Great Britain: World Class Start and Potential Squad Update

Endurancegb.co.uk

7th March 2011

Squad Chefs Andrea Baker (WCSPS) and Helen Boston (YRs ) were very impressed with the facilities at Bury Farm, which allowed nearly all of the activities to be indoors.

The WCSPS met recently at Bury Farm, Bucks for the Spring Squad assessment and training weekend. Following on from the Joint squads training day last November, this was a joint weekend with the Young Riders Squad.

Squad Chefs Andrea Baker (WCSPS) and Helen Boston (YRs ) were very impressed with the facilities at Bury Farm, which allowed nearly all of the activities to be indoors. We had two adjacent indoor arenas where EGB Level 3 coaches - Sally Hall for the World class squad and Rachel Atkinson for the Young Riders - put the riders through a set of exercises and routines designed to improve the balance and rhythm of both Horses and Riders. During the Saturday afternoon - the World Class Squad riders took part in a dressage test - which had been much practised judging by the improvements and comments from Sally Hall - who kindly marked the test for us.

A series of lectures and workshops took place during the weekend - and thanks go to Sally Hall, Rachael Claridge and Claire Bruce for their individual talks. Squad vets Anna Maria Nagy (orthopedic issues in the Endurance horse) Charlie Briggs ( metabolic problems, how to spot, deal with and avoid) and Georgina Hirst - Preparing and riding a 120k ride, along with Practical demonstrations by Squad Physio Lee Clark - Stretching your horse, and Jamie Goddard - Yrs’ Farrier on the Importance of foot balance, were all well attended and well received by all. We also welcomed Emma from Baileys Horse feeds who ran a series of lectures on Saturday to cover all aspects of feeding the Endurance Horse. Many thanks to all.

Following on from the weekend - riders all went away with a clearer idea of what is expected of them this season, projects to work on and how to get there!

The short listed riders for the World Class Start Squad will be in action at Kings Forest ride - which will be the selection ride for Mont le Soie. The selectors and Team management will select the team of 6 combinations immediately following the ride.

They are:-

Fiona Griffiths - Dear Kate
Lindsay Comben - Radhwan
Annie Ings - Alpha
Gill Brown - Nougat du Villard
Alex Freaks - Maresha
Lesley Dore - Firebird
Sue Higgins - Aberllwyds Another Rose
Penny Pearce - Oakthwaite Suddara
Andrea Champ - Druimghigha Luxor


Some of the Potential Squad riders are also considering joining the trip to Mont le Soie to use the ride as part of their qualification progression to the Elite Squad. Those also in attendance at Kings Forest will be

Sue Rich - Czako
Claire Bruce - Ah Diba
Rachael Claridge - Prince Melodias
Rachel Atkinson - Vanaash
Louise Rich - Cziko (Young riders squad )

We wish all of them well at Kings Forest.

Andrea Baker
Chef déquipe - World class Start and Potential Squad

Scotland: Protesters promise summer of action on highway to Highlands

Heraldscotland.com - Full Article

EXCLUSIVE By Rob Edwards Environment Editor

6 Mar 2011

Countryside campaigners angry at being barred from a historic route across the A9 in the Cairngorms are planning a series of protests that will blockade the road and delay motorists.

Unless the government’s Transport Scotland digs a tunnel or builds a bridge at Crubenmore, just south of Newtonmore, it will have “blood on its hands” because people will be killed attempting to cross a new dual carriageway, they claim.

Walkers, cyclists and horse riders are demanding politicians commit to constructing a crossing in the next few weeks. Otherwise, on April 20 they will launch a summer of protest walks along the A9 that will delay traffic.

“If our protests are unsuccessful, I am quite prepared to drive up and down the A9 roadworks all summer with my horse and carriage to show my contempt,” said Ruaridh Ormiston, who runs Newtonmore Riding Centre.

He is furious that dualling the A9 will prevent him from taking pony trekkers along one of the old military roads built by General Wade to control the Jacobites in the early 1700s. The route is also popular with walkers, cyclists and local people...

Read more here:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport-environment/protesters-promise-summer-of-action-on-highway-to-highlands-1.1088823

UAE: Patient Al Faresi stays strong but woe for leader Khan

The National
Amith Passela
Mar 6, 2011

ABU DHABI // Patience was the key for Ahmed Saeed al Faresi who won the Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Cup after the overnight leader Iqbal Khan's 11-year-old gelding Brookleigh Junior was vetted out for lameness in the final loop of the CEI Three-Star 240km race.

It was a close call for al Faresi, though. He had to overcome late challenges from Omair Hussain al Baloushi on Oh-Jay and teammate Thani Mohammed al Muhairi riding Akasha Sansation to win the feature prize of three-day Endurance Festival at the Bouthdib Endurance Village yesterday.

"Anyone in the top eight positions overnight could have won this race," said al Faresi, who covered the final day's 80km of the race in over three-and-a-half hours to complete the gruelling distance in 9hrs 57mins 42secs.

"The first two days was about working up to a good position. It was very close and exciting finish for a long distance race worked off over three days. The first four horses battled all the way to the finishing line, but it was my horse that stayed the strongest to win.

"That was not surprising because Ohio is a top-class horse and has won some top-class races in Europe when ridden by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed. I must thank Sheikh Hamdan for providing me the opportunity to ride this horse."

Ohio, an 11-year-old bay gelding, finished second in the 160km World Championship qualifier and was sixth behind Oh-Jay in the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup, a 160km CEI Three-Star race in January.

"He has run consistently well in all his races and we are all happy he ended the season on a high," said al Faresi, avenging his defeat to Oh-Jay in January.

Khan, the overnight leader, held a lead of more than 20 minutes but his horse was vetted out in the second last loop. And while the Indian work rider for the Dubai Endurance Stables held a sound lead, less than a minute separated the next seven riders.

"It was always going to be a close contest on the final day and certainly turned out to be closer than anyone would have guessed," al Faresi said.

Al Baloushi from the Al Reef Stables prevented a clean sweep for the Seih Al Salam Stables of Dubai by finishing ahead of the al Muhairi brothers Thani and Ali Mohammed who were third and fourth. Only 14 of the 60 starters completing the race.

The last rider to finish was Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, the King of the Malaysian State of Terengganu, who completed the race in 12.28.40 on Chalileo PDP.

UAE: Al Faresi wins Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Cup

photo: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan (2nd right) and King of Malaysia HM Al Wathiqu Bilah Tuanku Mizan (2nd left) pose with the winners
Sunday, 06 March 2011

Ahmed Saeed Mohammad Al Faresi dominated the last phase of the final day of the 240-kilometre endurance race to emerge winner of the Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Cup.

Al Faresi, who was lying 13th at the end of the first day, bettered his standings on Friday to start the final day in the third place.

Riding on 11-year-old Ohio, Al Faresi began the gruelling final day to move into the second place in the first 30km first stage.

But he lost pace and slipped to third place in the second 30km stage to Thani Mohammad Al Muhairi on Akasha Sensation.

Al Faresi, however, gathered pace in the final stage of 20km riding at an average speed of 24kmph to overtake the top two to ride away with the title

Al Faresi covered the total distance in nine hours, 57 minutes and 42 seconds.

Ali Mohammed Al Muhairi, his trainer-cum-rider, said: “This was Al Faresi’s second win and Ohio’s first. The long distance race is different and one must utilise good tactics to achieve good results.”

Omair Hussain Al Belsoushi, astride Oh-Jay, finished in nine hours, 58 minutes and 42 seconds for the second spot while Ali Mohammad Al Muhairi, riding Gazyl Al Sundari, sealed the third place with a total time of 10 hours, one minute and two seconds.

Iqbal Khan Allauddin Khan, leader on the first two days, failed to qualify in the eighth phase.

In the 120km Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nayhan Endurance Festival for Junior and Young Riders, Rashed Ahmed Al Bloushi emerged the winner after covering the distance on Silversprings Kabir Arwa in a time of four hours, 47 minutes and 48 seconds.

Abdullah Rashid Mohammed Al Naqbi finished second in a time of four hours, 48 minutes and 26 seconds atop Braka Sidi-Ifni, while Mohammed Hassan Al Hammadi riding Coolaroo Jubal was third.

The CEI 1-star 80km ride was won by Rachel Harriet Harvey on Caramelo in a time of three hours, 27 minutes and 24 seconds. Shamsad Alam Mohammed Zaid took second place on Tres Jolie Endurance (3:47.42) and Michelle du Plessis on Pindarem finished third (3:53.14).

The three-day festival was organised by the Emirates Heritabe Club, in co-operation with the Emirates Equestrain Federation and held under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Representative of the President and Chairman of Emirates Heritage Club.

By Jai Prasad

full article at http://www.sport360.com/uae/news/54681-al-faresi-wins-sheikh-sultan-bin-zayed-cup http://www.sport360.com/images/stories/MARCH2011/6marimages/JJC-Endurance-Winner-9-crop.jpg

Qatar: Ladie's Endurance

Gulf Times
The winners of the Ladies Endurance Championship pose with their trophies after the presentation ceremony on Friday. About 40 Qatari and expatriate riders took part in the 80km race which was held for ladies for the first time in Qatar. Amany Hosam Saber atop Sior Mabrouk was first, while Haya Mohamed al-Kuwari riding Mansor finished second. Victoria Louis on Debawy took third prize.

Netherlands: the Dutch Championship returns to the Fasna Trail

1 March 2011

The Dutch Championships have returned to the Fasna Trail on 3-5 June 2011. Multiple rides will take place on 4 June: a CEI3* 160km, a 141km CEI3*, a CEI*2 120 km, a CEI2* Young Rider 120km, a 90km CEI, and a CEI* 90 km Young Rider.

"In 2010 there was no Dutch Champion in the 160km Endurance, due to a lack of endurance sport in the Netherlands," says Eric Lamsma, Ride Organizer. "However, the organization has worked hard to be the only Dutch CEI to get back on the map. And successfully. Many new sponsors are supporting us, as well as Havens and Nissan.

"Havens and Nissan also had the confidence in us last year which laid the foundation for 2011."

There are still opportunities to support the event. The Fasna Trail organization intends to also link a CEI-O to the event.

The first International participants have already reported. Harald Grinschgl has also committed to the 2011 Fasna Trail to record the timing information.

The board of the Fasna trail is extended:

* Eric-Lamsma
* Geke Verhoog
* Arjen Jansen-Kieneker
* Wier Peter Inge (adv)

For more information, contact Eric Lamsma at info@fasnatrail.nl

Stay updated with news at
http://www.fasnatrail.nl/default.asp
and
http://www.endurance.net/international/Netherlands/2011Ermelo/

Spain: Urban tour of Seville, Andalucia Kaliber VI

1 March 2011

Since the organization of Kaliber-Andalucía Raid invite all fans to the sport of horse racing in any discipline, to join us in the city tour we will do in Seville next April 3 (Sunday), as an display, with which we intend to give this test and all the more striking equestrian world and category. The tour will depart from the Parque del Alamillo, at 11 am and will run approximately 3 hours. It is our intention that, in addition to the riders of Kaliber Raid-Andalusia, may be present the many riding schools in our community, associations and clubs and fans in general, whenever they are ready to show at all times the necessary discipline and good behavior for the better development of the march. We have also extended invitations to the Local Police, Guardia Civil, couplers and club music Banda del Sol to join us riding on our tour of Seville.

At the end of the course will be offered a drink and a bowl of stew to participants in the Cortijo del Parque del Alamillo.

Andalusian horsemen and fans should be proud of this test, which happens to be the longest and the hardest of all those held in the world and is attracting considerable international interest. That's why we thought it would be nice to organize a large caravan riding in Seville that might serve to show the world the great love of the horse that exists in this land since time immemorial. It will also be a nice way to share a good time with people from all over the world with which unites our great love of horses and nature.

It will not be necessary to formalize any registration, but the horses participating must be properly federated and insured, and must keep abreast of relevant vaccinations.

Raid organization shall not be liable for any claims for damages or any other eventuality.

http://www.raidkaliber.com/