Orfeo Des Iviers - Belgian Arabian Horse of the Year: WAHO Trophy

April 4 2011

Every year, the WAHO (World Arabian Horse Organization) honors an arabian horse in every country by awarding the WAHO TROPHY.

Often in Belgium, as the association is mainly managed by breeders from the show ring, it is a show horse which is awarded. But the mentality is slowly changing in Belgium, leading the board of the Belgian Studbook to award the trophy to a sport horse.
So this year the WAHO Trophy went to ORFEO DES IVIERS, a horse who had a very long career in endurance (4 World Championchips, 2 European Championships) and won several international races.

Chaque année l'organisation mondiale du pur sang arabe, la WAHO, met à l'honneur un cheval arabe dans chaque pays en lui décernant le "WAHO TROPHY".

Souvent en Belgique, puisque l'organisation est principalement gérée par des éleveurs actifs dans le monde du show, c'est un cheval reconnu pour sa beauté qui est nominé et reçoit le titre belge. Mais il faut reconnaître que la mentalité commence à changer dans le milieu du pur sang arabe. La versatilité du cheval arabe est reconnue, est louée dans les écrits des organisations telles que la WAHO et l'ECAHO, mais dans la réalité ce sont encore les caractéristiques de beauté de l'arabe dit 'de show' qui dominent.

Story and photos on Orfeo des Iviers here:
http://merritravels.endurance.net/2010/09/mon-amour.html

Belgium: April 30-May 1 Mont Le Soie Update

April 27
There will be more than 70 horses at the start of the various qualifications rides (from 30 to 80km), including a dutch armada which will get the taste of the hilly Ardennes. We can also expect a couple of dozen horse on the novice 20km ride. So all in all a good week-end for the Belgian endurance. Follow this link for the CEN entries

April 24
The list of starters is now available (follow this link.) There will be eighty couples competing on the various races during the week-end. This is the first time that Mont Le Soie will be welcoming as many as participants. The weather forecast are favorable : there will be sunshine and clouds with normally no showers.

April 15
It announces a very good level of participation, both on Saturday then Sunday. A dozen small Dutch, German five or six, eight French, a British armada will test the waters and the hilly eastern Belgium.

ATRM, the French company for the timing of peak endurance races, will be there to manage the race and give us as usual flash rankings, timed to the second table redéparts, etc..

And last but not least, the commentator appointed Herve Guesdon we will enjoy his dynamism and his insightful comments.

The configuration of the loops has not changed from previous years.

For more information see:
http://www.endurance-belgium.com/navigation/index.htm and
http://endurance.net/international/Belgium/2011MontLeSoie/

Great Britain: World Class Start and Potential Squad set off for Belgium

EnduranceGB.co.uk

26th April 2011

Andrea Baker, Chef d'Equipe for the World Class Start and Potential Squad has reported that all horses and riders are fit and well and will meet at Dover on Tuesday 26th April to begin their Team trip to Mont Le Soie in Belgium. The ride is to take place on Saturday, 30th April 2011.

The Team comprises:
Andrea Champ - Druimghigha Luxor
Lyndsey Comben - Radwhan
Fiona Griffiths - Dear Kate,
Sue Higgins - Aberllywds Another Rose,
Annie Ings - Alpha

Also travelling with the Team are those members of the Potential Squad
looking to add to their FEI qualifications and support the Team:
Rachel Atkinson - Vanash,
Claire Bruce - Ah Diba,
Lesley-Ann Parker - Velvet Echo,
Sue Rich - Czako and
Young Rider Louise Rich - Cziko.

We wish them all the best for a safe and successful trip.

100km ride set for Bahrain local stables

Gulf-daily-news.com

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

THE Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) will be holding a 100-kilometre endurance ride for Bahrain's local stables on Friday.

Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman and Breef president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa announced the event yesterday. It is set to take place at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir.

Shaikh Khalid made the decision to hold the ride based on the applications from several owners of local stables.

The race will start at 5pm and it will feature four stages. The opening stage will be 30 kilometres in distance, followed by another 30km second stage. The third will be over 25km, while the fourth and final leg will cover just 15km.

The mandatory veterinary examinations for all participating horses will be held on race day from 3pm.

Shaikh Khalid said he is certain the race will be a tightly contested affair, with the large number of riders expected to participate. He wished the participants the very best in the ride, which he assured will be organised to the best abilities of Breef.

Australia: 2011 NSW State Championships at St Albans on 11th and 12th June

AERA.asn.au

The beginning of your quest for THE BIG THREE awarded by the NSW ERA

There will never be a better place to do a 160km ride than St Albans at the NSW State Ride……

There was a fantastic success rate at the Forgotten Valley Classic there two years ago. Experience the fabulous tracks and scenery that all us Shahzada tragics know so well and qualify for the Quilty (if you need to) in South Australia in September, another part of the Big Three. All you have to do is complete Shahzada in August after completing the State Ride in June and you and your horse are off to South Australia for the opportunity to achieve The Big Three.

This photo shows Katrina Bodewes and her horse Booramby Silver Elk who achieved the Big Three in 2010.

Lots of tears at the presentation this year, such a supreme effort and fantastic bond of horse and rider…….

come and give it a go!

India: Horse Sports would get affiliation by POA

:unjabnewsline.com

Punjab Newsline Network
Sunday, 24 April 2011
By Gagandeep Ahuja

Indigenous horses surpass the other horses

PATIALA : Horse sports will get the recognition by Punjab Olympics association as well IOA. Rajya Sabha M.P and Punjab Olympics association Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who was here at Village Fathepur of the First Endurance Meet of 30 km ride, to gave away the prizes to the winners.

Speaking on the occasion the president of Punjab Olympics association Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa said that Horse Sports would get affiliation by POA and case would be forwarded to Indian Olympics association. After getting affiliation this sport would be played at national level as well as and other international games, he added.

Dhindsa, who is Rajya Sabha MP and Secretary General of Shiromani Akali Dal, also said that he will ask Punjab government to introduced Horse Sport in the schools sports curriculum.

Recalling the importance of Horses in Sikh history he said that Horses were promoted by Sixth Guru Guru Hargobuind Sahib Ji and Tenth Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He said that the tenth Guru also introduced horse sports by introducing Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib...

Read more here:
http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/horse-sports-would-get-affiliation-poa-dhindsa/30599

India: Endurance race rides desi horse power, betters national record

Timesofindia.com

Parvesh sharma, TNN | Apr 25, 2011

PATIALA: To gauge the real horse power of our locally-bred horses, Fatehpur village of Patiala district was the place to be this Sunday. The mounts proved their worth in the first ever 30km endurance race in Punjab and, if the organizers are to be believed, they ran much faster than the ones in national races.

Members of Horse Sports and Breeder Society of Punjab (HSBSP) and the event organizers claimed that the steed which ran the fastest clocked the speed of 18.38km per hour, the next covered 18km per hour and the third 17.50km per hour. The national standard for endurance events is 16km per hour.

Bhola, the horse of Sahib Parminder Singh from Jalandhar district, won the first position and a cash prize of Rs 21,000. The second prize went to Kiranjit Singh's horse – a cash prize of Rs 11,000. "I love my horse as I would my
child. When I came to know about the event, I immediately called up the organizers as I didn't want to miss this opportunity. The government should also organize such events more often," said Sahib Parminder.

Some experts were surprised to see the pulse rate of all three leading horses as normal, that too even after running the first round of 15km. "Normally, the pulse increases after running such a long distance," said an expert. "But, the normal pulse rate points towards the power of Punjabi horses," he added. "We knew that our horses are the best... we have war horses. But the first ever event has now brought it on record that our horses are stronger than all others across the country, as they ran faster than those in the national standard of endurance of 16km per hour," said Kamalvir Singh Dhindsa, a member of HSBSP.

Although the organizers had received many requests, only 27 horses were allowed to participate. Out of these, eight were disqualified after the first round of 15km.

"The endurance levels, globally, are usually of 40, 60, 80 and 120km. But we chose 30 (km) because it was our first event and also because of the heat factor. The success of this maiden event has really encouraged us and we plan to organize another one this October. We just want due respect for our horses," said Dhindsa.

The event started early, around 5.30am, and concluded at 8.30am. However, it was watched by hundreds of enthusiastic villagers, who had started converging at site from 4am.