New Zealand: Avery wins national endurance title

By DAVID DAWKINS - The Marlborough Express | Monday, 19 March 2007

Marlborough endurance rider Kylie Avery added another national title to her already impressive resume, winning the 100km CEI two star ride at the Horse of the Year in Hastings on Friday.

Avery and Silands Jasark were second across the Havelock North finish line, just seconds behind race leader Jenny Shander. However, Avery took the title after Shander's horse was unable to pass the final vet check. After the half hour rest period Shander's horse still registered a heart rate of 78 beats per minute, well above the required 64. Silands Jasark easily passed the check, registering 54bpm after 11 minutes of rest.

Avery completed the 100km in six hours 37.46 minutes to head off Waikato's Lois Hosking and Highlander who finished in 6.38.37 hours. Denis Hill and Sheree placed third in 6.56.34 hours.

Riders started at the Hastings show grounds at 7am on Friday and were escorted by police through Hastings for 5km. The riders then completed four laps of a farmland circuit out at Cape Kidnappers before heading to the finish in Havelock North township where they were greeted by a crowd of over 300.

The race was held on a cool, clear day with dry, hard conditions underfoot. Despite the ideal conditions only 17 of 39 horses qualified with a number vetted out with high heart rates.

Avery's performance helped the New Zealand team to vict-ory in the team's race. They headed off a world team made up of two Spanish, a Belgian and a Kiwi. South Africa finished third.

The win earned Avery a trip to compete in South Africa in June. Details of the South African race are yet to be confirmed.

Nicola French was also in winning form at the Horse of the Year. Riding Buckton Tumbledown in the dressage she took out the open elementary pony musical freestyle title yesterday. The win wrapped up a consistent show that saw French place third in the open elementary pony on Friday and fourth in the elementary pony on Thursday.

Also competing in the showing, French and Buckton Tumbledown were reserve champion for New Zealand bred ponies, third equal in the child rider 13 and 14 years, fourth in the paced and mannered pony 128cm-138cm and sixth in the intermediate rider of the year 13-16 years.

Fellow dressage rider Angela Fergusson and Monique III recorded two fourths, in the FEI Prix St George on Wednesday and the advanced musical freestyle on Friday. Monique III was ridden by international rider Calet De Vos to fifth in the international class on Saturday.

In the showing, Sandra Pilcher and Southwind Just Cruising placed third in the in-hand pony three year old. Emma Pilcher and Rosewood Little Maestro were fourth in the paced and mannered pony of the year while Lucy Allen and Nala Emblems Nichole were fifth. Emma Pilcher also placed fifth in the paced and mannered pony 128cm-138cm and Emily Wallace and Kessley Kiss n Tell were fourth in the child rider 11-12 years.

Emma Pilcher also recorded a number of top placings in the side saddle with fifth in the concors d'elegance and side saddle rider.

Sally Adams and Wynard Freedom were runner-up in the side saddle rider and side saddle mount, fourth in the concors d'elegance and fifth in the Sue Moss Memorial Side Saddle Horse of the Year.

Uruguay Wins Gold at World Endurance Championship Junior & Young Rider

photo by Cidinha Franzao Endurance Brazil

Urugay took Team Gold at the 2007 World Endurance Championship for Junior & Young Riders. The venue was Campo de Mayo in Argentina,outside of Buenos Aires. 38 riders finished the 120km course out of 57 starters. Team Silver was won by Brazil, and team Bronze was awarded to United Arab Emirates.

Uruguay riders Manuela Antonaccio on Metiche, and Ignacio Ospitaleche on EO Dubut won individual Gold and Silver. UAE rider H.E. Sh Abdullah Bin Faisal Al Qasimi took individual Bronze on Kalkadoon Kampa.

Team Results // Individual Results:

Team
1 Uruguay – Gold
2 UAE – Silver
3 Brasil - Bronze
4 South Africa
5 Guatemala
6 New Zealand
7 Namibia
8 Australia

Team with 2 riders
9 Chile


Individual:

Rider (Country) Horse Time
1 Manuela Antonaccio (Uru) Metiche 5:20
2 Ignacio Ospitaleche (Uru) EO Dubut 5:35
3 H.E. Sh Abdullah Bin Faisal Al Qasimi (UAE) Kalkadoon Kampa la BC 5:40
4 H.E. Sh Abdul Aziz Bin Faisal Al Qasimi (UAE) Castlebar Sobea 5:45
5 Mohammad Sabousi (UAE) Lester 5:45
6 Vanessa Von Zakrzewsky (Uru) Indio Pampa 5:46
7 H.E. Sh Ahmed Mohd Al Maktoum (UAE) Sadam 5:46
8 Patrícia Batah Taliberti (Bra) Jam Bob Fire 5:47
9 Magalí Méndez (Arg) M Malon 5:47
10 Mariana Silva de Salles Pacheco (Bra) Irish BMW 5:47
11 Manuel Perez (Uru) ED Virka 5:47
12 Naira Pesce Dias (Bra) Quality Fabulous JP 5:51
13 Mi Jehane Rudman (Nam) Viruletuan 5:53
14 Carmen Du Preez (Sudafrica) Nag Sharon Bez 5:56
15 Ana Carla Maciel (Bra) GR Pimentinha 5:57
16 Thia Rachel Van Niekerk (Sudafrica) Alborada Forastero (Chi) 5:58
17 Facundo Larrere (Arg) ZT Thay Lover 5:58
18 Maria Paiz Larrave (Gua) Kirov da Barra 5:59
19 Mansour Sabousi (UAE) Cal Folklore (Uru) 5:59
20 Laura Paiz Larrave (Gua) Nico (Uru) 6:06
21 Francois Du Preez (Sudafrica) LM Midday 6:17
22 Martina Spelanzón (Arg) Srta. Cher 6:30
23 Maximiliano Montes de Oca (Arg) El Sheik 6:30
24 Karina Camargo Arroyo dos Santo (Bra) Moubarak Tawfik 6:35
25 Franco Cuzzani (Arg) Gran Indú 6:39
26 Alfredo Sat (Chi) Navidad 6:49
27 Asher Batty (Aus) Bassam 6:49
28 Tessa Deuss (Nzl) Mora Anunciata 6:51
29 Sam Reid (Nzl) Moro Deuz 7:04
30 Julia Anderson (Nzl) Vigo (Chi) 7:04
31 Marlene Jansen Van Resburg (Nam) Sche Al Jartum 7:10
32 Izolde Von Schauroth (Nam) LCH Allith 7:10
33 Sascha Laus King (Aus) Ro Jordan 7:12
34 Lukas Buckel (Chi) Etiqueta Negra 7:15
35 Wannete Hanekom (Nam) Shaibum 7:23
36 Pierre De Wit (Nam) M Platero 7:23
37 Jose Rodrigo Paiz Larrave (Gua) Hows 8:08
38 Jenny Annets (Aus) Hcas Anakena 8:29

More photos at Endurance Brazil

Ahmad powers UAE to team silver in world junior event

UAE Gulf News
By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter

Photo (Gulf News): Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum with his brother Shaikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum during the team event of the World Junior and Young Riders' Endurance Championships in Buenos Aires on Friday.

Buenos Aires: Uruguay confirmed their status as an emerging endurance powerhouse with a golden double while the UAE battled conditions to snatch the team silver and individual bronze at the World Junior and Young Riders' Endurance Championship, 2007 here on Friday.

Fifteen-year-old Manuela Antonaccio on Metiche was superb in victory, making it a start-to-finish affair to lead the Uruguayan double which was completed by the silver-medal winning Ignacio Ospitaleche on EO Dubut, Vanessa Von Zakrzewsky on Indio Pampa and Manuel Perez on ED Virka.

Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, on Sadam, led the UAE to the silver while Shaikh Abdullah Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, on Kalkadoon Kampala, picked up the individual bronze with a stirring display in the final loop.

Shaikh Abdullah was followed home by his younger brother Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Faisal Al Qasimi on Castlebar Sobea, who also came up with a searing finish while Shaikh Ahmad along with the Sabousi brothers of Mohammad and Mansour were steady in completing the 120-km distance and finishing with the silver medal.

The Brazilians, who were also expected to dominate along with the Uruguayans, took the team silver.

While the Uruguayans made the most of familiar conditions to score a fluent win, the UAE youngsters were hit by some bad luck with a couple of falls and the confusing loops which were inter-twined at many places amidst poor signage.

The UAE were expecting a tough challenge and despite the Uruguayans setting the early pace, they kept the pressure on but lost quite a lot of valuable minutes through tumbles and losing their way.

Military base

The Campo De Mayo venue is at a military base about 40km from Buenos Aires. The five different loops criss-crossed each other at many places on the open Pampas plains.

Shaikh Ahmad missed one of the loops and when he tried to make a quick turn he fell off the horse and was dragged for about 30 metres. The saddle went one way and the saddle cloth the other and Shaikh Mayed stopped to help. While Shaikh Ahmad lost almost 15 minutes, Shaikh Mayed lost 7 minutes, though it did not matter as he was eliminated after the third stage.

That left the UAE with just three riders in the team competition and all three had to complete to stay in contention, while the Uruguayans had all four and they were in the lead.

Shaikh Abdullah also had a fall when he could not avoid a ditch and lost quite a few minutes, while Mohammad Ahmad Ali Al Subose was also unseated twice in the very first loop of 37km.

However, the UAE lads rallied to take the third, fourth and fifth places behind the Uruguayan duo and the 7th and 19th places to complete a rewarding day in their first-ever participation in South America.

2007 WEC Junior & Young Riders - Coverage Brazil

UAE riders face tough challenge in world junior championship

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter
Buenos Aires: Despite the absence of some of the leading European teams, the UAE will face a tough challenge in today's World Junior & Young Riders Endurance Championship from some of the rising endurance countries from the region.

Apart from hosts Argentina, who will try to take full advantage of home conditions, the main threat to UAE is likely to come from the riders from Uruguay and Brazil.

Key members of the UAE team arrived late last night including Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Shaikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Mansour Ahmad Al Subose and Mohammad Ahmad Ali Al Subose while Shaikh Abdullah Bin Faisal Al Qasimi and Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, who are already here, took part in an impressive inaugural ceremony earlier on Wednesday evening.

WEC-Young Riders: Ahmad to lead UAE contingent

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter

Buenos Aires: Former world champion and Doha Asian Games team gold medallist Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum leads a six-member UAE team at the World Junior & Young Riders Endurance Championship, 2007 to be held here on March 16.

Shaikh Ahmad along with Shaikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who was also in the gold medal winning team at the Doha Asiad along with Shaikh Abdullah Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, Mansoor Ahmad Al Subose and Mohammad Ahmad Ali Al Subose comprise the six-member UAE team.

Shaikh Abdullah and Shaikh Ahmad had won the silver and bronze medals respectively in the last World Junior & Young Riders Endurance Championship held in Bahrain in 2005 and the UAE team will be looking to improve on that display in conditions which will be totally new and unfamiliar to them.



The UAE riders, who have almost dominated the European and Asian endurance circuits, now venture out into the South American continent with a total of about 60 riders expected to be in the fray.

Though the final list of riders and teams will be known only after tomorrow's final veterinary check, over 10 teams are expected to be in the running for the team event while all the entrants will take a shot at the individual medals.

Apart from Shaikh Abdullah Bin Faisal Al Qasimi and Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, whose horses have arrived here from the UAE, the others will be riding Uruguyan horses owned by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Shaikh Mohammad has based about 30 endurance horses in Uruguay and about six of them have arrived here after qualifying for the championship.

The 120-km event will be held at the Campo De Mayo on the outskirts of Buenos Aires and will be contested over five stages of 37km, 32km, 21km, 20km and 9km.

An opening ceremony later this evening (Buenos Aries time is about seven hours behind UAE time) will start the event.

"The horses are all in good condition and we have arrived here well in advance to make all preparations.

"The list of four names for the team will only be finalised after the final vet check and we are hoping the horses will be fit and pass the test," said Ali Moosa, Head of Endurance, Dubai Equestrian Club.

[More ...]

Argentina: 2007 Junior & Young Rider World Championship Entry List