Grand endurance opening lined up

By RAMI HULAYYEL

A SPECIAL programme has been arranged at the opening ceremony of the World Junior Endurance Championship to be held in Bahrain from December 15 to 18.

Organising committee deputy chairman and Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation second vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa said the opening ceremony will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit while the closing ceremony will take place at the Equestrian and Horseracing Club.

"We have prepared a number of surprises for the audience and officials at the opening ceremony in Sakhir at the Bahrain International Circuit such as a music show by the Interior Ministry's music band, fireworks and laser shows and other entertainment programmes," said Shaikh Khalid.

"We are delighted to organise this prestigious event with riders from 30 countries taking part in which is a record that has not been achieved by any other country hosting such a competition which adds more pressure on us as we are keen to make this event a big success," he said.

Shaikh Khalid said the committee started issuing accreditation cards for delegation members as well as VIPs who will be attending the four-day event, while a special booklet printed recently includes information on the championship and other technical issues. The booklet is in English and will be distributed to the delegations soon.

Meanwhile, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) bureau will have a meeting today on the sidelines of the championship to discuss the final preparations being made for hosting the event.

The FEI will also name the country which will be hosting the 2008 World Endurance Senior Championship with the UAE and Malaysia vying to host this event.

The meeting will be chaired by FEI president Infanta Dona Pillarde of Spain who arrived in Bahrain on Saturday night.

The FEI panel includes members from South Korea, Austria, UK, Sweden, South Africa, the US, Argentina, Venezuela, Norway, Dominican Republic, Australia, Brazil, Holland, Greece, Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, France and New Zealand.

A total of 140 riders from across the world, will be competing at this championship which will be over 120 kms divided into five stages.

The first two stages will be over 30 kms while the third stage will be over 25 kms. The fourth stage will be over 20 kms and the fifth and final stage will consist of 15 kms.

The Bahraini riders, who are looking forward to put up a good show in the championship, stepped up their preparations for this prestigious event. The team consist of 12 members, captained by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Breef first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Other Bahraini riders in the fray are Shaikha Najla bint Salman Al Khalifa, Mohammed Abdulsamad, Abdulaziz Adam, Salem Al Otaibi, Ahmed Hassan, Shaikh Saqer bin Khalid Al Khalifa, Maytham Ahmed, Ebrahim Al Jebouri, Mohammed Abdulaziz and Fahad Sulaiman.

Shaikh Khalid backs Bahrain

By RAMI HULAYYEL

BAHRAINI riders will be looking forward to give off their best in the World Junior Endurance Championship scheduled from December 15 to 18 at the Endurance Village in Sakhir, according to Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation acting president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Shaikh Khalid is among a 12-member Bahrain squad which will compete with 140 riders representing 30 countries from across the world in this prestigious event to be held over 120 kms and divided into five stages.

Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is presently abroad to complete his studies, will lead the team which include Shaikha Najla bint Salman Al Khalifa, Mohammed Abdulsamad, Abdulaziz Adam, Salem Al Otaibi, Ahmed Hassan, Shaikh Saqer bin Khalid Al Khalifa, Maytham Ahmed, Ebrahim Al Jebouri, Mohammed Abdulaziz and Fahad Sulaiman.

They were selected from among 24 riders according to their performance and results in previous races.

"We have a great trust in the organising committee's ability to excel and do an impeccable job that meets the satisfaction of the world equestrian federation," said Shaikh Khalid who is also captain of Al Khaldiya Stable.

Facilities

"The Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation has provided top class facilities to the visiting delegations to gain their admiration and make sure everything is going on as planned," he said.

Shaikh Khalid praised the continuous support of His Majesty King Hamad to the equestrian sports in general and specifically endurance races which has contributed to development of this sport in the region.

"I am very pleased to be representing Bahrain in this world championship," said Bahraini rider Abdulaziz.

"For me, this event will be a completely different experience. The whole world will have their eyes on us and riding with some of the best riders in the world is quite a dream for any rider," he young rider said.

"We have been training very hard in recent weeks and my teammates are keen to accomplish a good result in the championship," added Abdulaziz.

Shaikha Najla also said she was proud to be in the Bahraini team.

"We all know how tough this championship will be, but on the other hand we also have reached the top of our form as we have been training so hard for weeks together here at the endurance village," she said.

She said that hosting this event will be a major boost for Bahrain which has become one of the leading countries in hosting world championships.

"I am so excited about this event. It is my first international appearance and it's going to be a new challenge for me," said Fahad.

"The team will definitely gain more experience from this championship," he said.

Ahmed was also delighted to have been selected. "It is an honour for me to represent the Kingdom at such an event. That only adds more responsibilities on us to give off our best performance," he said.

"The world championships are already tough as the best riders from around the globe are taking part, but we have prepared well too," said Ahmed.

Illinois Junior travels to Bahrain

Daily Features
Endurance racing
By Jane Lethlean

Photo by jane lethlean / the journal-standard Ashlee Van Raalte of Scales Mound poses with one of the Arabian horses she trains with on a farm near Schapville. Van Raalte will represent the United States at the 2005 FEI World Endurance Championship on Dec. 17 in Bahrain.



The Journal-Standard

Ashlee Van Raalte of Scales Mound isn't exactly sure when she first fell in love with horses, but she thinks she had to have been around 3-years-old.

When she was 10, she wanted a horse of her own so badly that she had her mother sell all of her Beanie Babies collection. It was then that her parents, Stewart and Julie Van Raalte, and her trainers knew she was serious about riding horses.

?I have loved horses for as long I can remember,? Van Raalte said. ?It makes me feel good to ride. I just had to have my own horse when I was young and it was my choice to sell my Beanie Babies.?

The 18-year-old, who attends Highland Community College in Freeport as a full-time student, is getting ready for an international horse race in Bahrain on Dec. 17. Van Raalte will be the only rider from the United States competing for the title at the 2005 Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Endurance Championships for Juniors and Young Riders.

Van Raalte's trainers - Grace Ramsey and Jan Worthington of Scales Mound - will be with her throughout the trip. They know she is ready for this race.

Van Raalte - whom Ramsey calls ?Smash? - will do well, because she has already done well in this race and she knows the horse.

?This is a great opportunity for Smash,? Ramesy said. ?It is a lifetime deal and I know she will do a good job. She will be a good representative for the United States and she has been working towards this for the past 10 years.?

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This championship will be the largest of its kind to date and is expected to host more than 150 entries from a record 33 participating countries.

Van Raalte will compete on the 75-mile course, riding an Arabian named Saif Al Arab, a horse owned by her friend Sheikha Madiya Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates.

Van Raalte had to meet the criteria necessary to compete in the race, which means that she had to have competed and finished well in at least three endurance horse races in the past year. She also had to get permission from the United States Equestrian Federation, which is the governing body for American equestrian races.

?I got the invitation to compete in this race from my friend Madiya,? Van Raalte said. ?I will leave home on Dec. 11 to help Madiya compete in a race two days later. I plan to crew for her race and then she will crew for me on my race.?

?I found out in August that I was going to be able to compete in this race,? Van Raalte said. ?I was very excited, but it is stressful to compete at this level. It is a mental challenge.?

The horse she will be riding is one that she knows. The horse came from the farm near Schapville where Van Raalte trains.

?I know this horse,? Van Raalte said. ?I used to ride him at the farm before Grace sold him to Madiya. He was my favorite horse when he was here at the farm. I will have a few days to work with him before I have to compete in the race.?

Endurance racing is a ?team effort? and is a test of the horse's condition, stamina and the rider's intelligence. The grueling test takes horse and rider long distances - 50 to 100 miles - over varied terrain.

Because of the rigor of the race, which is based on speed, it is done under veterinary supervision. It takes a ?pit crew? to compete in this kind of racing and for the race that Van Raalte plans to run, she will be accompanied by her trainers and her friend.

?It's like one big family when I go to endurance races,? Van Raalte said. ?Jan is with me all the time on the trails. She and Grace are my extended family. I wouldn't have what I have if it weren't for them.?

During the race, which will have four checks to examine the horse. The horse will be checked for any soreness or change in attitude, pulse, respiration and other physical factors. Failure to meet any of these criteria for racing can stop a horse from completing the course.

?I like the challenge of endurance racing,? Van Raalte said. ?It is not easy and out on the course it is just me and my horse. My goal at any race is just to finish, but I will not kid you, I always want to win.?

Van Raalte has a few regional titles under her belt and she has also won reserve championships in other endurance races. She said she likes endurance racing because it allows her not only to be able to ride a horse, which she loves most, but also to see some beautiful country on the courses.

This particular race will take her through the desert and along some beaches. The 75-mile course must be completed within 10 hours and Van Raalte and her trainers know she is up to the challenge.

What does Van Raalte get if she wins the race?

?This is a sport that takes a lot of money,? she said. ?It's not about prizes, it's about personal best between me and the horse.

For the next couple of weeks, it will be her studies at HCC that Van Raalte will concentrate on. She will be able to take her semester exams early.

?After I finish my last exam, I will start thinking about the race,? Van Raalte said. ?I want to do well and am hoping for the top 10, but as long as I finish I'll be happy.?

Lexington wins the World Equestrian Games

By Maryjean Wall

HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

The World Equestrian Games, an international event expected to draw up to 300,000 people over two weeks, will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2010.

The Federation Equestre Internationale, meeting in Bahrain, picked the Horse Park over the only other finalist, the Normandy region of France, the Herald-Leader learned from French newspaper, Ouest France. Associated Press confirmed the news minutes later.

A team of five Kentuckians flew to Bahrain over the weekend to make their final presentation today to the FEI. The team was led by John Nicholson, Horse Park executive director, and John Long, CEO of the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc.

This will mark the first time the games have been held outside Europe. The expected crowd will result in the largest attendance ever at a sporting event in Kentucky.

?This is a tremendous example of what Kentucky can achieve when the public, private and government sectors work together,? said Keeneland President Nick Nicholson. ?Many people, including my brother John Nicholson of the Horse Park and John Long of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, put a lot of effort into seeing this dream become a reality."

The world games include seven equestrian sports: show jumping, dressage, three-day eventing, driving, endurance, vaulting, and reining. The 2006 games are schedule Aug. 22 to Sept. 3 in Aachen, Germany.

Watch kentucky.com today for further developments and get complete analysis and coverage in Wednesday's Herald-Leader.
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12-member Bahrain team for endurance challenge

BAHRAIN announced a 12-member national team for the World Endurance Championship for Juniors scheduled from December 15 to 18 at the Endurance Village in Sakhir.

The team is captained by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and includes Breef first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Shaikha Najla bint Salman Al Khalifa, Mohammed Abdulsamad, Abdulaziz Adam, Salem Al Otaibi, Ahmed Hassan, Shaikh Saqer bin Khalid Al Khalifa, Maytham Ahmed, Ebrahim Al Jebouri, Mohammed Abdulaziz and Fahad Sulaiman.

They were selected from among 24 riders according to their performance and results in previous races.

Shaikh Nasser praised the efforts of the organising committee, headed by General Organisation for Youth and Sports president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa to ensure the success of this event which coincides with the Kingdom's National Day celebrations and His Majesty King Hamad's accession to the throne.

Shaikh Nasser also welcomed the teams which arrived for the championship and said the event will be very competitive having the top junior riders from around the globe in the fray.

He said in Bahrain the sport has become popular and many young enthusiasts are taking part in the national championships which is a good sign as it will bring new talents to represent the Kingdom in regional and international events.

Shaikh Nasser extended his appreciation to His Majesty for his continuous support to all Bahraini team members as well as to other sports.

Meanwhile, a total of 140 riders, representing 30 countries, will be competing at this championship which will be over 120 kms and divided into five stages. The first two stages will be over 30km, 25km for the third, 20km for the fourth and 15km for the fifth.

Each country is allowed a maximum of six riders for the race to be held on December 17.

Among regional delegations which arrived yesterday included Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The Jordanian delegation consists of Tareq Rabea, Yara Aslan, Shakeeb Qabbani, Hanna Bhouti and Ali Abu Rabea while the Qatari team includes Sa'ad Al Kuwari, Hamad Al Mirri, Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Shaikh Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Thani, Abdulla Al Mirri and Khalid Al Attiya.

Mohammed Al Dekheel, Abdulaziz bin Amer, Abdulaziz Ebrahim, Ali Al Hashim, Bander bin Mahfood and Humood Al Shimmiri will be riding for Saudi Arabia while Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum will be leading the UAE team which is one of the favourites for the championship.

Other team members are Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Shaikh Khalid bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Shaikh Juma'a bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Shaikh Abdulla bin Faisal Al Qassimi and Rashid Saeed.

The horses also arrived in Bahrain via Holland on private jets. On arrival, the horses were moved to the quarantines section after special procedures arranged by the technical committee.

Most of the teams have fielded six riders for the championship while the US and Malaysia will be represented by only one rider each.

Top endurance chief in Bahrain

By RAMI HULAYYEL

INTERNATIONAL Equestrian Federation (FEI) president Infanta Dona Pillarde of Spain arrived in Bahrain last night to chair the FEI bureau meetings to be held on the sidelines of the World Junior Endurance Championship. This prestigious event will be held at the Endurance Village in Sakhir from December 15 to 18.

Pillarde was received by General Organisation for Youth and Sports president and organising committee chairman Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) second vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, championship director Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa were also present to welcome Pillarde.

Pillarde said she was delighted to be in Bahrain and confident of Bahrain's ability to host such a big event. Pillarde added that Bahrain was one of the leading nations in hosting international endurance sevents and thanked the organisers for their efforts.

The FEI will hold its first meeting tomorrow to discuss the final preparations being made for hosting the event.

The FEI panel includes members from South Korea, Austria, UK, Sweden, South Africa, the US, Argentina, Venezuela, Norway, Dominican Republic, Australia, Brazil, Holland, Greece, Belgium, Switzerland, Ireland, France and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, officials and riders from Brazil and Botswana arrived yesterday and were welcomed on arrival by a special public relations team, headed by Yousef Bubsheit.

The technical committee members held a training course for security guards at the Endurance Village in Sakhir.

The guards, representing the National Guard, were given directives by the committee to follow the FEI rules and regulations.

A total of 140 riders, representing 30 countries from across the world, will be competing at this championship which will be over 120 kms divided into five stages.

The first two stages will be over 30 kms while the third stage will be over 25 kms. The fourth stage will be over 20 kms and the fifth and final stage will consist of 15 kms.

Teams arrive for endurance test

TOP nations began to arrive in Bahrain for the World Junior Endurance Championships to be held at the Endurance Village in Sakhir from December 15 to 18.

Riders from Australia, Namibia and Hungary were the first to arrive in Bahrain for this prestigious event to be held in Bahrain for the first time.

A 14-member Australian delegation consists of five riders and nine crew members.

Namibia's delegation also arrived yesterday with a total of 10 members, including six riders. Hungary landed on Tuesday and will be represented by two riders.

Technical committee co-ordinator Dr Abbas Al Haiki said participating horses had also started to arrive yesterday. The last batch of horses are expected to arrive by tomorrow.

Al Haiki is co-ordinating between the Bahrain Royal Equestrian Federation (Breef) and the Bahrain International Airport for the smooth transport of the horses to the Endurance Village.

"On arrival in Bahrain all horses will be loaded into specially designed boxes before beginning a 50-minute drive to Sakhir," said Al Haiki.

Al Haiki said the organising committee will also be providing shuttle bus service between the hotel and the venue of the championship and vice versa for all participating riders and officials. "The committee will also provide one four-wheel drive vehicle to each delegation on the day of the event," he said.

Dr Canabo Milo of the Royal Court and International Equestrian Federation's representative Dr Marcello Cante are the doctors in charge of the championship.

Meanwhile, a delegation of top specialists arrived in Bahrain to follow up the arrangements being made at the stables in Sakhir.

"The stables are now ready to receive the horses arriving from across the world," said Al Zo'bi.

"This tournament is a big challenge for us and other committees. We are working hard and giving off our best to gain the respect of overseas participants and officials."