Three former world champions set for President?s Cup race

By Our Sports Reporter

14 February 2006



ABU DHABI ? The President?s Cup endurance race on Thursday has drawn three former world champions and the cream of the local talent here at the Emirates International Endurance Village at Al Wathba.


Lining up for a slice of a whopping one-and-a-half-million-dirham are two times former world champion Valerie Kanavy and her world champion daughter Daniela from the US, and UAE?s own Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the 2002 world champion.

?The President?s Cup is Abu Dhabi flagship endurance ride and we have a field that befits the occasion,? said Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, member of the organising committee, in a Press conference here at the Armed Forces Officers Club yesterday.

?Besides the strong local entries are some of the distinguished foreign riders from the US, Australia and Europe, to make this race truly international. The President?s Cup is always a fiercely contested race and we are looking forward for another absorbing contest,? he added.

The FEI-CEI 160-kilometre race jointly sponsored by Omega, National Bank of Dubai and Dubai Waterfront for a combined purse of Dh 2 million has already drawn nearly 100 entries from the leading stables around the Emirates and from abroad.

Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum spearheads the Dubai challenge with his younger brother and 2002 world champion Shaikh Ahmed, alongside Hassan bin Ali, winner in 2001.

Shaikh Hamdan was sixth in the inaugural race in 2000 and was runner up two years later behind Shareef Mohammed Abdulla Al Bloushi, who won the President?s Cup twice on the trot.

Abdulla Khamis Ali Saeed won the inaugural race for the Al Reef Stables won in 2000 and since then Al Wathba Stables has retained the trophy, won twice by Bloushi, and then Abdul Rahim Al Jenaibi and Marzooq Salem Al Marri. Colonel Hussain Mohammed Hussain, secretary general of the UAE Equestrian Federation, said event has grown in stature internationally.

?The President?s Cup is not only the most prestigious race in Abu Dhabi but the premier endurance event in the country. The competition obviously brings out the best of both, the rider and horse,? he said.

The sponsors? representatives Yousef Khoury of Omega, Ali Al Kaitoub of National Bank of Dubai and Ammar Sinan of Dubai Waterfront, endorsed their continued support for the sport.

The President?s Cup for Junior and Young riders run over 80 kilometres will be held in the following day at Boudthib Endurance Village

Prince Rides in Junior Young Rider Presidents Cup - UAE

Prince Abdul Hamid Mohammed Al Saleh, the son of Princess Alia Bint Hussein of Jordan, rode in the Sh Saeed bin Hamdan Qualifier. He now plans to ride in the Junior Young Riders Presidents Cup to be held at Boudthib on February 17th.

Prince Abdul received his pre ride training at Wrsan Farm by the invitation of HH Sh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister. The five day course conducted by Dr Marcello Grilo encompassed all aspects of endurance training. The essential factor of the course was the hands on experience that the young Prince under took.

The resident head farrier at Wrsan Lauret Deury assisted by Ferran Llagostera and Herve Gilles, demonstrated how the horse shoes were made and explained the different types of shoes. Prince Abdul guided by Lauret made a horse shoe which he proudly showed to Sh Sultan who kept a close eye on his progress. Another task he performed was rasping teeth assisted by Dr Marcello who gave a very detailed lectured on this subject. . Dr Navaldo explained the work of the veterinary clinic and introduced him to the equipment and explained the diagnostic x-rays.

Well before sunrise Prince Abdul joined race horse trainer Jaci Wickham to watch the horses exercise on the track. He was particularly impressed with Tronasonic who had just won two races within a week. Armed with a packet of polos they were soon best friends.

Wrsan's premier Arabian Stallion Monarch AH was the star of the swimming pool as he leapt in with great enthusiasm before the Prince helped swim one of the endurance horses. The Prince enjoyed an in depth conversation with the stud Manager Deidre Hyde ,one area in which the young Prince had abundant knowledge, as his mother Princess Alia is a leading breeder and top international judge of Arabian horses. Other aspects of the course covered feeding, stable management, and quarantine procedures .

Tevis rider's rhymes reflect joy of the trail

An equestrian for 75 years and part of the Tevis Cup since 1961, Dick Barsaleau has his poems on endurance riding, cowboys and horses in print, with proceeds benefiting the Robie Foundation. Photo by Ben Furtado/Auburn Journal


Proceeds from recently published book to benefit Robie Foundation

By: Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer
Sunday, February 5, 2006 11:12 PM PST

LOOMIS - Long known for his humorous poems about endurance riding, cowboys and other aspects of the equestrian experience, Tevis Cup 100-mile endurance ride veteran Dick Barsaleau had collected the best of what he calls his "rhymes and jingles" into book form.

Barsaleau, who turned 80 in August, is pleasantly surprised with the reception his book has received since it was published by Auburn Printers two weeks ago. More than 200 copies have been sold, mostly to equestrians. Orders are coming in from across the United States and Canada.

Barsaleau's poems range from odes to Auburn as endurance capital to several done in the French-Canadian patois.

"I call them rhymes and jingles instead of poems," Barsaleau said. "Poems formalize words and that can scare people."

"View From Riders Rest" pulls together 85 of Barsaleau's poems. Written over a 40-year period, many were kept in a dog-eared binder that the well-respected veterinarian and longtime Loomis resident would break out for readings when cowboy poets or horse lovers would get together.

Auburn Printers co-owner Merrill Kagan-Weston said she heard Barsaleau read at a Tevis Cup event and called him later to suggest that he put his poems together in book form.

Working with Barbara Jacinto of BJ Design, Kagan-Weston and Barsaleau published 1,000 copies of "View From Riders Rest," with the goal of donating all proceeds to the Wendell and Inez Robie Foundation. The foundation preserves trails and endurance riding history.

"I liked listening to Dick read and I enjoyed the book as well," Kagan-Weston said. "He's pretty entertaining."

On a recent visit to Barsaleau's rural Loomis home, with five endurance horses running free over his spacious "back 40," the author recounted his early experiences with Tevis Cup pioneer Wendell Robie and his own rich life around horses and riding.

Born in Massachusetts, Barsaleau was schooled in horsemanship by his father, a trick rider who taught his son to ride astride two horses at once, with separate reins.

"We put a lot of rosin on our sneakers," Barsaleau said.

His father was also a member of the U.S. Cavalry during the 1910s.

"I grew up hearing tales of chasing Pancho Villa on the American border," Barsaleau said. "They never caught up with him but they wore out a lot of horses trying."

A Marine in World War II, Barsaleau set out for Colorado after peace was declared, breaking horses, pitching hay and picking up a veterinary degree. While Parkinson's Disease has kept him from riding this past year, he can still touch a horse and that's good enough for riders to continue to ask advice from a horse doctor they fondly refer to as Doctor B.

Barsaleau was practicing in Visalia when he first got an invitation to judge the fitness of horses and riders at the Tevis Cup ride in 1961. Over the years, he's judged rides in 33 states, as well as Canada and Australia. The Tevis ride had been founded in 1955, with equestrians taking their horses along a mountain course from Squaw Valley to Auburn once used by settlers and gold seekers. Wendell Robie, a lumber company owner from Auburn, spurred the success of the ride in its early days and soon knew the straight-shooting ride judge well.

"I pulled him the first year - it made me infamous," Barsaleau said. "But he came up late and shook my hand - said 'You're right, he's lame.'"

In the 1960s, Barsaleau played a key role in establishing the standards that continue to be in place that protect the horse from overzealous riders.

"I have the dubious distinction of making the rules to eliminate the risks," Barsaleau said. "A lot of riders lost their cool, lost their sense of judgment and became competitive."

The Tevis Cup marked its 50th anniversary last year. Barsaleau continues to stay involved as governor emeritus of the Western States Trail Foundation. Beginning in 1964, Barsaleau was a rider in 16 Tevis Cup events, finishing 14 times on nine horses. His best finish was seventh in 1967. By 1978, he was able to join his friend, Wendell Robie, in the elite of endurance riding, having finished his 10th Tevis. At the time, he was the 10th rider to reach the 1,000-mile club. Now there are more than 50.

Barsaleau's poetry attests to his lifetime as horse owner, breeder, trainer and judge.

"I've been a student of horses for 75 years and I'm still learning," Barsaleau said.

Quilty to be world's biggest endurance ride

february 6, 2006

It's the toughest horse race in Australia and this year it will be the biggest event of its kind in the world. The punishing 160km-long classic, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, to be held in Boonah, South East Queensland in June, is expected to attract a field of more than 350 riders from around the world. Together with their entourages, they're expected to swell the local population by 5000.

Competitors will fly in from the Middle East, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the USA and Europe to test themselves alongside the Aussies, who are ranked world-first with more international medals to their name than any other country.

More...

Home Away From Home

Hello! johnt@endurance.net has sent you the following article from http://www.TheHorse.com, with this message:

ARTICLE: Home Away From Home

You've decided to hit the road with your horse for a competition, overnight trail ride, or a pack trip. You'll spend the night snug in your trailer's berth, but where will your horse stay? Regardless of the event or destination, successfully and safely ...

* This article can be accessed by copying and pasting the entire address below into your web browser. This link will expire after 3 views.

http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?cID=jD794ZvLSB1cNJOuW0m65A%3d%3d

Get full access to this and all other 5,000+ horse health articles on TheHorse.com! Subscribe to The Horse today at https://www.thehorse.com/Subscriptions/THSubscribe.aspx?SC=CQ05Z232TH!

Sponsored by The Horse Source: Equine product information, web sites, e-mail addresses, phone and fax numbers at your fingertips. Featuring more than 10,000 listings! http://source.bloodhorse.com/thehorse

Copyright (c) 2004 BLOOD-HORSE PUBLICATIONS. All rights reserved.

Mohammed lifts junior Doha title

BAHRAINI rider Mohammed Abdulsamad notched the juniors title while Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa finished second in the seniors at the second GCC Endurance Championship held yesterday in Doha.

More than 80 riders from the GCC took part in this one-day event which was over 120 kms and divided into five stages.

Mohammed, the Royal Endurance Team member, steered Callan Stardancer to win the race in six hours 13 minutes 15 seconds ahead of Qatari favourite Abdulla Al Marri (6:16:35) who settled for second position on Pasha.

The Bahraini team riders dominated the juniors section winning the third, fourth and sixth positions through Mohammed Abdulaziz, Jaffer Mirza and Salem Al Otaibi respectively.

In the seniors race, Shaikh Salman was runner up on Bedouin De Piboul, three seconds behind Qatari winner Ata Mohammed who was riding Dou Park Brolga. Shaikh Salman's mount also won the best 'health status' award.

Fahad Al Athba of Qatar finished third, Misfir Al Hajri of Qatar fourth and Bahrain's Yousef Taher fifth on Majhool Al Shaqab.

The event was held under the patronage of Endurance Committee head at the Qatari Equestrian and Endurance Association Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani who honoured the winners at the prize-distribution ceremony.

Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who headed the delegation to Doha, congratulated the winners and praised their performance at the race.

"The Bahraini team members proved how much they have gained through their participation at many championships at regional and international levels such as last year's GCC Championship in Doha and the Shaikh Fahad Al Ahmed Race in Kuwait," said Shaikh Khalid.

He also said the Bahraini delegation had a comfortable stay in Doha and that the championship was a great success. Shaikh Khalid also lauded the abilities of the Qatari Equestrian and Endurance Association in providing the facilities and services for the participants.

Results (in order of country, horse, total time):

Juniors: 1 Mohammed Abdulsamad (Bahrain, Callan Stardancer, 6:13:15), 2 Abdulla Al Marri (Qatar, Pasha, 6:16:35), 3 Abdulla Al Khateri (Bahrain, Nekir Des Vernes, 6:30:46), 4 Mohammed Abdulaziz (Bahrain, Dirham El Oumzil, 6:43:13), 5 Jaffer Mirza (Bahrain, Muniki, 6:48:07), 6 Salem Al Otaibi (Bahrain, Al Fahd, 6:54:56).

Seniors: 1 Ata Mohammed (Qatar, Dou Park Brolga, 6:04:41), 2 Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa (Bahrain, Bedouin De Piboul, 6:04:44), 3 Fahad Al Athba (Qatar, Tequila, 6:09:55), 4 Mesfer Al Hajri (Qatar, Redah, 6:12:03), 5 Yousif Taher (Bahrain, Majhool Al Shaqab, 6:26:34), 6 Abdulhaq Qadouri (Bahrain, Farhoze De Paute, 6:26:36).

GCC: Endurance victory is hailed

Endurance victory is hailed

The Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa yesterday made a phone call to Breef vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa and congratulated him on the Royal Endurance Team's excellent performance in the GCC Championship held in Doha, Qatar.

Shaikh Nasser added that this achievement consolidated the abilities of Bahraini riders in future regional and international contests.