[WEC Reports] Qatar gears up for Malaysia event

Gulf Times

THE Qatar Endurance Riding team are looking to the future as they prepare for the 160 km World Endurance Championship (WEC) to be held on November 7 in Terengganu , Malaysia .

After two years of competition to qualify, Qatar will be represented by a rapidly developing group of young riders that features one seasoned veteran, 44-year-old Atta Mohamed Beer. This will be the fifth WEC appearance for Beer, who competed in his first championship in 1998 and finished 15th in the international field in Dubai .
The entire Qatar team annually competes in endurance events for Al Shaqab, member of the Qatar Foundation. As the seasoned competitor, Beer is joined by a talented group of younger riders that range in age from 19 to 25.

Of that group, only Abdulla Towaim al-Marri joins Beer with competition in a previous WEC event. The 20-year-old Al Marri was part of the 2006 Qatar team that competed in the championship in Aachen , Germany .

The team also includes brothers Mohamed Tahous al-Nuaimi and Hassan Tahous al-Nuaimi. Mohamed Tahous is the team's second-oldest rider at 25, and was followed into the sport by Hassan, a 20-year-old. The brothers enjoy a friendly rivalry in races and daily practice rides. They have been solid performers over the past season while competing in France. As the youngest members of the team, 18-year-old Faleh Nasser Abughenaim and 17-year-old Khalid Sanad al-Nuaim have proved their talent this season. Faleh, an accomplished jump rider, began endurance riding only two years ago. His fourth-place finish in the St. Galmier event in France was the best finish this year in competition outside of Qatar .

The 2008 Qatar Endurance Team is led by Chef d'Equipe, Owaida al-Hajri and Hadi Nasser al-Naimi trainer.

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Posted By Steph Teeter to WEC Reports at 10/28/2008 12:59:00 AM

UAE: New Endurance Season to Begin on November 1

2008-2009 Season Calendar(PDF)

Abu Dhabi - The sporting season has just got off the blocks in the UAE, and it’s going to get better and in full swing.

After the summer break and the Ramadan and Id festivities, the UAE endurance season will roll on November 1, with the staging of the FEI 100 km ride for Juniors and Young riders. The day will also feature two Federation Qualifiers 40km and 80km respectively.

The UAE endurance season is promising to be a hectic one with several national and international rides being planned along with rides for juniors and young riders, owners of local stables and also exclusive rides for ladies.

After the World endurance Championship which is slated to be held in Malaysia on November 7 and 8, in which six UAE riders will be participating, endurance riding will start off briskly in the UAE on November 15, with FEI, 120-km ride scheduled to be held at the Emirates international Endurance Village, Al Wathba. Dubai Endurance City will open its doors for the season with FEI 120-km ride on November 29. The rides will be held in Emirates International Endurance Village, Al Wathba, Bou Thieb Endurance Village, Al Khatem, Al Asayel Endurance Village, Sweihan and Dubai International Endurance City, Seih Assalem, Dubai.

Some of the eagerly awaited rides of the season include the National Day Cup, Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup, Shaikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Challenge (Two Rounds), Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Challenge (Two Rounds), Shaikh Saeed bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Cup, three-day 240-km Shaikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup, which is part of the Endurance Festival held annually in Bou Theib Endurance Village, His Highness The President Cup for Junior and Young Riders, His Highness The President Cup Open ride, His Highness The President Cup for Ladies, FEI Ladies Challenge (in three Rounds) and the FEI GCC Ladies Championship (which is making its debut this year).

Most of the days will be featuring Federation Qualifiers to enable junior and young riders to participate in rides of longer distances.

Taleb Dhaher Al Muhairi, who took over as the Secretary General of the UAE Equestrian Federation, recently expressed the hope that the current season will be as successful as the earlier ones.

He said that the UAE endurance rides had attracted a huge number of participants including UAE and GCC nationals and expatriates. He said continuous cooperation between those involved in the rides and strong support from the sponsors made the rides successful in the country. The previous endurance season was an exciting and eventful one. As many as 68 rides kept the organizers busy throughout the period. The rides included 25 FEI rides, several open rides, rides exclusively for ladies and Federation Qualifiers. Of the 25 FEI rides, a total number of six rides were held at the Emirates International Endurance Village, six in Seih Assalem, Bou Theib Endurance Village played host to nine, whereas four rides were held at Al Asayel Endurance Centre. As many as 2,837 horses started in the rides, including qualifying rounds and rides for ladies, covering a total distance of 5,904 km in all. The number of finishers was 1,226 amounting to 43.21 per cent completion. As many as 1,611 horses were eliminated out of which 973 for lameness, 391 for metabolic reasons, 180 horses retired, 22 disqualified, 542 were presented in vet clinics and 435 were treated.

The endurance department issued new licences to 528 horses, 560 riders and 43 trainers during the season.

UAE Equafed Bulletin

Malaysia WEC: Brazil withdraws

Endurance.Net
Oct 25, 2008

The Brazilian Federation has withdrawn its team from the FEI World Endurance Championship 2008.

Following an equine death from glanders(*) at the Sau Paulo Veterinary University, the EU posed a six month transi ban on receiving equines that originated from Brazil. Since all horses from South America must transit through Europe on their way to Malaysia this ban adversely affected the Brazilian horses. Eventually the ban was modified to apply to only 'at risk' zones which included Sau Paulo. This now permitted the Brazilian team horses, which were in a 'risk free' zone outside of Sau Paulo to be transported to Malaysia via Frankfort, but only from the South American port of Buenos Aires, Argentina, since Sau Paulo was off limits.

The Brazilian Federation horses were finally cleared to be shipped, but due to administrative delays in the various agencies, the soonest arrival that could be scheduled was for November 5. This was determined to be too late for competition horses to arrive considering that the total transit time from Brazil to Malaysia would be at least four days.

In addition to the Brazilian Federation horses, two other competitors whose horses resided in Brazil will also be withdrawn: South African rider Carmen Du Preez and her horse Nag Sharon Bez, and UK rider Dominique Freeman and her horse Roger HCF.

*Glanders is an important infectious equine disease of imposing antiquity. It is endemic in Brazil, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan, and some other countries. While glanders is considered endemic in some northern and north-eastern areas of the country, this case occurred in the southeastern portion of Brazil. The contagious disease has been eradicated from many countries, including the United States, Canada and Western Europe.

Dubai: DRC to Cover Endurance Cup

Khaleejtimes.com

Hisham Al Gizouli

24 October 2008

DUBAI — Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council will lead the UAE charge at the FEI Endurance World Cup to be held in Malaysia next month.

Mada’in Properties will be the official sponsors of the Dubai Racing Channel (DRC) during its live coverage of the international endurance showcase, it was announced on Wednesday. The competition will be held over four days from November 6.

It has also been confirmed that Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum will be in the six-member strong squad.

“We are pleased to associate ourselves with this newly born TV station,” said Abdul Aziz Al Awar, CEO of Mada’in Properties during a brief signing ceremony.

The agreement was signed by Rashid Amiri on behalf of the Dubai Media Incorporated and Abdul Aziz Al Awar for Mada’in.

Meanwhile, Darweesh Mohammed Ali, director of the Dubai Racing Channel reiterated that the agreement is a step forward in the right direction.

“It’s only the beginning,” he said. “We are embarking on an ambitious long term partnership with Mada’in after the official launching of the channel,” he said.

But Ali declined to unveil the exact amount of the deal. “Our immediate concern is to achieve our target by providing a live coverage to the satisfaction of the public through our dedicated team in Terengganu, Malaysia and live studio at our headquarters in Dubai,” he said.

The FEI World Endurance Championship 2008 will be held at Terengganu International Endurance Park in Setiu Terengganu, Malaysia.

Situated a few kilometres from the South China Sea, the venue will offer visitors and competitors the best of Malaysia’s natural beauty and hospitality.

The course is designed to provide a safe yet challenging competition, taking riders along the stunning coast line, through palm plantations, along canal banks and through natural vegetation forests. A long and wide grassy stretch of track provides ample space for the start of the competition from the venue, and for a safe finish line and entry back into the Endurance Park.

Meanwhile, the final MAS Cargo jet arrived at Sultan Mahmud International Airport, carrying the final load of horses. With the exception of UAE, Qatar and Bahrain horses which will by transported by privately owned cargo jets, all of the competing horses are now on location.

They will remain in separate stables and be confined to separate training tracks in accordance to FEI quarantine requirements as determined by geographic regions until the competition begins.

hisham@khaleejtimes.com

Malaysia WEC: Thoroughbred Arab Horses are Main Pick of Endurance Riders for WEC

Malaysia.news


Bernama - Wednesday, October 22

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- Thoroughbred Arab horses aged from six to 12 are the popular choice of a majority of riders competing in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) to be held at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) in Lembah Bidong, Terengganu from Nov 6-9.

Project Manager for WEC 2008 Malaysian riders, Mohd Din Mat said not all bred are suitable for endurance races, especially to withstand the gruelling 160km endurance race at WEC, considered the toughest race in the world.

"The race is a real test and combination of the horses' stamina, endurance and the riders physical and mental strength. The Arabian horses are picked because they are renown for their intelligence, high spirit and outstanding stamina," he told Bernama here today.

Mohd Din said Malaysian riders, including the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin too, would be using Arab horses during the competition.

"Tuanku Mizan who qualified for the championship on merit, will be using two Arab horses named Taljari Moon Pharoah and Ibrahim Pascha Larzac, during the competition," he said.

He added that apart from being physically and mentally fit, horses must also qualify for a Certificate of Competition (COC) from the Federation Equestrian International (FEI) to compete in the bi-annual championship.

Mohd Din said endurance race horses needed special care, attention and food to ensure they remained in good shape.

"Among the types of food consumed by such horses are Cuibes, Haven, Chaff and their food are supplemented by vitamins.

"For race horses, expenses for food can cost anywhere between RM1,000 to RM2,000 a month, based on the owner's financial capability," he said.

-- BERNAMA

Malaysia WEC: Canadians headed to Malaysia

Standard-freeholder.com

Most area horse people know the names of Lynda and Ken Townsend of Ste-Justine, Que. through their horses, ponies, buggies and sleighs as well as the “Cadillac” of petting zoos and pony rides, “Town and Country”, which they ran for many years.

What many don’t know, though, is that while most of us have been winding down our competition season and preparing for the colder weather, their daughter, Wendy MacCoubrey and “Mariah”, a sixteen-year-old Arab gelding, have been doing the exact opposite!

They are part of the six member Canadian Endurance Team (plus four officials and 15 grooms and crew members!) which left JFK Airport last week headed to Malaysia (read: heat and humidity) for the World Endurance Championships, Nov. 7 to 9.

Wendy herself has logged over 4,500 competitive miles in the saddle, and more than 4,000 of them with “Mariah” as they worked towards making this team.

Here’s wishing them all the best of luck in the competition.

The team can be followed through www.endurancecanada.ca.

Go Canada, go!

Malaysia WEC: Women rule in endurance riding

New Straits Times Online
Ajitpal Singh
10/22/08

SINCE its inception in 1986, only two men have managed to win the World Endurance Championships (WEC) individual title and in next month's edition, a woman rider is tipped to be the winner again.
In endurance racing, women make up the majority of competitors and more than 50 per cent of the 141 competitors for the 12th edition on Nov 6-9 will be women.

WEC technical advisor, Derek Liebenberg said endurance racing is a popular discipline in equestrian among women riders.

"The reason women riders have won nine out of 11 world individual titles is because of their huge numbers in each previous editions.

"I have reason to believe that women riders will start as favourites in Terengganu," said Liebenbery at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) in Lembah Bidong, Setiu on Saturday.
"The 160-km race is supposed to be tougher for women as they are lighter and need to strap 'dead weights' to their saddles.

"The minimum weight for competitors in endurance events is 75kg and normally only women athletes need to strap weights to their saddle."

Women riders from the United States have won seven consecutive editions, starting with the inaugural event in Italy through Cassandra Schuler, followed by three-time winner Becky Hart (1988-United States; 1990-Sweden; 1992-Spain).

Valerie Kanavy won in 1994 in The Netherlands and in 1998 in the United Arab Emirates, while her daughter Danielle nailed the 1996 US edition.

France's Milla Killa Perringerard broke the US dominance in 2000 to ensure a woman won it again, while Ahmed Al Maktoum of the UAE emerged the first men's winner in the 2002 edition in Spain.

In the 2004 edition in UAE, Barbara Lissarague of France won it for the ninth time for the women while Spain's Miguel Villa Ubach struck one back for the men when he emerged champion in Germany in 2006.

Meanwhile, the national squad, consisting of 12 riders led by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, have begun their final preparation for the WEC at the TIEP.

Malaysia are hoping to win their first ever world meet medal in the team event.

All the local horses, including Tuanku Mizan's ride -- Taljari Moon Pharoah -- are in good condition for the event.