Tasmania: Sassafras today, tomorrow the worlds

The Advocated - advocate.com.au
BY MARTIN AGATYN
18/07/2008 12:00:00 AM
A WORLD CUP qualifying event at Sassafras tomorrow has attracted international endurance riders to one of the biggest equestrian events in Tasmania in years.

The 160km ride is a Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) three-star event and has attracted entries from Malaysia, New South Wales and Queensland.

The ride is being conducted by the Burnie Equine Endurance Riders club (BEER) and will be the first time a world cup qualifying event has been held in Tasmania and the first FEI-rated event to be held in Tasmania for more than three years.

The ride will be based at Smith and Others Rd at Sassafras and will use tracks on nearby pine and eucalypt plantations.

The gruelling ride will be one where physical stamina and the mental fitness of both horses and riders will be pushed to their limits.

The endurance event will start at 2am tomorrow and riders will need to complete the six legs in under 12 hours and 20 minutes, finishing by 5.20pm (including compulsory hold and vetting periods), to qualify for the world cup, which will be staged in Malaysia in September.

The six legs will vary from 20km to 30km in length and riders will be given a maximum of 15 hours to complete all six legs.

Queensland's Peter Toft is expected to be a strong contender and will be looking for more success in Tasmania.

Toft won the sport's most prestigious national event, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, when it was held in Tasmania in 2001.

A strong Tasmanian contingent of riders is also expected to compete, including Lilydale trio Noel Lockhart, Alison Dent, and Bradley Hill.

A youth section will be incorporated for riders between 14 and 21 years old.

As leader of the Tasmanian junior points series, Bradley Hill is keen to ride his horse Lockleigh Park Star against national competitors.

Alison Dent and Noel Lockhart will also be hoping for a good result.

About 30 Tasmanian riders are expected to contest the shorter 80km, 40km and 20km non-qualifier events, in addition to the entry list of 20 riders for the 160km endurance ride.
[More ...]

NZL: Horses for Sheik

Herbert-based endurance horse
trainer Kevin James, with
daughters Jorja and Bridgett.

Kevin James and Sarah Hamer train endurance horses for Sheik Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Endurance riding horses involves riding long distances (50-150km) over several days with vets constantly checking the animals.

Kevin and Sarah used to have 20ha at Mayfield on which they trained the horses but were able to sell their farmlet at a high price and buy a 40ha block at Herbert nearly four years ago. Not only is the land cheaper in Herbert but there is no crime, facilities are good including the school. The couple have four children under the age of eight, the youngest about six months old.

Kevin who is in his early 50s has been doing speed endurance riding for 30 years. He was part of the New Zealand team which won the world championship in 1998 in Dubai. It gave him great exposure and people from around the world wanted him to train horses including the Sheik. In 1999 a Sheik's representative asked him to buy and train horses for the UAE's vice-President, Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai.

Kevin says the Sheik has thousands of horses based around the world and until the equine flu horses were sent from Australia to Herbert. A batch came in just before the restrictions came on.

They are training about 16 horses which they prepare to a certain stage. Only six are from the Australian programme the rest are New Zealand sourced.

While people living in or outside cities spend 30-40 minutes or even longer travelling to work each day, he walks out the door.

[Original Article]

Dubai's Al Maktoum family attends European Open

Gulf News
Staff Report
Published: July 14, 2008, 00:08

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday attended the European Open Endurance Women's Championship.

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Events Management Corporation, and Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, also attended the race.

Shaikha Latifa Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum won the individual title.

Shaikha Latifa, Shaikha Mariam, Shaikha Futaim and Shaikha Shaikha, the daughters of Shaikh Mohammad, won the team title.

Twenty-six riders, representing many European countries, took part in the race.

This victory comes as a new addition to the previous accomplishments achieved by UAE.

[Original Article]

Colombia: Mutis and Ga0na set sights on 2008 WEC

FEI Press: Italy - Forty-Six Riders Compete over the 160 km Track at CEI 3* Assisi

photo: Simona Garratti for Italy with the French bred Z’Tadore Al Maury in a ride time
of 10hr 30min 18 sec
(c) Gilly Wheeler

The weather forecast was unfortunately one hundred percent correct as thunder lightening and heavy rain engulfed the riders at Assisi, almost as spectacular as the fireworks at the welcome party.

At 5am on a very cold morning 46 riders from nine nations set out on the 160km course that had already been battered by the heavy rain of the preceding days. The course had been considerably altered from that used for the 120km ride last year, no longer containing the section along the cobbled streets in the centre of the most beautiful and historical town of Assisi.

The general opinion was that is was a good, technical but difficult course and a vast improvement compared to last year.

Technical delegate John Robertson (GBR) commented, “It was an excellent ride at which the inclement weather conditions showed up the shortcomings , which is the idea of a trial ride and will be corrected for the FEI Open European Championship next year.”

[More ...]

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