Rashid and Ahmad eager to get going at Euston Park

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter


Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum and Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum will be looking to just complete today's 160-km three-star endurance ride in Euston Park in UK.

Both the UAE riders have already qualified for the World Equestrian Games' (WEG) endurance event, to be held in Aachen next month. But today's 160-km event is important for Shaikh Rashid and Shaikh Ahmad as it will be their third 160-km event before the World Championship.

If both the riders complete today's event then they will be eligible to choose any one of the 12 horses that have qualified from the UAE.

If they do not complete the three 160-km three star events then they will have to ride the same horse with which they have completed one of the other two rides.

Shaikh Rashid recently won the 160-km three Star event in Gubbio, Italy while Shaikh Ahmad had finished fourth in the 160-km three-star event in Cirencester ride last month.

Apart from Shaikh Rashid and Shaikh Ahmad - who is the defending champion after having won the gold medal at the WEG in Jerez, Spain - Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum and Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum will also be riding today, but in the 120-km three star event.

Shaikh Hamdan and Shaikh Majid, along with His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, have already qualified in the open section with victories in three 160-km rides already.

Shaikh Majid has already tasted success in the European circuit this season, winning the 160-km three-star event in Peruggia, Italy, last month.

Apart from these top riders, quite a strong contingent of UAE riders will be in the fray in this Kings Forest event at Euston Park.

The UAE horses that have been named for the August 21 Endurance Championship in the World Equestrian Games in Aachen are also expected to use today's 120-km event as preparation.

"This is an important ride for the UAE and we are hoping that Shaikh Rashid and Shaikh Ahmad complete," said Esmail Mohammad, trainer of endurance horses for Shaikh Mohammad.

"The horses have all been doing well since they were shifted from Dubai after the UAE season and most of them will be having an outing today," said the trainer.

The endurance horses from the UAE have been based in New Market and have been taking part in the rides in Europe ahead of the WEG to be held in Germany.

Local rider going to Worlds

When Mary-Anne Dorchester first started with horses, she had dreams of one day becoming an Olympic representative, but little did she know one day she would be on the biggest stage in a different type of horse riding, endurance riding.

Leigh Hammond
Sports
Wednesday July 05, 2006

ary-Anne Dorchester with her horse Shadow. Dorchester will soon head to Germany as part of Team Canada at the World Equestrian Games.
photo by John Robinson/Pics of You

When Mary-Anne Dorchester first started with horses, she had dreams of one day becoming an Olympic representative, but little did she know one day she would be on the biggest stage in a different type of horse riding, endurance riding.
"This wasn?t even on the radar when I started the sport," said Dorchester, who leaves for Aachen, Germany on August 1.
"My goal used to be the Olympics, in Dressage, but it just turned out not to be my forte in riding."
Before Dorchester could be chosen as part of Team Canada for the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Germany, she had to finish a Federation Equestre Internationale sanctioned event, which meant 100 miles in 13-hours-20-minutes.
In an event held last year in Drayton Valley, Dorchester not only made the qualifying time, she thrashed it, finishing in a time of 11:23.
Even though she had made the qualifying time, it didn?t automatically mean she was on Team Canada. She then had to be selected to the team, which she said was a roller-coaster ride all in itself.
"We were told the decision would be made by April 1, but we didn?t find out until the beginning of May. I went from thinking I had a good shot, to thinking there was no shot, back to thinking I did."
Dorchster explained she didn?t have the highest goals when she began with the sport.
"I didn?t even think 50 miles was on the radar, but the sport is like that," she said. "You can start low and move up once you get the confidence."
She also said the training regimen has changed a bit. Early on, she would do slower, longer rides, but now that she and her horse Shadow have moved up, the training at a faster pace.
"I?m not so much nervous, as I am overwhelmed," Dorchester said. "To have to opportunity to go to worlds and be able to ride the only horse I have ever used is really something special."
Shadow, whose show name is SH Rock N? Roll, is 15-years-old, but Dorchester says he is very focused on race day.
The cost of going to Germany for the race is about $30,000. Dorchester has received a great deal fund raising support for the trip.

Fauresmith Endurance Race ends today

South Africa
July 06, 2006, 17:00

The 33rd annual Fauresmith Endurance Race ended with almost no injuries and a lot of excitement. The race of three days over 200km of tough terrain, is regarded one of the toughest endurance races in the world. The race kicked of with 220 horses, but only 173 finished.

On the last day of the race the air was filled with excitement as spectators wait in anticipation for the first horses to cross the finish line. It was Francois du Preez (17) from Tzaneen who had this honour. Du Preez, the junior prize winner, says: ?I am riding for a long time, last year I came second and this year I won.? But once you cross the finish line, it doesn't mean you completed the race successfully. The horses must first pass a test to determine whether they are still uninjured and in healthy condition.

Eduard Penning, a Mpumalanga farmer, finished this gruelling race in 08:35. It is the fourth time he has participated in the race with his horse Rodi. Penning says: ?I'm tired, but I'm satisfied. My horse is tired as well, it was a tough going, and it was very, very good competition against me, but I'm very glad that we've done it.?

There were only two injuries during this year's race - a broken arm and a broken collarbone. This was the first year that the horses had their own ambulance.

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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