Horse in dramatic stunt at Asian Games opening ceremony

December 4, 2006

A horse took centre stage at the Opening Ceremony of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006. For the first time in the history of the Games, a horse was involved in the act of lighting the cauldron. Final torchbearer Sheik Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani cantered up a steep ramp the height of the stadium to light the flame.

The horse, with specially adapted shoes for extra grip, slowed momentarily halfway up the ramp, but continued on to complete the stunt.

The horse may have been temporarily blinded by the hundreds of camera flashes from the spellbound spectators.

Al Thani is the coach of the Qatar Endurance team. The purebred brown Arabian horse he chose for his well documented ride was trained in Australia by Steven Jeffery, who starred as the Lone Rider at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Three horses were trained in Australia for the stunt over an eight-month period, and the sheik chose his mount only a day before the opening ceremony.

Horses play a vital part in Arabian traditions and that was beautifully demonstrated in front of 50,000 spectators and millions of TV viewers all around the globe in a choreography called "Tribute to the Desert Horsemen". Riders in white traditional vestments and 64 horses did their freestyle.

Growing Asian interest in equestrian is evident in Doha where the number of participating teams in Dressage and Jumping has nearly doubled from previous events. With Endurance included for the first time, medals will now be decided in four disciplines. Eventing, the oldest discipline at the Asian Games, started in 1982, but Doha is the first Arabian location to host a cross country competition.
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Qatar stages magnificent opening ceremony for the Games

DOHA: Arabian horses galloped against a shimmering backdrop of thousands of neon-lit pearls as the 15th and biggest Asian Games opened with a multi-million dollar sensory feast on Friday.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani declared open Asia's biggest ever celebration of sport during a spectacular display of fireworks, twinkling lights and traditional Asian dancing, played to the sound of 40,000 beating drums.

The climax of a lavish ceremony came when the Emir's son Mohammad, the Qatari endurance team captain, charged up the steps of the Khalifa Stadium on a pure-bred Arab gelding to light the 50m cauldron that will burn throughout the Games.
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Kiwis successful in Endurance World Champs Trial

The 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship Trial run was held last weekend at Terengganu, on the East coast of Malaysia. The Championship had been provisionally granted to the Malaysian Equestrian Federation subject to there being a number of successful trial runs held in 2006 and 2007.

HRH Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin invited several of the world's top riders to participate in the event to demonstrate the quality of the venue for the pending 2008 World Endurance Championship. The International riders were to ride horses of the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable, and were to draw on their skill and experience to test the suitability of a tropical venue for a World Championship event.

New Zealand riders Kevin James and Paul Jeffrey were among the International competitors. James successfully completed the 160km CEI*** event on a horse from the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable. He was among the 13 competitors who completed the 160km course, resulting in a 57% completion rate for the event, and finish times far faster than had been anticipated.

Jeffrey navigated the 7 yr old gelding Jakim Zane to a 1st place finish and Best Condition award, setting a Malaysian record for fastest finish time on an 80km course. Australian rider Brook Sample also tested the 160km course but his horse, also from the Royal Stable, was eliminated for back soreness at the 120km point.

Three senior FEI Endurance Officials attended the event: Dr Hallvard Sommerseth (NOR), Chairman of the FEI Endurance Technical Committee; Dr Jim Bryant (CAN) and Mr John Robertson (GBR).

The Malaysian Equestrian Federation, together with the Organising Committee (OC) - the State Government of Terengganu and Yayasan Kebajikan Perkasa Alam Terengganu, invited a number of leading Malaysian riders as well as riders from America, Europe and Australsia.

A detailed report is being produced; it will be submitted to the FEI Endurance Techncial Committee for further consideration but Dr Hallvard Sommerseth expressed his appreciation for the commitment made by the organizers in producing a very successful trial run.

The FEI Endurance Committee had required the trial run to be held at the proposed venue on a date to match the date of the 2008 Championship and for there to be a minimum completion rate of 40% and a maximum riding time of 16 hours for the 160km distance.

A total of 23 horses were presented at the start of the event and 60% completed the full distance well within the maximum ride time allowed. All of the horses performed well with no heat and humidity related problems.

Dr Jim Bryant confirmed that the horses had competed well under the conditions which had been relatively cool because of the timing of the event within the monsoon period. He commented that all of the riders had taken great care to compete using all of their horsemanship skills. Dr Bryant linked the performances of the riders and horses to a time within Endurance when events were less about speed and more about the combination of rider and horse working in close harmony together to overcome the challenges presented.

Mr John Robertson felt that there were certain areas which needed to be reviewed in relation to the overall management of the event. He confirmed that the OC was aware of these issues but he was confident that the OC would be able to solve them ahead of the Championship.

Dr Sommerseth confirmed that the next trial event, scheduled to take place in the first half of 2007, would involve the use of overseas based horses who would travel to Malaysia to test out the facilities and also to fully evaluate the timing required to allow overseas horse to acclimatise properly ahead of competition.

A team from FEI Television attended the event and will produce a short documentary to be shown at the planned FEI World Endurance Forum planned for March 2007.

160km Top Four Finishers
Nik Sabarudin Bin Daud AS Shiffa Kassan (stallion) - BC 12:38:43 12.65 km/hr
Faizal Ismail Azreal 12:53:26 12.41
Y. Bhg. Dato' Abdulla Bin Taib Blue Moon 12:49:45 12.47 km/hr
Norlaily Buniyamain Bremervale Jessie James 13:36:04 11.76 km/hr

80km Top Four Finishers
Paul Jeffrey Jakim Zane - BC 5:32:35 14.03 km/hr
Amal Nadiah Bt. Tajudin Rayyan 6:02:50 13.23 km/hr
Stephanie Teeter Jakim Murphy 6:20:48 12.60 km/hr
Nazalisamri Bin Nasaah Nagawangsa 6:29:55 12.31 km/hr

Bahraini riders set for challenge

BAHRAIN's top riders Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa will be looking forward to impress in endurance horseride competition at the Asian Games.

They qualified after taking 14th and ninth positions respectively at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany on August 21.

Despite driving rain and poor visibility, Shaikh Daij managed ninth place and provided a bright note for Asian equestrian fans on a day in which a fancied team from the UAE was eliminated.

The 159 starters from 42 nations had faced a gruelling 160km race through hilly terrain which included six veterinary checks.

For many of the riders, the competition came to an early end, with less than half completing the ride. Some were withdrawn from the competition by the vets, while others retired voluntarily.

It was left to Shaikh Daij, riding the 11 year-old Shar Rushkin, to lead home the Asian riders although he dropped from fifth place to ninth on the final leg. Shaikh Nasser, the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president, was riding the 10 year-old Ganda Goy.

For Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdullah bin Fahad Al Saud finished 18th, riding the 12 year-old Keroch.
Gulf News Article

FEI News: World Endurance Forum, 2008 WEC Malaysia

From: m.gueorguiev@horsesport.org
Sent: Sunday, December
03, 2006 11:57 AM
To: fei_prnews@horsesport.org
Subject: FEI
Press News 39/2006

01/12/2006 - World Endurance Forum 02/12/2006 - 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship 01/12/2006 - World Endurance Forum As has been reported elsewhere, a World Endurance Forum is planned for the spring of 2007. Originally scheduled to take place this year in Kuala Lumpur, the forum will now take place in Paris over the weekend 24th/25th March 2007 followed immediately by the annual FEI Endurance Technical Committee meeting. The Forum will be structured along the same lines of the successful 2003 Endurance Forum and will allow delegates, from amongst the 76 FEI National Federations who organize FEI Endurance events, to debate the overall status of the discipline as it exists today. There will also be opportunity to discuss the future of Equestrian Endurance following its rapid growth and the ever increasing public scrutiny of the sport which has occurred in recent years. With the approval of the President of the FEI, HRH Princess Haya, an FEI Endurance working group will be established, following on from the forum, to evaluate and develop those ideas and proposals raised by the delegates and to formulate a 5 year plan for the sport for consideration by the FEI. Members of this working group will be drawn from both within and outside of Endurance itself. As part of a fact finding exercise, a questionnaire has been produced and can be downloaded from the FEI web site accessed through the Endurance pages/documents. All FEI registered Endurance riders are asked to complete the form and to return it by email to the FEI ahead of the Forum next March. The findings of the working group will be considered by the FEI Endurance Technical Committee as part of its ongoing review of Endurance. Further details of the Forum; timings, venue, accreditation and programme will be published in due course and invitations issued to those NFs concerned as soon as possible. 02/12/2006 - 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship Senior FEI Endurance Experts Give a Conditional Green Light The 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship Trial run was held last weekend at Terengganu, on the East coast of Malaysia. The Championship had been provisionally granted to the Malaysian Equestrian Federation subject to there being a number of successful trial runs held in 2006 and 2007. Three senior FEI Endurance Officials attended the event: Dr Hallvard Sommerseth (NOR), Chairman of the FEI Endurance Technical Committee; Dr Jim Bryant (CAN) and Mr John Robertson (GBR). The Malaysian Equestrian Federation, together with the Organising Committee (OC) Â? the State Government of Terengganu & Yayasan Kebajikan Perkasa Alam Terengganu, invited a number of leading Malaysian riders as well as riders from America, Europe and Australsia. A detailed report is being produced; it will be submitted to the FEI Endurance Techncial Committee for further consideration but Dr Hallvard Sommerseth expressed his appreciation for the commitment made by the organizers in producing a very successful trial run. The FEI Endurance Committee had required the trial run to be held at the proposed venue on a date to match the date of the 2008 Championship and for there to be a minimum completion rate of 40% and a maximum riding time of 16 hours for the 160 kms distance. A total of 23 horses were presented at the start of the event and 60% completed the full distance well within the maximum ride time allowed. All of the horses performed well with no heat and humidity related problems. Dr Jim Bryant confirmed that the horses had competed well under the conditions which had been relatively cool because of the timing of the event within the monsoon period. He commented that all of the riders had taken great care to compete using all of their horsemanship skills. Dr Bryant linked the performances of the riders and horses to a time within Endurance when events were less about speed and more about the combination of rider and horse working in close harmony together to overcome the challenges presented. Mr John Robertson felt that there were certain areas which needed to be reviewed in relation to the overall management of the event. He confirmed that the OC was aware of these issues but he was confident that the OC would be able to solve them ahead of the Championship. Dr Sommerseth confirmed that the next trial event, scheduled to take place in the first half of 2007, would involve the use of overseas based horses who would travel to Malaysia to test out the facilities and also to fully evaluate the timing required to allow overseas horse to acclimatise properly ahead of competition. A team from FEI Television attended the event and will produce a short documentary to be shown at the planned FEI World Endurance Forum planned for March 2007.

NZ: Endurance Added to Horse of the Year Event

Showtime for endurance ride

02.12.2006
REBECCA HARPER
Growing popularity in the sport of endurance riding has seen a full-length endurance race added to the Kelt Capital Horse of the Year show (HOY) for 2007.

Show director Kevin Hansen said endurance had been run once before at the 2005 show over a shortened 50km course, but only as a promotional event.

The 2007 race would take place on Friday, March 16 and be run over 110km.

The race would start at 6am in the premier arena of the showgrounds, cross mainly private lands out to Ocean Beach and finish at 3pm in Napier Road, Havelock North.

The leading horses would then proceed up Te Mata Road and into the Havelock Domain.

A full team from South Africa, traditionally a strong endurance nation, would add an international flavour to the competition.

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Doha: The 15th Asian Games

THE 15th Asian Games was officially opened yesterday by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani at Doha?s Khalifa Stadium in a breathtaking ceremony that merged a film shown on the world?s biggest LED screen with a spectacular show performed by several thousand artists.

HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, the captain of Qatar's equestrian endurance team carries the torch to light the 50m cauldron. The opening ceremony was attended by HH Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Misnad, HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH Sheikh Jassem bin Hamad al-Thani, the personal representative of HH the Emir besides the sheikhs, ministers, speaker of the advisory council and senior sports officials

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