Qatar: Endurance Team ready for Worlds

Thepeninsularqatar.com

Web posted at: 9/26/2008 8:52:31
Source : The Peninsula

Doha - After two years of preparation and competition the Qatar Endurance Team has qualified eight riders for the FEI World Endurance Championship to be held from November 6 to 9 in Terengganu, Malaysia.

Although eight riders have qualified only six riders are allowed to compete. Qatar team officials must trim the list to six and submit the final entries to the sports governing body, Federation Equestre Internationale, by October 1.

The eight riders include: Faleh Nasser Abugnaim, Ali Yousef Al Malki, Abdulla Towaim Al Marri, Hassan Tahous Al Nuaimi, Khalid Sanad Al Nuaimi, Mohammed Tahous Al Nuaimi, Mohammed Sultan Al Suwaidi, and Atta Mohammed Beer.Owaida Al Hajeri serves as Chef d'Equipes for the 2008 Qatar Endurance Team and Hadi Nasser Al Naimi trainer.

The Qatar roster is entirely made up of riders from Qatar Foundation's Al Shaqab Endurance Team. During the past two years the riders have competed in various international events to qualify for the championship.

The prestigious World Endurance Championship is held every two years. When nominations closed on August 21, a total of 36 countries entered for the contest. The group included 24 nations represented by teams and an additional 12 countries that will feature individual competitors. In addition to the Qatar team other GCC nominations were received from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

Over the past 10 years, Endurance riding has grown as one of the most popular equestrian events. The sport requires the teamwork of rider and horse as they work to maintain pace over the grueling 158.1km cross-country course.

World Equestrian Games releases ticket info

Kentucky.com - Full Article

By Jim Jordan
jjordan1@herald-leader.com

Tickets for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will go on sale in one year — on Sept. 25, 2009, the World Games 2010 Foundation announced Thursday.

Prices will be set early next year, the foundation said, but the cheapest reserved seats will cost $25 each.

There also will be general admission tickets that will allow visitors to the Kentucky Horse Park to see equine exhibits and demonstrations, visit the trade show and restaurants, and attend competitions, such as endurance and cross country riding, that do not have reserved seats.

The tickets will be online at TicketMaster.com.

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Hamdan and Majid in UAE endurance team

Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, are part of the nine-member UAE team of riders nominated for the 2008 World Endurance Championship to be held in Terengganu, Malaysia from November 6 to 9.

The UAE, who will be starting off as one of the favourites for the individual as well as team championship, will be pruning down their nine-man list over the next few days as the deadline for final entries is October 1.

Apart from Shaikh Hamdan and Shaikh Majid the other UAE riders who have been nominated are Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, Mubarak Khalifa Bin Shafya, Abdullah Thani Bin Huzaim, Yousuf Abdullah Al Hammadi, Khalid Ali Al Shafar, Mohammad Ahmad Ali Subose and Mohammad Rashed Saeed Khamis Al Subose.

Considerable success

While Shaikh Hamdan and Shaikh Majid were winning members of the UAE team which won the Asian Games gold and the Pan Arab Games gold in the team championship, Sultan Bin Sulayem won the bronze in the individual event at the Doha Asiad.

The 160-km world championship will be held for the first time in the evening and finish at night and a total of 36 countries have sent in their nominated entries.

Among the 36 participating countries, 24 countries will be participating in the team championship with a team of four while 12 countries will be participating with individuals.

Apart from the UAE the remaining countries taking part in the event are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay.

Individual gold

The UAE endurance team have achieved considerable success on the international stage with Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum winning the individual gold in the 2002 World Championship held in Jerez, Spain while His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai won the silver medal at the 2004 World Championship held in Dubai.

The UAE, who will be starting off as one of the favourites for the individual as well as team championship, will be pruning down their nine-man list over the next few days.

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Great Britain: Counter attack in hope of blazing a trail to the Olympics in London

Thisisderbyshire.co.uk - Full Article

Saturday, September 20, 2008

KAY Counter heads to Spain with her horse Cheeky Charlie today with the hope that it could be the first step on a long road to the London Olympics.

Endurance horse riding may be a relatively new sport but there are genuine hopes it could become an Olympic event by 2012, especially with major financial backing from the United Arab Emirates.

At 18, Counter has time on her side and her selection for this month's FEI European Endurance Championships for Juniors and Young Riders with the Great Britain team suggests she has the talent as well.

The Bargate rider has been targeting a place with the GB squad for two years after an injury to her horse forced her to drop out of selection last time.

When the call-up finally came this summer, it justified her faith in her mount, Cheeky Charlie, and two years of hard work.

"I was absolutely over the moon," said Counter.

"When you've worked for something so hard and for so long, for it to finally happen is the best feeling you can have.

"The selectors were really chuffed for me as well because they wanted to select me last time. He was like a different horse going around the selection ride."

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Australia: Tom Quilty Endurance ride this weekend

Abc.net.au

By Jane Paterson

Friday, 19/09/2008

Nanango State Forest, a couple of hundred kilometres north-west of Brisbane is the setting for the annual Tom Quilty endurance ride this weekend.

Around 200 competitors will saddle up for the Australia's number one endurance ride which kicks off at 4am tomorrow.

The 160-kilometre ride has attracted horsemen from the United States, Japan and New Zealand as well as Australia's elite endurance riders.

Tom Quilty was born at Normanton in 188, he was said to be "Robust and energetic", honing his horsemanship by riding with a band of wild young stockmen known as the 'Forest Devils'.

Quilty was an outstanding cattleman, an authority on northern Australia, a skilled 'poddy-dodger' and 'a bit of a menace' to his neighbours.

In 1966 he donated the Tom Quilty Gold Cup for what has become the national endurance-riding championship.

President of the Nanango Heritage Endurance Riders Association Barbara Timms says the event has been six months in the planning and of the over 200 horses registered to start, around two-thirds will probably finish.

In this report:
Barbara Timms, one of the organisers, Tom Quilty Cup, 2008.

USA: USEF Names Definite Entries for FEI World Endurance Championship 2008

Release: September 17 2008

Lexington, KY - The World Endurance Championship Definite Entries and Alternates were named after the final Training Session in Williston, Florida on September 13. All 12 nominated entries participated under the guidance of Chef d’ Equipe and three-time World Champion Becky Grand Hart. The Veterinary Panel examined the horses and the Endurance Selectors observed the horse/rider combinations as they completed a 38 mile course.

The following horse/rider combinations were selected to represent the US at the FEI World Endurance Championship 2008 to be held November 6-9 in Terengganu, Malaysia:

Name/Age/Hometown/Horse/Age/Breed/Sex/Owner

Katharine Brunjes/55/Bethel, ME/Theatric/10/Arabian/G/Katharine Brunjes

John Crandell III/46/Star Tannery, VA/HH Saba Shams/9/Arabian/G/Ann Crandall

Cheryl Dell/48/Springville, CA/Reason To Believe/10/Arabian/G/Cheryl Dell

Valerie Kanavy/62/Fort Valley, VA/Flash Flame/10/Arabian/M/Valerie Kanavy

Margaret Sleeper/39/Frenchtown, NJ/Syrocco Reveille/8/Arabian/M/Margaret Sleeper

Jan Worthington/68/Scales Mound, IL/Golden Lightning/8/Arabian/G/Jan Worthington

Alternates in ranked order:

Lisa Green/39/Star Tannery, VA/LR Amana Tabi/8/Arabian/M/Lisa Green

Heather Reynolds/31/Doswell, VA/Cal Flaming Emit/11/Arabian/M/Heather Reynolds

Margaret Sleeper/39/Frenchtown, NJ/Shyrocco Troilus/15/Half Arabian/G/Margaret Sleeper

The Team will remain in Florida until shipping to Malaysia next month.

ENDS

For information regarding selection, please contact USEF Director of Endurance, Vonita Bowers at vbowers@usef.org.

For media requests, please contact USEF High Performance Communications Manager Joanie Morris at jmorris@usef.org.

Malaysia: A sight to behold - horses on our shores

Gallant: Tuanku Mizan leading other
horsemen to the start of the
challenge.

Thestar.com.my - Full Article

Wednesday September 17, 2008

Story and pictures by NIK NAIZI HUSIN

IT WAS a test of wits and skill for 100 horsemen who took part at the Pahang Penn-Endurance Challenge at Cherating village near Kuantan recently.

This inaugural equestrian event was spread over five days with contests under the 100km, 60km and 20km categories.

The participants rode on a scenic route in Cherating covering its beautiful beaches, coastal jungle and village roads along the Kuantan-Kemaman stretch near Kampung Baging.

The challenge was graced by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin who rode his horse Magna Thor to win the 100km individual category.

Tuanku Mizan completed the route in eight hours.

Royal Terengganu Equestrian Stable took first place in the 100km team event.

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