120 Entries received for today?s Endurance Race

By A Correspondent

8 December 2005


DUBAI ? A total of 120 horses have been entered for the first Endurance race of the 2005 ? 2006 season, sponsored by Dubai Waterfront, to be held today at the Dubai International Endurance City.

Today?s Dubai International Endurance City Ride is over 120 km organised by the Dubai Equestrian Club with a start time of 6am.

Riders from 13 separate nations will be competing today, including Her Royal Highness Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Minister of Defence. Princess Haya, who is President of the Dubai Equestrian Club, will be riding the Ismail Mohammed-trained Rabdaan.

Also competing in the race will be Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum who is the current FEI Open European Champion following his success in Compiegne, France.

Nakheel, the UAE?s premier property developer, is a key player in realising the vision of Dubai for the 21st century: creating a world class destination for business and tourism.

With 14 major developments and US$30 billion of real estate projects, Nakheel?s portfolio includes the spectacular Ibn Battuta Mall and the iconic and internationally acclaimed waterfront developments The Palms, The World, and Dubai Waterfront ? the largest waterfront development in the world.

Saeed H. Al Tayer, Vice-President of the Dubai Equestrian Club, said: ?We welcome Dubai Waterfront as partners in the 2005 ? 2006 Dubai Endurance season.

?We thank them for their support of the first race of the new season and we hope that equestrian fans from around the UAE will take this opportunity to come and watch the race.?

Spectators are encouraged to attend each of the races and watch from the vantage points at the Dubai International Endurance City, where there are excellent facilities, free admission and free car parking.

All spectators are entitled to enter prize draw with the opportunity to win AED15,000 first prize, second prize is AED10,000, a third prize of AED5,000 and 20 other prizes of AED1,000 each. The prize draw is free to enter and each spectator will be given one prize draw ticket.
The Dubai International Endurance City is easy to get to, from the Dubai Autodrome roundabout on the Emirates Road, follow the signs to the Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa and the venue is located beside the hotel.

Britain's riders eye podium slot

By RAMI HULAYYEL

BRITAIN have fielded a strong six-member squad for the Gulf Energy World Junior Endurance Championship to be held in Bahrain from December 15 to 18 and are confident of winning the top medals.

Crew member Peter Moon is quite optimistic of his team putting up a good performance in this 120-km event and be among the top three on the podium by the end of the day.

"We have come here to win medals," said a confident Moon. "Since we arrived here a few days ago, we have been doing some stretching and warming up and we should start practising tomorrow," he said.

Managed by chef de equipe Sue Broughton, the team was selected last September and since then have had many training camps all around the UK, including a week-long training camp at the premises of International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) in Newmarket and three sessions in Wolverhampton.

"We had a squad of nine riders which was further reduced to six. The selection was made depending on the riders fitness, experience and the horse's pedigree," he said.

Interestingly Moon's 17-year-old daughter Zara will be taking part in the championship on Yamavar which is also 17 years old and is the oldest horse in the event.

"Yamavar is the most experienced horse in this championship. It has taken part in many events in the UK, Spain and Italy so we are quite confident that it will do well here in Bahrain," said Moon.

Zara has been riding in endurance races since she was eight. She is studying arts, graphics and mathematics in the UK and will do her final qualifying examinations when she returns home.

Qualified

Other team members are Philip Hirst, Abigail Lockett, Gemma Parkin, Alice Beet and Anna Williams who is the daughter of the FEI Endurance Committee director Dr Ian Williams.

Anna, who is aged 21, will be riding HS Saboteur, a new horse which only qualified for this championship this year.

"She has taken part in qualifying rides in the UK and recently went to Argentina where she took part in an invitational ride along with Hirst," said Moon.

Living abroad in Switzerland, Anna had been to the Gulf region and specially to the UAE where she worked for sometime.

Hirst will be riding his mother's horse Vlacq Khamul which took part in the European Championship a few months ago. It was leading the race but unfortunately it took the wrong turn and had to pull out after losing valuable time.

Alice, one of the youngest talents in the UK, is the only team member yet to arrive. She is expected to land in Bahrain on Saturday.

"Alice started riding last year in Dubai and qualified on a number of horses in 120 kms events, including one in the UK," said Moon.

But Alice will be competing in this championship on Harmatan de Lozere, a horse owned by Dubai Crown Prince and Defence minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The horse is also arriving on Saturday.

Twenty-one-year-old rider Gemma, who will ride Lutandorvici, is another young talented girl who is expected to put up a good performance in the championship.

Gemma started riding in endurance races since she was eight and was the British national champion in 2003. She recently finished third in the 160-km FEI Dukers Race in the UK.

Abigail is aged 20 and will be riding Delorto Zaranz, another veteran horse which won last year's 160-km Summer Celstis Ride, one of the major endurance events in the UK.

Slovakia - Riders thrilled to be in Bahrain

SLOVAKIA'S lone participant Silvia Hrebikova led the chorus in praise of top class facilities available at the Endurance Village in Sakhir ahead of the World Junior Endurance Championship scheduled to be held from December 15 to 18.

"I have been training in Bahrain for almost a week and the environment here at the Endurance Village is outstanding," said Silvia.

Silvia will be riding an 11-year-old mare Fathia in this 120-km race which will be divided into five stages.

Other teams who continued practising for this prestigious event were also equally impressed and said they were thrilled to be in Bahrain for this top class championship.

"This championship is going to be very tough for everyone and I expect to see some teams perform amazingly well and achieve stunning results," the Slovak said.

Slovakian veterinary doctor Martina Kina also lauded the equipments available at the village.

"Our team has come to Bahrain with a lot of hope and we are looking forward to a good result although there are other world class riders from Europe and South America," she said.

Kina said she was impressed with the state-of-the-art facilities at the veterinary clinics and is looking forward to use them during the championship.

"The stables at the village are well designed and they can accommodate all the horses and yet avoid chaos before the race," she said.

Team coach Feras Bulbul said the delegation had prepared well for this championship and had a long-term training camp in Europe.

"We have gone very far in terms of preparing Silvia and we have faith in her to clinch one of the top positions in the championship to underline the improved standards in our country," he said.

Quarantine manager Dr Alex Atock said having 140 horses under one roof was very difficult and by achieving it Bahrain has proved its organisational skills.

"Most of the delegations have fielded six riders each which is the highest number of entrants allowed for this event," he said.

Freedom

"With so many horses in the fray, Bahrain still managed to reduce the number of horses in each stable to give more movement for freedom around that area," he said.

Endurance Village director Khalid Fakhro said the village is now well geared and ready to host any world championship.

"The village with all its hi-tech facilities and supplies can be compared to any world class villages. The whole world will be watching the best riders competing here and the Bahrainis should be proud for hosting the event," he said.

Fakhro said the village was built in a short time for this event. "For the past few days, all the teams have been practicing at the village and they praised the conditions here and the overall atmosphere," said Khalid.

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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