Bahrain: Arab riders for 100km event

Gulf-daily-news.com

Monday, February 15, 2010

A BRAND new four-wheel-drive vehicle will be awarded to the overall winner of Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Endurance Ride Championship on Saturday, Royal Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa announced yesterday.

The decision is part of Shaikh Nasser's approach to add more competitiveness to the upcoming championship, which is one of the major events of endurance season.

The prestigious event, to be held at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir and sponsored by telecommunications company Batelco, will be over 100km and features four stages with top riders from Bahrain and the GCC taking part.

The first and second stages will each cover 30km, 24km for the third and 16 for the fourth and final stage. The veterinary examination is set for Friday between 3pm and 5.30pm.

Meanwhile, Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation's (Breef) president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa gave his directives to the organising committees' members to step up their preparations.

Shaikh Khalid, who was recently crowned winner of the King's Cup ride which headlined a glittering equestrian festival, said the event is featuring men's and women's rides.

"Endurance activities in Bahrain enjoys the whole hearted support of His Majesty King Hamad," said Shaikh Khalid.

The Breef's chef said by visiting the championships regularly and extending full support to the riders, His Majesty inspired them to achieve higher goals.

"Without the extensive support and encouragement of His Majesty, this sport in Bahrain would never have reached to this level of professionalism and worldwide recognition."

Shaikh Khalid added that the present weather conditions will assist the participants in completing their respective categories' races.

He said the championship will be organised at halfway stage of the season as riders and horses should be at peak form. Shaikh Khalid extended his appreciation to Batelco for supporting the season events and urged other companies follow suit through sponsoring the federation's activities.

"Endurance riding is rationally known to be the ultimate challenge in this sport-supreme test of horsemanship for the knowledgeable rider, to bring his horse through a hard day of riding over long distance and variable types of terrain," added Shaikh Khalid.

"Endurance riders not only test the stamina of the horse but also the skills of the rider and the support crew."

Shaikh Khalid highlighted the point that endurance riding is a test of discipline, stamina, fitness, strength and patience.

One of the fastest growing sport in the world is the endurance riding.

Bahrain saw the real birth of this sport in its soil on April 7, 2000.

Inspired by the success of the first international championship, the Kingdom began to organise various types of championships from October to May every year.

President's Cup: PRESIDENT'S CUP - USA, A SUCCESS ONCE MORE - Heather Reynolds

Reynolds Racing - Full Story

Well, the USA did another great trip to the President's Cup 160 km race. Sir Smith was the first overseas completion in a ride time of 8:50 (36 place! so fast here), and SA Belshazzar did great as well completing his first 160 km ride in a time of 9:16. It was a great performance from both horses!

The leaders set yet another world record. I do not know the exact time but it was something like 6:20!!!

At the start Ellen and Zar went ahead of Smitty and disappeared into the heavy fog. Smitty had a slow start to settle him into a calm mind set for the day. Jeremy had to actually run a bit on foot to accomplish this. During the first loop we were last for a long while and the police escort and the ambulance trailer were following us. It felt a bit like buzzards circling. The slow pace worked though. After the first loop the pair was moving well and kept it up nicely.

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UAE: Al Beloushi in scintillating win

Photo by ABDUL RAHMAN/Gulf News

Gulfnews.com

By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
February 14, 2010

Beats Al Jahouri of Al Wathba in a nailbiting finish to lift the President's Cup



Abu Dhabi : Twenty-three-year-old Sultan Ahmad Al Beloushi of Al Reef Stables rode Charlandre El Sharif to a scintillating victory in the Dh1.5 million HH The President's Cup, the 13-year-old gelding breaking his own world record for a 160km ride by more than seven minutes.

Al Beloushi denied Al Wathba's Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri, on Kalifa, in a finish that would have done a 1,000-metre sprint proud as there was hardly anything to separate the two horses after 160km of battling at the Emirates International Endurance Village at Al Wathba desert area.

Al Beloushi and Charlandre El Sharif completed the ride in a record time of 6 hours, 21 minutes and 12 seconds, bettering the earlier best of 6:28.28 by the same horse under Omar Hussain Al Beloushi in January 2008 in the HH Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup at the Dubai International Endurance Village.

The Al Reef youngster, riding the horse trained by his elder brother Yousuf Ahmad Al Beloushi, was fourth going out into the final loop of 16km with less than a minute separating the top six riders.

However, Al Beloushi's horse, one of the most consistent performers, managed to get the better of 160km specialist Al Jahouri and shatter his ambition of winning his first President's Cup.

"This is without doubt the greatest win of my career. Charlandre El Sharif is a star and today he proved it," said Al Beloushi.

He, Al Jahouri and the third-placed Majid Salman Al Sabri received a car each for their efforts.

"My elder brother Yousuf just told me to pace my speed to under 25kmph for the first five stages (144km) and then go all out in the final loop, and I did just that," said Al Beloushi, whose average speed on the final 16km loop was 33.22kmph in comparison to his ride average speed of 25.18kmph.

Heart-break

For Al Jahouri, it was a heart-breaking experience as the President's Cup is the only silverware missing in the Al Wathba star's showcase.

"I think it just boils down to bad luck. I have won the National Day Cup thrice, the 160km HH Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup twice. But my best in this ride [before this race] was a third-place finish in 2007," said Al Jahouri.

Earlier, 106 riders started in the event, which was attended by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, and Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, among others.

RESULTS

Results of yesterday's 160km endurance ride:

1. Sultan Ahmad Al Beloushi (Charlandre El Sharif), 6:21.12

2. Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri (Kalifa) 6:21.13

3. Majid Salman Al Sabri (Armin's Zulu) 6:27.33.

Canada: Maura Leahy Named 2009 Equine Canada Volunteer of the Year

Horse-canada.com
February 11, 2010

Ottawa, ON - Equine Canada has named Maura Leahy of Dugald, Manitoba, as the 2009 Volunteer of the Year.

Leahy became involved in the sport of endurance in 1997 and rides at the local level. She organizes and manages two to three endurance rides per year in her home province of Manitoba. Leahy has been involved with the establishment of Endurance Canada since its inception, serving on the board, the Fundraising/Sponsorship Committee, the International Committee, and as the Chair of the Rules Committee. She has also represented Endurance Canada on the Equine Canada Sport Council Rules Committee.

At the international level, Leahy became involved in Federation Equestre International (FEI) in 1999 by volunteering at the Pan Am Championship Ride at Spruce Woods Park in Manitoba, and from there her involvement has progressed from a groom to member of an organizing committee and now to an FEI Steward/Judge (Level 2).

She has also attended the 2006 World Equestrian Games as team manager and groom, and served as chef d'equipe for Canada West at the 2005 CEIO 3* North American Championships and the 2009 Kentucky Cup, and was the Canadian Team chef d'equipe for the 2008 World Endurance Championship in Malaysia, where Canada finished in seventh place out of 21 starting teams. Her attendance at these events is often self-funded and on her own time for the love of the sport of endurance.

"I was so honored to be nominated for this award, everybody in our equestrian organization is a volunteer in one capacity or another, finding out that I was selected was both overwhelming and humbling," said Leahy.

The 'Volunteer of the Year' award, sponsored by BFL Canada, is presented every year to an exceptional volunteer who has contributed to equestrian sport and to Equine Canada. It is presented to someone who has dedicated himself or herself to Equine Canada and it's ideals, who have worked tirelessly for the improvement of the organization, and who has had a noticeable impact on the sport.

At the Equine Canada Annual Awards Gala on Saturday, February 6, in Montreal, QC, Leahy was presented with the 2009 Equine Canada Volunteer of the Year by Sara Runnalls of BFL Canada, and Terre O’Brennan of Endurance Canada.

Pamela Burton’s WEG Endurance Predictions

Discoverhorses.com - Full Article

The U.S. will feel the pressure to stand on the podium as endurance championships return to American soil. The U.S. won an individual gold medal at every World Endurance Championship (WEC) from 1986 until 1998--Cassandra Schuler (1986), Becky Hart (1988,1990,1992), Valarie Kanavy (1994 & 1998) and Danielle Kanavy (1996). But in recent years the team has bowed to competitors from France, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.

Selection of US Horse/Rider Combos for the 2010 WEG is a multi step qualification and selection process. Each country is allowed five horse/riders, four Team and one Individual. The horse/rider combination must meet FEI Qualification for the 2010 WEG, formerly called a Certificate of Capability (COC) . Riders who have applied for WEG and attended one of the June Regional Selection Trials will be able to attend the final Observation Trial in August where 12 horses/riders will be chosen. The 12 horse/riders will travel to the Lexington area and remain in training while the final determination of the Five member Squad and the traveling reserve is made.

The top contender for a gold medal at WEG will be Spain’s Maria Alvarez Ponton, the first rider to hold both world and European titles at the same time on her 13-year-old French-bred gelding Nobby.

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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.

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