UAE: Student wins first prize in ride

Gulfnews
Ahmad Mohammad Al Jaber Al Marri takes home the trophy for 100km endurance ride

By Leslie Wilson Jr, Racing and Special Features Writer
Published: 00:00 January 9, 2011

photo: * Ahmad Mohammad Al Jaber Al Marri wins the 100km endurance ride of Shaikh Zayed Bin Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup at Emirates International Endurance Village, at Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi on Saturday. * Image Credit: Abdul Rahman /Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: Schoolboy Ahmad Mohammad Al Jaber Al Marri surprised even himself when he won the Shaikh Zayed Bin Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Endurance Cup for privately owned horses at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba yesterday.

Riding Shardell Sharna Golden, a horse he randomly picked from the 20 his family owns, he battled through early morning fog to secure the first victory of his career.

Al Marri completed the CEN 100km ride in a time of three hours and 39.58 minutes aboard the 11-year-old chestnut gelding owned by his father Mohammad Obaid Al Jaber. He clocked an an average speed of 27.28km/h for the distance.

"I really did not expect this win. I was only hoping for a top 10 finish," said a delighted Marri who was also presented with the keys of a new car, as the first prize. Marri is in 12th grade at the Al Nadjha School in Abu Dhabi.

Shaikh Zayed Bin Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented the trophies to the winners. Also present were Emirates Equestrian Federation secretary general Talib Daher Al Muhairi; Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club director general Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi; and Tasweeq managing director Lara Sawaya.

Results

Top 10 results (Provisional): 1.Ahmad Mohammad Al Jaber Al Marri (Shardell Sharana Golden) 03.39.58; 2.Sayed Mohammad Abbas Alawi (Polonia Endurance) 03.50.09; 3.Ahmad Mohammad Saleh Al Shehhi (Sheridon) 03.5357, 4.Mansour Ibrahim Ahmad (Guru)03:54.07; 5.Matar Saeed Mohammad Al Kaabi (Ghaith)03.55.05, 6. Ahmad Ali Al Sabri (Rayhana) 03.57.50; 7. Layla Abul Aziz Al Redha (Umm Khammas) 04.09.50; 8.Abdullah Bin Ahmad Al Shaikh (AS Elegida) 04:10.7; 9. Hamad Bader Abdullah Al Hammadi (Arabito) 04:12.31; 10. Abdullah Ghanim Al Marri (Meltharina Marzan) 04:12.54

Abu Dhabi: Ponton facing a stiff challenge in Al Wathba for 90km race

Thenational.ae - Full Article

Amith Passela

Last Updated: Jan 6, 2011

ABU DHABI // Maria Alvarez Ponton, the world champion from Spain, will be challenged by more than 30 Emirati women in the Al Jaber Challenge, a 90-kilometre CEI one-star endurance race tomorrow at the Emirates International Endurance Village (EIEV) in Al Wathba.

Ponton, who trains endurance horses in Dubai, won the world title from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in September. She heads a 70-runner, women-only field.

"We started with one race at Al Wathba two years ago and it doubled last year," said Adnan Sultan al Nuaimi, the secretary general of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club.

"We have two races already planned for the new season, and may have a third before the season ends.

"There is a lot of interest among the Emirati women to ride in competitions and the numbers are increasing at every race..."

Read more here:
http://www.thenational.ae/featured-content/channel-page/sport/middle-article-list/ponton-facing-a-stiff-challenge-in-al-wathba-for-90km-race

China: Horse endurance racing, anyone?

Horse endurance racing, anyone?
By Wong Yee Fong | Posted: 31 December 2010 1336 hrs
BEIJING: Horse endurance races are a tradition in some parts of China.

One particularly gruelling one takes place this time of the year when temperatures dip below zero.

More than 100 riders charge ahead to compete in one of the most challenging endurance races in China.

The task of the 115 riders is to ride across Beijing and Hebei Province along the scenic route of Guanting Reservoir.

The sub-zero temperature is considered ideal for the horses' well-being, but it's hard on the riders.

Endurance races for horses can be likened to the marathon races.

In horse endurance races, riders and their horses have to complete 100km in 9.5 hours.

The welfare of horses is of utmost importance. Riders must ensure that their horses maintain a stable heart rate and that they are not exhausted or dehydrated.

There's no horsing around when it comes to protecting the animals.

Riders are not allowed to use whips or spurs.

And the horses are put through health checks a day before the race.

Veterinarian Cheng Xin said "The ideal heart rate is between 48 and 60. Safety comes first and riders should slow down if their horses are sweating profusely to prevent them from falling ill".

Riders come from places like Inner Mongolia and Guangzhou.

One said: "I've never ridden such a long distance but I should be able to handle it".

Another rider said: "We shouldn't rush at the beginning but take it slow".

Some riders use covers to protect their horses from the cold.

A group from Guangzhou also spent five days acclimatising, before the race.

Vets check on the horses at every quarter mark to ensure they cool down and replenish their fluids.

But some of the animals still succumb to the rigours of the race.

Some drop out from injuries such as a torn muscle.

The organiser hopes to modernise the equestrian sport which has long been a part of the culture of many ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region and Tibet, as well as neighbouring Mongolia.

Chinese Equestrian Association's official Website founder Wutzala said: "We want to introduce standards set by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports to China.

"This is to increase awareness of the importance of caring for the horses as many horses were injured or died of exhaustion in traditional endurance races".

Only 30 per cent of the competitors complete the race.

-CNA/wk

[full article]

Australia: Big year in saddle for Allix Jones

Portstephenexaminer.com.au - Full Article

BY NICK HANSEN
29 Dec, 2010 01:00 AM

ANCHORED to the saddle for up to 12 hours at a time, Allix Jones admits the demands of her sport are a touch extreme.

But as Australia's top lightweight endurance horse rider, she clearly relishes the challenge.

The Bobs Farm 18 year old clocked-up more than 2400km on horse back in competition this year, accruing 149.5 competition points at 26 events across the country.

She became Australia's most successful lightweight rider by season's end in November.

Aside from putting her in the box seat to represent Australia at next year's Singapore endurance Olympic event, Jones' 2010 campaign delivered some grand milestones.

She completed her fifth straight Shahzada 400 endurance test, an annual 400km race near Wisemans Ferry held over five days, and won the 160km FEI National Championships in Queensland...

Read more here:
http://www.portstephensexaminer.com.au/news/local/sport/general/big-year-in-saddle-for-allix-jones/2035766.aspx

Bahrain: Shaikh Nasser rides to victory

Gulf-daily-news.com
By RAMI HULAYYEL , Posted on » Sunday, December 26, 2010

ROYAL Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa steered Jamaal to victory in the 120-km National Day Endurance Horseride Championship at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir yesterday.

Shaikh Nasser completed the five-stage event on top with a total time of five hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds and an average speed of 22.605 kms per hour.

The Supreme Council for Youth and Sports president and chief of the Bahrain Olympic Committee edged out main challenger Gorden Sing who was just one second behind in the fifth and final stage.

Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation's (Breef) president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa rounded off the podium by finishing third overall in 5:23:55 and an average speed of 21.627 kms per hour.

An 80-km qualifying ride also took place yesterday on the sidelines of the main event and was divided into three stages...

Read more here:
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=294747

Into the Wild

Kamas woman's endurance racing takes her globetrotting
Christopher Kamrani, Of the Record staff
Posted: 12/23/2010 03:42:47 PM MST
Never in her wildest dreams did Beverly Gray imagine her proclivity for horses and sports would combine into a lifetime of jaw-dropping experiences and exotic travels.

The long-time Summit County resident has been part of the U.S. Equestrian Team in the World Equestrian Games, has raced in the President's Cup race in Dubai, and raced all around South America, the mountains of the Sierra Nevadas and the deserts of Utah.

And most recently, her endurance racing took her to the dark jungles of Malaysia, where she was invited by the royal family to participate in her third Sultan's Cup endurance race.

The race hosted 80 local and international riders in a 75-mile course through the tropical forest.

Gray said the race was conducted at night during a full moon.

"You would hear all kinds of noises in the trees," said Gray, laughing about the unknown around her and her horse during the nocturnal race. "You don't know what's out there."

Rewind back to when Gray was an 18-year-old college student at the University of Utah and had just moved to the Beehive State. Always a lover and rider of horses, Gray got involved in Ride and Tie, a race that features two riders/runners and one horse using an exchanged-riding strategy over a designated course.

[More ...]

Great Britain: Kirsty defies the odds to claim number one

Dorsetecho.co.uk - Full Article

Friday, 24 December 2010

* By Ky Capel

ENDURANCE rider Kirsty Wiscombe is celebrating her most impressive year to date.

After recovering from a life-threatening illness, the 40-year-old defied the odds to finish as the top British rider in the FEI World Open Endurance Rider Rankings – 48th overall – and gain two qualification spots for next year’s European championships.

The Lyme Regis resident’s achievements were then honoured with a host of trophies at the British National Awards.

Reflecting on the past 12 months, Wiscombe said: “It’s been a fantastic year as to get two qualifiers for the Europeans is practically unheard of, especially for an amateur rider like myself.

“I spent all of September 2009 in hospital with gastrointestinal problems, in fact I was in and out of hospital for a total of about 50 days and I nearly died...

Read more here:
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/sport/localsport/8757574.Kirsty_defies_the_odds_to_claim_number_one/