USA: Jamie Saults to Manage USEF Endurance

Lexington, KY
Jamie Saults, who was USEF Director of Reining for three years, has returned to manage the USEF Endurance High-Performance program through this summer's 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Jamie takes the program over from Mary Lutz, Director of Endurance and Para-Equestrian, who tragically died in a riding accident on June 9th.

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Endurance Sports - Tevis in Top 10 of all ....

For those with a hankering to see how far their own personal envelopes can go, we've compiled the Top Ten Toughest Endurance Races in a slide show. Held from Alaska to the middle of the Atlantic, they run the gamut from horseback riding to mountain biking, canoeing to sailing, running to triathloning, and everything in between. Just bring your willpower and plenty of fluids--you're going to need 'em.

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GBR: 2006 WEC Team announced for Aachen

The final horse and rider assessment for team selection before the 2006 World Equestrian Games was held during the Cirencester Park Ride on Saturday 17 June and gave the selectors the opportunity to see many aspiring International riders from all three international Squads under very testing competitive conditions....

For Aachen the team squads comprise 6 horses and 5 riders rather than the usual 6.

The combinations selected to represent Great Britain are:

Sally Hall and Bob?s Your Uncle
Linda Hams and Perfeq Hidden Challenge
Tricia Hirst and Vlacq Khamul
Ann Jobson and Samson
Chris Yeoman and LM Taquillero/ Farouk De Lozelle

Non-travelling joint reserves:

Avril Bruce and Auchendean Khalif
Sophie O?Hara Smith and Sky Consort
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GBR: Long riders put up a great show

Two Powys riders are celebrating impressive performances at a major international Endurance Festival. Llansantffraid rider Gail Andrews and Meiford?s Trica Hirst both produced great performances in Cirencester, the latter doing enough to book her place at the World Equestrian Games.

Competing in the National Championships, known as the Summer Solstice over a 100-mile testing course, Andrews finished third riding Vlacq Gilfae.

The race started at 4.30am and temperatures hit a very humid 28 degrees during the day.

Hirst, meanwhile, produced the goods in the FEI three star 100 mile race ride.

This was the final selection ride for the British senior team squad of five to go to Aachen in August for the World Equestrian Games.

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Summers Wins Final Endurance Observation Trial

Susan Summers won the third and final 100-mile observation endurance ride to put her in contention for a spot on the U.S. Endurance Team at the World Equestrian Games.

June 16, 2006 -- Susan Summers, riding Mags Motivator, finished first in a ride time of 9:54:59 at the CEI*** 100-mile endurance ride in Ashland, Mont., on June 11. Her average ride time of 10.48 miles per hour put her four minutes ahead of second-place finisher, Heather Stevens, riding RSA Count Laquen.

Forty riders took the trail in the 4:30 a.m. eastern Montana dawn. The trail would take them over ranch land and through the Custer National Forest. Twenty-six Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) riders began this third and last observation ride, hoping to land one of the coveted slots on the U.S. Endurance Team that will compete at the World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Aachen, Germany, in August. A total of 16 riders finished the combined AERC Open, Arabian Horse Association (AHA) Region 6 Championship, and FEI/CEI*** ride, including 11 riding the FEI division.

Summers rode much of the trail in the company of her husband, Dennis, who was eliminated after the fourth loop. "I had a plan," she said. "I wanted to finish in 10 or 10.5 hours with my horse looking good, eating and being sound. I had all the confidence in the world in my horse to do the speed that I asked of him today." Summers also won the Region 6 AHA Championship, as well as a Kanavy saddle for best condition, which was awarded after the final inspection on June 12.

Summers was happy with the team coaching and support she's gotten as a member of the National Training Squad. "They are people that can appreciate what we're doing and will consider our ideas," Summers said. "We've had good farrier help this year."

"We always enjoy sharing our part of the country with other riders," said Ride Manager Jan Stevens. "We had riders from Virginia, New Jersey, North Carolina, California, Texas, Canada and the Middle East. It was well attended, and the weather cooperated for the most part." She thought the 40 percent completion rate was partly due to the weather. "We had cool days leading up the ride but the heat the day of the ride was more than we anticipated."

National Chef d'Equipe Tom Johnson wants the entire experience to be a positive one for the National Training Squad.

"In general all of the nominated riders who presented at the three Observation Trials were very well prepared for the challenge," Johnson said. "Many of the teams have been working toward this goal since last year [via participation in the selection rides in 2005, and participation in the training clinics], and that preparation showed. I believe that we have the deepest pool of talented teams from which to pick that we have ever had--the selectors will be facing some tough choices to select the best from these best. While it will be a challenge, having so many good teams from which to choose is a very good problem to have."

Jennifer Niehaus of California won the first observation ride on her nominated horse, Cheyenne XII, in a ride time of 9:49:39 on May 20 in Oreana, Idaho. Joe Mattingley of Illinois won the second ride on May 27 in Rapid River, Mich., aboard SA Laribou in a ride time of 9:15:53.

The National Team selection process will narrow the competitors to a pool of 12 horse/rider combinations and six ranked alternates. This short list of riders will attend one of two training events on July 1 and July 8. The team of riders selected to represent the United States will be named following the training events and will depart for Aachen, Germany, the first week of August. The 100-mile world endurance championship will be held August 21. Watch for exclusive coverage of the championship on EquiSearch.com.

The United States Equestrian Federation is the governing body of U.S. endurance competition at the international level. The American Endurance Ride Conference is the national affiliate of endurance in the U.S. and governs the sport at the national level.

Riders fail endurance challenge

BAHRAIN's Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and the four-member Bahraini team were disqualified during the Cirencester Endurance Race yesterday in the UK.

Shaikh Nasser, who represented the Sandhurst Military Academy where he is studying, was unable to complete the 115-km four-stage event after his horse Antara failed the veterinary tests at the end of the third stage.

Bahrain's team, comprising of Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa, Yousef Taher, Khalid Al Ruwaihi and Hamad Al Meraisi were also disqualified for the same reason.

But Shaikh Nasser said the race was a useful experience for him as well as the Bahraini riders who are preparing for the World Championship in Germany in August.

Shaikh Daij, Taher and Al Ruwaihi all bowed out of the race after the first stage as their horses failed to pass the veterinary tests.

Shaikh Nasser completed the first stage on top in one hour, 45 minutes and two seconds with an average speed of 16.05 kmph while Al Meraisi was third in 1:51:29.

The Breef chief and Bahrain Royal Endurance Team captain maintained his momentum to stay in the lead after the second stage with a total time of 3:53:42 and a 16.23 kmph average speed. Shaikh Nasser was followed by Al Meraisi who managed to stay in the race clocking a total of 4:12:37.

Shaikh Nasser was unfortunate not to continue his good run as he was disqualified after the third stage while Al Meraisi managed to complete the stage on top in 7:06:08.

However, Al Meraisi was disappointed after the fourth and last stage as his mount Kajo failed the veterinary test at the end of the race.

USA: 2006 WEC Short List Announced

The United States Equestrian Federation® is pleased to announce the selection of the National Endurance Team/Short List for the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games. Twelve horse and rider combinations and six ranked alternates were selected to continue training for the traveling team that will represent the U.S. at the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany, August 20 ? September 3. The endurance competition will begin on August 21, 2006, the first competition of the Games.

The top 12 horse and rider combinations are listed alphabetically as follows:

- Betty Baker             Synematic, a 9-year-old Arabian gelding
- Julie Bullock           Iron Wyll, a 9-year-old Arabian/Quarter Horse gelding
- Kathryn Downs           Pygmalion, a 10-year-old Arabian gelding
- Joseph Mattingley       SA Laribou, an 11-year-old Arabian gelding
- Jennifer Niehaus        Cheyenne XII, a 14-year-old Arabian gelding
- Stephen Rojek           Finch, a 10-year-old Arabian gelding
- Christoph Schork        Taj Rai Hasan, a 7-year-old Arabian gelding
- Margaret Sleeper, DVM   Shyrocco Troilus, a 14-year-old half Arabian gelding
- Joyce Sousa             LV Integrity, a 13-year-old Arabian gelding
- Susan Summers           Mags Motivator, a 10-year-old Arabian gelding
- Barry Waitte            LV Cambridge, a 14-year-old Arabian gelding
- Susan White-Hedgecock   AA Montego, a 16-year-old Arabian gelding

The six ranked alternates are as follows:

1. Heather Stevens        RSA Count LaQuen, a 10-year-old Arabian gelding
2. Valerie Kanavy         Bahia Gold, an 8-year-old Arabian gelding
3. Dennis Summers         SHA Ebony Rose, a 14-year-old Arabian cross mare
4. Sandra Connor          Elegant Pride, an 11-year-old Arabian gelding, owned 
by Lana Wright
5. Candy Barbo            CR Windsor, an 8-year-old Arabian gelding
6. Sara Hunt-Engsberg     Koweta Vanna Kaye, a 12-year-old Arabian mare