THE USA SWEEPS MEDALS AT THE KENTUCKY CUP ENDURANCE FEI CEI***

HunterJumperNews.com
October 15, 2009

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY-October 15, 2009- The United States dominated the Kentucky Cup Endurance FEI CEI***, sponsored by Emirates Equestrian Federation, and the official endurance test event for the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games, garnering all three team and individual medals on Wednesday. The winners were officially declared at an awards ceremony held at the Kentucky Horse Park on Thursday morning.

Danielle McGunigal of Ft. Valley, Virginia, was the individual gold medal winner of the modified CEI*** in a ride time of 6:30:41 with an average speed of 18.43 kph. The race was originally an FEI qualifying event at a distance of 100 miles (160 km), but was shortened to 75-miles (120 km) after the footing became questionable due to the inclement weather that began shortly before the race began and continued throughout the day making the trail slippery and muddy.

“I was disappointed by the race being shortened but happy to be finished,” lamented the 1996 Endurance World Champion. “This was the toughest ride I have ever done. It was like swimming up hill with a hole in your paddle.”

The race was shortened—from six loops down to four—and McGunigal led almost the whole way riding Gold Raven, her 8-year-old Arabian mare. McGunigal’s mother, two-time Endurance World Champion, Valerie Kanavy, came to the mandatory vet check ahead of her daughter, but was later eliminated after her mare slipped on the second loop.

Ellyn Rapp of Dubuque, Iowa, won the silver medal in a ride time of 6:52:16 (17.46 kph) on her 14-year-old Arabian gelding, Berjo Smokey. “Smokey is amazing, said Rapp. He never quits. I have had all my best rides on him.”

Jan Worthington, of Scales Mound, Illinois, won the bronze medal in a ride time of 7:01:33 (17.08 kph) riding Golden Lightning. The 9-year-old Arabian gelding was awarded the prestigious Best Condition award, given to the horse that is judged to be the most fit to continue. Worthington was thrilled with his accomplishment.

“It really took me by surprise,” said the 69-year-old rider of winning Best Condition. “I am blessed with a great horse. I think he did so well in the mud because he has small feet like a mule.”

The individual medals were awarded first and the ceremony turned out to be very moving, thanks to a technical difficulty. The music for the U.S. National Anthem could not be played, so the audience volunteered to sing it instead.

Despite the weather, the event was considered a success and a good test for next year. Competition Manager Emmett Ross said Wednesday provided some excellent learning opportunities, and was pleased with his feedback about the trail.

“We were committed to make the trail wonderful. You never got to see the trail in its full glory because of the weather,” said Ross. “I’m saving some surprises for next year. We are looking forward to making this a very enjoyable trail next year – and it’s not going to rain!”

TEAM RESULTS FOR THE MODIFIED CEI***

Team USA East – Gold Medal

Danielle McGunigal
Dr. Margaret Mary (Meg) Sleeper
Stephen Rojek
Farzad Faryadi

Team Central USA – Silver Medal

Ellyn Rapp
Janice Ann Worthington
Darolyn Butler
Julie Jackson - Biegert

Team Mountain USA – Bronze Medal

Christoph Josef Schork
Suzanne Hayes
Douglas Swingley
Tennessee Mahoney

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are the world championships of eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan is the current president of the FEI. The Games are held every four years and this will be the first occurrence in the United States.

Article by Lauren Greathouse

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Triple-Medal Win for U.S. Riders at the 2009 Kentucky Cup Endurance Race

USEF Release: October 15 2009

Lexington, KY - After a day that tested the will and stamina of some of the world’s best endurance athletes, it proved to be a clean sweep of the medals podium in both the two-star and three-star endurance competitions in the 2009 Kentucky Cup Endurance race. The event, held at the Kentucky Horse Park and neighboring farms, served as the test events for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. In the 100-mile ride (that was shortened to 75 miles due to inclement weather and deteriorating conditions), it was an all-American medals haul. The riders from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were dominant in the original 75-mile effort, taking the Gold, Silver and Bronze home.

Former World Champion and longtime endurance athlete Danielle McGunigal, 38, led the pack aboard Gold Raven in a final ride time of 06:30:41 to handily claim the Gold. Some 20 minutes behind her in final ride time was Iowa’s Ellyn Rapp, 27, and Berjo Smoky to pick up the Silver medal. And the competitions’ senior rider, 69-year-old Jan Worthington and her Golden Lightning, crossed the finish line nine minutes later to win the Bronze medal. In addition, her mount won the coveted Best Condition Award.

McGunigal’s mount, an eight-year-old grey Arabian mare, was tough and defiant against the very challenging atmosphere presented to her. The rider was quick to comment on just how strong and promising the horse is and how equally strong is the mare’s will.

“Raven is unique, and I’ve competed two of her sisters. They are very tough and really put their teeth into the work they are doing and get it done," she said. "Sometimes she can be such a bully. She will push you around the [vet] check, and she knows what she wants and can be difficult. But, at the same time, that is what is great about her is that she is difficult."

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Kentucky Cup: Cold, wet conditions test endurance riders

Kentucky.com
By Ryan Alessi - ralessi@herald-leader.com

The easy gallop at which contenders started Wednesday's endurance race at the Kentucky Horse Park belied the grueling conditions that riders and steeds would face over the 75-mile course of soupy mud and some slick pavement.

This isn't a sport for the faint of heart on a clear day, let alone Wednesday's rainy, sub-50-degree conditions.

"I don't know. Is it crazy or stupid?" said Danielle McGunigal, 38, of Fort Valley, Va., after the second of four loops of 13.3 to 24.7 miles.

By that point another competitor, Matthew Sample of Australia, already had been whisked to the nearest portable heater to counter hypothermia-like symptoms upon arriving at the first checkpoint. (He wouldn't finish the race).

And McGunigal's mother, two-time world champion endurance rider Valerie Kanavy, was forced out after her horse slipped and fell.

All that was just in the first half of the race for those rain-chilled riders and horses that finished Wednesday's test run of the endurance event for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Horse Park.

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Kentucky Cup: Weather shortens endurance ride

Courier-Journal.com
McGunigal wins in cold and mud

By Jennie Rees • jrees@courier-journal.com • October 14, 2009

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Danielle McGunigal, a former world champion in endurance riding, has competed in conditions as challenging as the cold, daylong rain and mud that defined Wednesday's Kentucky Cup Endurance competition at the Kentucky Horse Park.
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But having that experience doesn't mean slogging 75 miles — shortened from the scheduled 100 because of safety concerns — on horseback in 40-degree weather wearing thin riding pants and not much more than lightweight rain gear is just another day at the office.

“No,” said McGunigal, from Fort Valley, Va., who won the world championship in 1996. “It still sucks.”

This from a competitor who was, at the time, second halfway through the competition, which served as a test event for next year's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

“I'm thinking this is more fun than I can stand,” she joked while eating Ramen noodles and getting a neck message before going out on the third of the four loops that wound up constituting the race. “I'm thinking those dressage people have it good. They're a lot smarter than me.”

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UAE, USA Riders Dominate Kentucky Cup Endurance

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY-October 14, 2009- HE Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates and 1996 Endurance World Champion Danielle Mc Gunigal of the United States won the Kentucky Cup Endurance events, sponsored by Emirates Equestrian Federation, and the official endurance test event for the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games.

HE Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum son of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, crossed the wire first in the CEI** 75 mile event in a ride time of 6:05:30. Danielle Mc Gunigal finished the CEI*** in a ride time in 6:30:41. The CEI*** was originally an FEI qualifying event at a distance of 100 miles (160 km), but lost its status when it was shortened to 120 km after the footing became questionable in the inclement weather.

“I have mixed feelings about shortening the race,” said Mc Gunigal. “The footing was only getting worse. Some of the parts of the trail that we have to go over were already slippery and deep and if the race was kept at the original distance, we would have had to go over it again, so in that sense, I am glad they shortened it. But I was hoping to use this race to qualify my horse (Gold Raven) for next year, and now we have to do it at another event, so that is very disappointing.”

HE Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum was thrilled with his win despite the conditions.

“It was amazing. This is the sport that we most love. It’s our history,” said Sheikh Majid. “Given the weather today, the course was amazing. But the weather made it very difficult. There wasn’t any hard part, other than the ground being a bit slippery. Other than that, it was excellent. There wasn’t anything wrong or bad.”

The rain was a recurring focus of the day, with a downpour shortly before the start of the rides. It continued throughout the day for all mandatory veterinary exams, creating a messy vet gate and slippery footing.

Two-time Endurance World Champion Valerie Kanavy and mother of Danielle McGunigal, was affected by the weather and footing. Kanavy was eliminated after her horse LM Parys fell on the second loop.

“We were crossing the road on the blacktop and she just slipped,” said Kanavy. “She went down and I went right after. She has recovered and is doing fine now.”

The event was aptly named as an endurance test. The endurance levels of the athletes from the 23 countries participating were truly tested. However, according to Mubarak Khalifa of the UAE the weather was no big deal. “Endurance riders are used to riding in all kinds of weather, so this is normal.”

One noticeable absentee was HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was expected to compete but never made the trip to Kentucky due to commitments in Dubai.

About the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are the world championships of eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein of Jordan is the current president of the FEI. The Games are held every four years and this will be the first occurrence in the United States.


The Games will be broadcast on NBC Sports, which has marked the largest commitment to network coverage of equestrian sport in U.S. television history. The 2010 Games are expected to have a statewide economic impact of $150 million, and current sponsors include Alltech, Rolex, John Deere, Ariat International, Inc., Meydan, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, and AQHA. For more information on the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, please visit www.alltechfeigames.com.

Kentucky Cup Endurance Competitions Start with Challenging Conditions

USEF
Release: October 14 2009

Lexington, KY - It was weather fit for neither man nor beast. But, it was not going to stand in the way of the determined horse-and-rider combinations that made their way to the Kentucky Cup Endurance - the official test event for the discipline of endurance riding and the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The day promised two international-level competitions consisting of a 75-mile and a 100-mile race through Bluegrass farmland. But, that would change halfway through the event for those combinations competing in the 100-mile marathon. The footing began to lose its integrity and become excessively slippery for the horses, and they began sliding on the turf. For safety reasons, a decision was made by the organizers to shorten the 100-mile and turn it into a second 75-mile contest. Safety is a very important word in an equestrian’s vocabulary.

As the day started, there was excitement among the many support teams that assist in the challenge of safely managing the horse through the race and the 23 countries gathered from around the world at the Kentucky Horse Park. In the pre-dawn hours, the work began.

Pouring rain and 40-degree temperatures currently face those riders on the trail that includes a 20-mile lap through farms and across busy roadways (state and local police are ensuring stopped traffic). With safety paramount, each lap is followed by a mandatory check-in (or "vet check") where the rider will dismount. What follows is an examination of the horse by a team of veterinarians and support staff to ensure proper temperature, heartbeat and respiration rates, plus a full metabolic profile. Once the horse is trotted to confirm soundness and deemed fit to continue, the horse is cleared, the rider mounts and the race goes on. But finishing first in endurance doesn’t necessarily ensure a win. Upon completion of the grueling test, the horse must once again be checked. Only once proper health is established is the result official and the winner crowned.

There is no shortage of winners and champions (and dignitaries for that matter) in the Kentucky Endurance Cup. Current European endurance champion Maria Alvarez Ponton of Spain is competing, as is Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, son of the leader of the team from the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, who dropped out of the competition prior to its start early this morning.

American endurance "royalty" Valerie Kanavy (a former United States Equestrian Federation Equestrian of the Year and two-time World Champion) is competing alongside her daughter, Danielle McGonigal, also a World Champion. There are a total of 30 American riders in the 100-mile marathon.

“This event is an excellent opportunity for the riders, and especially the large contingency of Americans, to get a sneak peak at what they will face at next year’s World Equestrian Games," said Vonita Bowers, USEF Director of Endurance.

The 75-mile race began at 7:30 a.m., and it is estimated that the first rider will complete the trail in approximately eight hours. With the reduction of the 100-mile race, it is expected that the leaders will finish in a similar timeframe due to the shortened trail.

A complete wrap-up of the Kentucky Cup Endurance event will be issued on Thursday, October 15, following a press conference with the winning riders, plus the announcement of the Best Condition Award being bestowed on the horse completing the marathon in the best physical condition.

For more information on the event, visit http://www.alltechfeigames.com.

Brian Sosby

source

Endurance riders will periodically block roads near Horse Park

Kentucky.com
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009
Herald-Leader Staff Report

Drivers on Ironworks Pike, Newtown Pike, Mount Horeb and Huffman Mill Road can expect to make stops throughout Wednesday for riders in the Kentucky Cup Endurance test event for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Riders will be competing over two courses, one of 100 miles and another of 75 miles, that crisscross widely over land around the Kentucky Horse Park. Riders will cross roads intermittently from about 9:15 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Those crossings will be marked with signs and police officers.

The 75-mile race will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the 100-mile race will start at 7:45 a.m. Riders will be looping back to the Horse Park throughout the day for periodic veterinary checks. The course is open to spectators only at the Horse Park; no spectators will be allowed anywhere else on the course, most of which is on private property.



Parking at the Horse Park will cost $3, but the event is free.

Athletes are expected from more than 20 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Romania and Spain in preparation for next year's Endurance World Championship at the 2010 Games.

The team from the United Arab Emirates will be led by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who owns horse farms in the Bluegrass. His wife, Princess Haya, is the president of the International Equestrian Federation, the Games' governing body.

The sheikh's son, Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, also will ride for the UAE.

Current world champion Maria Alvarez Ponton of Spain, and the mother-daughter team of Valerie Kanavy and Danielle McGunigal of the United States also will compete.




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