Gold in sport of sheiks

Muswellbrook Chronicle
July 20
photo: MEDAL WINNER: Renee Saxby blitzed the Trans-Tasman Federation Equestrian Internationals as a member of the Australian team.

IF HORSE racing is the sport of kings, then endurance riding is the sport of Sheiks and local Sandy Hollow resident, Renee Saxby, has brought home another gold medal for Australia after blitzing the Trans-Tasman Federation Equestrian Internationals (FEI), as a member of the Australian team.

Renee's latest success gives her the chance to qualify for the World Championships to be held in Malaysia next year.

The host of next year's event, the King of Malaysia, joined the Trans-Tasman ride to help sure up his own qualification to ride in his home country for the Championships.

Renee said the support that the Malaysians gave the Australian team was fantastic.

"The king had a lot of supporters with him and every time we stopped at a check point the Malaysians would yell "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi"," laughed Renee.

"I rode with the King for about 100ks and he was very nice," she said.

"He is actually going to pay for six Australians and their horses to go to the championships next year, which is incredible," said Renee.

Australia holds the most team medals in international endurance events.

Internationally the sport has the largest membership of any horse sport and in Australia it is now the fastest growing equine discipline.

Renee only began endurance riding in 2001 and is as passionate as she is successful in her new sport.

"You need to be mentally a bit tough to be out at night alone for six or seven hours without anyone else in sight, you certainly get a good bond with your horse," said Renee.

"Not a lot of people get up at night put a light on their heads and ride for 100ks," she laughs.

"At the last event my team member and I rode for three quarters of a leg in the middle of the night without seeing anyone and we started to get a bit worried; we wondered if we had missed an arrow and were actually lost, but thankfully we were on the right track," she said.

Renee said that competing in Australia prepares them well for competing in the Middle East, where the sport is extremely popular.

"Racing in the Middle East is incredible," said Renee.

"You actually have four wheel drive support for each rider that drives with you on the course and is ready to give you whatever you need," she smiled.

"They will hand you food and water out of the car, you can find out how fast you are actually riding by looking at the speedo, you can even ask them to drive to the nearest riders to calculate how far ahead or behind you are.

"The prize money overseas is huge and various royal families over there all enter the events to race each other," she said.

There is no prize money for endurance events in Australia, so many competitors need to go oversees to compete well in their sport and the Australian bred horses are well sort after by many Arab buyers, so many Australian competitors end up selling their horses.

Some Arab buyers are interested in Cherox Assassin, affectionately known as Killer, so Renee will need to decide if Cherox would prefer to ride with her in Malaysia or relocate to the lap of air conditioned luxury in the Middle East.

Many international riders arrange to ride horses in the event country, rather than the often prohibitive costs of taking their own horses with them.

Botswana athletes query African Games results

Source: Republic of Botswana
18 July, 2007

ALGIERS - Botswana Endurance Association have lodged a formal complaint with the organisers of the 9th All Africa Games concerning unlawful awarding of team medals during the endurance horse riding competition.

The horse riding competition formed part of the All Africa Games currently taking place in Algiers, Algeria.

Sharon Du Plessis, who is the associations president as well as the teams manager, said in an interview that their ground of discontent emanated from the awarding of medals to both Libya and South Africa under dubious circumstances.

She pointed out that the organisers reneged on the rules that were set for the games. She said the agreement for a team to be awarded a medal should consist of four riders, adding that at least of the two riders had to successfully complete the event.

Although South Africa participated in the team, only one of their riders completed the riding.

One of their riders completed the race having been accommodated consistently by the officials of the event to the disposition of all other participating competitors, she said.

It also remains a mystery that Libya was awarded bronze medals having entered only one participant in the event.

Meanwhile, the local equestrian team did not do well as they had anticipated. Although it was the first time to feature in games, she was optimistic that they would do well but were done a blow when the organisers started employing underhand tactics.

She said their dismal performance was also compounded by the fact that they had to use the horses provided for by the organisers.

The horses we found here are not up to the expected standard and they could not finish the races.

Even though they had wished to bring their horses for the competition, she said it would have been expensive to do so.

Ferrying one horse from Botswana to Algeria would have cost us about P60 000, she said.BOPA

Scotland: Neigh bother representing Scotland at horse riding

Forres Gazette

(photo: Preparing to represent Scotland at a national event being held in Swindon are endurance riders from left: Sarah Norris, Diane Michie and Tilly Hepburn-Wright, with their horses: Maddi, Disco and Tenba. The picture was taken by Diane's husband, George Michie.)

By Tanya McLaren
Published: 18 July, 2007

A LOCAL woman is saddling up for a horseback challenge which will she her representing her country in a British event against English, Welsh, Irish and other Scottish riders.

Diane Michie, who runs the Hardmuir Livery Yard just outside Brodie, and her horse Disco, are hoping to do well at the 100-mile endurance riding competition taking place in Swindon during August.

“I am really looking forward to it,” she said. “We were competing last weekend in the Highland Fling competition and Disco did 75 miles in one day. At the Swindon event we will be doing the one hundred miles over two days.”

Diane, who is a member of the Highland branch of the Scottish Endurance Riding Club, is not going to the competition alone as she has been selected to do the challenge along with her club mate, Sarah Norris.

Sarah’s eleven year old daughter, Cawdor Primary School pupil, Tilly Hepburn Wright has also been selected to ride a shorter distance in the junior event.

While Sarah’s horse is a Highland Cross Anglo Arab, Tilly and her mum and daughter are taking their horses, Southolme Blossom and Tenba, which are fell ponies - traditionally quite hardy and native to Britain.

“It is very unusual that three people from Highland have been picked to represent Scotland to start with,” said Diane.

“It is even more unusual that they are not taking Arab horses which usually compete at endurance.”

Her friend, Mandeigh Wells, who keeps her own horses at the Hardmuir yard, said Diane had done extremely well to be selected.

“She’s not good at blowing her own trumpet,” she said, “but it is a major achievement. Its not everyday you get to represent your country in a major competition.”

Diane said she thought she and Sarah, who will be working as a team, stood as good a chance of finishing the event as any of the other competitors. Both are experienced endurance riders and last year Disco came second in the 100 miles, after originally setting out for the 75 miles.

The event is being held over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, August 10 and 11.

There are several watering and sloshing points along the way where Diane’s husband George will be the one man crew making sure that horses and riders are fed and watered, before continuing onto the next stage.

Also taking part from Scotland are riders from the Grampian and Tayside branches of the Scottish Endurance Riding Club.

t.mclaren@forres-gazette.co.uk

Malaysia: EDARAN RIDE AT WEC 2008 VENUE

View Full Edaran Coverage
3 July 2007, Kuala Lumpur - The fifth annual ride of the much anticipated Edaran Endurance Classic will be held from 26--29 July 2007.

As the foremost endurance ride in the country, the EDARAN ENDURANCE CLASSIC has decided to hold its 2007 ride at the Terengganu International Endurance Park in Lembah Bidong, Setiu, Terengganu, the venue of the World Endurance Championship 2008. This decision was made to give full support to the world event.

This year's ride will be jointly organized by Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan (YDSM) and Edaran Digital Systems Berhad (EDARAN).

Edaran Endurance Classic 2007 takes on a special significance and will provide the opportunity for riders to obtain their certificate of competitiveness (COC) to be able to participate in WEC 2008. At the same time it provides foreign riders the opportunity to familiarize themselves to riding conditions in tropical condition.

The ride anticipates a good number of riders including international riders who will be training to qualify for the WEC 2008. Foreign riders who have regularly participated in the EDARAN ENDURANCE CLASSIC rides have continued to bring with them a wealth of experience and skills in the sport of endurance riding.

"Foreign riders present real benefits to the sport of endurance riding in Malaysia through the sharing of knowledge and technical ?know-how' and we are happy to welcome them to our rides," said Dato' Abdul Hamid Mustapha, the Joint-Chairman of the organizing committee.

"We are most privileged and honoured to have the involvement of YDSM as Joint-Organiser of this year's ride, especially because the State of Terengganu will be the Hosting State of WEC 2008. The keen and committed involvement of the YDSM has enabled the organizing committee to hold the event outside of its traditional base in ar-Raudhah Equine Centre, Selangor. This is indeed a most valuable and exciting experience for all involved in the event ," said Dato' Hamid Mustapha.
WEC 2008 - An Opportunity to Showcase Country's Capabilities
"Winning the bid to host the WEC 2008 did not come without effort and due credit must be given to His Majesty The Yang DiPertuan Agong for playing a key and major role in winning the bid. It is now the responsibility and duty of all of us to ensure that the WEC 2008 is held successfully if Malaysia is to enjoy the benefits of hosting this world class event," said Dato' Hamid Mustapha.

Dato' Hamid added that main objective of the EDARAN Endurance Classic 2007 is to keep the momentum of international interest in and awareness that is building towards WEC 2008 in Terengganu.

" We believe that Malaysia's hosting of the WEC 2008 is a chance in a lifetime opportunity to showcase our country's capabilities as a host and organizer of a world class sports event like the WEC" said Dato' Hamid .

"It is our hope that through rides like the EDARAN ENDURANCE CLASSIC 2007, we will be able to contribute towards a successful hosting of WEC 2008. " added Dato' Hamid.

Joint -Chairman Dato' Seri Dr. Salleh Mohd Nor applauded EDARAN for choosing to hold the Ride at the official venue of WEC 2008. He said that this year's Ride has also been ideally timed to build up momentum for the official trial ride that will be held in November this year.

"The YDSM is very happy to be involved in the Ride. Holding the event in Terengganu will not only provide riders the opportunity to train and familiarize themselves to riding conditions in Terengganu but equally important, it will provide the opportunity for our local support crew and event managers and organisers to learn and prepare themselves for the WEC 2008. This ride, in many ways, can serve as a ?trial' event from which we can identify areas that may need further improvement and preparation for the WEC 2008," said Dato' Seri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor.

[More ...]

All Africa Games: Egypt shines in weightlifting, Algeria in horse-riding

Full report on All African Games

Endurance: The host nation won two gold and one silver in the endurance equestrian event. The Algerian trainer praised the result as "outstanding", with rider Karim Djabli on Boheira taking gold in the individual event. Abderrahmane Saidi on Kalbi took silver in the same event, while the Algerian team of Karim Djebli, Ahmed Fayed, Mohamed Rabei and Rafik Bdidi earned the team gold. The bronze in the individual event went to Libya’s Khaled Terhoune on Feqir.

In team competition, South Africa won silver and Libya took the bronze. The twenty-one riders from South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Swaziland, Libya and Algeria taking part in the endurance event rode a distance of 50km on Saturday and a further 50km on Sunday, starting and finishing at Maramane.

African Games: Djabli Karim, riding "Boheira" Endurance winner

Reuters: Kenyans win five Paralympic golds at All Africa Games

Mon Jul 16, 2007 2:40 AM IST136

ALGIERS (Reuters) - Kenya raked in five gold medals in Paralympic athletics to put pressure on the medal leaders at the end of the fifth day of the All Africa Games on Sunday.

Two Kenyan gold medals from Samuel Muchai (1,500m) and Abraham Tarbei (5,000m) put the east African nation renowned for its distance running prowess in a good position with a total of six golds in all events combined.

Algeria, South Africa and Tunisia were runaway leaders at the end of the previous day with 16 gold, 11 silver and 16 bronze, 15-10-11 and 11-11-14 respectively.

Muchai led a Kenyan medal sweep in the race for the totally blind in 4:15.16 as Henry Wanyoike, who won the 5,000m the previous night, added silver in 4:22.01. Francis Thuo, second to Wanyoike the previous day, completed the haul in 4:22.51.

Tarbei added Kenya's second Sunday gold in the 5,000m for the partially blind in 15:25.45. He finished ahead of Ethiopia's Tesfalem Gebru (15:29.30) and Tunisia's Fauzai Mohamed (15:46.16).

Algeria's Abiza Amine won the 1,500m for the partially blind in 3:59.96 ahead of Kenya's Henry Kirwa who timed 4:00.50.

In Blida, Algeria's horse-riding team snatched two gold medals on Sunday, one in the individual event and the other in the team event, as well as a silver medal in the endurance event. Algeria's Djabli Karim, riding "Boheira", won gold in the individual event.

Nigeria beat Egypt 3-0 to win the women's team's table tennis gold at Rouiba. In a women's group B soccer match, Ghana beat Senegal 3-0 at the Stade Omar Hamadi Bologhine to join Nigeria in the semi-finals.

FRA: New Champions of France

Celine Schwart on King Farhoz de Paute achieved the Championship of France on Saturday at the St. Galmier course. They held a steady pace with a group of 8 riders through the day. The final phase of the race saw a speed of greater than 23 km/hr as the 2006 Champion Jack Begaud on Kheopsy du Pilat pushed hard.

Verginie Atger on Kaena and Jean Luc Riou on Lasco du Prat both pushed hard to catch the front runners, competing the 6th phase in 24.51 and 24.76 km/hr respectively, but fell a bit short. a 1 second differential between Begaud and Atger, followed by Riou 10 seconds later decided 2,3,4 in this 164km endurance race!

1 - Celine Schwartz on King Farhoz de Paute
2 - Jack Begaud on Kheopsy du Pilat
3 - Verginie Atger on Kaena

Detailed timing and overall results of the 54 starters (with 29 competions) from 10 countries maybe found at: EnduranceEurope.net