The VI-Andalucia Kaliber Fair Play

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

May 10, 2011

They have already gotten the results of all tests that were conducted for anti doping during all stages of Kaliber VI-Andalucia,
ALL have been negative.

Congratulations to all riders participating in this great race, whose sportsmanship, have shown that the vast majority of Equestrian Endurance riders do not seek extra help for the competition.

This is normal in equestrian competitions, which are not to cut corners, but that training is the best aid to compete with the best results.
Link to full results :
http://es.scribd.com/doc/55093291/Result-a-Dos-Control-Antidopaje-Vi-Raid-Kaliber-Andalucia-1

II Raid Lluçanes a CEI *** 160km

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

Saturday May 7, 2011

Final Results II Raid Lluçanes a CEI *** 160km

The second Raid of Lluçanes, a CEI *** 160 km is completed. The last phase has been good move, as Maria Alvarez came out with advantage of a minute and a half over Jaume Punti and two on Alex Luque, could not keep up and has dropped to 12'09Km / h in the latter phase going to a sixth place in the final standings.

Jaume Punti rode at 17'17Km / h in this last phase, but has been eliminated.

The winner of the test has been Alex Luque has traced the two minutes it took the head apart and running 17'59 km / h. was proclaimed winner of the CEI *** 160km.

The top three teams:

1 .- Alex Luque Moral to "Ikland" in 9h-38'-06''to 16'61Km / h and Retrieval. in 13'15.''

2 .- Silvia Yebra Altimiras in "Nerak Komando's" in 9h-55'-31''to 16'12Km / h 15'05 recovered.''

3 .- Nina Lissarraque with 'Ibn Jahia Horr "in 9h-56'-56''to 16'08Km / h and recovered in 11'-15.''

Have completed 37 pairs and 20 deleted or removed.

The final complete classification with lap times, recovery times and final standings can be found here at: Equestrian Endurance Timing Services.

Belgium: Mont Le Soie

Endurance-Belgium.com

by Leonard Liesens

We recorded 200 horses during this first-of-May week-end in Mont Le Soie. We had a bright weather, a bit chilly and windy but with clear skies most of the time. That was in the advantage of the horses even if the crew had to play with the rugs (putting on, removing, re-putting on) depending of the horse temperature and the sun playing with the clouds.

A lot of foreigners, actually a record for this 2011 edition. The ride manager is thanking all riders who did long hauls to reach Mont Le SOie, and also the Belgians, who honoured the ride. All in all, Mont Le Soie is becoming one of the endurance competitions on the international circuit.

The going was predicted as easier thanks to the rain which had fallen during the days before. But it didn't rain enough to soften the trails and the going was quite hard. As a consequence, the average speed was lower than previous years; riders had to cope with the circumstances, which is normally the case for endurance riders, isn't it? Finally the completion ratio is good, ranging from 60% to 70 % depending on the races.

On the 160, the course of events was crystal-clear. From the beginning, there was a pack of leaders setting the pace. There were the three French riderss (Begaud, Dumas, Couderc) accompanied by the Belgo-French Wendy Fallon. Elise Couderc has in fact Belgian connections as she used to live in Belgium for several years as a forestry technician where she rode Shanon from the early qualification stages. This quartet of riders was in fact a quintet until the 5th loop when Aurelie Wery was pulled for lameness of her gelding. A bit behind, the Belgian Di Geronimo, De Wasseige and Just. The Bristish lady Atkinson did also a good ride, constant in the pacing. Like the Dutch Van Wijk and the Swedish Hagman. They were probably there to look for a completion on 160km. Job done!

As far as eliminations, there was one at the first loop cause by a fall (Van Cauter, Taborah de Sier). Bienfait gave up also after she felt from her horse at the start. Lut�ce de Crouz was looking for a selection in the Belgian Team from Florac but wasn't able to pass the 4th vetgate, horse lame.

On the contrary of the 160, the 120km-ride-for-juniors has had unexpected development during the last loop. The leader Anciaux did a hard job on the 3rd loop to increase the gap with the pursuers. That has the only tactic she could handle with her mare who needed more time to recover. So she started the last loop in the lead leaving the others 11 minutes behind. But her mare collapsed during the last climb back to the venue and was passed by three horses. At the end, Emeline Piron on Alicia finished first and detached. Alicia d'Havenne is a mare coming from the EWalraid program (a incentive program financed by the Wallonian region to help the breeders from Wallonia to promote their horses). She was trained and ridden by Dominique Evrard until recently (she brought her toward two selections in the Belgian team, Assisi and Lexington).

On Sunday, there were two international FEI rides, one CEI** 120km and one CEI* 100km. At the same time there were 100 horses coming for the national tests on 20 to 80km. On the 120km, the British Team (called the "World Class Start and Potential Squad") entered the ride with 9 horses. They did quite well as six of them completed the ride and it looked like they were happy as they confirmed their participation for next year. In the lead, victory for the good French mare Sharirah du Vent ridden by Simon Bellot.

More ride reports here:
http://endurance-belgium.com/pub/montlesoie/mls2011.htm

Photos and slide show here:
http://endurance-belgium.com/photos/mls2011/index.html

Fun photos here:
http://endurance-belgium.com/pub/montlesoie/romanphotos.htm

Spain: The Kaliber-Andalucia in Seville's April Fair 2011

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

Thursday May 5, 2011

This morning, Thursday April Fair of Seville 2011, we had a festive gathering many of the participants of the VI Kaliber-Andalucia.

The Organizing Committee of this great trial of strength Equestrian, which runs through our land of Andalusia, has given us a meal in one of the booths in the exhibition area.

We conducted an all attendees, of course, about the race and horse, being the alma mater of this test José Manuel Soto who has captured all the eyes of the public who was walking near the house, everyone wanted to take some pictures with, as a memento of the visit to the fair in Seville...

More story and photos here:
http://ggjineteraid.blogspot.com/2011/05/el-kaliber-andalucia-en-la-feria-de.html

New Zealand: Double title for Masterton rider

Stepping Out: Gemma Haywood and Roselea Flaunt It go through their paces. Photo / Morocco Arabians
Times-age.co.nz - Full Article

Gary Caffell | 6th May 2011

Masterton's Gemma Haywood was a star performer at the 2011 New Zealand horse riding endurance championships at Kuratau, Taupo, over Easter weekend, winning titles in both the 80km one-star and 120km two-star events.

And she was not the only member of the Haywood family to feature prominently, with her mother Sandra picking up a third placing over 60km and her father Tony and brother Cole being part of their strapping team, along with Kelly Mason and Jordyn Piripi.

Good Friday saw Gemma Haywood competing in the 80km one-star competition on her homebred mare Roselea Flaunt It. They took the honours in a time of 4hr 54min. Haywood said she was "extremely proud" of her charge as she was in her first season of endurance and only completed the novice grading system in December last year.

The 120km two-star event was on Easter Sunday with Gemma Haywood and her homebred gelding Roselea Royal Fire crossing the start line at 2am and completing four phases of 30km each. The course was challenging with the uneven terrain including some hill work and that, along with the darkness, required extreme care to be taken to avoid injury...

Read more here:
http://www.times-age.co.nz/have-your-say/news/double-title-for-masterton-rider/3950662/

New Zealand: Andrea Smith takes out national endurance title

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

May 3, 2011

Andrea Smith and Glenmore Tariq zoomed home to win New Zealand's national CEI 3* Endurance Championship, completing the 160km at Lake Taupo over Easter in 9.34.55.

Riding in perfect conditions the combination travelled at an average speed of 16.7kph and finished unchallenged.

Coming home in second place, and also securing the Grassroots World FEI Qualifying Series win (over a maximum of seven CEI rides) was Taranaki's Sean Trafford and Sayfwood Rolling Stone. They were just under 30 minutes behind Smith, while one of last year's World Equestrian Games competitors, Jenny Chandler on Lace and Fineness, claimed third spot, in 10.04.37. Lace and Fineness was also awarded the Best Conditioned award...

Read more here:
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2011/05/016.shtml

UAE: First female jockeys to saddle up

Gulfnews.com

First female jockeys to saddle up
Hamdan gives green light for two Emirati riders to compete in The Netherlands

* By M. Satya Narayan, Chief Sports Reporter
* Published: 00:00 May 3, 2011

Abu Dhabi: Fatma Al Merri and Shattra Al Hajjaj will become the first female jockeys from the UAE when they don the silks in an official race to be held in Duindigt, The Netherlands on June 19.

Thanks to instructions from Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, the two endurance riders at his Seih Assalam Stables have been chosen to race in the Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival's Her Highness Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Fegentri Cup race.

"For us this is a big step for our country. Shaikh Hamdan instructed me to support the Shaikh Mansour Festival and encourage Emirati jockeys," said Ali Al Muhairi, Racing Manager for Shaikh Hamdan.

"Both Fatma and Shattra have been very good endurance riders and now they have been training every day to take part in the flat race," he told Gulf News.

"We have two experienced jockeys training them and they have said that both Fatma and Shattra have been improving by the day. We have installed a starting gate and have also made an oval shaped course so that they train to race on the bends," said Al Muhairi, who is among the top endurance riders in the country.

Speaking to Gulf News, Shattra said she was looking forward to the new experience. "I am excited ever since I was named to race in Holland. I have to thank Shaikh Hamdan and Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak for all the support," said Shattra who has quit her job to take up equestrian sport full time.

Excel in flat racing

"I was 54kg when I started but now I am 52 and we have been working very hard. I have been involved in endurance riding for about a year now and have taken part in many events," she said.

Fatma has already won endurance rides and is hoping to excel in flat racing too. "I am very keen to do well. I have gained a lot of experience in the last two years in endurance and now I am really enjoying this exciting new prospect," said the Grade 12 student of Al Rayya School.

"The facilities provided by Shaikh Hamdan for us are very useful and we want to do well for his sake and for the country's sake. It has been very exciting since we started training for the flat races and I want to stay focused," said the Emirati school girl.

The prize money for the Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Fegentri Cup race to be held on June 19 at the Duindigt race course in The Netherlands is €20,000 (Dh108,714).