Great Britain: Mary King to Ride in Golden Horseshoe

Goldenhorseshoe-ride.co.uk

14 March 2011

Popular event rider Mary King, British champion a record four times and holder of an Olympic Silver medal, will take part in this year’s Golden Horseshoe Ride over Exmoor.

Mary, one of the favourites for the British team at next year’s London Olympics, will ride the first 25 miles of the daunting, two-day 160 kilometre (100 miles) Golden Horseshoe class on May 16.

“I watched some of the Endurance competition at last year’s World Championships and was really impressed by the fitness of the horses and the courage of the riders,” she said.

“When I was invited to the Horseshoe I jumped at the chance of trying it myself.” And she adds: “It also gives me the opportunity of seeing something of Exmoor and experiencing the kind of challenge the competitors face.”

Mary will ride a proven endurance horse and be accompanied by an experienced competitor.

Organiser Barbara Wigley hopes that riders aiming for a team place at the European Endurance Championships - due to be held in Florac, France, later this year - will use the event as part of their preparation.

“We are really excited that Mary has accepted our invitation,” Barbara said. “We hope that her interest will highlight the sport to the equestrian world in general and to the general public.”

The Golden Horseshoe takes place on 15th, 16th and 17th May 2011.

For more information, see http://www.goldenhorseshoe-ride.co.uk/index.php

Great Britain: Ten Minutes in the Tack Room With... Beccy Broughton

Horseandcountry.tv - Full Article

12 March 2011

Endurance rider Beccy Broughton has been competing since she was six-years-old. She has represented Team GB at numerous events, including at WEG in 2010. Beccy also blogs for H&C where she shares her life with her horses and her training tips.

What would you do if you didn’t ride horses? Race cars or slalom racing! Both of which I did until I had to make the big decision and I chose horses.

Why did you decide to go into endurance riding? I competed because my mum did. I completed my first competition when I was 6 which was a 25mile CTR.

How often do you muck out? All the horses live out 24/7 and the fields are mucked out every day. However, Java who returned from WEG is stabled currently and the retired boy Murmansk is keeping her company.

Who has the best yard you’ve visited? Show jumper, Andy Saywell’s. It’s all contained under one roof, including the indoor school, feed and tack rooms, storage barn, wash and solar stalls, staff accommodation with access to Southwell racecourse just half a mile ride away. Wow!...

Read more here:
http://www.horseandcountry.tv/ask-the-expert/ten-minutes-tack-room-beccy-broughton

Great Britain: Prizes awarded to endurance riders at Helmsley

Gazetteherald.co.uk - Full Article

Thursday 10th March 2011

Endurance riding is becoming a popular sport and through local groups is encouraging more riders to try long-distance riding. As well as the enjoyment of taking part, members compete for trophies, awards and rosettes. Kilometres and points towards these awards are gained at rides throughout the season.

The North & East Yorkshire Group of Endurance GB held its awards ceremony at the Feathers Inn, Helmsley, recently.

Winner of the High Point Advanced Granat Amber Award was the newly-appointed group chairman, Tracey Thompson, with her pony Chrystal Joobar. This pairing also won the accolade of being the combination with most points and distance gained in endurance race rides in the group this season. Robert Blane and his gelding Ricco Esta Artisan were awarded the Hot Rod Trophy for gaining the most points in his first season of taking part in endurance rides...

Read more here:
http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/equestrian/8902526.Prizes_awarded_to_endurance_riders_at_Helmsley/?ref=rss

Spain: Parade Seville, Andalucia Kaliber VI

El Raid Blog

Thursday March 10 2011
[google translation]

From the Organizing Committee Kaliber-Andalucia VI regulations refer us to participate in the Parade Riding in Seville on the 3rd of April, the sixth day Kaliber-Sevilla Andalucia passes on its way from Andalucia.

"Dear Friends;

We get in touch with you to inform you that the next day April 3 and on the occasion of the arrival in Seville, Andalucia Kaliber Raid VI, will be a parade through the streets of Seville (with character display) starting from the Park Alamillo and landmarks through the historic center of Seville.

We believe it is an event that any horse enthusiast should not miss, having the opportunity to stroll through parts of Seville that he never believed he could do on horseback. It is therefore our intention that in addition to the riders of Kaliber Raid-Andalusia, may be present the many riding schools in our community, associations, clubs and fans in general. We have also extended invitations to local police, Guardia Civil, Real Club de Andalucía Hooks and Banda del Sol
Riders must be properly dressed according to the discipline of English Dressage, Doma Vaquera short suit, etc.

At the end of the parade will enjoy a wonderful appetizer during which an exchange of views, experiences, etc.. the horse world, our great hobby.

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 this parade we can show the world the great love of the horse that exists in this land since time immemorial.
Below you will find a registration form (not mandatory but recommended) you must complete to participate, which you must send to the following address: rortiz@sotoancho.com or by fax No.: 954-491601 "

UAE riders dominate GCC women’s endurance

FROM OUR ABU DHABI BUREAU March 10, 2011

UAE’s Afra Khalifa Al Suwaidi from Al Reef Stables won the CEN 90-km endurance ride held as part of the second GCC Women’s Games at the Emirates International Endurance Village, Al Wathba in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

The ride was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The six-day Games are being held under the patronage of Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, chairwoman of the UAE General of Women’s Union and Family Development Foundation.

The ride drew 53 riders from the GCC countries and participants were required to cover the distance divided into four phases of 30 kms, 24 kms, 20 kms and 16 kms.

The UAE also won team gold medal with Kuwait and Qatar taking the silver and bronze medal respectively.

Suwaidi, a student at the Higher College of Technology in Al Ain, riding 11-year-old gelding Webbs Creek Firefly, completed the ride with a time of three hours, five minutes and 5 1 seconds. Her average speed was 29.06 kmph.

Her compatriot Haya Mohammed Al Shanqiti on Lucien De Loube from Fazaa Endurance Team secured the second place having completed the ride in three hours five minutes and 57 seconds.

Sheikha Mahra Bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, daughter of Sheikh Mohammed also finished a creditable third with a time of 03.12.38.

The prize giving ceremony was attended by Taleb Dhaher Al Muhairi, secretary general of the Emirates Equestrian Federation, Noura Khalifa Al Suwaidi, head of the Higher Organising Committee of the Games Committee, Abdullah Al Qubaisi, director of communication at Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, Stephen Bowey of Invest AD, Lara Sawaya, director of Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival and managing director of Tasweeq.

“I have won races before but this is my first win of the season and it was a competent event as it drew a number of prominent riders from all over the GCC countries,” she said.

“My strategy was a slow start and reserves the energy for the final loop and I succeeded in it with a consistent ride. I am happy with Webbs Creek Firefly’ as the horse responded well,” said Suwaidi.

Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, director general of the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, said it was the first time endurance ride has been included in the GCC Women’s Games.

Qualification Criteria for the 2011 Pan American Endurance Championship/Pan American Young Rider Endurance Championship

Clubequestrian.com

Vonita Bowers
Tuesday, March 08, 2011

The Pan American Endurance Championship/Pan American Young Rider Endurance Championship will be held near Santo Domingo, Chile on October 22, 2011. Qualification criteria for the event has been released. The USEF intends to send a Team and/or Individuals to represent the U.S. in both the Senior and Young Rider Divisions.

The U.S. sent four horse/rider combinations to the most recent Pan American Championships held in Uruguay in April of 2009. The Team won Silver, with a combined time over the 120km course of less than five minutes off the Gold Medal pace. A Young Rider division was offered at the championship, however, no Young Riders from the U.S. competed.

For the first time, Endurance will be included in the Adequan FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North ( July 27-31 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY), providing Young Riders the opportunity to hone their skills in a championship competition featuring only Junior/Young Rider entries.

The qualification for both the Pan American Championship and the Pan American Junior/Young Rider Championship can be found HERE.

If you have questions concerning the Pan American Endurance Championships or the USEF Endurance program, please contact:

Vonita Bowers
Director, Endurance & Reining
(859) 825-6001
vbowers@usef.org

Portugal: Nations Cup 2011

Portugal Nations Cup 2011
March 31-April 3 2011

The Nations Cup is the third most important event in the international endurance calendar. Right after the World and the European Championships, the Nations Cup is part of the European circuit and is organized, this year in Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, and Germany. Portugal Nations Cup is an open event and counts with the presence of the best horses and riders from the entire world, with a strong Arabian presence, represented by their Sheiks and Princes who practice the sport.

Regarding distance, the Nations Cup is institutionally categorized as a 3 Stars International Official ENdurance Contest (CEIO 3*), developed in 160 km/day, played by one set horse/rider.

The level assigned to the Nations Cup means that there is a very strong turnout of audience, participants and media, generalist and thematic, with the permanent presence of journalists from magazines, newspapers and sports TV's, foreign and domestic. For this year there is alread a 120 minutes contract with RTP2 and SPORT TV and 15 days of promotion on the Ardio M80 10 times a day, making this event not only a safe mean of visibility for the sponsors but also a way to establish strong business relations with those countries in the Middle East, that strongly bet in this sport as a strategic relationship with the West.

The program:
Thursday
* Press Preview
* Opening ceremony

Friday
*10h00 - 15h00 - Veterinary Inspections
*16h00 - Show Paradressage
*19h00 - Briefing CEIO 3* Portugal Championship
*20h30 - Presentation of Pure-bred Arabian from APCA

For more information, contact
Isabel Sampaio at isampaio@glevents-portugal.com, or
Antonio Saldanha at am.saldanha@hotmail.com

www.endurance.net/international/Portugal/PORTUGALNATIONSCUP2011.pdf