Canadian Endurance Riders Excel in North American FEI Events

Horse-canada.com
June 30, 2010

Ottawa, ON— Following The Kentucky Cup — the pre-ride for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) — Canadian endurance horses and riders have travelled thousands of miles, in pursuit of their dream to qualify and compete for Canada, either in the World Equestrian Games this September or in future major international events. In FEI competitions from all over North America, Canadian riders and their amazing equine partners have excelled, building on their already-enviable ride records. In addition to the FEI events, these riders have actively participated in open rides as well with outstanding results.

• Elroy Karius & Jolly Holiday: FEI 2* 75 miles (Williston, FL) — sixth place
• Gail Jewell & A Salisbury Rose: FEI 3* 100 miles (Inyokern, CA) — fourth place
• Carol Steiner & Jumpin’ Jax: FEI 1* 100 miles (Ocala, FL) — third place; FEI 3* 100 (Decatar, TX) – seventh place
• Carol Steiner & Merlin FEI 3* (Moriston, FL) — seventh place
• Dessia Miller & Parker AES: FEI 2* 75 miles (Asheville, NC) — second place
• Monique Vincent on MJL Olivia: FEI 1* 50 miles (Decatur, TX)—First place
• Lee Hutten & Diamond Reo: FEI 1* 75 mile (Morrison, FL)
• Ruth Sturley & Futurystic: FEI 1* 50 miles (Asheville, NC) —first place
• Yvette Vinton & Jal Bas Kalid: FEI 1* 50 miles (Ocala, FL) — 10th place
• Yvette Vinton & Tesse FEI 3* 100 miles (Williston, FL) — 20th place
• Yvette Vinton & JS Sedona FEI 1* 50 miles (Williston, FL) — first place

Most recent successes for our elite riders have been at competitions at Horseshoe Lake, AB, held May 21, 2010, and Fort Howes, MT, held June 12, 2010. Those results include
• Terre O’Brennan & Koszaar: FEI 3* 100 miles (Alberta) — first place
• Ariel MacLeod & Driftwoods Zorro : FEI 3* 100 miles (Alberta) — third place and Best Condition award
• Kathy Irvine & Nightwind Savannah: FEI 3* 100 miles (Alberta) — second place; FEI 2* 75 miles (Montana) — third place and Best Condition award
• Leanna Marchant & Samsons Fire: FEI 2* 75miles (Alberta) —first place and Best Condition award; FEI 2* 75 miles (Montana) — second place
• Christy Janzen & Sakic: FEI 2* 75 mile (Alberta) — second place
• Karen Badger & Pilgrim: FEI 2* 75 mile (Alberta) —third place
• Caroline Williams & Diamond Reo: FEI 2* (Alberta)— fourth place
• Tara MacLeod & Sea Biscuit: FEI 1* (Alberta)— first place
• Mary-Ann Dorchester & SH Special Edition: FEI1* (Alberta) — second place
• Amy Hoffman & Jr’s Last Chance: FEI 1* (Alberta) — third place
• Lee Hutton & KD Colonel: FEI 2* 75 miles (Montana) — third place and Best Condition award
• Gail Jewell, DVM & Jolly Holiday: FEI 3* 100 Miles (Alberta) — fourth place
• Monique Vincent on MJL Olivia: FEI 2* 50 miles (Montana) — fifth place

The next and final challenge for these riders hoping for a berth on the 2010 WEG Team will be the 2010 Canadian Distance Championship in New Lowell, ON, on July 1, 2010. Following the Championship, the 2010 WEG squad will be named.

“The Canadian Championship will be an opportunity to prove our horses’ capabilities and may well change the WEG rankings,” said Elroy Karius from Kelowna, BC, who is currently sitting number one in the WEG rankings. “There are some very excellent horse and rider teams coming on strong.”

The Endurance Championship will include FEI 1*, 2* and 3* events, with Young Riders’ divisions. The majority of the WEG-nominated riders from Eastern Canada, as well as a few from the West, will compete under the watchful eyes of several of the Team officials: Kay Melvin, Chef d’équipe; Maura Leahy, Assistant Chef; Stan Alkemade, Assistant Team Veterinarian; and Kim Woolley, Team Coach.

“Personally, I’m finding it exciting as we have so many riders and horses trying out for a spot on the team, which is something our Canadian team has lacked in the past due to cost of sending horses overseas,” said Melvin. “Having this WEG on our doorstep has definitely changed how our riders have planned their competitions in this past couple of years. It has opened up opportunities for some who might not have considered competing at this level before.”

France: 2010 Corlay

CORLAY 2010 - June 18-20, 2010


CEI*** 160 km
33 starters, 24 finishers

1. Gregoire Tilquin - Mario De Plouvorn - 17.223 km/h
2. Pierre Fleury - Miraj - 17.215 km/h
3. Andrea Pulicani - Spiga - 16.955 km/h

Images by Brigitte Huard can be seen here:
http://www.brigitte-huard.com/19_06_10_Corlay_160km--729--21-fr-f-p160-n1.html



CEI*** 130 km
22 starters, 20 finishers

1. Laetitia Goncalves - Nikel Kermorvan - 16.249 km/h
2. Emmanuelle Rionde - Naffa De Lap - 15.948 km/h
3. Cecile Miletto Mosti - Olympe De Crouz - 15.874 km/h

Images by Brigitte Huard can be seen here:
http://www.brigitte-huard.com/18_06_10_Corlay_130km--728--21-en-f.html



CEI* 110 km
30 starters, 26 finishers

1. Philippe Tomas - Pacha De Barancon - 18.067 km/h
2. Enora Boulenger - Skadur - 18.041 km/h
3. Klervi Lefevre - Tahira El Numizki - 17.944 km/h

Images by Brigitte Huard can be seen here:
http://www.brigitte-huard.com/20_06_10_Corlay_90___110km--730--21-en-f.html

Complete results here:
http://www.france-endurance.net/default.aspx

2010 WEG: Spectator Parking, Transportation Options Set for Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

DATE: June 23, 2010

LEXINGTON, KY—93 Days to Go—Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games spectators will have a variety of parking and transportation options, including hotel shuttles and on-site parking, for the 16 days of the event.

With the recent availability of property adjacent to the Kentucky Horse Park, parking for 10,000 vehicles each day is now possible on-site. Parking will be $20 per vehicle with cash only accepted upon entry. A limited number of premium parking spaces near the spectator entry, with pass-out parking privileges, are also available for $100 per day at www.alltechfeigames.com.

Nine hotel shuttle routes will be implemented for Games spectators, providing a door-to-door transportation service for selected hotels. Spectators who have arranged accommodations through the Games Housing Bureau for the selected hotels, located in Lexington, Georgetown and Frankfort, will be emailed a direct link on or before July 6 with the opportunity to pre-purchase hotel shuttle wristbands online for $5 before August 1. After August 1, the shuttle wristbands will be $10 for Housing Bureau guests. During the Games, wristbands can be purchased for $15, subject to availability. Wristbands are date specific and valid for one day’s round trip transport to the Kentucky Horse Park and are non-transferable. A list of hotels on the shuttle routes will be available on the Spectator Information page of the Games website by July 6.

Buses equipped with ADA seating will be operating on all hotel shuttle systems, and mobility shuttles will be stationed in the on-site parking lots for those who need assistance from designated ADA parking areas.

In addition, taxi cabs and Gold Shield Car Services will be available to transport spectators to the main entrance of the Games at the Kentucky Horse Park. LexTran, the City of Lexington’s public transportation system, will also have roundtrip bus service to the Kentucky Horse Park for $5 per passenger, with parking near Lextran’s Vine Street terminal in downtown Lexington.

“We feel these parking and transportation options provide maximum flexibility and value for our spectators,” said Games CEO Jamie Link. “We expect thousands of people will visit the park each day and our goal is that everyone arrives in a safe and efficient manner, ready to enjoy a great day at the Games.”

Detailed information on transportation services, including directions to on-site parking, hotel shuttle routes, and information for local commuters whose daily routes may be impacted by event traffic will be available soon at www.alltechfeigames.com.

67-year-old rides 160km to finish Quilty Cup

http://www.tenterfieldstar.com.au
CHRIS WALKER
30 Jun, 2010 11:14 AM

ABOUT 300 riders, including four from Tenterfield, set off at midday on Friday to start the 2010 Tom Quilty 160km endurance ride.

Regarded as the Melbourne Cup of endurance rides, the Quilty was this year held in Manilla.

Tenterfield grandmother Jackie Parsons, aged 67, successfully completed the ride on Dunwingi Nova in her first attempt.

Mrs Parsons’ husband Dennis was there to offer support, as was her daughter who flew from Singapore for the prestigious event.

The ride completed a long-held dream for Mrs Parsons, but it wasn’t easy, she said.

“My horse seems a lot less tired than I am, and I’ll bet he doesn’t hurt in as many places as I do,” she said.

Tenterfield club members were also there to help out, as was the horse’s owner Hal Archer.

Rain before daylight meant dramatically changed conditions, making the track slippery and boggy in places. The track was broken up into five legs, with strict veterinary checks at each leg ruling out an increasing number of horses. Under endurance riding rules, no horse is allowed to continue if they are considered in any way unfit.

Mrs Parsons cut more than three hours off her qualifying time, but she wasn’t the only success in the race.

Hannah McQueen also managed to finish, in the process earning a coveted Quilty buckle.

Bad luck and the slippery conditions prevented Tenterfield’s other two riders, Philippa Lillyman and Dylan Keys, from finishing, as they joined many others in being ‘vetted out’.

Only 120 of the 300 riders that set off at midnight managed to finish the demanding ride.

The ride was won for the second year straight by Queensland rider Brook Sample, who finished in just eight and a half hours.

[Full article ... at http://www.tenterfieldstar.com.au/news/local/sport/general/67yearold-rides-160km-to-finish-quilty-cup/1871622.aspx]

Costa Rica: Zamora and Salazar to Represent Country in Endurance in WEG 2010

June 28 2010

Diego Zamora and Martin Salazar classified June 19 to represent Costa Rica in the WEG 2010, Kentucky USA

Martin ran, in Uruguay with Hasan 160 km and Diego in Guatemala 120 km. To classify, both have met with the races required by the FEI and the Organizing Committee of WEG 2010 (4 120 km/h events and 1 160 km event at 13 km/h or more and with the same horse that will then compete in the WEG 2010.)

The competition in Uruguay was developed with a very cold temperature of 8 to 12 ºc and a fairly high humidity of 80% on a very flat terrain as usual in Uruguay. Martin competed at 17.1 km/h against 11 riders and came 4th to goal after 160 km since the others were eliminated by the judges and Uruguayan veterinarians.

Diego Zamora competed in Tecpán Guatemala at a very favorable temperature and managed to reach the target smoothly at 14.2 km/hour.

The WEG in Kentucky will be the day 26 September and it is expecting the participation of 150 horses and 32 countries. Costa Rica, in 2008, also participated with two riders in Malaysia.

The Equestrian Federation International (FEI) requires riders: 4 120 km competitions at 10 Km/h average minimum and one 160 km competition at 13 km/hr with the same horse.
 
How classified Martín and Diego:...
Diego Zamora with 5 events.
1-Guatemala 160 km... 2008
2-Chapernal C.Rica 160 km.... 2008
3 Chomes CR 120 km... 2010
4-Chomes CR 160 km... 2010 with the Samurai horse ran 14, 2 km/h average
5-Guatemala 120 km... 2010
 
Martín Salazar 5 events
 
1-Guatemala 120 km... 2010
2-Chomes C.Rica 120 km.... 2010
3-Uruguay 120 km... 2010
4-Guatemala 120 km... 2010
5-Uruguay 160 km... 2010 with Hasan horse ran 17.1 km/h average.
 
Photos of Costa Rican endurance can be seen here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ridecamp/CostaRicaEndurance62910#

Mongol Derby: The World's Greatest Horse Race

hcnonline.com
By Tana Ross
Updated: 06.24.10

Billed as the “Greatest Horse Race in the World” and the “Longest Horse Race in the world,” the Mongol Derby is not a challenge just any horse rider is willing to take on.

Indeed, the 1,000 kilometer (more than 630 miles) endurance race over the Mongolian steppe — a diverse, often unforgiving terrain that includes forest, mountains and desert — is so challenging that organizers of the race provide three days of training for the small group of international competitors who qualified to be in the race.

A true adventurist, 33-year-old Justin Nelzen, a-Pinehurst-farrier- turned-endurance athlete, is one of 16 representing five counties who qualified for the second annual derby to start Aug. 7. In fact he is one of the first three Americans ever selected for the 10-day equestrian event. And, while several might be happy just to finish the race, Nelzen’s standard is set a bit higher.

“My goal is not just to complete the race, but to win it,” he said.

With only three years of endurance horse racing under his belt, some might think Nelzen is a risky bet, but his record says otherwise. Not only has the 5-foot, 8-inch, 158-pound, athlete competed and won in a variety of competitions since college, including martial arts, triathlons and marathon running, but his list of wins with his own Arabians in endurance horse racing has garnered the attention of experts in the sport.

“Justin is very accomplished,” Rhita McNair of McNair Internationale, who has trained horses for more than 40 years, said. “I am very impressed with his skills as a rider and as a trainer. He took a mare he bought from me all the way to a world champion.”

Last year, Nelzen also swept first, second and third places in the Hog Scramble, a 30-mile endurance race in Huntsville, on horses he owns and trained. His 7-year-old daughter, Trinity, placed first.

“I didn’t know anything other than to train my horses like I trained myself,” he said. “Someone asked me before my first race what I expected. I told them I expected to win, and I did. I didn’t know any better at the time.”

Excited at just the thought of Nelzen winning the derby, McNair said Justin is very good at reading horses, a skill that is sure to pay off when he selects his Mongolian mounts for the derby.

Longest race is on


Averaging 10 horse endurance races a year Nelzen most recently rode for the Al Kamda royal family in the desert of Dubai, UAE, where he placed fourth in a 100-mile race on an Arabian he had never ridden. But the Mongol Derby is more than 630 miles, tracing one of the 13th century routes Genghis Khan’s supply and communications carriers used — an ancient pony express. Will Nelzen’s experience be enough to carry him over the finish line? Will it be enough to give him the win? He definitely thinks so.

“Last year’s winner finished the race in eight days, I am hoping to do the same or better,” Nelzen said. “But my concerns are not really about my abilities — the Marine Corps trained me well — as much as they are about what I don’t know.”

On the “don’t know” list are sleep, environment and the 25 horses Nelzen will be given to ride. The tradition of Khan’s massive network of horse stations, called the Morin Urtuus, will be implemented for the race. Hosting Mongolian families offering a fresh mount along with a meal of mutton and mare’s milk will be identified every 30 miles or so along the yet-to-be-announced derby route. Because contestants may ride from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. there is no guarantee Nelzen will be at a host family’s yurt at the end of each day.

“If I sleep out, the major concern is wolves and feral dogs and I understand there are horse thieves who would like to steel our mounts,” he said. “The temperature is also a factor. While it gets to upper 80s and 90s during the day, it falls into the 40s at night.”

If the countryside and route don’t offer enough challenge and history then the horses supplied for the derby certainly do. Decedents of the horses that gave Khan and his warriors superior advantage over their enemies and helped establish the Mongol Empire, make up the pool of more than 200 horses the derby supplies.

“This is a land where horses outnumber people seven to one,” Nelzen said. “They are practically worshiped by the people there.”

Riders will get a fresh mount at each station choosing from a collection of the Mongolian horses on a first-come, first-served basis.

“I hope I’ll get there first, have a good selection and be able to choose a good horse,” Nelzen said.

Imagine sizing up a 13-hand, almost pony-sized horse in minutes considering size, confirmation, overall health and disposition — all this without a test drive. Described as being tougher than Rambo on steroids, the small native mounts are a far different ride than the floating Arabians. The Mongolian horses are tightly coupled with eight speeds rather than the familiar four gaits of most horses. While Nelzen is confident of his riding skills, he prays the steeds he rides will be as fast as the Arabians he raises.

Nelzen has collected more than $2,500 for his place in the Mongol Derby. His total expenses top $15,200 including a required charity donation of $1,500. He is accepting donations on his website through PayPal at, www.teamequipro.com.

To learn more about the Mongol Derby and to read updates during the race visit, http://mongolderby.theadventurist.com.

More at ...http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2010/06/25/greater_houston_weekly/top_of_the_week/0623_mongolian_derby.txt

Australia: Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2011 – STOP PRESS!

Monday June 21 2010

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the SA Tom Quilty committee announces a change of venue and date for the 2011 Tom Quilty Gold Cup. The event, now known as the Barossa Ranges Tom Quilty Gold Cup will provide a challenging event for participants on a new course. There will be an away check point and riders will experience changing terrain as the course traverses Mt Crawford State forest, vineyards and pastures. The second and potentially most challenging leg will be through pine forests, then onto private land owned by the Ross family (by kind permission).

The ride base will be at Mt Pleasant which hosts annually a large agricultural show in addition to many livestock and horse events. One of the best scenic routes in our State runs through Mount Pleasant linking Adelaide with the Barossa via the rich pastoral lands, forestry and the wine areas of Springton and Eden Valley close to Mt. Pleasant.

Land was first purchased for forestry at Mount Crawford in 1909. Plantings commenced in 1914; two species of eucalypts (Narrow-leaved Ironbark and South Australian Blue gum) and two species of pine (Radiata and Maritime pine) which creates a fantastic horse riding environment. The current reserve area is in the region of 12,000 hectares.

Please note that the event will now start at midnight on Friday September 30th 2011 and continue through Saturday October 1st.

Changes to our website are being made and further announcements will follow as plans are finalised for the test event, the South Australian State Championships and FEI 1* featuring the Trans Tasman and Young Horse Qualifier (sponsored by Castlebar) which takes place later this year on October 8th – 10th. Please refer to the website www.satomquilty.com.au for the most up-to-date information as it becomes available.


Sarah Adams
Event Director
sadams@lindsaypark.com.au