Thursday, February 11, 2010

Abu Dhabi: Team event introduced in Dh1.5m President's Cup



Gulfnews.com
By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
February 12, 2010

Twenty top riders from around the globe to take part in event



Abu Dhabi : Four cars and a prize fund of Dh1.5 million will be up for grabs in tomorrow's His Highness The President's Cup 160km endurance ride, which also sees the introduction of a team competition at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Adnan Sultan Saif Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club said, "We have invited riders to form teams of four members each and the riding time of the three top finishers in each team will count for the competition.

"Twenty riders, invited from the US, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Slovakia, Belgium and Poland will be taking part in the event which will be run in six stages," Al Nuaimi said.

"The Al Wathba Stud Farm, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, The Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage [ADACH], Bonyan International Investment Group LLC, Invest AD and Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition 2010 are supporting the event and we are thankful to them," he said.

Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Communications Director of ADACH, said, "Endurance riding is part of our heritage and culture and we are glad to be involved in this sport."

Lara Sawaya, Director of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Flat Racing said, "The Al Wathba Stud Farm is supporting this event which is one of the biggest endurance rides in the world. The introduction of the team competition will make it more interesting and lay the emphasis on team work."

2010 WEG: WEG ticket sales grow as international interest increases



Kentucky.com - Full Article

Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010

By Linda B. Blackford - lblackford@herald-leader.com

After a slow start to ticket sales to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, organizers say they're seeing an uptick, particularly from overseas.

"With the arrival of 2010, we are seeing a steady increase in sales each day as people around the world make their plans and purchase their tickets to the Games," said Jamie Link, CEO of the World Games Foundation, which is putting on the event at the Kentucky Horse Park from Sept. 25 to Oct. 10.

Ticket sales are at the 160,000 mark. That's still a long way from the available 600,000, but organizers say they believe tickets will continue to move as the event gets closer.

Currently, only competition tickets to the eight events are on sale. General admission tickets will go on sale in the spring. Despite the global recession, there is more interest from abroad, particularly Europe, where all previous World Equestrian Games have been held.

"We've really seen sales pick up from countries like Great Britain, France and Germany," said Terry Johnson, the vice-president of marketing. "We've also had a strong push from South Africa." There have also been ticket sales from Canada, Australia and Mexico, 50 countries in all.

Johnson said he wasn't sure exactly why South Africa was well-represented, except they will have athletes at the Games.

Interest in some events is intense. Games spokeswoman Amy Walker said two events — the final rounds of reining and dressage — are almost sold out. There are preliminary rounds for each event.

More...

Mongolia: Mongol Derby seeks jockeys

Eclipsemagazine.co.uk

11 February 2010

The Mongol Derby, the longest horse race in the world still has a few places left for its August 2010 race and is seeking jockeys or ex jockeys who might like to take part.

The Mongol Derby team have also just announced an innovative Veterinary Training Programme that aims to leave a lasting equine legacy in Mongolia.

More than 20 local vets will be trained to become part of the international team of equine experts that will ensure the welfare of the 1000 semi-wild horses taking part in the race across the Mongolian steppe.

Led by four star accredited FEI vet Jenny Weston, the specialist training will also leave a legacy that will benefit other events and races in a country renowned for its love of horses.

"The training will cover exercise physiology and the types of conditions that you see in horses involved in endurance riding and the long-distance horse racing that is a part of Mongolian culture," explains Jenny. "This will benefit not only the horses involved in the Mongol Derby but also the many thousands involved in the annual Nadaam festival."

The training is part of a comprehensive horse welfare program including pre-race training for the riders led by Maggie Pattinson, Chef d'Equipe of the British Home International Endurance Team.

The race format is based on Chinngis Khaan's legendary postal system which could relay messages thousands of miles in a matter of days. Horse stations manned by nomadic families are established at intervals of 40km or less along the course and riders change horses and undergo veterinary inspections at each one.

The Mongol Derby is a joint venture led by British company The Adventurists with Mongolia based Tengri Group and backed by the Mongolian government's Ministry of Agriculture who acclaim the Mongolian Derby as "having great potential to develop our country".

Dr. Orgil, Director of the Ministry of Agriculture's Veterinary Unit and the Chief Equine Vet in Mongolia said the 2009 Mongol Derby was a "huge success...a brand new sport tourism variety".

Applications are open now to adventurous riders from around the world. More information about the world's longest and toughest horse and how to apply can be found on the official website: http://www.mongolderby.com

Fast Facts about the Mongol Derby

* 25 riders started the 2009 race, 23 finished and they raised £71,000 for official charity Mercy Corps' projects in Mongolia
* Aged from 21 to 65, the 2009 riders came from 8 different countries including Argentina, Sweden and South Africa. 12 of the riders were female
* Less than 2% of the 700 horses that took part in 2009 required treatment which was all minor first aid
* The riders averaged 100 km per day at about 10 km/hr in 2009
* On cooler days some riders managed about 140 km in a day on the better days, at an average speed of 14 km/hr
* Horses outnumber the population of Mongolia by 7 to 1!
* Marco Polo wrote that in the 13th century 300,000 horses were posted at horse stations across the great Khaan's empire

The Netherlands: Van Wijk en Romer aan start in Abu Dhabi



Horses.nl

11/02/2010 09:23

Endurance amazones Jannet van Wijk met Zaira Star en Carmen Romer met Eddie trainen op dit moment in de woestijn in Abu Dhabi. Zaterdag 13 februari komen de amazones aan start bij de Presidentcup in de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten.

De 160 kilometer lange wedstrijd begint zaterdag om 6.00 uur lokale tijd (Nederlandse tijd 3.00 uur ’s nachts) bij het 'Emirates International Endurance Village' in Al Wathba. In de wedstrijd is Phase 4 het interessantst omdat de route over zandduinen gaat, het overige parcours gaat over vrij vlakke gedeelten in de woestijn.

Jannet van Wijk heeft de afgelopen maanden getraind op snelheid en haar doel is om deze wedstrijd met een goed gemiddelde te finishen. Het is voor Zaira Star pas haar tweede 160-km-wedstrijd, maar de merrie is in goede conditie. De paarden zijn ondergebracht in koele en luchtige stallen. Er starten slechts dertien ruiters van buiten het Midden-Oosten.


Jannet van Wijk riding Zaira Star, and Carmen Romer riding Eddie R, is currently training in the desert in Abu Dhabi. On Saturday, February 13, the ladies will participate in the Presidents Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

The 160 kilometer long race starts Saturday at 6:00 pm local time (3.00 hours Dutch time at night) at the "Emirates International Endurance Village" in Al Wathba. In Phase 4 the game is interesting because the route goes over sand dunes, the trail takes other relatively flat areas in the desert.

Jannet van Wijk has recently trained in speed and its purpose is to match this with a good average to finish. It was only Zaira Star's second 160-km-race, but the mare is in good condition. The horses were housed in cool and airy stables. It started only thirteen riders from outside the Middle East.

USA: Rapp and Reynolds to Ride for US at Abu Dhabi Al Wathba President’s Cup



USEF.org
Release: February 11 2010
Author: Joanie Morris

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be represented by two endurance riders at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Al Wathba President’s Cup in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. This prestigious 160 km race is one of the premier events on the international endurance circuit and takes place on February 13, 2010. Riding for the US will be: Ellyn Rapp on Belshazzar and Jeremy Reynolds on Sir Smith.

Rapp was recently second in deluge conditions at the 2009 Kentucky Cup – which served as the test event for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park. She can expect totally different circumstances in Abu Dhabi where the forecast calls for temperatures in the 70s and dry conditions on race day.

Reynolds will ride Sir Smith, an experienced endurance veteran in the United Arab Emirates. Reynolds is also a farrier and is married to fellow endurance rider Heather Reynolds – who has also represented the United States in international competition. Sir Smith has two FEI wins on his record already and looks to add to this tally in Abu Dhabi.

Complete horse and rider information:

Rider/Age/Hometown/Horse/Age/Breed/Sex/Owner

Ellyn Rapp/27/Lamotte, IA/SA Belshazzar/13/Shagya-Arabian/G/Jeremy Olson
Jeremy Reynolds/30/Los Gatos, CA/Sir Smith/11/Arabian/G/Heather and Jeremy Reynolds

For complete information please visit: http://www.endurance.net/international/UAE/2010PresidentsCup/

To follow along with the adventure via the Reynolds’ blog, please visit: http://www.reynoldsracing.us/home.

55th Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show Begins Today



www.Scottsdaleshow.com

The 55th Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show begins today at Westworld, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Since 1955 the Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show has set the pace in the Arabian horse world. The first show was held at the grounds of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel which was a beautiful setting for a horse show. The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show was a first class show from the very first day.

After the show's beginnings at the Arizona Biltmore, Ann McCormick bought 150 acres in Scottsdale and made it into the horse facility known as Paradise Park which served the needs of the show for many years.

Since then, the show has been held at Westworld in Scottsdale. It has grown from 50 horses to nearly 2000 horses bringing top owners, trainers and breeders from around the world competing for a chance at winning. A win at Scottsdale can mean big money in the breeding barns.

The sponsoring organization, the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona, was incorporated in 1955. There were about twelve members when it began and it has grown to over 450 members. As our association has grown so has our annual show. Even though our show is our focal point, our members are active in other ways, representing us on boards and committees at national levels. Many of our members have become judges and stewards and have encouraged our youth to become involved with the horse show as well as other activities. This competition permits them to win Educational Scholarships.

We are very proud of our members and their accomplishments. Through them, as well as other participants and sponsors, our show will continue to grow and offer enjoyment to visitors as well as our own Arizona residents.

The show will run from February 11-21, 2010.

For more information see www.Scottsdaleshow.com

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

New Zealand: Enduring passion



Stratfordpress.co.nz - Full Article

Leon Gray-Lockhart | 11th February 2010

IT takes a certain kind of horse to go the distance in an endurance ride - so too does it take a certain kind of rider.

So, it's just as well Stratford District has an endurance-riding hero in Toko's Amanda Walton who became North Island Champion last month.

On her grandfather Trevor's horse, Lotus Blue Moon, the 18-year-old undertook a 57km endurance circuit near Waiuku, south of Auckland on Saturday, January 2.

"We started at nine in the morning," says Amanda.

"Travelling through the heat at that time of day was pretty tough, but we managed to get back first."

The following day on her own horse, Sir Cae, Amanda undertook another gruelling 103km trail and came second – ending an extremely successful, but tiring two days of competition.

More...

Costanza Laliscia: the young Italian equestrian endurance champion

Sport.quotidiano.net - Full Article Costanza Laliscia, endurance champion, talks about her passion for horses and the sacrifices she makes...