


WORLD champion Shaikh Hazza Sultan Al Nahyan of the United Arabs Emirate will start as favourite in the main 160km event tomorrow at the ar-Raudhah Equine Centre in Kuang.

Shaikh Hazza is one of the six riders from UAE who is participating in this gruelling event.

The others are his brother Shaikh Khaled, Majed Ali Al Kayoumi, Musaid Mohammed Al Mahrami, Tayef Ateeq Sabt Al Falahi and Khamis Ateeq Al Romaithi.
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EnduranceNet Coverage

Mule stuns horse crowd

Taj Mahal easily stands out among his competition.

And it's not just because he hasn't been out of the top 10 in his three years of 50-55 mile endurance races.

The 17-hand, 8-year-old thoroughbred mule is a rarity among a field dominated by Arabians.

"Some of the other riders are not happy with me, especially the Arabian people," says Taj's owner Doris Roesch, who has eight of her own Arabians.

At one race, Roesch stuck with a group of riders near the front and could tell that one woman in particular was extremely annoyed. As the woman's horse tired, Taj Mahal passed her. When they got to the watering hole, the other rider came up from the behind, screaming, "Get that mule out of the water tank! My horse won't drink with him in there!"

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Intercontintal Newsletter 01_05

?GOLDEN? Decisions ?. (?)

January 2005

On Thursday, January 27, HH Sheik Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nayan (UAE) won the FEI Endurance World Championship 2005, 160 km in Dubai. He was riding Hachim, FEI Passport No ESP 02734.

The MCP (Medication Control Programme) Team selected Hachim for sampling as well as 9 other horses participating in the championship.

Friday, January 28: Gulfnews praised Sheik Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nayan?s ?golden decision? to switch horses shortly before the championship. He was supposed to ride Shahdon, formerly ridden by two-time world champion Valerie Kanavy. Instead he opted for Hachim, the horse he rode to victory in Bahrain. The championship was ? according to Gulfnews and Khaleej Times ? the first-ever 160 km ride for Hachim.

Saturday, January 29: About 15 minutes before the official prize giving ceremony, held at Lisaili Fort off the Dubai-Al Ain highway, the French Team was informed that 2nd placed Barbara Lissarague/ Georgat will be declared the individual winner of the FEI World Endurance Championship instead of Sheik Hazza, because traces of performance enhancing drugs seem to have been found in the sampling of his horse Hachim.

Sheik Hazza, who was present for the closing ceremony, left midway after being informed about this decision (according to gulfnews).

Barbara Lissarague/ Georgat (FRA) was then awarded the gold medal and declared world champion.

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INTERNATIONAL LINE UP AT EDARAN ENDURANCE CLASSIC 2005

Reigning World Endurance Champion, Shaikh Hazza of UAE To Compete at ar-Rauhdah Equine Centre

They will come from as far as the United Arabs Emirates, the USA, Australia and Brunei to ar-Raudhah Equine Centre in Kuang, Selangor to pit their skills and strategies in the grueling CEIO 3* 16o km Ride of the Edaran Endurance Classic 2005, come Saturday, 21 May.

The UAE team with the largest representation of 7 riders will include the World Endurance Championship reigning champion, Sheikh Hazza Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his brother Sheikh Khaled Bin Sultan Al Nahyan

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Edaran Endurance Classic 2005

Kuala Lumpur, 3 May 2005

Edaran Endurance Classic 2005

Edaran Digital Systems Berhad To Hold Third Endurance Classic Event at
ar-Raudhah Equine Centre, Kuang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Following two successful endurance events held in 2003 and 2004, Edaran Digital Systems Berhad (EDARAN), a Company involved in Systems Integration and Smart Technology Solutions in Malaysia, has scheduled the third endurance competition, Edaran Endurance Classic 2005 in May this year. Last year?s Edaran Endurance Classic had edged up a notch when it achieved FEI-CEI** certification for its 120Km Ride, a commendable achievement after just one competition event at ar-Raudhah in 2003. This year, the Edaran Endurance Classic 2005 will further step up the challenge for participants with a full 160KM ride as the main competition event. A second competition event is set at the 85Km distance and a third at a 40Km distance. A non-competitive event for Young Riders is set at a 15Km distance.

Edaran Endurance Classic 2005, as with the first two Endurance Classic events, will be held at the tranquil and picturesque setting of ar-Raudhah Equine Centre in Kuang, Selangor, just 40 minutes north of Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia.

ar-Raudhah Equine Centre and its surrounding region offer challenging but interesting trails through secondary jungles, lush wooded areas, gently undulating to hilly terrain, oil palm plantations, rubber estates and village settlements as well as pockets of water crossings. Malaysia?s endurance landscape which generally reflects Malaysia?s out-of-city topography, contrasts well with the desert landscape of the Middle East countries or rugged outbacks of Australia where endurance riding, in the two countries have become a sophisticated and well developed sport.

For the first time, Edaran Endurance Classic has opened the competition to international participants with the aim of creating greater international awareness of Malaysia as an endurance riding venue as well as to further elevate the status of the sport in Malaysia. The Edaran Endurance Classic 2005 anticipates Riders from United States of America, United Arab Emirates, Australia and Germany. From within the country, at least 100 participants including the HRH (Duli Yang Maha Mulia) Al-Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu, an avid and keen endurance rider, are expected to take part in this year?s competition.

The Edaran Endurance Classic 2005 will stretch over three days from 20 May till 22 May, starting with veterinary checks of the horses and technical briefing to participants on Friday, 20 May.

Organising Chairman, Dato? Hj Abdul Hamid Mustapha:

?Endurance riding is a relatively under-exposed equestrian sport in Malaysia. Compared to the more visible and popularly promoted equine sports of Polo, Dressage and Show Jumping, endurance riding has yet to gain awareness among our younger Malaysians. Edaran Endurance Classic was initiated with the aim of promoting and developing the sport to a level where it can bring tangible benefits to the country and to our potential endurance sportsmen and women,? said Dato? Haji Abdul Hamid Mustapha, a Director of Edaran Digital Systems Berhad (EDARAN) and Organising Chairman of the Event.

Recognising the sport?s potential we have, with the support and help of Equestrian Association of Malaysia, introduced for the first time, an event for Young Riders. The Young Riders? 15Km Ride will serve to encourage endurance enthusiasts to pick up the sport early and grow with it. Endurance riding is one equestrian sport that holds tremendous potential for Malaysia. We believe it is one sport in which Malaysians can excel in, given that we have ideal sites and venues for training in the sport. Apart from that, we also believe that endurance riding can contribute significantly to sports tourism,? added Dato? Hamid Mustapha.

The Edaran Endurance Classic 2005 is organized with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia. Other supporting organizations include Equestrian Association of Malaysia, Malaysian Endurance Riding Society, Majlis Ekuin Malaysia, TV3 as official broadcaster, Skuadron Istiadat Berkuda, ATM, Unit Berkuda Polis Diraja Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia Fakulti Veterinar, Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat , Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur and Carisbrook as Official Apparel.