Bahrain: Top riders set for Equestrian Festival

Gulf-daily-news.com

January 31, 2010


BAHRAIN Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa announced yesterday that His Majesty the King's Endurance Ride Championship will headline a one-day Equestrian Festival, set to take place on Saturday next week at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir.

Shaikh Khalid approved the preparations for the event, which will be sponsored by Marsa Al Seef.

The endurance ride for His Majesty the King's Cup will be over 120 kilometres.

It is expected to attract many of Bahrain's best endurance riders from leading stables all across the kingdom. Many other top riders from all over the GCC may also compete.

The ride will kick start the festival with a flag-off at 7am.

Race

The race will then be run over five stages, starting with a 30km opening stage, followed by 29km and 25km legs.

The penultimate stage will be over 20km, while the final will cover 16km. Shaikh Khalid has ordered for prizes to be awarded for the winners of each stage in the race, to further raise the level of competition for all those taking part.

The festival will continue at 9am with a showjumping event for Grand Prix class riders.

At 10am, a competition featuring purebred Arabian horses will take place, followed by a special "Cowboy" event at 11am.

The awarding ceremony for all the events is expected to get underway at 1.30pm, to be followed by a raffle for all members of the public who attend, in which many attractive prizes can be won.

UAE: Presidents Cup for Junior and Young Riders

Gulf News


Abu Dhabi: Abdullah Rashid Mohammad Saeed Al Naqbi of Warsan Stables, riding Blue Bonnet, won yesterday's 120km HH The President's Cup for Junior and Young Riders endurance ride at the Boutheib International Endurance Village.

Al Naqbi, who was fourth going into the final stage, unleashed a speed of over 31 km/h on his 13-year-old Blue Bonnet to win the prestigious ride for juniors from Ahmad Saeed Al Faresi.

Al Faresi, riding 13-year-old Fenwick Cadenza, was second in the third and fourth loop. He could not match the final loop speed of Al Naqbi's Blue Bonnet and had to stay content with second place.

Hamdan Mousa Mohammad Al Hamadi, who had won this ride in both 2008 and 2009, finished fifth on Lauralyn Davo, with Rashid Ahmad Al Beloushi and Ahmad Ali Al Sabri finishing ahead of him.

In the 120-km ride for Private Owners, only three riders could complete the event with Indian work rider Narayan Singh Dungar Singh at Al Ain Endurance Stables winning the event.

Singh, riding 11-year-old Paloma GB, dominated the ride and led for most of the 120km distance to complete the ride in 5 hours 17 minutes and 15 seconds.

Uruguay's Eduardo Saravis Herrara on Ylmood finished a close second to complete a 1-2 for trainer Matar Suhail Al Yabhouni while lady rider Laila Abdul Aziz Al Reda secured yet another podium finish with a third-place finish.

Results (top five) of 120km HH The President's Cup for Junior and Young Riders: Abdullah Rashid Mohammad Saeed Al Naqbi (Blue Bonnet) 4:40:45; Ahmad Saeed Mohammad Al Faresi (Fenwick Cadenza) 4:42.15; Rashid Ahmad Al Beloushi (Al Barak) 4:47.17; Ahmad Ali Al Sabri (Mahaleb du Paon) 4:51.33; Hamdan Mousa Mohammad Al Hamadi (Lauralyn Davo) 4:55.05.

Top three in 120km ride for Private Owners: Narayan Singh Dungar Singh (Paloma GB) 5:17.15; Eduardo Saravis Herrara (Ylmood) 5:17.18; Laila Abdul Aziz Al Reda (Umm Khammas) 5:21.50.

Abu Dhabi: President's Endurance Cup begins Saturday

Khaleejtimes.com

29 January 2010

ABU DHABI - Emirates Heritage Club will organise the UAE President's Youth and Juniors Cup for endurance on Saturday at Bou Theib International Village for Endurance at Al Khatm.

The club in conjunction with Emirates Equestrian Federation organises the UAE President's Youth and Juniors Cup for endurance - 120km, UAE President's endurance cup for UAE nationals for 120 km and two other qualifying endurance races for distances of 40 and 80kms, the events will be held under the sponsorship of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Representative of UAE President and Chairman of Emirates Heritage Club.

Many knights are expected to take part in the event.

Jordan: Wadi Rum

Photo Album

13-14 November 2009

Story and Photos by Heidi Bernsdorf

No time for dreams - endurance ride in a magic country: King Hussein memorial ride in Wadi Rum/Jordan

What a landscape, what a fairy background for this 80km endurance ride, marvellously organized by the Jordan Federation under their President HRH Princess Alia bint al Hussein, a thoroughbred horse lady herself.

The Vet Check took place in a niche between two bizarre mountains, perfectly formed to serve as a grand stand for the visitors.

Two groups, Endurance Qualifier/80km and International Endurance Ride FEI CEI one star over 80 km, and more than 100 horses were presented at the Vet Check on 13th of November, 2009.

The ride was in 3 loops of 30, 30, 20 km and went over completely changing ground, from deep sand to rocks and gravel. Most of the horses were in very good shape and only a few were eliminated at the Vet Check. Looking at the "breed" it mostly said: local. Wonderfully shaped heads, elegant bodies and good sound legs and hooves, they loved to run.

A German lady, riding at international level in Europe, was promised a horse as an exchange for a possible ride in Germany on one of her horses. The horse they presented for her at the Vet Check was completely lame, obviously from the transport, finally, 5 minutes before the start at 6.00 o’clock on 14th November, she was offered another horse, the owner was from Petra, and the horse was very much attached to him. Indy, the horses' name, fought a very fierce battle with poor Susanne, the German riders' name, for the whole first loop of 30 km. Had she taken all that power and tried for the first places, I think she would have come home after 80 km among the first 5 horses.

When the horses assembled for the start, it was dark and very cold, at the start the first light of the day came up and painted the amazing rock formations in all different colours of pink to red, an image one can never forget it was breathtaking!
For "greenhorns" like me the desert looked mostly everywhere the same, and without the scout qualities of Mr. Abdel Aziz Al Hasanat, father of "Indies" owner Hamzah, I would have been lost and never found back to the Vet Gate.

Once we got stuck in the sand, but out of the blue there were other 4-wheels who helped us out.

Following Susanne and Indy was fascinating; more so to see how the horse finally accepted the "new rider", became well bent and good at the reins, responding to the orders of her rider!

The World Champion of WEG Aachen 2006, Miguel Ubach from Spain who also was supposed to ride a rented horse from the Royal Stables, the horse was lame at the Vet Check, was so lucky to get "Qual" a Polish bred gelding from the stables of HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, normally ridden by the stable manager of HRH Prince Ali's stables, Jehad Shhaltough, who broke his ankle the evening before the ride.

This horse "Qual" was born in 1990 and looks like a very young horse, he won the international race and did the last loop of 20 km at an average speed of 27 km/h, amazingly fresh he came into the Finish after altogether 4 h 32 mins.51 seconds.
Of the 46 horses which had left the start at six o’clock in the morning, 24 came in “fit to continue” among them was "Indy" with Susanne! That means more than 50% succeeded, which is a very good finishers rate.

Wadi Rum was an experience to all of us and we felt the spell of this corner of the world, which has been inhabited by mankind for the last 19 000 years, rock carvings found in the mountains here give us evidence of this theory. Too short was our stay there and we had too little time to experience history and fauna and flora, and: no time for dreams!

Dubai: Strong field for Dubai endurance races on weekend

Gulfnews.com

Staff Report
January 28, 2010

Land Cruiser up for grabs for winners

Dubai: The Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum Ladies Endurance Ride over 90 kilometres and the Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum Endurance Challenge over 100km will be held at Dubai International Endurance City Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The Ladies Endurance Ride-CEN 90km is restricted to UAE and Gulf nationals and Arab nationals living in the UAE.

The ride consists of four loops: Yellow (37km), Green (27km), Pink (16km) and White (16km). The vet check will take place today between 3pm and 5pm.

The Endurance Challenge is restricted to UAE nationals from private stables and individuals.

Four loops

The ride consists of four loops: Yellow (37km), Red (31km), Green (27km) and White (12km).

The vet checking will take place tomorrow between 3pm and 5pm.

The general manager of the Dubai Equestrian Club, Ali Mousa Al Khamiri, said: "We expect this ride to be highly competitive and it is sure to attract some of the best endurance riders here in the UAE and the region.

"We are truly grateful for the support from Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture, and we wish all riders the best of luck and welcome all spectators to come and enjoy this weekend event."

A Toyota Land Cruiser is up for grabs for the first place winner of each race, while the second place winners will receive a Nissan Patrol and the third place winners will receive Dh100,000 in cash.

Fourth place winners will be awarded Dh90,000 and the amount will decrease in equal equation until the 11th placing, which receives Dh20,000.

Great Britain: Young lead the way in endurance awards

Thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk - Full Article

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

AN EARLY GBP 800 to send a British Endurance Riding team to the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky was raised by an auction of promises at the annual Awards Dinner of the South West Group of Endurance.

All the groups of Endurance GB have been asked to raise money towards the team's expenses, which will be around GBP 15,000 per horse for air fares and stabling.

At the prize-giving following the auction, it was the younger members of the group that rode off with many of the awards, promising well for the future of endurance riding in Devon and Cornwall.

Jennifer Bridge from Plymouth on her 15.3hh eight-year-old Arab gelding, RA Djoser, won the Open Level Challenge Shield.

"We won the Novice Trophy in 2008, which was our first year of competing in endurance," said Jennifer. "I am delighted that now that we have moved up to Open Level, Djoser is still doing so well.

"We bought him as a three-year-old. He has a lovely temperament but is very fast. We did our first 80km (50 miles) at the Camelford Ride last summer and he won the prize for best conditioned horse."

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Australia: Tami's amazing ride

Tami Parnell riding Jelby Farid at the South
African Endurance Championships in July last
year, where she was unable to finish the race
as her horse was disqualified after failing the
veterinary inspection on one leg half way
through the race. Photo: Submitted

Gleninnesexaminer.com.au - Full Article

NAOMI DAVIDSON
26 Jan, 2010

Climbing to the Federation Equestrian Internationale (FEI) world youth ranking of second in November last year, Glen Innes endurance rider Tami Parnell is hoping to continue to balance work, study and endurance riding, vying for a ranking in the FEI open division this year.

The 21-year-old began riding at pony camps from the age of six. Through trainer Elsie Newsome she became interested in endurance riding. Ms Parnell said horse riders either went into pony club, campdraft or endurance riding.

"You do endurance because you love it. There would be no other reason to get up at midnight and ride for 17 hours," she said.

Ms Parnell rode a total of 1200km all over Australia, South Africa, Namibia, and New Zealand over the past 24 months. She has ridden for some of the top Australian stables like TOFT Endurance and Castlebar.

Her FEI ranking is based on kilometres, accumulating points for the number of kilometres ridden and place achieved (first in a 120km ride is 120 points). Ms Parnell said she placed in the top six in all eight FEI youth rides she competed in last year, including second in Western Australia.

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