Australia: Riders from all over head here

GYMPIE region endurance riders can look forward to a big season with State Championships at Imbil this weekend and the prestigious Tom Quilty Gold Cup in Nanango in two months time.

And this weekend's riders can expect a more interesting event, with recent rain creating many more flowing creek crossings than is usually the case.

After overcoming the effects of last year's equine influenza outbreak, more than 100 of Australia's best riders will assemble at Imbil Showgrounds on Saturday to compete in the 2008 State Endurance Riding Championships.

Event publicist, Peter Hennessy said the event would be held over "a spectacular 160km course through the Imbil and Kenilworth State Forests."

"It is a test for both horses and riders to achieve this feat in less than 24 hours," he said.

"Horses are subject to rigorous veterinary checks every 20km approximately and any sign of lameness or metabolic disorder will immediately disqualify the competitor."

Promising many excellent photographic vantage points for spectators, he said the course would be "even more interesting this year, as there will be many flowing creek crossings."

Mr Hennessy said organisers were anticipating the winner would cross the line about 4pm Saturday, after a midnight start on Friday.

And, in September, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup is expected to draw competitors internationally, as well as from all over Australia.

The major endurance ride will be held in Nanango on September 19 to 21.

"Considered one of the most challenging and competitive horse events in the world, the 'Quilty' attracts champion riders from all over," publicist Pauline Clayton said yesterday.

"Last year, the King of Malaysia was one of the competitors at the Nanango International Endurance event," she said. The ride is a brainchild of outback legend RM Williams and now attracts up to 250 of the world's finest riders.

Ms Clayton said that with friends, buyers, vet teams and officials, a crowd of more than 1000 is expected, with many camping out at the showgrounds.

"Despite metrics, the original idea of riding a horse 100 miles in a day has held true and the course is now 160km through the hilly terrain of the East Nanango State Forest in the South Burnett region," she said.

Origianl Article

Smoke questions cloud July 19 Tevis Cup ride’s future

Roseville Press-Tribune online
Organizers of 100-mile horse race say they'll make decision by July 16
By Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer

photo: view up the American River's middle fork canyon on Monday shows how smoky the Western States Trail route has been in recent days. The Quarry Trail, part of the Tevis Cup route riders will ride on July 19 and 20, can be seen on the bottom right.

Now it’s the turn of Tevis Cup organizers to think the unthinkable.

This year’s 100-mile ride from Squaw Valley to Auburn is still scheduled to start July 19.

But as the days count down and thick smoke from Placer County fires continues to lower air quality and raise health concerns, the Western States Trail Foundation has established a timeline to provide answers to the 150 riders and 800 volunteers.

Under that timeline, a final decision could come July 16.

Tom Christofk, trail foundation president, said Monday that ride organizers were moving ahead “full throttle” with plans to stage the ride along the Sierra Nevada’s Western States Trail July 19 and 20.

“The buckles are made, vendors are locked in and the contracts signed,” Christofk said.

Cancellation of the 54th running of the prestigious horse ride would be unprecedented. But so would have been cancellation of the Western States Endurance Run. Organizers decided June 25 – three days before the June 28 ultra marathon – to cancel the event because of smoke and safety concerns.

Christofk said that fire patterns indicate no immediate threats to the Western States Trail or difficulties that would hinder firefighting operations on the Forest Hill Divide.

That leaves smoke – or lack thereof – as the key to keeping the Tevis Cup running.

As Tevis Cup planning moves forward, committee members will meet Wednesday with U.S. Forest Service officials in the high country of Robinson Flat along the trail. A day later, Christofk said that if the chances are 50-50 that the ride could be cancelled, riders coming from 1,000 or more miles away from the event would be notified of conditions.

Riders from the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Canada and Europe are due to take part in this year’s Tevis Cup – one of the world’s most prestigious endurance rides.

On July 14, a Monday, committee members would re-assess the smoke situation to again consider notifying participants of smoke levels.

Then on July 16 – a Wednesday – committee members would have a clearer indication of whether unhealthy levels of smoke would continue to lurk in the air on the Tevis Cup weekend.

“That’s our ‘go-no go’ day for a final decision,” Christofk said. "It would be premature at this point make that decision because it’s tough to forecast out more than 48 hours.”

The ride has come close to cancellation just twice before. In both those instances, Christofk said he’s been told that ride founder Wendell Robie made the decision the night before to keep it going.

Potato Richardson, a two-time Tevis Cup winner, said that he has never seen anything like the smoky conditions now blanketing the area in the 36 years he’s been riding in the event. One year, the ride was re-routed because of snow levels but never because of smoke, he said.

Richardson was in the same position last week as the Tevis Cup leadership. On Wednesday, as president of the Gold Country Endurance Ride in the Georgetown area, he was forced to announce that smoke would cancel this past weekend’s 30- and 50-mile rides.

At least 100 riders had to make other plans. Richardson said he was playing host at his Cool-area home to three riders from London, England, who were out for the event. The weekend’s smoke was thick enough to keep him and his guests from doing any serious riding but they did get out for a slow walk Sunday.

Monday was even worse, however.

“The situation’s so bad that I woke up today and smelled the air and said to myself that I didn’t even want to be outside,” Richardson said.

The Journal’s Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.

Full article - Roseville Press-Tribune

Queensland to host historic Quilty endurance ride

Horsetalk.co.nz
July 7, 2008

Australia's prestigious Tom Quilty Gold Cup endurance ride will take place in Nanango, Queensland, in September this year.

Considered one of the most challenging and competitive horse events in the world, the "Quilty" attracts champion riders from Australia and overseas. Last year one of the competitors at the Nanango International Endurance event was the King of Malaysia.

In 1966, 26 riders began the first Tom Quilty, a 100-mile endurance ride on a course west of Sydney.

Last year the Tom Quilty Gold Cup was held in Western Australia.

The ride, the brainchild of RM Williams, now attracts up to 250 of the finest riders in the world.

(Quilty Week runs from 15 to 21 September 2008)

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Karin Boulanger and Poespass Winners of 2008 Gubbio CEIO

Karin Boulanger and Poespass Winners of CEIO 160km in Gubbio

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The top prize for the team for the 160KM went to the riders from Darul Iman Equestrian Terengganu. In second placing was the team from the Tengku Mahkota Kelantan Equestrian and third placing was won by Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable.
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