Technology at WEG Endurance Event: GPS Tracking and Swipe Card Accuracy

TheHorse.com
by: Marsha Hayes
September 25 2010, Article # 17009

Cutting-edge GPS technology will provide real-time tracking of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) Endurance competitors as they race tomorrow in Lexington, Ky.

"Anyone with a laptop will be able to track the horses, at the event, or at home, around the world," explained Emmett Ross, endurance discipline manager for WEG. Ross also noted the system will be in place in the staging area to alert crews when their horses are coming into a vet check and allow them to adjust race strategy based on knowing competitors' positions.

For equine enthusiasts on site at the Kentucky Horse Park, several large viewing screens will be stationed around the park in the trade show and hospitality areas, and perhaps other sites to enhance viewing of the lengthy WEG event, projected to last around eight hours.

Announcements will also be broadcast on site alerting spectators when horses will be arriving in the vet-check staging area.

The GPS system initially will be set to "ping" or update data every 30 seconds. Ross plans to lower the update rate to six seconds near the finish, where at that time, "You will be able to really see that little icon move along."

Because the Kentucky course does not allow spectators on the trails, public roads, or private lands where horses are competing, "This system will be a way to allow everybody to view the event," said Ross.

Swipe cards will also be added to enhance efficiency at the games. According to Becky Hart, chef d'equipe of endurance Team USA, the cards have been used in the Middle East and Europe and furnish valuable time-tracking data to crews and event veterinarians. Ross also noted a back-up system is in place, should electricity fail.

When a horse comes into a vet check, a crew member swipes that rider's card which records that horse's number, team, and logs the time of when the horse entered vet check. When the horse is presented to the vet to determine if his or her heart rate has dropped to the required rate to allow the horse to continue, the card is swiped again. After a set number of horses have swiped a computer printout is generated.

Because the time between check in and pulse down can be indicative of a horse's fatigue, Hart explained print-out access allowed one to, "keep an eye on the competition" by watching for an increase in pulse-down time. "It also allows me to keep track of each loop time, for my team and [their] competitors," Hart continued.

According to Ross, the computer print-outs assist event-monitoring veterinarians in awarding Best Conditioned awards by providing a summary of pulse-down times over the 100 mile race. Soundness after the event will also be keenly scrutinized, but the swipe card's fast, accurate analysis of each horse’s pulse rate data is a valuable veterinary analysis tool.

During the vet checks, hand-held heart rate monitors will connect to large viewing screens, allowing spectators to see for themselves the equine athlete’s moment of reaching the criteria needed to start another loop.

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UAE: Dubai royals in medal bid

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100925/SPORT/100929812/1004
Geoffrey Riddle
September 24

photo: Sheikh Mohammed, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will lead his sons in a five-man team over a 160km endurance course. Awad Awad / AFP
The Dubai royal family will bid to cement the UAE’s position at the top of the endurance riding field this afternoon when they compete on the second day the 2010 World Equestrian Games at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, leads his sons Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikh Majid in a five-man team that will compete against 29 other nations over the challenging, 160km endurance course. Sheikh Rashid Dalmouk Al Maktoum and Ali Mohammed al Muhairi make up the rest of the side.

Sheikh Mohammed led home his sons when they won the Stars Challenge race at Austin Park in England on July 25, a success that makes the region favourites to win the punishing race.

“The team have prepared as best they can,” said Mohammed Essa, the assistant team manager.

“The Americans, France and Spain are probably our major rivals. They are the strongest three teams in a very strong field. The reason that we are here is to win and if they ride as best they can then we can do it.”

The race, sponsored by Meydan Racecourse, consists of six loops of varying distances, with each loop starting and finishing at the compound’s Forego Polo Field.
All riders start at the same time, and there are five mandatory veterinary stops.

The winner is judged by completing the course in the shortest time, which is likely to be around the 12-hour mark.

Endurance riding is the ultimate test of speed and stamina for a racehorse and jockey combination, as it requires the riders to understand their mount’s abilities.

“The course is hard,” Essa said. “They have put in obstacles, tunnels and rivers. It is very challenging, and it makes it so important to make the right move at the right time.”
The ruler of Dubai, who rides Arcadienne, has not raced competitively since his victory in England, but Essa does not believe that to be a problem.

“From the end of July he has just been preparing himself, not necessarily just for this event, but for the rest of the year.

“He loves the horses and the sport. He is totally in touch with all the best practices and training methods. Sheikh Hamdan is the same. It’s in his blood after all.”

Due to the hardy nature of the breed, the majority of competitors, including the UAE, will race on pure-bred Arabians. The rest will challenge on Anglo-Arabs, which are half thoroughbred on the distaff side, and half Arabian.

The Games run until October 10, during which time 54 national federations will compete in eight equestrian disciplines, including dressage, driving, eventing, jumping, reining and vaulting.

sports@thenational.ae

2010 WEC Endurance Entries

2010 WEC Endurance Entries can be seen here

Bahrain: Endurance team set for US event

Gulf-daily-news.com

September 23, 2010

SUPREME Council for Youth and Sports president and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa will arrive today in the US to lead a five-member Royal Endurance Team in the endurance horseride event of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, scheduled for Sunday in Lexington City, Kentucky.

Shaikh Nasser will be accompanied by Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first vice-president and Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who however, is not taking part in the ride due to a recent wrist injury.

Other members of the Bahrain Royla Endurance Team are Ghazi Al Dossary, Ahmed Abdulla, Jaffer Mirza and Abdulrahman Al Saad.

It will be the fourth appearance for the Bahrain team in the World Championships, having taken part in the 2005 and 2006 edition cups in Dubai and Aken, Germany, respectively, before winning an impressive third-place finish in the 2008 event in Malaysia.

Other members of the Bahrain team arrived yesterday after an 18-hour trip via London. On arrival, the Bahraini riders were given a special welcome by hundreds of volunteers at the endurance village.

Commenting on the occasion, Shaikh Nasser expressed delight in taking part in an endurance ride in the US for the first time, adding that his team was looking forward to clinching a place among the top countries.

Shaikh Nasser said the team is well-prepared for the ride after successfully completing races in France, UK and Germany during their training camp earlier this summer.

The Royal Endurance Team leader extended his appreciation to His Majesty King Hamad for the continued support to endurance riders in Bahrain in general and to members of the team in the World Equestrian Games in specific.

Al Khaldiya Team captain Shaikh Khalid stressed the importance of taking full advantage of competing with the world's best in this international gathering.

Shaikh Khalid, who celebrated his birthday yesterday, said he is working hard on preparing the team to achieve remarkable results in international championships.

He expressed sadness over his inability to join his team members in this world event but said that the rest of the Bahrain team along with team leader Shaikh Nasser are capable of putting in an impressive show.

Belgian Endurance WEG Team Horse Poespass Undergoes Colic Surgery

Eurodressage.com

September 20 2010

The 2010 World Equestrian Games have not even started yet and we are already sadly have to report that one WEG qualified horse got ill. Belgian endurance team horse Poespass suffered from a severe colic attack and had to be operated on. The horse was in quarantine in Cincinatti and was supposed to arrive in Lexington at the Horse Park today.

Poespass is owned and competed by Karin Boulanger. The combination was the 2008 Belgian Endurance Champion and winner of the 2008 CEIO Gubbio (160 km) in Italy. Poespass is a seasoned traveller.

A few hours after his arrival in quarantine the chestnut suffered from a bout of colic. The horse was transported to the Hagyard Equine Clinic near Lexington where he was operated on in the evening of 20 September 2010. Belgian team vet Jef Desmedt was present during the whole operation. Poespass made it through surgery but the next 24 hours are of course critical. Naturally the horse can no longer participate in the World Equestrian Games.

The Belgian endurance team, managed by chef d'equipe Pierre Arnould, is now left with three combinations and no longer has a scratch score.

We wish Poespass a speedy recovery.

Qatar Endurance Team to Compete in World Championships in United States

Doha, Qatar - The Al Shaqab Endurance Team will represent the State of Qatar at the prestigious World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, on Saturday, Sept. 26.

The five-member team will compete in the 160km race over varied terrain to vie for the title of World Champion Endurance team against 26 teams and a total of 162 nominated competitors from all over the world.

The World Equestrian Games are the official world championships competitions for the eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), which is the world governing body of equestrian sport. The championship disciplines consist of Show Jumping, Dressage, Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving, Endurace Racing, Vaulting and Reining.

The Al Shaqab Endurance Team is the reigning Silver Medal winning team from the World Endurance Championships that are held every two years and most recently in Malaysia in 2008. This marks the first time the team has competed in the United States and their fourth consecutive appearance in the World Championships.

The five Al Shaqab riders who will participate on the Qatar team are Faleh Nasser Bughenaim, Mohammed Tahous Al Naimi, Abdul Rahman Al-Sulaitin, Jassim Mohammed Al-Maadhadi and Mohammed Sultan Al Suwaidi. Bughenaim, a veteran rider from the 2008 Silver Medal team, who finished 12th individually in the World Championships, scored three wins over the summer in Uruguay and France. Al Naimi is a 13-year veteran of the Al Shaqab team who competed on the Silver Medal team and is the oldest competitor on the team at age 31. Al Sulaitin earlier this summer won a 160km CEI*** race in La Baguala, Uruguay. Al Maadhadi brings a win from the summer campaign from the CEI** 120km race in Negrepelisse, France. Al Suwaidi did not ride in 2009 due to college studies, but has returned to the team in 2010 with solid performances and top five finishes in the past three races in England, France and Uruguay.

The Al Shaqab team representing the State of Qatar is led by Chef d’Equipe Fahad Saad Al Qahtani, Director of Al Shaqab, manager and trainer Hadi Nasser Al Naimi, assistant trainer Jabr Nasser Al Naimi, and assistant trainer Abdul Aziz Saleh Al Jabir.

His Highness, The Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani founded Al Shaqab in 1992 to preserve and further develop the Arabian horse in Qatar. Al Shaqab is led by H E Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and encompasses an Endurance Team, Breeding & Show division, Riding Academy. In 2004, Al Shaqab proudly became a member of Qatar Foundation. Al Shaqab’s mission is to promote the highest standards in the breeding and showing of Arabian horses and serve as a community resource with innovative, educational and competitive opportunities in all of the equestrian arts.

Top photo: Following a summer campaign in France (pictured) and Uruguay, the Qatar Endurance Team will compete in the World Endurance Championship this Sunday in the United States.

NBC Networks Unite for Most Live U.S. TV Coverage of Equestrian Sports in History

Universal Sports, NBC Sports and UniversalSports.com to cover more than 80 hours of 2010 World Equestrian Games

September 22, 2010: Universal Sports and NBC Sports are teaming up to provide fans with the most extensive live television coverage of equestrian sports in U.S. history. NBC Sports will air 8 ½ hours of LIVE coverage on three consecutive weekends, beginning this Saturday at 12 Noon ET. Universal Sports will show more than 15 hours LIVE, including the majority of the show jumping competition. Universal Sports will also air taped broadcasts of the Reining Final, the Dressage Freestyle, the Driving competition and the Vaulting Final. The joint effort will include more than 30 hours of live and taped television coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. This total amount of U.S. television coverage is unprecedented for equestrian sports in this country.

This prestigious international event is being held at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington from September 25 to October 10. Lexington-area cable operator Insight Communications will offer the Universal Sports network to its subscribers on a trial basis beginning on September 24, allowing local horse enthusiasts to watch the action from start to finish.

The World Equestrian Games is held once every four years, with 2010 marking the first time the event will be held on U.S. soil. The Games feature the best riders and drivers in eight disciplines – dressage, show jumping, eventing, vaulting, reining, driving, endurance and para-equestrian dressage, which involves disabled riders. The 16-day competition is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to Lexington, a city known as the “Horse Capital of the World.”

All sessions of competition from the three Olympic equestrian disciplines -- dressage, eventing and jumping -- will be streamed LIVE on UniversalSports.com for a one-time subscription fee of $29.99. A daily purchase option of $12.99 also will be available. Full replays of subscription content will be provided for on-demand viewing. The live streaming begins with dressage (Sept. 27-29, Oct. 1), continues with eventing (Sept. 30, Oct. 1-3) and concludes with jumping (Oct. 4-6, 8-9). For details and a complete schedule of coverage on UniversalSports.com, go to universalsports.com/equestrian.

Additional live coverage of the international disciplines of reining, driving, vaulting, endurance, and recorded coverage of para-equestrian dressage, will air on the United States Equestrian Federation Network at www.USEFNetwork.com. Pay-Per-View coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will also be offered at www.FEITV.org.

(Endurance is not on the NBC schedule.)