Kuwait: Endurance races need patience, experience -- Kuwaiti horse rider

kuna.net.kw

Sport 6/27/2009 5:41:00 PM

KUWAIT, June 27 (KUNA) -- Endurance riding races need patience and experience in dealing with the horse throughout the race, Kuwaiti horse rider Turki Al-Muteiri said Saturday.

In a statement to KUNA upon departing the country, Al-Muteiri hoped to achieve good results in the endurance riding tournament that kicked off in Jordan earlier today under the patronage of Her Highness Princess Alia Bint Al-Hussein. Princess Alia is Chairwoman of the Jordanian Equestrian Federation.

The qualification trails of the race are 60 and 80 kilometers long, and see the participation of 87 riders of both genders.

Endurance horses must have special qualifications and go under specific exercises.
In an endurance ride, the winning horse is the first to cross the finish line while stopping periodically to pass a veterinary check that deems the animal in good health and "fit to continue".

Any breed can compete, but the Arabian generally dominates the top levels because of the breed's stamina and natural endurance abilities.

Bahrain: Bahrain gear up for London race

Gulf-daily-news.com

Friday, June 26, 2009

BAHRAIN'S Royal Endurance Team arrived in London yesterday ahead of this year's Thetford Endurance Ride scheduled for tomorrow at Euston Park, Norfolk.

Team captain and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa are to join the team later.

This year's event will feature two rides over 120 and 160 kms and seven Bahraini riders are in the fray.

Shaikh Nasser is in the fray in the 160-km along with Shaikh Khalid, Abdulrahman Al Saad, Abdulrahman Al Zayed and Ahmed Abdulsamad

The remaining three team members - Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa, Yousef Taher and Shereen Fayez - will take part in the 120km event.

Other officials in the delegation include team manager and Breef assistant general secretary Dr Khalid Ahmed Hassan, Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad's media office director Tawfeeq Salehi and administrator Khalid Al Ruwaie.

Top riders from the UAE, Qatar, the UK, France, India and Saudi Arabia are taking part in this prestigious event.

This event is part of the team's preparations for the European Championship in Italy and the World Championship in the US to be held next year.

Bahrain's first race was in France last month when they competed in Compiegne Ride championship held at the Compiegne Endurance Village near Paris. Bahraini finished third overall.

Colusa Sun Herald
June 19
photo: Riders saddle up May 16 for a 25-mile or 50-mile endurance race in the Cache Creek Recreation Area, near Williams.

More than 100 horses and riders endured a 25- or 50-mile course in the Bureau of Land Management’s Cache Creek Recreation Area, 18 miles west of Williams.

The race, held May 16, was hosted by the Stalley family of Williams with close to 50 volunteers, many residents of Williams and students from Williams High School.

Four veterinarians monitored the horses throughout the day, where temperatures reached 97 degrees. Horses that did not pass the vets’ criteria were pulled from the race and trailered back to camp. Water troughs along the trail were continually refilled by four water trucks with more than 10,000 gallons of water.

The day ended with 69 finishers in the 50-mile course and 10 in the 25-mile competition. First place on the 50- mile resulted in a three-way tie between Heather and Jeremy Reynolds of Los Gatos and Megan Doyle of San Jose, who completed the course in 6 hours and 18 minutes. Heather Reynolds took the “Best Conditioned” award. Beth Van Wicklin of Foresthill won the 25-mile course and Cindy Brown of Santa Rosa took the “Best Condition” award for that distance. Some of the awards were donated by Griff's Feed and Seed in Colusa, Bar Ale of Williams, and Echo Valley Ranch of Auburn. The riders camped in the “Cowboy Camp” parking area near the junction of highways 20 and 16, an area which is open to the public throughout the year for hiking, horseback riding, biking, camping, and hunting.

For more information about the course or to volunteer for next year, visit www.cachecreekridgeride.com.

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Namibia: Endurance riders excel

Namibia Sport
June 19

Namibia’s endurance horse riding teams excelled at the South African International FEI Challenge which recently took place in Beaufort West, South Africa, winning both the Senior Standard Weight and Heavy Weight divisions. Namibia’s individual riders also excelled in their various categories, with several riders winning medals. Namibia competed against the national teams of South Africa, France and Great Britain as well as provincial South African teams.

Namibia had by far the superior team in the Heavy Weight division with all its riders putting in consistently good rides. The Namibian team’s strategy was to ride competitively yet safely and let the other teams ride themselves out of the race.
The plan was successful when three of the South African riders were eliminated after the first loop and a fourth rider was eliminated after the second loop.

The only two South Africans finishers came first and 12th overall, while all but one of Namibia’s riders finished amongst the top 12 positions. They were Rudolf Oosthuizen (third), Gawie Viljoen (fourth), Shanie Bosch (seventh), Danie Delport (tenth) and Kallie Grunschlos (11th). The only Namibian withdrawal was Johan van der Walt, whose horse pulled up lame after the second loop.

Namibia dominated the Standard Weight category and took the lead after 30 minutes of the first loop. After the second loop the lead increased to 48 minutes and one of the South African team members was eliminated. After the third loop two more South African team members were eliminated because they could not keep up with the high speed of the Namibian riders. Victory was sweet when the Namibian team finished ahead of South Africa, France and Great Britian.

Jeremia Goagoseb came second, Bredell Wessels came fourth, Frans Saubek sixth, Collin Tjanda seventh, Sam Kriel 16th, Simon Hangura 28th and Hannelie Coetzee 40th. Stefanus Pienaar was eliminated at the final inspection.

Namibia nearly also won the Young Riders category, but were eliminated when three of their horses failed to complete the course. Namibia was leading until the final inspection when Anna Wucher’s horse, Mubarak was eliminated due to lameness. If Mubarak had finished, Namibia would have beaten the eventual winners, South Africa, by more than 1 hour 40 minutes.
Chante Nell came first, Christine van Zyl fourth, Conrad van der Walt 16th, Recht Burger 17th, Schalk Burger 18th and Kabous Rossouw.

In the individual competitions, Namibian riders performed well and ended in the following positions:
In the Senior Standard Weight division over 120,7 km, Izolde von Schauroth came third and Adri van Zyl 27th.
In the Young Riders’ category over 120,7km Fritz Konjak came third, Wilhelm Loubscher 15th and Cherne de Meyer 18th.
Marlene van Rensburg came seventh in the Erasa 120km category, while Johan Bredenkamp came first overall in the I Young Rider category over 81,09km.

Of the 15 horses that were nominated for the Best Conditioned competition in the three categories in which Namibia competed, eight were Namibian horses. Namibia won two of the three awards, with Chante Nell on Henham Zahara winning in the Young riders category and Izolde von Schauroth on Zabubega Tushiya in the senior category.

[full article]

FEI checks 2nd horse doping case

Bleacher Report

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer

LAUSANNE, Switzerland(AP)—The International Equestrian Federation is investigating a second member of its president’s family for alleged horse doping.

The governing body said Friday that Princess Haya of Jordan will step aside from her presidential duties when it considers the case against Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the son of her husband, Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum.

Sheik Hamdan rode his horse Eo Fawati in a 74 1/2-mile endurance race at Bahrain in January. The horse tested positive for metabolites of the anabolic steroid stanozolol.

Sheik Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai, rode his horse, Tahhan, when it tested positive for stanozolol metabolites in Bahrain. It also had traces of the banned substance guanabenz in Bahrain and after racing in Dubai in February.

Both men’s cases are expected to go before the FEI’s seven-member tribunal, which can suspend riders from endurance races.

As a member of the International Olympic Committee, Princess Haya informed the organization about the cases. Endurance racing is not an Olympic discipline.

Since becoming FEI president in 2006, the princess has campaigned to clean up equestrian’s doping and medication problems.

She publicized details when six horses failed doping tests at last year’s Beijing Olympics, and has commissioned IOC adviser Arne Ljungqvist to lead a review of the sport’s methods of treating horses and educating riders. His report is due in the next few months.

Full article

UAE: A horsewoman in pursuit of a vision

The National
Rym Ghazal
June 19
photo:Hanan al Muhairi, 24, of Ras al Khaimah, takes a ride in the desert on a horse from the police stables. Amy Leang / The National

For many Emirati women, horse riding is an impossible dream. They face frowns from a traditional society, starting with family, that views riding as something only for men.

Hanan al Muhairi wants to eliminate the stigma and make the dream a reality. After four years struggling to complete her documentary film about the first female horse riding team in the UAE, Ms al Muhairi is now on a mission to set up the first club for any Emirati woman who wants to ride.

“I want a place that will be a link between the UAE’s greatest horses, and its future horse riders,” said Ms al Muhairi, 24, who as a rider and horse lover is determined to change attitudes.

The documentary takes a hard and honest look at the struggles, dreams and reality of horse riding for an Emirati woman.

The movie, called Arabyana, after the six-member female riding team, was released in April after four years of delays and obstacles owing to the sensitivity of some topics it dealt with and high-profile interviews that took time to arrange.

“It is about our right to ride, and the challenges we face from our own community whenever we pursue less than traditional activities,” she said.

“It is not fair just to keep men in the spotlight of the equestrian field and ignore all the female talents in the same field,” she said.

The interviewees included: Sheikha Madeya Bint Hasher Al Maktoum, a young UAE horse rider who specialises in endurance races; the champion horse rider Sheikha Latifa Al Maktoum, who participated in the Olympics; and Princess Haya, wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, who is a horse rider herself.

The documentary was made under Princess Haya’s patronage. It also featured Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak and Sheikh Talib Al Qassimi.

“Horse riding is not just a man’s sport; a woman can also be a great horse rider and she can do it as a lady,” said Ms al Muhairi, a member of the UAE’s female riding team.

By wearing a black scarf and loose clothing as she rides her horse in the documentary, Ms al Muhairi says she is trying to show her people that “you can be a good Muslim girl and a great horse rider”. “So why not open for us a place where we can train and ride freely without social or financial pressures?” she asked. The six young women, all of whom studied different majors at Dubai Women’s College, would like to expand their team and compete in national and international competition.

Ms al Muhairi said she knows of many horsewomen who would like a chance to ride for their country.

“We are dedicated, just give us a chance,” she said. “It shouldn’t be limited just to the royals, it is a sport for everyone.”

..........

“Maybe pressure from outside can help open a window here,” she said. “Who knows, anything is possible if you work hard and follow your dreams.”


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Australia: Clare in running to host Tom Quilty

Northernargus.com.au

CHELSEA ASHMEADE
17/06/2009

Australia's biggest endurance horse riding event, the Tom Quilty, may be held in Clare in 2011.

Clare Agricultural and Horticultural Show Society hopes to host the event on its extensive site at the southern entrance to Clare.

"A local chap contacted me and asked if we can have it, or if we were interested in holding the event," show society president Norm Crowther said.

The South Australian Endurance Riders Association will holding its state championships in Clare next year which will put the showgrounds to the test as a venue.

"Next year they are coming to Clare, we have a meeting at the end of the week to talk more about the Tom Quilty," Mr Crowther said.

"But next year there could be about 60 to 80 horses on the grounds which will be a reasonable test on the system."

The meeting to be held at the end of the week will include a representative from the SAERA, Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council, the Clare Agricultural and Horticultural Show Society and other town groups.

"We have to know all the information possible for both events so we can start organising our grounds. It is prestigious to be able to hold an event like this in our area, and having an area big enough for their use is fantastic," Norm said.

Facts about the Tom Quilty:

Tom Quilty was a legendary Kimberley cattleman who was approached by R.M Williams to donate $1000 toward the perpetual trophy, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup in 1966.

The ride used to be known as 100 miles and is now defined in metric (160km), yet the spirit of the event remains; to complete the distance in a day.

The event draws competitors from throughout Australia and overseas.

The trophy has more than 38 ounces of gold and is heavier than the Melbourne Cup, it’s so valuable it now resides in the Stockman’s Hall of Fame at Longreach, Queensland and a gold plated replica is presented in its place.

It begins at midnight and goes throughout the day until all are finished, whether they complete or withdraw.