The drugs vote that rained on the FEI's parade

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

December 17, 2009

by Neil Clarkson
Special to Horsetalk.co.nz

A grey winter gloom descended over Copenhagen as delegates from member nations of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) began arriving in November for its annual General Assembly.

The outlook was rather sunnier in the world of equestrian sport. The international governing body must have been upbeat as delegates from more than 100 nations prepared to meet at the Marriott Hotel, a large red-brick high-rise that stands beside one of the Danish capital's canals.

And why shouldn't the Lausanne-based organisation have been upbeat? Equestrian sport was poised to put the doping embarrassment of the 2008 Beijing Olympics behind it. It rightly anticipated strong support for its ground-breaking Clean Sport initiative, the result of two commissions of inquiry and an investment of some 1.8 million Euros.

Delegates were also to vote on a new streamlined structure to replace the large and, some would say, unwieldy 22-strong governing FEI Bureau, substituting it with a much leaner skills-based seven-strong team.

It had all the hallmarks of a new beginning and it seemed little would stand in its way.

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Mongol Derby 2010

December 18 2009
http://www.mongolderby.com

The world’s longest, toughest horse race, The Mongol Derby, returns for a second year

After the triumphant inaugural edition of the 2009 Mongol Derby, the epic 1000km multi-horse race across Mongolia returns for a second time in August 2010. With 35 places available and a more gruelling course being planned, this second Derby is set to be even tougher than last year.

The 2010 Derby will start on August 7 and officially end on August 18, giving riders 12 days to complete the 1000km course. Last year’s winners, Charles van Wyck (South Africa) and Shiravsamboo Galbadrakh (Mongolia) completed the course in eight days.

The 1000 km race is based on the postal system of Chinggis Khan, which could relay messages thousands of miles in a matter of days. Like the ancient postal system the Mongol Derby relies on a network of horse stations. These are being built at 40km or under intervals stretching along the course. With the rider’s changing steed at each horse station, the Derby is not a test of the horses’ speed, but of the rider’s skill and endurance.

The Mongol Derby is one of the most ambitious equestrian events on the planet with over 1000 Mongolian horses selected and trained for the event. Animal welfare is once again the top priority of the organisers. All the horses will be subject to a series of rigorous veterinary checks before, during and after the race. In 2009 less than 2% of the horses required any first aid and they were all minor.

The 35 selected riders will attend a three day pre-race training session in the Mongolian steppe before taking on the 1000km course. The session will be taken by Maggie Pattinson, Chef d'Equipe of the British Home International Endurance Team since 2007 and endurance expert extraordinnaire. The session will also include medical training from Prometheus Medical.

As with all The Adventurists’ events, the Mongol Derby is not only about having an amazing adventure, it's also about raising lots of cash for charity. Each rider will raise a minimum of £1000 so the second Derby is set to raise at least £35,000 for the official charity. The 2009 Mongol Derby raised a fantastic £71,000; £41,000 of this for Mercy Corps and a further £30,000 for the riders’ chosen charities.

For more information on the Derby and how to apply for one of the coveted 35 places please visit http://www.mongolderby.com. Applications will be open until January 22 2010.


- Ends –

For more information, hi-res photos, or to arrange interviews with the founder of the Mongol Derby and The Adventurists Tom Morgan, please contact:

Dan Wedgwood / Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent
The Adventurists Press Office
+44(0)7966 911 917
+44(0)117 329 0884
media@theadventurists.com

Official website of the Adventurists Mongol Derby:
http://www.mongolderby.com



Notes to Editors:

About The Mongol Derby
Hosted in a country where the horse is part of the fabric of the nation, the inaugural Derby will take endurance horse racing to a new level. The innovative model of staging posts to ensure the horses only travel distances of 40km each will allow riders to race across a course with a gargantuan scale that hasn’t been seen for decades.

The welfare of the horses will be paramount to the race organisers and riders. Semi-wild and smaller than the racing horses the public are used to on television; they will be looked after every step of the way, from months before the race begins, until long after the riders’ buttocks have recovered. In total over 1000 horses will be used to stage this audacious race.

The cost will be $9,500 per rider and all the details and further general information can be found on the official website:

http://www.mongolderby.com


About The Adventurists
The Adventurists is run by the League of Adventurists International Ltd, an award winning company based in the UK with gangly tentacles that stretch around the world. They organise unusual and difficult adventures that raise money for charity. To date participants on their adventures have raised well over 1 million pounds for great causes around the world.

http://www.theadventurists.com

About Tengri Group, Mongolia
Tengri Group are one of the biggest companies in Mongolia, with interests in tourism and hospitality, agriculture, property management, IT and energy. For more see http://www.tengrigroup.com

About Maggie Pattinson
Maggie Pattinson is Chef d'Equipe of the British Home International Endurance Team and endurance expert extraordinnaire. Maggie has more feathers in her endurance bow than you could shake a stick at. She has trained, ridden and crewed at International Level and as well as her esteemed position as Chef d'Equipe she runs her own endurance training company On the Hoof and trains a number of high profile individuals. One of her protégé, Chris Baker, became the highest placed British rider ever in the 2009 Tevis Cup. With On the Hoof Maggie trains all levels of riders in every aspect of the sport from pacing to fitness and map reading.

2010 Portuguese National Championships

Wednesday December 16 2009

The 2010 Portuguese Championship - CEI*** 160 km Open - Team Trophy
will be held 15-18 April, 2010 at Monte da Ravasquiera estate, in the municipality of Arraiolos, Portugal.

In addition a CEI** 120 km and a CEI * 80 km will be held the same weekend.

The Monte da Ravasquiera has been linked to the family Jose De Mello
for several generations, and produces some of the best wine that the
Alentejo has to offer. The estate has organized and hosted the 1996
First International Friendship Driving Contest, and the 2006 Iberian
Driving Cup.

More Information at:
endurance.net/international/Portugal/2010NationalChampionship

Ravasqueira.com

Brazil: Compeonato Brasileiro

Enduroonline.com.br - Mais

Andre Vidiz, Renata Velloso e Carolina Barbosa sagram-se campeoes brasileiros 2009 debaixo de muita chuva

A chuva nao deu tregua desde o final da tarde e toda a noite do dia anterior da prova. O dia amanhaceu chuvoso e a trilha estava altamente escorregadia, mas os competidores demonstraram garra e determinacao. Afinal, estava em jogo o titulo de campeao brasileiro da provas CEI*** 160 km e CEI** 120 km (Adulto e Young Rider).

Marcio Honorio em sua primeira prova de 160 km com Pantheon HTL dominou ate a quinta etapa, quando foi eliminado por manqueira. Antes dele, os cavaleiros que compunham o primeiro pelotao (Eduardo Xavier Barreto Jr com Elanna HEC, Mariana Damazio Rajao com Mustaz SC, Higor de Marchi e Van Herte Sweet e Renata Farinelli com Gran Farhuk) foram saindo etapa apos etapa, abrindo caminho para Andre Vidiz e Nuit Endurance.


Andre Vidiz, Renata Barbosa Carolina Velloso and becoming champions Brazil in 2009 under heavy rain

The rain gave no truce since the end of the afternoon and all night the day before the race. The day awoke to rain and the track was highly slippery, but competitors have shown guts and determination. After all, at stake was the title of champion of the Brazilian evidence CEI *** 160 km and CEI ** 120 km (Adult and Young Rider).

Marcio Honorius in his first race of 160 km with Pantheon HTL dominated until the fifth stage, when it was eliminated by lameness. Before him, the knights who made up the first wave (Eduardo Xavier Barreto Jr Elanna with HEC, Mariana Damazio Rajão with Mustaz SC, Higor de Marchi and Van Herte Sweet and Renata Farinelli with Gran Farhuk) were coming off stage by stage, paving the way for Andre Nuit Vidiz and Endurance.

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Portugal: Nations Cup - Trojan Portugal Open 2010

Endurancebrasil.com.br - Mais

Portugal promete um dos maiores feitos no esporte

Troia Portugal Open 2010! Assim foi entitulado um dos eventos de enduro no ano de 2010 que promete marcar historia no esporte. A Taça das Nacoes - Troia Portugal Open 2010 acontecera sob o comando da conceituada Lagos Sports, levando o enduro em Portugal ao mais alto nivel do hipismo, talvez nunca visto antes no pais.

Ja oficializado no site da FEI - Federacao Equestre Internacional, a Taca das Nacoes sera sediada em uma peninsula de Troia, a vinte minutos de Lisboa, em um local com mar, rio, campo, tudo em um so lugar.


Portugal promises one of the greatest achievements in sports

So was titled one of endurance events in 2010 that promises to mark history in the sport. A Cup of Nations - Troia Portugal Open 2010 will take place under the command of the prestigious Lagos Sports, bringing the enduro in Portugal at the highest level of riding, maybe never seen before in the country.

As authoritative on the site of the FEI - Federation Equestre Internationale, the Nations Cup will be hosted on a peninsula of Troy, twenty minutes from Lisbon, in a place where sea, river, field, all in one place.

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Abu Dhabi: Bahrain riders draw a blank

Gulf-daily-news.com

December 13, 2009


BAHRAIN'S riders drew a blank yesterday in the first round of the Giants Endurance Horse Ride Challenge at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi.

During the first of the three rounds, Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and other members of the Bahrain team were unable to complete the five-stage event after their horses failed to pass veterinary examinations at the end of the third stage.

The kingdom's other participants were Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa and Ahmed Janahi.

UAE's Vice-President, Prime Minister and the Ruler of Dubai Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his son Shaikh Majed also bowed out of the competition in similar circumstances. The ride was divided into different stages, starting with a 32-km first stage. The second covered 28 kms, the third 24 kms, the fourth 20 kms and the fifth was over 16 kms.

The overall winner was Majed Al Jahouri of the UAE in four hours, 59 minutes and seven seconds for an average speed of 27.07-km per hour.

Riding Bouman Nasrof, the Al Wathba Stables rider was ahead of Federico Zubiaurre (5:03:20) of the Uruguay who was representing Al Ain Endurance Stable.

Ahmed bin Harmash (5:04:26), also of the UAE, steered Havane De Navas of Al Aasfa Ltd to third place.

Behind him was Rashed Ali (5:05:12) of Al Aasfa Ltf in fourth, followed by Anzaq Mehmood (5:06:26) of Pakistan, riding for Shaikh Faisal bin Saqr Al Qasimi Stables in fifth place.

Indian rider Narpat Singh (05:06:38) of Al Aasfa Ltf was sixth while Khalid Al Hammadi (5:22:21) of the UAE's Seeh Al Salam Endurance Stables was seventh.

Break Uruguay's Horacio Diaz (5:22:58) of Emirates Stables managed eighth and he was followed by Taj Mohd Khan of Pakistan, riding for Seeh Al Salam Endurance Stables.

UAE's Rashed Al Darbi from Shaikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Stables rounded up the top 10.

The series will now take a month-long break and is set to resume with the remaining two rounds in January next year.

UAE: Al Beloushi brothers enjoy 1-2 finish

Gulf News
by M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
December 13, 2009

Abu Dhabi : The Al Beloushi brothers from the Al Reef Stables and the Al Jahouri brothers from Al Wathba Stables dominated yesterday's two prestigious rides at the Emirates International Endurance Village.

Sultan Ahmad Al Beloushi on Elphyn Silvermoon and Munthar Ahmad on Carallio completed a brilliant 1-2 finish for Al Reef Stables in the Bonyan International Investment Group's 120-km National Day Cup Ride.

Earlier, in a similar 120-km ride, also supported by Bonyan International Investment Group, Majid Khalfan Al Jahouri, on Bouman Nasrof, won the first round of the three-round Giants Endurance Challenge while his brother Ali Khalfan finished fifth in the National Day Cup ride.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also took part in the Giants Endurance event before retiring his horse in the fourth stage of the five-stage 120km event.

Meanwhile, in the National Day Cup ride, Al Reef Stables once again dominated and notched up their fourth win in the fledgling UAE season of 2009-10.

The 24-year-old Sultan and his 22-year-old brother Munthar were riding horses trained by their eldest brother Yousef Ahmad Al Beloushi who has so far trained all four winners for the Al Ain base of Al Reef Stables.

Sultan completed the 120-km ride on Elphyn Silvermoon in 4 hours 36 minutes and 28 seconds, the Australian horse scoring a win in only its second run here in the Emirates.

Munthar's Carallio was winning for the second time this season and finished about three minutes behind the winner.

"Both Elphyn Silvermoon and Carallio did not have much problem as the rain and the cool weather made perfect riding conditions," said winning trainer Yousef, who also took part in the ride but had to make an exit in the third stage.

A total of 89 riders were in the fray with Sultan winning the keys to a brand new car for his effort while the remaining top finishers shared the Dh300,000 on offer.

In the Giants Endurance Challenge, the second and third rounds of which will be held in Bahrain and Dubai respectively, Majid Khalfan Al Jahouri on Bouman Nasrof finished over four minutes ahead of Uruguayan rider Federico Zubiaurre on San Filipo.

Majid took 4hrs 59 mins 07 secs to complete the 120-km event.

RESULTS

Bonyan International Group Giants Endurance Challenge:

1. Majid Khalfan Al Jahouri (Bouman Nasrof) 4hrs 59 mins 07 secs; 2. Federico Zubiaurre-URU-(San Filipo) 5:03.20; 3. Ahmad Ali Bin Harmash (Havane De Navas) 5:04.26; 4. Rashid Al Younis Ali (Kaysand Farrazah) 5:05.12;

5. Anzaq Mahmoud-PAK-(Nedjrm) 5:06.26.

Bonyan International Group National Day Cup:

1. Sultan Ahmad Al Beloushi (Elphyn Silvermoon) 4 hrs 36 mins 28 secs; 2. Munthar Ahmad Al Beloushi (Carallio) 4:39.00; 3. Majid Mohammad Al Sabri (Armin s Zulu) 4:39.37; 4. Ahmad Salim Al Beloushi-Oman-(Silversprings Kabir Arwa) 4:46.07; 5. Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri (Berlioz De Piboul) 4:51.57.

photos by Osama