Australia: Gulgong ride will be popular

Mudgeeguardian.com.au

11/06/2009

Gulgong Endurance Club will hold their annual ride starting from the Gulgong Polocrosse grounds this Sunday.

Organisers report that more than 100 riders have nominated for the event with a number of top local riders taking part.

Promising local junior rider Ben Hudson will be taking part while Mette Sutton will be doing her last ride before she heads to ride in South Africa next month.

Sutton won the ride at Cooyal last month and says that Sunday's ride will be a good exercise before she leaves for South Africa National Championships in two weeks time.

Sutton said organisers of the South African event have arranged an attractive itinerary for the visiting international riders.

Australia and New Zealand are the only international countries that will be represented at the South African Nationals.

"We arrive on June 26 and travel to the event venue at Fort Buis Game Farm the next day," Sutton said.

"The next day we meet the horse owners and sponsors and our horses.

"Then on June 29 we will go on a leisurely trial ride to the Eland Safari Lodge and back, accompanied by local riders.

"We will also visit a stud and have time for shopping and sight seeing.

Sutton said she had received wonderful support from many local organisations who have either donated cash or held fundraising events to help with the cost of her trip. Sutton has received donations from Gulgong Sports Council, Mudgee Endurance Riders Club and the Gulgong Sporting Development Fund - an initiative of Gulgong Bowling & Recreation Club and Gulgong Sports Council.

The Bowling Club is also holding a charity bowls day on June 20 with proceeds to go towards the cost of the trip and everybody is welcome to come along.

Her work colleagues at Mid Western Regional Council have organised a trivia night for tonight (Friday) to raise more money for the trip and local wineries and the Scuba Diving Club have donated prizes for the night.

Motorists are alerted to the fact that horses will be present on many roads in the Gulgong area this Saturday and Sunday and are urged to use caution if driving in the area during the ride.

Roads likely to be affected are Barneys Reef Road, Old Barneys Reef Road, Jackson Lane, Puggoon Road, Tallawang Street, Station Street, Spring Creek Road, Snelsons Lane, Whitehouse Road, Henry Lawson Drive, Canadian Lead Road, Coming Event Lane, Springfield Lane, Reef Road, Hillside Lane and Williardt Lane.

France: 2009 Rambouillet

Cecile Miletto Mosti and Baja De Piboul of France won the CEII*** 160 km raid in 8:31.10 at Rambouillet, while Denis Le Guillou and Zannouba of France won the 160 km Amateur Elite GP in 10:37.43.

Frenchman Vincent Du Pont riding Nita Lotoise won the CEI** 130 km in 6:24.47, and Dorothee Rossez of France riding Dune D'Azat won the Amateur Elite 130 km in 6:56.13.

Photos and results at http://www.endurance.net/international/France/2009Rambouillet/.

South Africa: British endurance team win bronze at SA International Challenge

Horseandhound.co.uk
Abigail Butcher, H&H news editor
10 June, 2009

A team of British endurance riders returned from South Africa yesterday with a bronze medal from the first South Africa International FEI Challenge.

The six riders — Tricia Hirst, Nicky Sherry (pictured), Abi Taylor, Rachael Claridge (pictured), Sophie O'Hara-Smith and Helen Perry — were picked to take part in the 120km endurance race near Beaufort West.

The team were on borrowed South African horses, which they were given just two days to become familiar with before the event began.

This was the first time that any teams outside of Southern Africa had been invited to compete in the challenge. Hosted by the Western Province Endurance Union, the event was the largest ever held in South Africa, with some 310 horses taking part.

And the race lived up to its challenging name.

...more

Great Britain: Winning spell of endurance

Perthsire Advertiser
Jun 5 2009 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

PERTHSHIRE rider Kirstie Graham and her lionhearted pony, Arabelle, emerged supreme in the ultimate endurance challenge – 100 miles in one day – at the Bahrain Festival of Endurance in Nottingham.

Kirstie, from Abernethy, explained: “One hundred miles in one day is the ultimate endurance goal. It is tough, gruelling, technical and horse and rider must forge an incredible partnership.

“Endurance riding has strict vetting parameters. A 160km race ride is run over six stages, with the horses being checked by vets after each stage. Horses can be failed on lameness, high heart rate or if they are showing any signs of dehydration or distress.”

Mum-of-two Kirstie, who is the current Scottish Endurance Champion, won convincingly, more than an hour ahead of the rest of the competition, on her Arab x Welsh 13.3hh pony Arabelle (Bella).

The Bahrain royal family sponsors the event, which is based in Thorseby estate in the area known as the Dukeries.

Kirstie continued: “Bella cantered out of the last vet gate without a care in the world. It was getting late and we were on the ‘dig deep’ stage – and she kept on digging deep. It was on this lap I allowed myself to acknowledge that if I finished the ride, I would win. Coming back to the finish, vets, crews and spectators had gathered to cheer us on. Bella surged forward, ears pricked and we floated home.”

Kirstie will be competing to retain her Scottish Champion title at the Scottish Endurance Championships, which will take place at Scone Palace on June 26-28.

As well as the longer distances, the event run by the Scottish Endurance Riding Club (SERC) will provide classes for everyone, including three different ‘Pleasure Rides’ of around 20km which are open to non-members of SERC.

Further details can be found at http://www.perthendurance.co.uk/

Italy: European Open at Assisi gets Meydan's support

Gulf News

Italian Ambassador to the UAE Paolo Dionisi, Meydan City communications director Mohammad Al Khayat, Dubai Equestrian Club general manager Ali Mousa Al Khamiri, Mayor of Assisi, Claudio Ricci, and the chairman of Assisi Endurance Lifestyle, Gianluca Laliscia, discuss the FEI European Open Endurance Championship to be held in Assisi on September 26.

---

By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
Published: May 26, 2009, 23:10

Dubai: Meydan City have announced their sponsorship of the FEI European Open Endurance Championship to be held in the Italian city of Assisi on September 26.

Addressing a press conference Mohammad Al Khayat, Meydan's communications director said, "The European Open championship is one of the most important endurance events this year. With over 100 riders from over 30 countries expecting to participate, this championship is truly a global event".

UAE are one of the favourites for the championship which is held once every two years. The event will include competitions in the individual and team categories.

Meydan City's Chairman Saeed Al Tayer said, "Endurance horse racing is part of the UAE's culture and heritage. This special collaboration will further enhance the UAE's participation in this sport and assist in increasing its exposure in the region and worldwide".

Ali Mousa Al Khamiri, general manager of Dubai Equestrian Club, who also addressed the press conference said: "Endurance already has a huge profile in the UAE where some of the world's top riders hail from. We look forward to what will be a long-standing partnership with Assisi".

Paolo Dionisi, the Italian Ambassador to the UAE said: "I have been here for over three years and have enjoyed the growing bilateral ties with the UAE. Apart from the great endurance championship, Assisi will also be staging a major economic conference and it is going to be a great success.

"The city of Assisi is all set to welcome the equestrian fraternity of the world. The natural scenario of Assisi has been chosen to stage the endurance championship. The Umbrian countryside will be the setting for the 160 kilometres event," said Claudio Ricci, Mayor of Assisi.

"Assisi is a World Unesco Heritage city and we are ready to stage a great championship with many other events on the sidelines," he added.

Gianluca Laliscia, Chairman of Assisi Endurance Lifestyle and a top Italian endurance rider said: "This year for the first time we will be using the GPS [Global Positioning System] which will help us to see the exact location of each of the competing riders and horses.

"Apart from that the terrain for the 160 kilometres event has a very diverse and challenging nature with very [few] tarmac roads."

"The international event will include a prestigious Workshop on Real Estate Investments in Umbria promoted by Sviluppumbria, an International Veterinary Symposium, an important round table on hippotherapy, an art exhibition & and finally an entire week-end dedicated to & children," Laliscia added.

USA: Hydesville horse and rider excel in Idaho competition

Humboldt Beacon
June 4, 2009

By Dennis Souza

On Sunday, May 24, Joyce Sousa of Hydesville rode Arabian horse LV Integrity and raced to a first place finish at the Owyhee Fandango International Endurance, 100 mile ride held in Oreana, Idaho.

Horse and rider did this in a time of 9 hours and 48 minutes. The event was an American Ride Conference ride, Arabian Horse Association Region 4 Championship ride and a selection trial for the World Endurance Championship to be held in Lexington, Ky. in 2010.

The pair raced against 29 competitors representing Canada,Washington,Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah,California, New Mexico,Texas and Colorado.

At the awards ceremony, Souza was presented awards which included a Rubicon saddle.

The 3rd place finisher, Jennife Niehaus of Cloverdale, daughter of Joyce and Dennis Sousa, was presented the Best Condition Award to her and Gallantly, an Arabian owned by the Sousas. The top three finishers all finsihed within 50 seconds of eachother.

The local endurance ride club, Redwood Empire Endurance Riders first event of the year is scheduled for Saturday, June 27, at the Chalk Mountain Ranch in Bridgeville. For information, call Ruth Hoke at 768-1748

Great Britain: A ride on the wild side

The Northern Echo
June 4, 2009

SCORES of horses are expected to take part in a new endurance riding event in a North- East forest later this month.

It has been 15 years since Hamsterley Forest, near Bishop Auckland, has hosted a competitive endurance horse riding event.

Riders will take their horses around the forest before heading to Hamsterley Common.

The ride is called The Elephant Trees, taken from a collection of trees on a stage of the course which look like elephants.

The organisers of the event, on Sunday, June 28, hope the forest could host the Northern Championships when they come to County Durham in 2011.

There will be four distances riders can compete in – 18km, 25km, 40km and 65km.

Although the longer distances are only open to elite riders and members of riding clubs, the shorter distances are open to everyone, and organiser Karen David is hoping people who have never tried the sport will take part.

“It’s a wonderful way to ride,” said Ms David, a member of Durham and Teesside group of Endurance Great Britain.

“We go fast, but we are not hammering round the track and destroying it.

“This area is really pretty and it’s great way to ride.”

Ms David has organised the event with friend Sylvia Briggs.

“A lot of the other courses in the county are suburban, but this one really gets people out into the countryside,” she said.

Riders will be guided by biodegradable paint markings that will disappear days after the event has finished.

Competitors must register their horses before the event. For more details, go to durhamandteessideegb.org.uk
[More ...]