Scottland: Gran National Triumph

Gran National Triumph

Jun 20 2008

JOCKEY Rachel Dewar, 79, came second in an epic 78-mile race and put it down to being young at heart.

The grandmother-of-two, who was in the saddle for 12 hours, modestly played down the fuss.

She said: "All you've got to do is sit there, it's not that hard."

Rachel, of Duns, Berwickshire, started the circular Hillhead Endurance Race at 7am in Musselburgh, East Lothian.

She finished on her horse Gypsy Cream at 7pm and admiited: "I was certainly feeling it for a few days afterwards."

Rachel, who took up endurance riding when fox hunting was banned, said: "I've got plenty of life in me yet. Horse riding keeps me fit."

Images of the Event

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Five Malaysians in World Endurance Championships

PETALING JAYA: Five Malaysian riders have qualified thus far for the FEI World Endurance Championships (WEC), which will be held at the newly-built Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) in Lembah Bidong from Nov 6-9.

The Malaysian challenge will be spearheaded by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.

The WEC chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Mohd Nor, said that the others who have secured qualification were Datuk Kamaruddin Abdul Ghani, Rosdan Mohd Nor, Mohd Shuaib Ishak and Abdul Halim Alihan.

As hosts, Malaysia have been allotted 12 places in the championships and have until Aug 21 to complete their qualification quota.

"I am very confident that our riders will be able to fill up the remaining seven places," said Dr Salleh at a press conference yesterday to announce the details of the championships.

"The entire training and selection process of the riders for the WEC have been left to the National Sports Institute (NSI)."

The NSI director general, Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz, said that there were several qualifying events more for riders to make the cut.

"There is a group of 11 riders and they are very serious in their training and have been pushing hard," he said.

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WEC 2008 venue in Terengganu is among world's best

Jaiarajo Letchumanan, BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, THURS:

The Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP), the venue for the World Endurance Championship 2008, is rated as one of the best in the world by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI).
The endorsement came from non other than FEI’s Non-Olympic Sports Director Ian Williams who has been regularly inspecting the TIEP situated in Lembah Bidong, Merang in Setiu, near Kuala Terengganu.

"I have been to many other venues around the world and the TIEP a number of times. The facilities there are simply fabulous and most impressive. I must say this is among the top three in the world, with the other two in the middle east," said Williams at the launch of the event here today.

“The stables are luxuriously spaced out, the crewing area, the departure gates and the permanent vet gates with more than 20 trotting lanes puts TEIP among the elite group of endurance venues," he said.

Terengganu will host the WEC, the first tropical country to do so, from Nov 6-9 at the TIEP with about 140 riders from 41 countries competing in the individual and team events held over 160km.
The Malaysian challenge will be spearheaded by the country’s number one sportsman, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abdidin, who became the first Malaysian to qualify for the WEC.


Full Article - New Straights Times Online

Sheik masterminds brumby 'super breed'

June 18, 2008 01:53am

AN oil sheik billionaire has started flying wild mares and stallions from remote WA to Dubai to create a "super breed of endurance racehorse.

Thirteen of the animals have arrived at plush stables in the United Arab Emirates from Lake Gregory, south of Halls Creek in the Kimberley, Peth Now reports.

The deputy ruler of Dubai, Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, sent his personal Australian veterinarian Alan Post to hand-pick them for breeding and racing.

He was alerted to their plight by a website run by Broome woman Libby Lovegrove.

Mr Post said the horses, previously regarded as pests and sold for pet food at $20 a head, could spark a stampede of orders from other cashed-up Gulf stables if they did well.

"The boss hasn't seen this lot yet (from Australia) because he's away, but if he likes them he will send us back for more,'' Mr Post told The Sunday Times from Dubai.

They will initially be used for the popular sport of endurance racing, covering distances of between 120km to 160km.

"They are thoroughbred types with a dash of Arab with good strong hearts, something which is probably genetic and passed on from original bloodlines,'' Mr Post said.

"We will start racing them this year and when the females are retired, we will start a breeding program.''

He said the sport was "massive'' in Dubai because sheiks could compete.

"They don't have to be expert riders or be the weights of jockeys,'' he said.

"It's something they can do themselves and their children can do as part of something they are passionate about.''

The tycoon owns thousands of horses and spends much of his time in England for big-ticket racing events.

Ms Lovegrove, an ardent animal rights campaigner, said it was a potential breakthrough after three years of hard work.

"This is wonderful news that could guarantee the future of the horses and provide a form of revenue for the three Aboriginal communities around Lake Gregory,'' she said.

"Hopefully, if the sheik is happy with them he'll take more and thus prove the value of these horses.''

Ms Lovegrove started her website after visiting the area with Margaret River equine veterinarian Sheila Greenwell.

Her research has indicated that many of the horses are descendants of thoroughbred Arab horses, taken to the Balgo and Kalumburu missions by priests looking to breed and sell them in the 1930s.

Some were used as stock horses on cattle stations, but were released into the wild when replaced by motorcycles and helicopters.

"Today, these beautiful horses (palominos, buckskins, chestnuts and paints) roam the wild gorges, rainforests and parklands of the northern Kimberley,'' Ms Lovegrove said.

The Paruku (Lake Gregory) indigenous protected area is a wetland of national and international importance, covering about 270,000ha in the northern Great Sandy Desert.

Full Article at news.com.au

Italy: Assisi Endurance Lifestyle 2008

www.assisiendurancelifestlye.it - Website


The 160 kms platform: De Angelis, the champion Garatti, Laliscia


The 120 kms platform: Sardo, the champion Ercoli, Bottiglia

ASSISI – Finally kissed by weather conditions less penalizing compared to the previuos days, the Italian Championships of equestrian endurance in Assisi have concluded. The tricolour verdicts expressed in the day of Saturday have been completed by a very heartfelt appointment like the Pony Endurance competitions reserved to the youngest people.

The daughter of art Costanza Laliscia, who saddling Flamenco has excelled over the shorter distance, and Alessandra Lolli, who has laid down the law on the longer competition, have placed side by side Simona Garatti and Enrico Ercoli, respectively Absolute Italian Champion and Young riders Italian Champion at the end of the two competitions played on Saturday.
The curtain, which is fallen on the Absolute Championships, has also been the occasion to strike a first balance, that is certaintly good by the light of the logistic difficulties caused by the bad weather conditions.

The torrential rains fallen down for the whole week and above all on Friday and Saturday - during the competitions as well- have put to hard test the organizational machine created by Umbria Endurance Equestrian Team.
The reply, however, has been as proud and furious as the climatic "provocations": the route of competition, in every respect under examination by the International Equestrian Federation considering the next European Championships, has brilliantly passed the test, proving to be technically high-level and extremely resistant for what concerns the consistence of the ground as well.

The rest has been made by the passion, the preparation and the spirit of sacrifice with which the staff and the lot of volunteers have undertaken in order to guarantee all the competitors the best conditions to express the maximum level.
Not by chance the endurance responsible of the Fei, Ian Williams, has had words of great appreciation: "I can but express a positive judgment about the route of these Italian Championships, that are going to be the theatre of the European Championships in 2009: it´s a perfect mix by the point of view of the altimetries and it really succeeds in getting the talents of the best horses emerged. We are waiting with great interest for coming back to Assisi on occasion of the next year competitions".

Absolute Italian Championship 160 kms
1. Simona Garatti-Z’Tadore Al Maury; 2. Danilo De Angelis-Present Jey; 3. Gianluca Laliscia-Seerseri.
Best condition prize: Z’Tadore Al Maury

Young riders Italian Championship 120 kms
1. Enrico Ercoli-Schhadja; 2. Marco Sardo-Dellaru; 3. Giordano Bottiglia-Zefirio.
Best condition prize: Schadja

Open 160 kms Classification
1. Simona Garatti-Z’Tadore Al Maury; 2. Danilo De Angelis-Present Jey; 3. Jack Begaud-Magui de la Perriere.

Pony Italian Championship cat. A 4,8 kms
1. Costanza Laliscia-Flamenco; 2. Maria Chiara Fischetto-Farfallina; 3. Martina Fabrizi-Dotto.

Pony Italian Championship cat. B 9,6 kms
1. Alessandra Lolli-Alish Kashmir; 2. Francesco Ricci-Golden Died; Maria Sara Santicchia-Pablo.


In the photo above the category A Pony endurance platform: Fischietto, the champion Laliscia e Fabrizi

In the photo below the category B Pony endurance platform: Ricci, the champion Lolli e Santicchia

Mosti bags Kingdom of Bahrain title

Laurent Mosti of France notched the Le Raid de Yvelines Endurance Horseride Championship for the Kingdom of Bahrain Trophy in France. The French riders dominated the 160-km event and took the top six positions. Mosti steered Baja De Piboul to win the race with a total ride time of eight hours, 29 minutes and 53 seconds. Not far behind was Remi Faucher (8:29:55) who was followed by Vincent Dupont (8:38:26) and Denis Pesce (8:38:32) in third and fourth places respectively. Joel Garcin (8:40:04) and Jean Daniel Aiello (8:44:40) were fifth and sixth.

Bahrain Royal Endurance team manager Dr Khalid Ahmed Hassan presented the trophy to the winner.

More than 110 riders from Europe, Qatar and Oman took part in this challenging race which was divided into six stages.

Among Arab riders Qatar's Yousif Al Malki (10:21:00) was the first to cross the finish line in 23rd position overall. Oman's Mohammed Al Foori and compatriot Sami Al Balushi (10:48:37 each) shared the 28th place and Qatari Mohammed Tahous was 31st.
Bahrai - Gulf Daily News

Man only just loses out in race with horse

Jun 15 2008 Media Wales

FOUR legs triumphed over two legs, but only just, in an endurance event with a difference today.

More than 300 individual runners, 65 relay teams of three runners each and 46 horses competed in the annual 22-mile Man Versus Horse race in Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, mid Wales.

Runner John Macfarlane was the first placed individual runner when he finished the gruelling course in a time of two hours, 18 minutes and 13 seconds.

The time was just a mere 30 seconds slower than Geoffrey Allen from Budeleigh, Worcestershire, who crossed the line riding horse Duke’s Touch of Fun.

The first race took place in 1980 and it has been a regular fixture in the eccentric village also known for its Bog Snorkelling Championships.

Three years ago, Huw Lobb from Bedford became the first human to win the competition and scooped £25,000 of unclaimed prize money accumulated over the years.

Equine superiority was restored the following year when horse Gifted Lady, ridden by mother-of-one Lisa Cooke, 39, from Carmarthen, South Wales, won in two hours and 19 minutes.

Gordon Green of Green Events, the company responsible for putting on many of the quirky events in Llanwrtyd Wells, said: “Mr Macfarlane was very disappointed to lose by just 30 seconds.

“Had he beat the horse he would have won £30,000 but in the end he just collected a cup, which was a shame.”

“I’m very pleased with how the day went. The weather conditions were fine and it was a glorious day.

“We had 46 horses taking part which is more than any other horse race in Britain.”

He added: “People are surprised that a runner can be as fast as a horse. You have to remember that the course is over a long distance and they have to keep horses in good condition and they have to slow down and stop ahead of the vet check halfway round the course.

“All these things are slowing but are required for the welfare of the horse because it is easy to run a horse into the ground.

“There is a lot of welfare attached to racing horse whereas there isn’t for runners.”

Full article