Abu Dhabi: A medal in mind

Gulfnews.com

By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
September 04, 2009

Abu Dhabi: The UAE's Shaikh Abdullah Bin Faisal Al Qasimi leads a strong 6-member team in today's World Endurance Championship for Junior and Young Riders to be held in Babolna, Hungary.

Shaikh Abdullah, who will be chasing a podium finish in the individual event for the third consecutive championship, will also be hoping to ensure the UAE go one better than the team silver medal-winning performance that they achieved in Argentina in 2007.

The other members of the UAE team are Shaikh Saqr Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, Mohammad Ahmad Ali Al Subose, Ali Ganem Al Merri, Hussain Ali Al Marzouqi and Majid Mohammad Al Sabri.

Shaikh Abdullah won a silver medal when the World Endurance Championship for Junior and Young Riders was held in Bahrain in 2005 and followed it up with a bronze medal finish in 2007 in Argentina.

Apart from Shaikh Abdullah's bronze in Argentina, the UAE had won the team silver and Mohammad Ahmad Ali Al Subose returns after playing a crucial role in that team medal success.

Over 100 riders from 26 countries will be taking part in today's championship which will be run over a distance of 120 kilometres. Competitions will be held on the individual as well as team championship and the UAE along with Uruguay, who won the team and individual gold in 2007, start among the favourite nations.

While Shaikh Abdullah is expected to ride Castlebar Sobia, Shaikh Saqr will be on Castlebar Trueman with Al Subose riding Cloud Valley Armani, Al Merri on Ridasa Dr GBM, Al Marzouqi on Sergai and Al Sabri on Mitsouku de Sauveterre.

Spain and France along with hosts Hungary are also expected to be strong contenders in today's event.

The event is being held at the historic Babolna National Stud farm in Hungary which was founded in 1789 and has been breeding Arabian horses since then.

Italy: Full Time Work for the Misura Village Set Up

Assisi Endurance Lifestyle

3 September 2009

Work in progress at the Misura Village, located in Pallareto, just below the magnificent Saint Francisco's Basilica, in Assisi. The village will host with outstanding features the incoming event.

Ten thousand square meters of tensioned structures will lodge the expo areas with two restaurants, a conference hall, a press room, the Poker Texas Hold'em room and the VIP lounge.

The Misura Village it's going to have also a reserved part for the tents of the Royal families that will participate at the competition and an Indoor Arena for free concerts and entertainment.

Assisi Endurance Lifestyle is getting ready to welcome in style, with unique arrangements, the eleven days of sport, communication, art, culture, science and free entrance night concerts.

Hospitality will be one on the event's point of strength that will include the Meydan FEI Open European Championship 2009.

WEG Endurance Test Event Needs Volunteers

TheHorse.Com
by: Erin Ryder, TheHorse.com News Editor
September 04 2009

Want to spend a Kentucky autumn day watching some elite equine athletes and riders do their thing against a backdrop of Bluegrass? How about getting an inside view of the veterinary work behind the scenes at an international endurance event?

The organizers of the endurance portion of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are looking for a few good volunteers--160, in fact--to assist at their Kentucky Cup Endurance test event Oct. 14. The available positions include vet scribes, trail stewards, road crossing marshals, training trail marshals, stables stewarding, hospitality assistant to officials, and food runners. Some positions require a full day commitment, while others are broken into sessions.

Most of the jobs don't require specialized knowledge about endurance competition, explained Discipline Manager Emmett Ross. Those with some experience working in equine health might be most suitable for the veterinary scribe positions.

The Kentucky Cup Endurance will feature both a 75 mile (120 km) race, and a 100 mile (160km) race. Both races will start at the same time the morning of Oct. 14. Riders from 18 countries are expected to compete, including current and past national and world champions. The base of operations is the Kentucky Horse Park, with the course stretching out into surrounding property.

The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are the world championships of the eight equestrian disciplines of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). The competition is held every four years, and the 2010 edition will be the first hosted in the United States. The games will run Sept. 25-Oct. 10, 2010. Tickets go on sale Sept. 25, 2009.


Link to more info and registration page

Great Britain: Lord Stevens unveils radical proposals for equestrianism

Telegraph.co.uk - Full Article

By Pippa Cuckson
02 Sep 2009

Tougher stable security, more paid officials and an independent integrity unit to maintain a "corruption-free" environment are among radical proposals for equestrianism from former Metropolitan Police chief, Lord Stevens.

Stevens headed-up the International Equestrian Federation's new ethics panel in May. His recommendations were published on the same day that former Olympic dressage champion Isabell Werth was handed a six-month ban after her horse, Whisper, tested positive for an anti-psychotic.

Many recommendations are aimed at speeding up communication processes, minimising "conflicts of interest" through over-reliance on multi-tasking volunteers, and tightening up apparently casual procedures; horses have been medicated during championships without written permission.

Princess Haya – the wife of the ruler of Dubai – was elected to the FEI presidency on a clean-sport platform and initially set up a commission under Professor Arne Ljungqvist, vice-president of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

However, the FEI was wrong-footed this spring by the positive dope tests returned on endurance horses ridden by Princess Haya's husband, Sheikh Mohammed, and his son, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohd Maktoum.

More...

Hungary: Entries announced for FEI Juniors & Young Riders World Endurance Championship

Two more days remain until the 2009 FEI Junior & Young Rider World Endurance Championship which will be held in Babolna, Hungary. 95 riders are pre-entered.

The ride will take place near the Babolna National Stud farm which was founded in 1789. There are just a few unique studs in the world, that operate for two hundred years, to preserve, promote and develop the values in breeding Arabian horses, created by the efforts of the predecessors.

The goal of Babolna Stud is not only to preserve, but also to convey their equestrian heritage to the general public, which once was closely connected to warfare, now has become the vehicle for a noble sporting activity.

The history of Babolna Stud, that is world famous today, looks back to the end of the 18th century.

In 2003, the previous president of the Hungarian Equestrian Federation's Endurance Committee, Bela Banyai, together with Tamas Rombauer, the previous president of the Babolna Stud, decided to organise an international endurance competition in Babolna, that would have gone from Babolna to the Austrian border. The competition was planned to be on the day of EU accession of Hungary. Technical obstacles did not make possible to make this dream come true, therefore it became the first international CEI*** endurance ride of Hungary in 2004. This was the first round of the Central European Endurance Cup.

By now the Babolna Derby has become a traditional ride; in 2009 it was organized for the 6th time. The competition is very popular because of its easy, sandy track and its historical environment. Over 100 horses and riders visit our competition each year.

In 2007, the organising committee and the small endurance team decided to apply for the right to organise the 2009 World Endurance Championship for Juniors and Young riders. After four years of excellent teamwork and satisfied riders they knew that they owned all conditions needed to perform well.

Current Entries

Coverage at www.endurance.net/international/Hungary/2009Babolna

www.babolnamenes.hu

Italy: 26 Nations and 116 Riders Confirmed for European Championship

01-09-2009

Are 26 the nations, listed in the Nominated entries at the Meydan City FEI Open European Endurance Championships on 26 September 2009, the most important event for the ongoing year.

At the competition - constituted by 6 laps that winds along 160km in the Umbrian country side - are going to participate 19 European nations, 7 non EU nations for a total of 116 riders, 89 European and 27 non EU that will challenge for the European and Open Challenge scheduled for September 26th at 5.00 am from the Misura Village.

These are the numbers of the event, waiting for the definite Entries, that will be confirmed September 21st , that clearly show a great event, most of all for the rides reputation. In Assisi sport, environment, culture and history will be enhanced Sport, environment, culture and history can be enhanced here as in few places in the world.
This thanks to the special contribution of the binomials that will compete in the race that will wind along 5 municipalities. Meydan City FEI Open European Endurance Championships 2009 are also this but, most of all, are a melting pot occasion between people, culture and diverse stories in the name of sport.

Assisi has always been ambassador of welcoming culture and ideals sharing and is perfectly suited to be a the host of the event for all over the world horses and riders.

Coverage at www.endurance.net/international/Italy/2009Assisi

Spain: Jordi Romero, campeon de Catalunya de Raid

Federacio-catalana-hipica.cat

La disciplina de Raid ja te nou Campio de Catalunya, en la figura de Jordi Romero. El genet de Roda de Ter, que va muntar al cavall Roig, va aconseguir el millor temps del recorregut de 120 Km, que es va disputar aquest cap de setmana a les proximitats de Ripoll. El nou campio de Catalunya, va realitzar un temps final de 8 hores, 39 minuts i 40 segons, superant per un estret marge a una de les màximes favorites al titol, Maria Alvarez.

The discipline has already Raid Champion of Catalonia CEI**, the figure of George Romero. The rider of Roda de Ter, who rode the horse "Roig", had the best time to travel 120 km, which was held this weekend in the vicinity of Ripoll. The new champion of Catalonia, made a final time of 8 hours, 39 minutes and 40 seconds, beating by a narrow margin in a top favorite for the title, Mario Alvarez. Jaume Punti won the bronze.