WEC: Horse's injury derails N.J. rider's hopes at worlds

BY NANCY JAFFER
For the Star-Ledger

AACHEN, Germany -- After a 100-mile ride that ended in the rain and mud, Meg Sleeper's faith in her horse and herself paid off as she completed the endurance championship at the World Equestrian Games under difficult conditions.

If only U.S. team officials had expressed the same faith in the Hunterdon County woman and her mount, America would have had a placing in the event. But they decided Sleeper should ride her home-bred Shyrocco Troilusas as an individual competitor, rather than as part of the team, after the half-Arabian gelding bruised his hoof a few days ago.

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WEC: Spanish rider takes endurance gold at Aachen

Abigail Butcher
Horse & Hound
Spaniard Miguel Vila Ubach made history yesterday when he was crowned king of endurance at the Aachen 2006 World Equestrian Games.

A damp but lively crowd cheered the triumphant rider, on the grey Arab Hungares as he cantered alone into the main stadium at Aachen, minutes before second and third-placed French riders Virginie Atger and Elodie Le Labourier appeared together. He had taken the lead a few kilometres before the finish.

The 32-year-old rider was part of the silver-medal winning Spanish endurance team at the Hague (1994) but this was the first time the country has taken gold.

?I knew we were good but I don't believe I'm here today,? Miguel declared at the press conference that followed his arrival. ?I was a European Champion back in 1999 and I've been dreaming for another title ever since but I'd never have thought it would be this one.?

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WEC: Awards Wrap-Up

http://www.endurance.net/2006wec/awards.html

The sky was mercifully blue for the Endurance prize-giving ceremony which took place today in the main stadium of the 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games at Aachen. The medals and flowers were presented by the FEI President, HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein.

The World Champion Miguel Vila Ubach (ESP) could still not believe his luck. He had not been able to sleep last and was still in a dreamy state. He was especially satisfied by the freshness and fitness of his horse.

France, the World Team Champions, highlighted ones again the quality of their team effort. Given the technical difficulty of the course, they had decided to stay together for as many as 100 km, making their final effort towards victory in the final stages of the competition. The French are well known of the great number of quality horses they have. ?My job is very difficult and very easy at the same time,? French Chef d?Equipe commented. ?It is easy because there is so much talent to choose from; it is difficult because at a certain moment a decision has to be made and there?s so much talent that will be left behind.?

For the second time in history, Switzerland wins a silver medal in a World Endurance Championship. The team is composed of one man, Urs Wenger on Zialka, and three women Anna Lena Wagner on Tessa IV, Nora Wagner on Temir and Karin Maiga on Platyn (drop score); two ladies, Anna Lena, 18, and Nora, 19, are sisters. The strategy of the Swiss had been slightly different but almost equally efficient. They had decided to let Urs ride in front, at the risk of being eliminated, and having the ladies follow slightly behind.

Another great achievement is that of the Portuguese team, in bronze, who won here in Aachen their very first equestrian medal. Team member Joao Raposo is sixth individually, which is the best individual placement by a Portuguese rider.

The French team had yet another cause for celebration. The 11-year old mare Hifrane du Barthas ridden by Pascale Dietsch won the Best Condition Award. It is given on the basis of points earned throughout the competition on a pre-agreed scale on the basis of various criteria. Additional points are awarded depending on the final placement and on the horse?s condition under veterinary inspection conducted the following day. Given the degree of veterinary control that exists in the sport of Endurance, the Best Condition Award is just as important and valuable as the final medal.

Kanavy hopes to revive US domination

Gulf Daily News
By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter

Aachen, Germany: Two-time world endurance champion Valerie Kanavy is here at the World Equestrian Games endurance championship in a new role.

A regular competitor on the international circuit, Kanavy won the second of her gold medals in the UAE in 1998. She also has a silver medal to her credit, finishing second behind her daughter Daniella.

Here in Aachen, Kanavy is the Chef de Equipe of the US team, a role which is certain to bring out the fighting qualities that she displayed as a rider par excellence.

Since 1998 the US domination over the endurance sport has been halted with France and the UAE grabbing most of the limelight.

"Yes, we have lost out to other countries. But we are working towards regaining the past glory," Kanavy told Gulf News as she went about directing her team of five riders.

"In the past the US equestrian authorities have not taken some constructive advice from the riders. However, now I can try and implement some of the ideas and I am confident that we can be back as a strong force," said Kanavy.

Becky Hart won three world titles after another American Cassandra Schuler won the first title at the inaugural event in 1986. Valerie and her daughter won the next three before the French put an end to the US domination in 2000 with a 1-2-3 finish. In 2002 the UAE won the individual gold and France took it again in 2005.

"We have a strong talent as far as riders are concerned. But it is also true that riders from the UAE have become world-beaters in a short span of time. His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is an ace horseman and under his guidance the UAE have done very well," she said.

The grandmother-champion from US, however, stated that she had not quit competitive riding and was looking forward to getting back to the saddle.

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WEC: Ubach and Hungares take Games' first gold

The Independent Online

A massed start of 159 endurance riders from 42 countries got the World Equestrian Games off to a spectacular start at 6am yesterday.

But there was a long 160 kilometres and some drenching rain ahead before Spain's Miguel Vila Ubach cantered into the main arena at Aachen on the sodden grey Hungares and Spain claimed their first endurance gold medal.

Yesterday's route took riders through three countries - Belgium and the Netherlands as well as Germany. It took more than 12 hours for the Spaniard to finish and some of his opponents spent much longer in the saddle.

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WEC: Bahrain's pair complete race

Gulf Daily News

SHAIKH Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa successfully completed the 160-km endurance race at the World Equestrian Games yesterday in Aachen, Germany.

Riding Shar Ruskhkin, Shaikh Daij was the first to complete the race among the five-member Bahraini team, led by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Nasser who was riding Ganda Koy.

Shaikh Daij was 10th and Shaikh Nasser 15th.

The race was held under heavy rains. The remaining team members were Breef first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa and Yousef Taher.

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WEC: Spaniard heads off French riders to win Endurance

Today in Aachen, the Spanish rider Miguel Vila Ubach (ESP), 33, aboard the grey Arabian gelding Hungares, won the Individual world title in Endurance.

Two young French ladies join him on the podium: Virginie Atger, 22, on Kangoo d'Aurabelle in silver and Elodie Le Labourier, 24, on Sangho'Limousian in bronze.

This is the first time since the FEI World Endurance Championships began in 1986 that a Spanish rider has won the supreme title.

This definitely was an emotional victory. After 160km in six loops and a riding time of 9 hours 12 min 27 seconds, the winning pair entered the main stadium to cross the finishing line in a torrential downpour. The crowd cheered loudly the new World Champion and the tears of rider and crew were streaming down with the rain drops.

"I knew we were good but I don't believe I'm here today," a happy Miguel declared at the press conference that followed his arrival. "I was a European Champion back in 1999 and I've been dreaming for another title ever since but I'd never have thought it would be this one."

The pair were in 47th position after the fourth vetgate but this had not discouraged them. On the contrary, they had been saving their strength for the last 13km loop. "I knew my horse could fly over the last bit. We rode out of the vetgate, I saw the French girls and decided to follow them as I was sure they would get good placings. The horse felt so strong that we found ourselves quite up front. And then I felt we could make it and decided to just go for it.
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