Saddle man rides to pick up national accolade

Ross-shirejournal.co.uk

Published: 10/06/2011

A ROSS-SHIRE man has battled his way to a major endurance riding accolade.

Joe Newlands and his horse Bluefire Midnight Shadow, also known as Spirit, made the long trip to Nottinghamshire to successfully complete and win a 160km ride at The Dukeries, an international ride held at the stunning venue of Thorsby Hall.

Joe, a facilities manager with Isleburn, only started riding 10 years ago on a Highland pony. Some eight years ago, he purchased Spirit, a part-bred Arab, and has not looked back.

After been picked to ride for the Scottish team three years in a row, Joe and Spirit have travelled to Ireland, Wales and now England to compete in long distance riding.

The dynamic duo, crewed by Karen Graham, Lorna Templeton and George and Diane Michie, started at 6.15am, riding five loops of different lengths.

Spirit was vetted within five minutes of completing the course with low heart rates and won the race with a total riding time of 11 hours and 32 minutes.

In 2010, Joe and Spirit successfully obtained their Gold Thistle Award and later that year, riding for the Scottish team at Burgie, completed and won their two-day 120km ride class.

The pair have now obtained their Diamond award and are having a long rest before deciding what's next!

Australia: World riders contest endurance

Sunshinecoastdaily.com.au - Full Story

Cath Fouracre | 7th June 2011

ENDURANCE riders from all over the globe will descend on Christine and Lance Blatchford’s farm in Caboolture this Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the inaugural Endurance Festival 2011 ride in the Beerburrum forest.

This is a first for Australia and international and Australian top riders will make their mark.

Oz Endurance organiser/secretary Penny Toft said those wishing to enter could go online for nominations to Oz Endurance website ozenduranceqinc.com or ring her on 0417 626 188.

"This inaugural event is quite a big thing for Australia,’’ she said.

It is held in conjunction with the Australasian Endurance forum which started today (June 8) and continues Thursday and Friday.

There will be an introductory ride and endurance rides of various distances – 40km, 80km, 120km and the big one - the national FEI over 160km.

She said they already had about 220 entries and riders from 13 countries were coming including Abu Dhabi, England, New Zealand, Malaysia and throughout Australia.

"This is open to all riders and those wishing to rise to higher levels in equestrian events and it is also a world endurance championship qualifier,’’ she said.

"Endurance rides are a great opportunity to gain more experience for riders.

"It is an opportunity too to showcase the athleticism of the Arabian horse as well as the endurance riding.’’

She said some events would be held on Friday, but the main events were on Saturday morning.

This event has been sponsored by Al Reef Stables and Toft Endurance.

Abu Dhabi: Stirring up love for horses at a young age

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

Equestrian sport's future nurtured with care at Abu Dhabi riding school

* By M. Satya Narayan, Chief Sports Reporter, Gulf News
* Published: 00:00 June 8, 2011

Abu Dhabi: Some of the UAE's biggest sporting achievements have come in equestrian sport like endurance and show-jumping while in flat racing, UAE owners have dominated the globe with their race horses.

Most Emiratis are naturals when it comes to horse riding and their love for Purebred Arabian horses, which is part of the UAE's culture and heritage is well documented.

The UAE has produced world champions in endurance and show jumping while the exploits of Ahmad Al Ajtebi as a flat race jockey are well known. This success with the fledgling sport of dressage and Arabian horse shows gaining a lot of attention, the exciting world of horses has always been an attraction.

In Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club's Riding School is one venue where children from the age of six upwards can get acquainted with horses and riding.

Daniella Schlatterer, a German who has had a fair amount of success in various equestrian competitions, is the resident Head Instructor of the Riding School which is under the Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club...

Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/other-sports/stirring-up-love-for-horses-at-a-young-age-1.818786

Australia: Future of endurance under discussion

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

June 9, 2011

Senior endurance veterinarian Dr Brian Sheahan is the principal moderator of the FEI Australasian Endurance Forum which began yesterday in Brisbane.

The three-day conference is the first endurance forum to take place outside Europe, and is hosting more than 150 delegates from nine countries. The last such forum was held in Paris in 2007.

Delegates from Australia, Canada, France, Great Britain, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, the UAE and the USA are taking part in three days of lectures and discussion sessions across a wide range of topics relating to international endurance.

Guest speakers have travelled from Canada, America, the UAE, Malaysia and Switzerland, and from across Australia.

Dr Sheahan has also confirmed his availability to be the FEI Veterinarian Advisor in Mongolia for an intensive week of FEI-sponsored Endurance Education scheduled after the forum. He will be joined by Allan Renner, another senior FEI Endurance Official, who will be the Judge/TD Advisor.

The FEI is committed to supporting Endurance in Mongolia...

read more here:
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2011/06/072.shtml

Malaysia: The Ruler’s enduring passion for sports

Sporting spirit: The King (right) riding VV Coco during the Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge in Lembah Bidong last year. -ZABIDI TUSIN/The Star Thestar.com.my - Full Article

June 4 2011

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI
farik@thestar.com.my

ASIDE from being accustomed to royalty, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin is famous for living a very active lifestyle and having lots of hobbies and vocations.

As a teenager, he was active in various sports and activities like football, golf, taekwondo, scuba diving and horseback riding. But his true love is endurance riding.

The ruler's love for horses and endurance riding is unparalleled that he even established the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable and the International Endurance Park in Lembah Bidong, Setiu.

In January, Tuanku Mizan took part in the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable (RTES) Endurance Ride Series 1 at the International Endurance Park Terengganu.

Tuanku Mizan, riding the horse VV Coco, led three other riders in the 80km ride.

Also taking part in the race were his son Tengku Muhammad Mua'az and two daughters Tengku Nadhirah Zaharah and Tengku Fatimatuz Zahra'.

He even participated at the Fifth International Equestrian Championship from March 3 to 5, organised by the Emirates Heritage Club.

The track, running through the desert with strong winds and tough weather was participated by more than 90 riders.

Tuanku Mizan and two other Malaysian riders successfully completed the three-day race covering 240km...

Read more here:
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/4/nation/8817256&sec=nation

Jean Louis Leclerc to work as consultant for the Brazilian Squad

Endurance-belgium.com

It seems that Leclerc is accumulating the duties. After being fired (well, the official reason was that he was set in early retirement, but Leclerc now openly claims he has been sacked, and we can understand he is not very happy with that) by the French federation just before [the 2010WEG in] Lexington, the national trainer accepted a job as trainer from the German federation. When he was giving a lecture at the Belgian forum in February, Jan-Louis told us that his mandate with Germany wouldn't occupy him full time and that he was looking for other occupations. Brazil has since several years developed privileged contact with France, thanks to exchange programs between riders developed by Guilherme Ferrera. That's why many Brazilian riders could be seen in action on French events.

Leclerc will work for Brazil as technical advisor, helping the team to select and train a squad for the PanAm (in Chile) and the World Yound Riders Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Great Britain: Katy's Exmoor experience turns to gold

Farminguk.com

June 1 2011

Competing in the Exmoor Experience class of the internationally renowned Golden Horseshoe last month, Katy completed the two-day 50-mile course across the rugged landscape of Exmoor in Devon on her 13th birthday.

Katy, who lives on the Longmynd and is a pupil at Bishops Castle Community College, rode her 12.2hh Arab-cross pony Angelina Ginny at an average of 12km/hour over the two days, finishing each day within the optimum time and passing all veterinary inspections. She went one better than her record-breaking achievement in 2010, when she became the youngest rider to complete the course, attaining Silver Medal standard.

The Golden Horseshoe endurance ride takes place on Exmoor in Devon annually, attracting the UK’s top endurance riders and horses. This year’s event was boosted by the participation of Olympic three day event rider Mary King, who made her entry into the sport riding in the same Exmoor Experience class as Katy Mellor.