Australia: Toft aims to go to world games

QT.com.au - Full Article

Joel Gould | 26th January 2010

WITH Alexandra Toft's world junior ranking now at number three, she has turned her attention to qualifying for the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky this year.

The 14-year-old Toft, who said she was "very excited" to have won the Australia Day sports award for Ipswich, excelled in her debut World Youth and Junior Endurance Championships in Hungary last year with a 17th placing in the gruelling 120km event.

The next World Youth and Junior Endurance Championships are in the Middle East in 2011 but the World Endurance Championships, for seniors, is part of the program in Kentucky.

Toft, who lives at Marburg, said she had to compete and excel in as many 160km events as possible to qualify for the world titles.

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FEI: NEW CLEAN SPORT WEBSITE LAUNCHED

www.feicleansport.org

The FEI launched a new website dedicated to its ongoing Clean Sport Campaign.

The website contains information about the new regulations that the FEI is implementing this year to combat doping in equestrian sports. The rule changes and other components of the Clean Sport Campaign were approved unanimously at the FEI’s General Assembly in Copenhagen last November.

“We felt it was important to have a dedicated site where people could go to get all the information they needed,” FEI Secretary General Alex McLin said. “We firmly believe this site will raise awareness of our anti-doping efforts and increase overall compliance with the new rules when they come into force on 5 April this year.”

The site is specifically tailored to the needs of athletes, vets, officials, media and others to help them understand their roles in the Clean Sport Campaign. The site also contains details about the new Equestrian Community Integrity Unit that was a key recommendation of the Joint-Commissions to help monitor corruption, identify offenders and conflicts of interest in equestrian sports, as well as safeguard horse welfare. Members of the Equestrian Community Integrity Unit will be present at major FEI events beginning in April.

The new Clean Sport website will be complemented by the FEI’s revamped website www.fei.org which is due to be launched shortly.

New Zealand: Horsing Around in Otaua

Otauavillage.blogspot.com

Here are the edited highlights of a newsletter delivered to Otaua/Aka Aka residents in preparation for the:

FEI North Island Endurance
Championship Competition

January 30/31 and February 1, 2010

(Auckland Anniversary Weekend)

Hosted by Counties Distance Riding Club

SPECTATORS WELCOME
come and watch the top 100 horses in NZ Endurance race.

* Base Camp is in Smiths' paddock on Maioro Road (opposite Tavern- which is still abandoned and uninhabited - would have been an awesome weekend to be in operation!)

* Riding will be along the stopbank system of Otaua-Aka Aka district and into the Waiuku Forest, a course of 160km in total.

* The competition takes place over two days and nights on the Saturday and Sunday but Otaua Village will be "horsey" from as early as Tuesday 26th January and until Monday the 1st February.

* This is an international event with over 15 foreign entries and officials.

* Competition starts at 1.00am Saturday (Yep, that's in the morning!) and will continue until approx 6pm Saturday. Competition on Sunday starts at 4.00 am and goes through to about 4pm on Sunday afternoon.

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Malaysia: RTES Riders Lead in Endurance Race

Malaysia.news

Bernama - Sunday, January 24

KUALA TERENGGANU, Jan 24 (Bernama) -- Riders from the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable (RTES) took the first four prizes in the 80km category in the RTES championship which ended today.

They are Abdul Halim, who won the first prize, Mohd Bukhari (second), Mohd Afifi Firdaus (third) and Asri Abdul Aziz (fourth). Fifth place was won by Datuk Mohd Shuaib Ishak from the Ar-Raudhah Equine Centre. Fifteen participants took part, but only 13 were able to complete the race.

For the national-level competition in the same category, Muhamad Suhaidi Syawal from the An-Nassir Equestrian Club finished first followed by Amir Ghani Ahmad (Penn Endurance), Tengku Sri Temenggong Raja (State of Terengganu Endurence Team)and Aizuddin Aripin (Masterscaff Endurence), in the second, third and fourth place respectively.

In the 40km category, Aminuddin Abdullah and Mohd Faizal Hamid, both from the State of Terengganu Endurance Team (STET) won the first and second prize respectively, while in third place was Zainuddin Yusof, from the Elmina Equestrian Centre.

The RTES championship was also held to prepare riders for the Malaysia Games in Melaka in June.

-- BERNAMA

Abu Dhabi: Hamdan Mousa wins Zayed Bin Mansour Cup

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
January 24, 2010

Two-minute lead over Al Hadrami in 24km stage helps him finish on top

Abu Dhabi : After impressive displays in the junior level, Hamdan Mousa Mohammad Al Hammadi scored an emphatic victory in the 100-km Shaikh Zayed Bin Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup Ride for Private Owners held at the Emirates International Endurance Village here yesterday.

Hamdan, rode a well-judged race to finish ahead of Ahmad Ali Amer Omar Al Hadrami on Rowallan Shanty after the two battled for the lead over the four-loop ride.

Ahmad led after the first stage of 32km and Hamdan was second at that stage. After the next stage of 28km, Ahmad kept the lead but Hamdan eased off a bit and was in fourth place giving his 10-year-old chestnut gelding some respite.

Penultimate stage

It was in the penultimate stage of 24km that Hamdan made his move and established a two-minute lead over Ahmad which proved decisive over the final loop of 16 kms.

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India: International horse ride event held in Assam

OneIndia

Dibrugarh (Assam), Jan. 23 (ANI): Seven teams and 30 individuals participated in an international horse ride event, organised by Equestrian
Federation in Assam's Dibrugarh city on Friday.

Buzz up!
The event named 'Eastern Himalayan Ride' was a big draw here, as seven teams comprising 30 individuals from India, United Kingdom, Switzerland
, USA and Argentina participated in the special event.


It was a special experience for the riders who were thrilled to partake in the competition.

"I am delighted to be here and honoured to have been invited. Everyone has been so friendly and so helpful. Horses are absolutely marvellous. Again, I am really honoured to be asked to ride such a lovely horse," said Cariene, rider from United Kingdom.

The highly acclaimed 60-kilometre track was laid partly along the bank of the mighty Brahmaputra River and across the picturesque tea gardens.

"It is international endurance ride, 60 kilometre endurance ride. We have named it Eastern Himalayan Ride. We had invited six countries out of which four have arrived. Four countries are participating here today from USA, UK, Switzerland and delegates from Argentina," said Siddharta Sharma, general secretary of Equestrian Federation of Assam.

The first such event was held in 2003. (ANI)

Abu Dhabi: Saudi rider wins 90km Shaikha Fatima ladies cup

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
January 23, 2010

Latifa grabs lead in final two loops of race

Abu Dhabi : Saudi Arabia's Latifa Al Shaikh got the best out of her 14-year-old grey gelding Coolaroo Jubal on the final two loops to win the 90km Shaikha Fatima Bint Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup for Ladies ride yesterday at the Emirates International Endurance Village.

In a close finish, Latifa finished ahead of Morocco's Maha Khalid on Princess Diana TE with Estonia's Kaja Tuist on Chazar Queen of Hearts in third place.

Kaja Tuist set the pace, recording an average speed of nearly 30km an hour in the first stage of 30km, and maintaining that lead after the next stage of 24km.

However, in the third loop of 20km, Latifa made her move and soon went ahead to top that stage with Morocco's Maha moving into second followed by Spain's Uma Mencia Uranga while leader Kaja Tuist slipped to fifth place.

Long-learnt skills

Going into the final stage of 16km, Latifa, who has been involved in equestrian since the age of four, used her skills to keep Coolaroo Jubal in good condition and won the 90km ladies ride.

Maha finished second while Kaja Tuist again moved into third place.

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