New Zealand: Endurance Team Preparing in Kentucky

September 11 2010

The New Zealand Endurance Team's three Endurance horses arrived in Kentucky two weeks ago and have settled in well at a private stable 10 minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park.

The riders along with Team Manager Madonna Harris and trainer Ray Tylee and three grooms are settling into their training and build up to going into the Kentucky Horse Park on the 24th September, two days prior to their competition.

The rest of the Endurance groom Team members leave New Zealand on Tuesday.

First Group of Horses Arrive at the Kentucky Horse Park for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

Lexington, KY - September 10, 2010 - With just 14 days until the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the first group of eight horses arrived at the Kentucky Horse Park on Friday afternoon. This first group of equine athletes will compete at the Games in the World Championship of Endurance presented by Meydon, representing Chile and Guatemala.

The horses have been quarantined in Miami since their flight to the United States and have traveled via trailer to Kentucky. While the athletes are not arriving with these horses, this first group of equine athletes arriving to the park signifies that the Games are getting underway!

The first of the horses from Europe will be arriving at next week and will be in quarantine in Northern Kentucky.

Florac

Persik - 1969-2001

Friday September 10 2010

One of the most famously hard rides in Europe will take place tomorrow in southern France for the 30th time: the 160-km Florac. It is also the pre-ride for next year's European Championship. This region of The Cevennes is known as "Persik's Land" - named after the famous endurance Arabian stallion and sire Persik, who was the only horse to win Florac twice, in 1975 and 1976.

The course is one big loop over 6 stages, beginning at Ispagnac at 500 meters (1600 ft), travelling through the Cevennes National Park, climbing to Mont Aigoual, at 1567 meters (5141 ft) and eventually returning back to Ispagnac for the finish.

Despite the 350 Euro entry fee, approximately 87 foreign riders have been entered, hailing from Bahrain, Qatar, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Slovakia, Spain, Norway, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary, Uruguay, Brazil, and Russia. 92 French riders are entered, for a total of 179 horses and riders.

The start is tomorrow morning at 4 AM.


Persik the day after winning Florac in 1976

- Merri Melde

Portugal: Heading for the WEG

September 10 2010

Portugal is sending 3 horse and rider teams to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games to participate in the World Endurance Championship in Lexington, Kentucky, to be held September 26, 2010.

The riders are João Raposo with Titanic (the Portuguese champions 2010), Ana Margarida Costa with Gozlane du Somail, Paulo Branco with Ken du Moulin. The chef d´équipe is Vasco Lopes Avó, and the team veterinarian is Dr. Pedro Jorge.

The Portuguese team won the bronze medal in the last World Equestrian Games that were held in Aachen in 2006.

WEG Endurance - A Preview of the Major Teams

By Leonard Liesens, Endurance-belgium.com

It's on 18th September that most of European horses will embarq to Kentucky. They will all head from all over Europe to the Liège's Airport in Belgium. All endurance horses, but also all European horses representing all disciplines. A huge promotion for the Airport of Liège and for the region which has invested a lot in this new airport for boosting its economical activity.

Back to endurance... Lexington will not reach the record level of participation of Dubai in 2005. But nevertheless there will be a huge contingent participating at the endurance event. Actually, all nations represented in Lexington will have at least one couple competing in endurance.

What about Nobby

Maria Alvarez gave birth to a daughter, another little Maria. Just in case, Jaume Punti qualified himself with Nobby during a 160 km race ran in Dubai. But it will be Maria who will defend her title with her small bay Nobby. "Three weeks after the birth of our little Maria, her mother was already riding 40 km workout. Then after six weeks she rode Nobby on 80 km. Both were already ready for a 160 km" said Jaume.

The Spanish team won the team gold in Italy last year, thanks to the good time made by Nobby but also because France was out of the competition with just two horses. It is very unlikely that this could happen again. But who knows...

In the individual competition, it is another business. Nobby is capable of reaching a good speed (he demonstrated that at Dubai) and he has the temper of a champion. He will the one to beat...

Read more here:
http://endurance-belgium.com/team/weg2010_preview.htm

Stephen "the German explorer"

Sportendurance.it - Full Article

September 1 2010

The tireless and ever "explorer" Stephen Chidichimo never stops, always in search of experience to the limit, special flavor and charm.

After his experiences in raids in Morocco and Spain, it was the turn of Germany, writes the GPS Schwabish Alb - Weites Land Distanzritt of 360 km.

Stephen, just back in Italy, had just enough time to send sensations to hot, with a promise to put on paper a more detailed story that could fascinate so many Italian fans. It 's the first time an Italian raid in five-year history of the particular race.

More...


Stefano e ” l’esplorazione tedesca ”
Pubblicato il 01 settembre 2010 in Endurance, Racconti

L’instancabile ed eterno “esploratore” Stefano Chidichimo non si ferma mai, sempre alla ricerca di esperienze al limite, particolari, dal sapore e dal fascino antico.

Dopo le sue esperienze ai raid in Marocco ed in Spagna, è la volta della Germania, il GPS scrive Schwabish Alb – Weites Land Distanzritt di 360 km.

Stefano, appena rientrato in Italia, ha avuto giusto il tempo di inviarci sensazioni a caldo, con la promessa di mettere su carta un racconto più dettagliato che potrebbe affascinare tanti appassionati italiani. E’ la prima volta di un italiano al raid nella storia quinquennale della particolare gara...

di più:
http://www.sportendurance.it/2717-stefano-e-lesplorazione-tedesca/

Horse farms will open doors to visitors during WEG

Kentucky.com - Full Article

September 9 2010

By Alicia Wincze - awincze@herald-leader.com

One of the things Lexington is best known for is its accessibility to the Thoroughbred stars that reside on the horse farms that dot its landscape.

With the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games set to begin its run on Sept. 25 and the influx of equine enthusiasts expected to visit Central Kentucky, some top farms are expanding the opportunities for visitors to get an up-close view of the signature industry.

That glance behind the scenes may also give the Thoroughbred racing world a chance to attract new fans.

As the owner and breeder of this year's Derby winner Super Saver, WinStar Farm has been inundated with requests to see its sprawling facilities and has responded by offering as many as four tours a day of its stallion barn free from Sept. 18 through Oct. 17.

Read more here:
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/09/1427574/horse-farms-will-open-doors-to.html