Great Britain: Eskar's an Endurance Star

Full Article - Midweek Herald

devon.editorial@archant.co.uk
12 December 2007
ENDURANCE rider Kirsty Wiscombe, from Lyme Regis, has just returned from the Endurance Great Britain Annual Awards ceremony where she picked up an armful of awards.

They were Reserve Supreme Champion, Best Arab, second in Senior Trophy and third in Best Graded. Kirsty, and her horse Eskar, were 27 points behind the Supreme Champion (having missed the last qualifier to compete in France) and several hundred points ahead of the next horses.

She has battled back from the death of her GB team horse Crimson Skye in January and breaking her own ankle in several places.

She said: "I just wanted to give up. My injury meant withdrawing from the World Equestrian Games squad, and we fought for two months to heal Crimson Skye's broken leg before having to have him put down. It was a terrible season."

A new horse, the seven-year-old pure bred Arab Eskar managed to change her mind. "He achieved things I didn't think were possible for a horse of his age," she said.

He was fourth in the tough 160km ride at Cirencester in June, also winning the best condition award. He had another best condition award at Firle two day ride and the season, curtailed by the Foot and Mouth outbreak restrictions, ended with a 16th place in the two day FEI three star ride Les 2 Jours de Montcuq in the South of France.

Kirsty said: "He is now one of the few 160km qualified seven year olds in the world and I had several French riders wanting to buy him."

It was a remarkable effort considering as well the marathon of actually getting there - 815 miles, 26 hours, including ferry trip, door to door.

Eskar finished the season 194th in the FEI world rankings and the combination are back on the GB senior squad. Their first team assessment will be in February.

Next season Kirsty will have four horses competing. Eskar and Connie (who also had a good season and is aimed at the 160km Golden Horseshoe class next year) and two new novices, Yawl Hillbilly, a homebred stallion, and Ishtar Spirit, a four year old part bred Arab mare who will be ridden by young rider Stevie Jones.

Junior rider Shelby France (who lives in Lancashire) who Kirsty has been training/escorting, was also crowned Junior Champion.

Dubai: A fast 120km

Results

1. Hassan Bin Ali (Al Jamaal Jafar) 4 hrs 50 mins 17 secs:
2. Omair Hussain Al Beloushi (Koringkloof Indian Star) 4:56.24;
3. Mohammad Rashed Saeed Al Subose (Kishon Zeal) 5:11.09;
4. Hamad Mohammad Al Ahbadi (Agecroft Jos) 5:15.20;
5. Roshan Ali Shiraj Khan (Le-Wardi Daneska) 5:16.10.


Ali's fast pace guides him home

Hassan Bin Ali victorious in endurance race

Endurance has changed, says winner

Jeni Gilbert EnduranceGB Supreme Champion 2007

At the EnduranceGB Annual Awards Dinner on 1st December Jeni Gilbert was announced as our new Supreme Champion and was awarded a Saddle, kindly donated by Lorna Winn of Saintwestwell Saddlery Full results now available....

[More ...]
Trophy Winners

FEI: Endurance Task Force update

FEI Bureau Meeting. November 2007

The main item brought to the attention of the Bureau for information and approval following the meeting of the FEI Endurance Committee in Paris (FRA) on 2 April 2007 was the progress made by the Endurance Task Force established to carry out a full review of the discipline.

The Task Force’s mandate is to proactively gather ideas/suggestions and propose changes indicative of the collective wish to continue to develop and raise the standards and perception of international Endurance around the world, keeping Horse Welfare issues as a primary concern.

Assigned areas of responsibility include:
1. Qualification – James Bryant (CAN): Criteria for Championships, Horse Log book/Results Record, Weights, Regional Championships, Handicap System, Leasing of Horses
2. Organization – Vijay Moorthy (IND): Public perception, Dress, Terminology, Abandonment of Events – Protocol, Approved technology, Handicap system.
3. Equine Protection - Fred Barrelet (SUI): Equitation training, Equine research, Minimum rest period between events, Local environment monitoring, Hold/Presentation/Criteria evaluation, Progression through ride distances.
4. Education – Maurizio Stecco (ITA): TD/Course designers, Availability of qualified officials, Maintenance of Official status, FEI database, Courses and development, Star rating of officials.
5. Legal Controls – Art Priesz (USA): Metabolic eliminations, Rider suspension, Enforced rest periods (horses).
6. Competition Structure – John Robertson (GBR): Low level distances (are they a danger?), star rating of distances, Number of vet gates – climate, TD responsibilities, Progressive closing of vet gates, Best Condition Rules.

The areas that have been looked at by the Task Force are:

- Qualification criteria for horses and riders to compete in FEI events
- Logbook
- Event Development (Public perception)
- Dress
- Terminology
- Abandonment of Events
- Approved Technology
- Handicap System
- Roles of Official
- Training of Officials
- Categories and Rankings of Officials
- Low Level Distances
- Star Rating - distances
- Technical Delegate Responsibilities
- Best Condition Rules
- Minimum weight

National Federations to Report Metabolic Eliminations

The FEI has requested new reporting procedures of all National Federations and Ride Organizers. This entails reporting metabolic eliminations for all events, both CEI and CEN. Note that riders (and horses) Certificate of Capability (CoC) will be withdrawn if:

1) a metabolic elimination which requires invasive treatment occurs within 6 months of the Nominated Entries Date for the 2008 WEC.

2) two consecutive metabolic eliminations occur within the same 6 month period.

This loss of CoC will likely effect the decision by riders, trainers, and owners with respect to the application of invasive treatment following an endurance event. It is assumed that intravenous re-hydration following a metabolic elimination will cause the withdrawal of the CoC.

Endurance-Belgium.com Report

FEI Letter to National Federations

FEI Article 825.6 - Final Qualification Criteria

You may comment below.

2008 HH Presidents Cup - Foreign Rider Invitations

December 2
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club

Invited Riders and Horses, H.H. Presidents Cup, 16 February, 2008

England
Susan Haves and 'Jade Rani'

Spain
Eloina Fernandez and 'Rayito'
Patrizia Mariscal and 'Kat Adal Kaiser'

Portugal
Joao Rapos and 'Quinza'
Filipe Cacherinha and 'Papoila'

Germany
Gabriela Foerster and 'Priceless Gold'

France
Marilyn Lemoine and 'Sheraki'
Phillipe Benoit and 'Akim Du Boulve'
Virgine Atger and 'Kangoo D' Aurabelle'

Italy
Maura Liviana and 'Cyriak'
Chiara Marrama and 'Magic Start'
Patrizia Giacchero and 'India'

USA
John Crandell and 'HH Saba Shams'
Kathy Brunjes and 'Theatric'
Steve Rojek and 'Seyvilla Triproof'

For previous Endurance.Net coverages of HH President's Cup:
http://www.endurance.net/2005PresidentsCup/
http://www.endurance.net/international/2006presidentscup/
http://www.endurance.net/international/uae/2007PresCup/

Uruguay to host 2009 Pan American Championship

December 3, 2007
Steph Teeter
www.Endurance.Net

The FEI has accepted Uruguay's bid to host the 2009 Pan American Championship. The competition will be held during the month of April, which is autumn in South America and the weather is typically cool and pleasant. The exact location of the competition has not been determined, but a possible venue might be Punta del Este, the popular resort town on the southern coast of Uruguay. This area, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Rio del Plata River, is modern and upscale and a very popular vacation destination with a wide range of hotels, restaurants, country clubs and resorts. It also offers everything for a beautiful and challenging competition - forests, grasslands, lakes and long stretches of sandy beach. The Club Burnett, a large equestrian center is being considered as a venue which would provide a large competition area complete with stabling for the horses.

According to Ketty Friedman, a Uruguay FEI 4* Judge who has been involved with International Endurance in Uruguay since 1997, there is a very dedicated core group of people who have been working together to build the sport in this country. They will work during the next several months to finalize the date and the venue for the 2009 event. Gustavo Sclavo, president of the Uruguay Equestrian Federation has strong ties with Endurance discipline, has also been instrumental in building International Endurance in Uruguay, and in helping secure the bid for the 2009 Pan American Championship. They are certain that Uruguay will host a world class event and they look forward to introducing the world to this small South American country.

Uruguay Endurance - Endurance.Net coverage of 2007 Rocha Internacional





Photos: Beach at Punta del Este, Ketty Friedman and Gustavo Sclaro at Rocha Internacional Endurance, Pueblocasa - artist Carlos Paez Vilaro, Sailboats at Punta del Este