[WEC Reports] Inspection to kick-start world meet

New Straits Times

2008/11/06

THE World Endurance Championships unofficially start today with the first horse inspection at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) in Setiu.
The inspection of horses is the most crucial part of the WEC as riders will be eliminated if their mounts fail the test. A total of 133 horses will be inspected by the Veterinary Commission and the Ground Jury at the Vet Gates.

Veterinary Commission Dr Hosain Abbara said previous world meets have witnessed mounts failing the first inspection.

"Affected riders will have to withdraw as they cannot replace their horses," said Hosain at the TIEP yesterday.

"However, most horses pass the first inspection. I cannot predict what will happen tomorrow (today), but from my own experience, there will likely be failures."
Today's inspection will include taking the horse's temperature, measuring its heartbeat rate, respiration rate and a full metobolic profile. The horses will also be trotted to confirm its soundness.

"If there is anything abnormal with a horse, the case will be referred to a special committe for a decision," added Hosain, who was president of the veterinary panel at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

The 160km race is divided into seven loops or phases.

The horses are also inspected after completion of each loop and again after they have crossed the finish line. So the first horse across the finish line is not necessarily the winner.

Meanwhile, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) is predicting a 30 per cent completion rate at the WEC.

"It's going to be a difficult race, the toughest ever in a world meet. The humidity will take a toll on the riders and horses," said an FEI official.

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Posted By Merri to WEC Reports at 11/06/2008 04:21:00 AM

[WEC Reports] Bahrain Riders set for top showdown

Gulf-daily-news.com

6th November 2008

SHAIKH Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa will arrive in Malaysia today for the World Endurance Horseride Championship scheduled for tomorrow at the Terengganu International Endurance Park in Terengga.

Shaikh Nasser, the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president, and Shaikh Khalid, who is the Breef first vice-president, will lead a six-member Bahrain Royal Endurance team in this night race set to be flagged off at 12noon (Bahrain time).

The other four Bahraini riders are Yousif Taher, Ghazi Al Dossary, Raed Mahmood and Ahmed Abdulla.

The team is being coached by Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa while Dr Khalid Hassan is the team manager.

The Bahrainis will be among 140 riders representing 34 countries from across the world who are taking part in this challenging event to be run over 160kms.

Among top countries in the fray are the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Portugal, South Africa, Sweden and the US.

Besides Bahrain, the other GCC countries in the fray are the UAE, Oman and Qatar.

The race will be divided into seven stages - 28 kms for the first, 27 kms for the second, 28 kms for the third, 27 kms for the fourth, 23 kms for the fifth, 18 kms for the sixth while the seventh and last stage is over 10 kms.

This will be Bahrain's third appearance in the World Championship scince their debut in the 2005 edition in Dubai. They then took part in the 2006 championship in Akhn, Germany.

This time the Bahrainis are eying a podium finish in this prestigious $200,000 championship which features teams and individual races.

Overall

The overall winner will claim $22,000 while the runner-up receives $16,000. The third and fourth placed runners will get $13,000 and $11,000 respectively.

In the teams category, the winners receive $22,400 while the runners-up get $19,200. The third and fourth placed teams will receive $14,400 and $12,000 respectively.

The owner of the horse 'with the best condition' will receive $20,000.

The Bahraini riders yesterday underwent a pre-ride inspection which was followed by 'weighing in'.

A prize-distribution ceremony is scheduled for Sunday.

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Posted By Merri to WEC Reports at 11/06/2008 04:19:00 AM

[WEC Reports] France wary of favourites' tag

New Straits Times

2008/11/06

By : Ajitpal Singh

VERY few people are betting against France winning the FEI World Endurance Championship (WEC) which starts tomorrow at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) in Lembah Bidong, Setiu.
The French team have numerous star riders, own a record four WEC team titles and carry an aura of invincibility in endurance racing.

There is no denying France, the reigning world team champions, are heavily favoured to win a fifth time.

The French, however, pointed out that things won't be as simple as they look.

"It's true that we have great chances to win the WEC team event, but that doesn't mean it's a done deal," said France team leader Jean-Louis Leclerc.
"It's humid here unlike in France. My riders are inexperienced in such weather conditions and they need a good strategy to overcome it.

"However, racing at night would not be a problem for the team as we have raced in night events in Europe.

"We arrived on Oct 17 to prepare for the event. The riders have tested the course a few times and are prepared."

France won their first world team title in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain, and again in 1994 (Den Haag, the Netherlands). They were victors for a third time in 2002 in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain and again in 2006 in Aachen, Germany.

France have also won two world individual titles through Maya Killa Perringerard (2000-Comoiegne, France) and Barbara Lissarague (2004-Dubai, UAE).

This time around, France have named a stronger team comprising riders who won the European individual and team titles in Spain, last year.

The team includes European individual champion Jean Philippe Frances, who rides Hanaba Du Bois, Virginie Atger (Hadia De Jalima), Philippe Benoit (Akim Du Boulve), Pascale Dietsch (Hifrane Du Barthas), Caroline Denayer (Gwellik Du Parc) and Julien Lafaure (Jharez De Cabirat).

However, those selected are not necessarily the best from France as absent are World No 1 Jack Begaud, World No 3 Laurent Mosti and World No 10 Vincent Dupont.

"Begaud had two horses qualified for the WEC here. However, he sold his horses. It would have been great to have him around. I'm not sure about Mosti and Dupont," said Leclerc.

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Posted By Merri to WEC Reports at 11/06/2008 04:15:00 AM

[WEC Reports] Six Americans set to Vie for 2008 FEI World Endurance Champions...

Usef.org

Release: November 05 2008

Lexington, KY – 160 km on horseback is no easy feat. But 142 riders from 34 nations will undertake the task when the FEI World Endurance Championships get underway in Terengganu, Malaysia November 6-9, 2008.

The US has six horse/rider combinations in Malaysia under the guidance of three-time World Champion Becky Hart, who is serving as Chef d'Equipe. The team includes another multiple world champion: Valarie Kanavy. She is hot off of a win at the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) National Championships in the 100-mile Championship. In that victory she rode King Ali Gold 45 minutes clear of the runner-up, but the Fort Valley, VA rider will contest the World Championships on Flash Flame, a 10-year-old Arabian mare.

Katharine Brunjes left the Maine winter behind headed to the desert for her second World Championships. She is diligently preparing for the night ride in Malaysia aboard Theatric, a 10-year-old Arabian gelding she has had since he was an unbroken 4-year-old.

Brunjes and Theatric were invited to compete in the Sultan's Cup in 2007 which served as the test event for these World Championships. They finished fifth. Improvements have been made all over the venue based on the experiences of the previous year's event. The team has settled in well and Brunjes looks forward to the competition getting underway.

"The team is in good spirits and we are exercising and training daily," said Brunjes. "On Monday we had our long ride leading up to the event. We rode our training loop front-wards and backwards several times to accumulate 20 miles. Our training track – each country has an individual training track to maintain our quarantine status until race day – is just 10.4 km, so we had to do some creative riding to get the mileage we need. The horses look great, are acclimating nicely and we are pleased with how each horse has settled in."

John Crandell III and Saba Shams made the trek to Malaysia from Star Tannery, VA. The 9-year-old Arabian gelding is owned by Ann Crandell – the pair prepared for the World Championships with a runner-up finish at the 2008 Greenway Gallivant in Florida in July.

Like Crandell, Cheryl Dell, from Springville, CA, is riding in her first World Championship on Reason to Believe. The 10-year-old Arabian gelding was third in the Owyhee 100 in Idaho. This is the sole combination from the West Coast.

Two eight year old Arabians round out the group of six in Malaysia. Both Syrocco Reveille and Golden Lightning are contesting their first World Championships. Ridden by Dr. Meg Sleeper and Jan Worthington, respectively, they both have experienced pilots. Sleeper rode Saba Shams at last year's test event in Terengganu and was part of the US team at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Sleeper and Syrocco have had two top three finishes in North America in 2008.

Worthington, from Scales Mound, IL, and Golden Lightning won the Greenway Gallivant in July and Worthington was a member of the 2000 World Championship Team.

The competition gets underway at 5:30 pm local time on Friday November 7. For results and more information, please see: http://www.malaysia-wec.com.

For more information, please contact Joanei Morris at jmorris@usef.org.

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Posted By Merri to WEC Reports at 11/05/2008 11:03:00 PM

[WEC Reports] UAE Riders Set for World Endurance Championship

Khaleejtimes.com

Allaam Ousman

6 November 2008

KUALA TERENGGANU (MALAYSIA) - The six-member UAE team led by Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, were in high spirits 48 hours before the start of the 12th FEI World Endurance Championships which is being held in Malaysia for the first time.

ShaikhHamdanbinMohammedbin Rashid AlMaktoum,CrownPrince of DubaiThey have been installed as the top contenders for the world title having in their ranks accomplished riders and because of their familiarity with the tough terrain and humid weather conditions which are expected to prevail in this first ever night race on Friday.

Team member Abdullah Thani Bin Huzaim speaking to the Khaleej Times said they were well primed to aim for the title. "We are ready and confident of doing well. With a little bit of luck we could strike gold," said Bin Huzaim, who is ranked fifth in the FEI world rankings.

The UAE riders which includes Shaikh Majed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Mohammed Ahmad Al Subose, Mubarak Khalifa bin Shafya and Sultan Ahmed Sultan bin Sulayem, arrived on Monday while the horses landed on Wednesday on a special Boeing aircraft.

Asked whether they felt any pressure since they have been tagged as favourites, Bin Huzaim said they looked at it positively. "It's a night race but we have experience of night races. The humidity is nothing new to us because we experience it back home. But it will be a tough race but the same difficulties will apply to all the competitors," he said.

The weather during daytime was 25 degrees Celsius but humidity could rise up to 80 per cent. The Terengganu International Endurance Park is the first sole endurance village in south east Asia. Situated in the fishing town of Merang, 25km north of Kuala Terengganu, competitors will ride along the coastline of the South China Sea, through plantations, fishing villages and forests.

"There are a lot of trees while the fifth loop is hilly," observed Bin Huzaim after the team performed a track recce on Wednesday. "But the weather is nice, people are nice," he added.

Asked about the fitness of the horses, he said: "All are in good condition. We are ready."

Asian Games gold medallist Shaikh Hamdan is set to ride Jazyk. Shaikh Majid will be aboard European Open campaigner Spenda Crest Kamouflage.

Shafya is booked on Zakah Zahara, Sulayem on Tazoul El Parry, world no. 4 Al Subose will be riding Koum Des Jamets and Bin Huzaim Castlebar Kadeen.

A total of 133 riders from 32 countries have assembled for this world championship which will be cover a distance of 160km divided into seven stages.

Meanwhile, Uruguay believe it is their turn to win the title having in their midst world no.2 Juan Miguel Pio Olascoaga Amaga, the highest ranked rider in this competition. However, they have never won a title in the World Endurance Championship since its inception in 1986.

Amaya, 28, a winner of two 160-km titles this year, said he and his teammates have the experience to wrest the title from hot favourites the United Arab Emirates and France.

"We have been training hard and our horses have adapted well to the humidity. We like the track as it's flat and soft.

"I hope to compete both in the individual and team events for Uruguay," said Amaya. "As the top seed in the individual event, the pressure will be on me to perform. My strategy on race day is to get a head start and maintain my speed throughout. I need to opt for this strategy as my main rivals will be doing the same."

UAE on the other hand produced the youngest and first male winner of the world championship in Jerez, Spain in 2002 when Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed won the coveted title. UAE also have come close to claiming the team title on several occasions.

The World Endurance Championship was officially inaugurated on Wednesday night by the Malaysian King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium following a spectacular opening ceremony.

Ian Williams, non-Olympic sports director of FEI, the world body governing equestrian sports, read out a special message on behalf of FEI head Princess Haya bint Hussein, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, expressing her inability to attend the event. Princess Haya wished everyone a great competition, a sporting competition and great endurance competition.

The ceremony began with a colourful dance ensemble with the theme Malaysia Welcomes the World 'Selamat Datang' followed by the march past of the participating teams.

Another eye-catching performance was the performance by Malaysia singers, a horse show by Lorenzo, the Flying Frenchman, and a dazzling fireworks display.

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Posted By Merri to WEC Reports at 11/05/2008 10:58:00 PM

[WEC Reports] 800 to maintain security at endurance show

Nst.com.my

2008/11/05
KUALA TERENGGANU, TERENGGANU:

Eight hundred policemen will be deployed to provide security for partcipants and guests at the four-day FEI World Endurance Championship (WEC) 2008 which starts in the Bidong Valley, Setiu, tomorrow.
Terengganu deputy police chief Datuk Jalaludin Abdul Rahman said today that the guests included the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hasanal Bolkiah.

"Their safety, from the moment they arrive until they depart will be our responsibility," he told a news conference here.

He the police had also sought the cooperation of the public and residents in the surrounding areas to stay away from the tracks as their presence might scare the horses.

The championship will see 133 riders from 32 countries competing at the Terengganu International Endurance Park, the first time that the FEI championship is being held in a tropical country.

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Posted By Merri to WEC Reports at 11/05/2008 04:51:00 PM

[WEC Reports] Amaya buoyant on Uruguay's chances

The New Straits Times Online
2008/11/05
By : Ajitpal Singh

photo: Amaya kisses his beloved horse Ar Vale after a training session in Lembah Bidong yesterday. — Pic: IMRAN MAKHZAN

URUGUAY believe it will be their year to be crowned world champions in both the individual and team events at the 12th FEI World Endurance Championships (WEC) which starts tomorrow at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) in Lembah Bidong, Setiu.
But their fortunes will depend on World No 2 Juan Miguel Pio Olascoaga Amaya, the highest ranked rider in this competition.

For the record, Uruguay have never won a title in the WEC, which incepted in 1986.

Amaya, 28, a winner of two 160-km titles this year, said he and his teammates have the experience to wrest the title from hot favourites the United Arab Emirates and France.

"We have been training hard and our horses have adapted well to the humidity. We like the track as it's flat and soft.
"I hope to compete both in the individual and team events for Uruguay," said Amaya at the TIEP in Setiu yesterday.

"As the top seed in the individual event, the pressure will be on me to perform. My strategy on race day is to get a head start and maintain my speed throughout. I need to opt for this strategy as my main rivals will be doing the same."

At the WEC, Amaya will be riding his trusted eight-year-old horse Ar Vale which he has been riding for the past seven months.

The others in the Uruguay squad are Adriana Basso MacGregor, who will be riding Ed Virka, Flavia Maria Danvila (Count Spot), Sofia Maria Danvila (Nortea), Juan Cruz Aranda (Espartaco In) and Isadora Mackinnon (Guarda Costa). Their coach is Amaya's father, Pio Olascoaga Silveira.

Unlike in previous editions, the WEC in Terengganu will start tomorrow evening after the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) had taken into account the humid conditions in Terengganu.

The 133 riders will have to complete 160km in 13 hours and 20 minutes. The race will be broken into seven loops or phases.

Amaya also described the facilities, including the stables, at the TIEP as world class.

"The TIEP offers the best facilities for riders and horses. I have raced in may courses and I must say, this course has the best stables and track."

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Posted By Steph Teeter to WEC Reports at 11/05/2008 02:25:00 AM