All about the 2010 World Equestrian Games

Kentucky.com - Full Article

By Janet Patton Herald-Leader Staff Writer

Horse fans from around the globe will be heading to Lexington’s Kentucky Horse Park this fall for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The international competition, held every four years since 1990, will feature the best riders and drivers in eight disciplines — dressage, show jumping, eventing, vaulting, reining, combined driving, endurance, and paraequestrian, which involves disabled riders — over 16 days.

This is the first time the event has been held outside Europe. The championships are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors and volunteers to the Bluegrass, although some of them may be staying in hotels more than an hour away.

The global economic downturn has taken a toll on travel. Ticket sales for the events, once predicted to top 600,000, now look more like half that. With spectators expected to buy tickets to multiple days, the daily attendance may be similar to that of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Still, an economic study, commissioned by the WEG Foundation, has predicted an economic impact of $167 million for the state...

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http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/08/1426351/all-about-the-2010-world-equestrian.html

Namibia: Can’t wait for the next ride

Newera.com.na - Full Article

8 September 2010

WALVIS BAY - After a very successful event in 2009, FNB Namibia again supported the 2-day Endurance Ride, which took place on the 2nd of this month at the harbour town, to the tune of N$50,000.00.

In response to FNB’s ongoing support, Namibia Endurance decided to officially call the competition the FNB Africa Endurance Championship.

Hosts Nambia entered three teams in various categories, South Africa also entered three and a senior team came all the way from Germany, while a significant number of individual riders also took part, bringing the total number of entries to 186 of which 156 finished the ride.

The competition is undoubtedly the biggest horse endurance ride in the entire Southern Hemisphere.

The various competition divisions were won by: Senior Heavyweight Riders – George Wessels on Aracos Armak; Senior Standard Weight Riders – Collen Tjandja on El Sham Khemo; Senior No Weight Riders – Martell Dormehl on Romeo; TYOung Riders – Alice Krenz on Hidalgo; 120km Child Ride – Chane Viljoen on Zabubega Hakim. ..

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http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=12925

South Africa: Lani & Legato go to Kentucky

Vangerve.com - Full Story

Lani van Gerve and her horse Arkab Legato are on their way to compete in the 160 kilometre event at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky on 26 September 2010.

The road to Kentucky was long and required great commitment. In June 2009 Lani and Legato qualified to compete in the Games by winning the South African National Championship over 160 kilometres. Legato went into quarantine at Kenilworth in Cape Town in January 2010. Lani moved from Pretoria to Cape Town to exercise Legato daily for the two months of quarantine.

On 22 March 2010 Lani flew with Legato and 23 other horses in a DC10 cargo plane to Europe. In-flight photographs and a short description of the process can be accessed via the link "Legato flies to Europe" at right.

In Europe, Lani and Legato participated in Endurance rides in Belgium and the Netherlands. ..

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http://www.vangerve.com/home

FEI Proposes Prohibited Substances List Modification

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Christa Lesté-Lasserre
September 07 2010, Article # 16922

Some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at low therapeutic levels might be helpful for horses with inflammation between competitions, so clearer and more current information is needed about detection times for anti-doping testing, according to a Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) committee. This committee--the FEI List Group--maintains the official list of controlled and prohibited substances for the organization.

The FEI List Group publicly announced over the weekend its recommendation that more research be carried out to determine the exact amount of time low doses of phenylbutazone(Bute) and flunixin are detectable in a horse's blood. With this knowledge competitors can feel confident about treating their horses therapeutically after and between competitions, without fearing disqualification from an upcoming event, said the group's chair, John McEwen, BVMS, MRCVS, who is also the FEI Veterinary Committee chair and the team veterinarian for the British Equestrian Federation.

However, the recommendation does not change the status of phenylbutazone and flunixin as "Controlled Medications" on the official FEI Prohibited Substances List, adopted April 5 in conjunction with the new Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations. McEwen said all NSAID drugs should continue to be prohibited during competitions, and drug testing for these substances should go on as before. The FEI does not currently prohibit the use of NSAIDs between competitions, provided they are no longer detectable at competition testing, and the new recommendation does not change this.

"What we're recommending is practical guidance and support, with clear, accurate, modern levels available," he said. "This will empower those who have the horses' care in their hands to access information that is reliable, to allow them to treat with NSAIDs between competitions...

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http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=16922

Grazing in horse country: Lexington lets the Games and the feast begin

Macon.com - Full Article

September 8 2010

By PHIL VETTEL - Chicago Tribune

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Forget Louisville, Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. This state's real hooved hot spot is Lexington, which immodestly bills itself as the "Horse Capital of the World."

I don't doubt it. Some friends who moved to Lexington live in a subdivision whose streets - all of them - are named for champion thoroughbreds. One of the town's main roads is Man O' War Boulevard, and they're not talking about jellyfish. Venture beyond the compact downtown, and the outlying areas seem to consist of horse farms and developments that used to be horse farms. (As in: "That shopping center used to be the Peterson Farm.")

In late September Lexington hosts the World Equestrian Games, a quadrennial 16-day event that will decide world championships in such events as driving, endurance, vaulting, dressage (that's the sport in which full-grown horses have to hop around like preteens in their first pair of high heels), reining and so on. Yes, there are world champions in these things.

The Games are a huge deal, the four-legged equivalent of the Olympics, and will draw horse fans from every corner of the globe. Perfectly ordinary hotel rooms have gone stratospheric for those dates (Sept. 25 through Oct. 1), and the whole town will go bonkers. Which, from what little I've experienced of the inordinately polite Lexingtonians, will probably be the most genteel, restrained sort of bonkers you will ever see. Think raised eyebrows; think traffic jams, with no honking...

http://www.macon.com/2010/09/07/1256336/grazing-in-horse-country-lexington.html

Namibia tops African endurance

Namibian.com.na - Full Article

07.09.2010

By: SHEEFENI NIKODEMUS

NAMIBIANS topped all the team events at the annual FNB Namibia Endurance African Championship held at Walvis Bay, last week.

The event is run under the auspices of the Federation Equestrian International (FEI), the ‘mother’ body of equestrian sport worldwide, and was Namibia Endurance’s (NE) flagship event which boasted a record 186 entries, including teams from South Africa and Germany.

The grueling contest consisted of three sections, namely, heavy weight, senior standard weight, and young rider teams, over distances of 30km, 60km, 80km, 95km and 120km.

The second loop of the 120km was over the notorious Dune 7, a tough challenge for both the horse and rider, with the the third leg a picturesque loop along the coastline which allowed horses and riders to enjoy the welcome sea breeze...

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http://www.namibian.com.na/news/full-story/archive/2010/september/article/namibia-tops-african-endurance/

After Kentucky - The 2014 World Equestrian Games

Equisearch.com - Full Article

The region around Caen, Normandy, France, site of the 2014 World Equestrian Games, offers many places and events to delight the equestrian. It's not too early to start planning your trip!

By Susan Harding

September 2, 2010--In 2014, the FEI World Equestrian Games will be held in Caen in Normandy, France, during the anniversary of the Normandy invasion of World War II. And it’s not too early to begin planning your trip.

Basse-Normandie (Lower Normandy) is an equestrian’s delight with historic stables and spectator events from harness and flat racing to polo, show jumping and more. And, of course, there are also are the things that make France, and particularly Normandy, a wonderful place to visit--local cheeses, French bread, delicious wine, charming 17th- and 18th-century country cottages, miles of white sandy beaches and historic villages around every corner.

On a recent trip to preview the venues for the 2014 World Equestrian Games, I was introduced to just a few of the very special equestrian sites in Basse-Normandie. Here’s a quick preview of why a trip to Normandy either before or during the Games is a must:

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http://www.equisearch.com/equiwire_news/weg2010/after_kentucky-2014_world_equestrian_games_090210/