MAS: 6 Riders Vie for Finish

Jack Begaud, Naser Marzouqi, Maria Vitoria Liberal Lins, and Khalid al Shafar have closed within 4 minutes of each other as they prepare for the final 10.1 km of the 160km race. Marzouqi and Lins each brought their pace to 18+km/hr for the 6th leg to close the gap. The cool morning air is helping to encourage the riders to move forward with plenty of horse left.

Daylight will great the riders and horses as the pull this final leg along the sea shore of the South China Sea. American riders John Crandell and Kathy Brunges are following closely on strong horses - but must overcome a 15 minute lead to achieve first to finish.

7 have been eliminated at this point of the race, 4 from the list of invited foreign riders.

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Begaud first to Gate 5 at Sultan's Cup

Jack Begaud, the current #1 FEI endurance rider globally, has just arrived first at Gate 5. He was followed closely into the vet gate by Che Ahmad Yusri Muhamad of MAS - entering Gate 4 as the last rider on that phase of the course.

It is 04:51am and beginning to feeling tiredness of 12+ hours of competition!

jt

Video: http://www.malaysia-wec.com/sc_video.html

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Hujan Bukan Halangan Buat Yang Di Pertuan Agong

Oleh: Farezul Fadzal

Yang DiPertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin meredah hujan ketika menyertai Kejohanan Kuda Lasak Piala Sultan Terengganu 2007 di Lembah Bidong. - Gambar ZULKIPLI PUTRA.

Hujan lebat selepas beberapa minit kejohanan Kuda Lasak Piala Sultan Terengganu 2007 berlangsung sedikit pun tidak mematahkan semangat Yang Di Pertuan Agong Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin meneruskan cabaran sejauh 160km.

Tidak ketinggalan Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah berkenan hadir sambil memberi semangat kepada Sultan Mizan.

Semangat seperti itu menjadikan acara berkenaan bertambah sengit terutamanya apabila acara tersebut turut disertai oleh peserta terbaik dunia, Maria Alvarez Ponton dari Sepanyol.

Dalam pada itu, Menteri Besar, Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh berkata Terengganu Endurance International Park (TEIP) merupakan antara lokasi sukan kuda lasak terbaik di dunia pada ketika ini.

Kata-kata tersebut turut sama diakui oleh peserta luar negara yang menyertai pada Kejohanan Kuda Lasak Piala Sultan Mizan 2007 di Lembah Bidong.

“Kejohanan kali ini menjadi penanda aras kepada kemampuan Terengganu dalam menganjurkan kejohanan yang sama pada peringkat dunia pada 2008 nanti,” kata Dato’ Seri Idris kepada media ketika ditemui pada pada upacara pelepasan peserta pada Kejohanan Kuda Lasak Piala Sultan Terengganu 2007 di Lembah Bidong, hari ini (10 November).

Upacara pelepasan acara berkenaan turut disempurnakan oleh Dato’ Seri Idris Jusoh.

Hadir sama menyaksikan upacara berkenaan, Yang Amat Mulia Tengku Sri Laksamana Raja, Ahli Majlis Penasihat Pemangku Raja; Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kebudayaan, Belia, Sukan dan Badan NGO Negeri, Dato’ Din Adam; Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pertanian dan Pembangunan Wilayah, Datuk Mohd Jidin Shafee dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pembangunan Infrastruktur, Kemudahan Awam dan Komunikasi Negeri, Dato’ Wan Hisham Dato’ Wan Salleh.

Acara yang disertai 38 peserta memulakan cabaran dengan pelbagai rintangan antaranya hujan lebat dan meneruskan acara sehingga lewat pagi bagi menamatkan acara sejauh 160km dan para peserta dijangka menamatkan acara berkenaan pada jam 11.30 pagi esok.

Unit Komunikasi Negeri.

Dato' Seri Idris mengibar bendera ketika membuat pelepasan peserta acara 160km pada kejohanan berkenaan.

Peserta memulakan cabaran selepas upacara pelepasan.

Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Leads Sultan Terengganu Cup Endurance Race

SETIU, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin will lead the Malaysian challenge in the Sultan's Cup Terengganu Endurance Race 2007 at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) here today.

Tuanku Mizan, the patron of the championship, is participating in the 160km race. The No. 101 rider will ride his horse "Harmere Cairo".

The King is expected to come up against stiff competition from world top riders, including world No. 1 Jack Begaud of France, world No. 2 Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton of Spain, John Osborne Crandell III of the United States and Mercedes Tapia of Argentina.

The 17 other riders are from Brazil, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Australia.

The Malaysian challenge will also come from Datuk Abdullah Taib, Datuk Awang Kamaruddin, Ahmad Azura and Azman Mat Ripin from the Darul Iman Endurance Team.

The endurance challenge was flagged off by Menteri Besar Datuk Idris Jusoh at 4.30pm today.

Even the downpour 10 minutes later failed to dampen the spirits of the participants.

The event is part of the preparations for the World Endurance Race (FEI 2008) to be held at TIEP next year.

Tuanku Mizan will present the prizes to the winners at Dewan Besar, Wisma Darul Iman, tomorrow night.

-- BERNAMA

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Young riders raring to go in season opener

photo: wo Qualifier Rides - 80 km and 44 km, respectively - were held at the Boudtheib Endurance Village yesterday.

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter
Published: November 09, 2007, 23:39

Abu Dhabi: After last week's qualifier rides, the UAE's 2007-08 endurance season gets into competitive mode with today's 100km Boudtheib Endurance Cup for Junior and Young Riders.

Over 30 youngsters are expected to take part in the season's opening ride which gets off to a mass start early today at the Boudtheib Endurance Village in Al Khatem, Abu Dhabi.

Two Qualifier rides will also be held today and totally over a 100 horses and riders will be seen in action.

The Boudtheib Endurance Cup is a junior ride and will be run in four stages of 30kms, 30kms, 24kms and 16 kms.

Busy season

Meanwhile, two Qualifier rides for women were held at the Al Asayl Endurance Centre in Sweihan, Abu Dhabi yesterday.

The Qualifier Rides, one over 80 kms and the other over 44 kms, are part of such event organised by the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation to help novice riders and horses to qualify for longer distances.

However, the main competition in the open category will start on November 17 with a 120-km Open ride in Boudtheib Endurance Village.

"The 2007-08 season has already warmed up with the Qualifier rides at Boudtheib last week and yesterday's Ladies Qualifiers at Al Asayl.

"Today we are looking forward to see the juniors in action and some talented riders are in the fray," said Hussain Mohammad Hussain, Secretary General of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation.

"Once again we have a busy endurance season ahead of us and this comes on the heels of a fantastic 2006-07 season.

"Riders from all over the world took part last season with a 24 FEI rides, two National rides and 25 Qualifying rides being held.

"Again the venues will be the Dubai Equestrian Club in Seih Assalam, the Al Wathba Endurance Village, the Boudtheib Endurance Village and the Al Asayl Endurance Centre all in Abu Dhabi.

Sultan's Cup: Gate 1

The riders have left on the second phase of the race as dark settled over a very very wet endurance venue. The 23c - 99.1% humidity is providing a very difficult endurance challenge for all riders and horses. The possibility of elmination at gate 1 faces Mariana Cesarino Steinbruch as she was requested to re-examine her horse b/f passing gate 1.

Mariana is one of the 19 Invited Foreign Riders in the event. The completion rate of 40% of these riders must complete if the TIEP in Malaysia is to be the home of the 20087 FEI World Endurance Championship.

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38 Prepare for Sultan's Cup Start

Steph Teeter
Endurance.Net
38 Horses and Riders are ready for the 4:30pm start of the Sultan's Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007! The vetting procedure was accomplished successfully by all horses presented. The international competition is a test also for the 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship to be held in November 2008 at the Terengganu International Endurance Park.

International Riders Jack Begaud, Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton, and Mercedes Tapia are just a few of the leading international riders present to attempt the 160km course.

The race with be presented on the Internet with Live video feeds as well as dynamic positioning displays so that all of the world might follow this challenging event!

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