Australia: Back in the Saddle

ABC.net.au - See Video

Posted November 20, 2011 14:44:00

In the world of endurance riding one event stands above all the others, the 160 kilometre Tom Quilty. Amongst the nearly 200 riders in this year's field was one of the sport's superstars, former world number one and four time Quilty winner, Meg Wade. This year though she rode just five kilometres - keeping a promise to herself that she wouldn't let a near fatal horse fall keep her out of the saddle or away from her favourite event.
Pip Courtney

See video here:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-20/back-in-the-saddle/3682640?section=sport

Great Britain: World Class Start and Potential Squad and Young Riders Training and Assessment Weekend

Endurancegb.co.uk

15th November 2011

Bury Farm near Luton, Beds once again welcomed us to their equestrian village and hosted our event.

Last weekend saw the Autumn assessment and training weekend for the combined squads of the WCSPS and the YRs.

Bury Farm near Luton, Beds once again welcomed us to their equestrian village and hosted our event. All of the facilities that we could possibly need including 4 indoor arenas and permanent indoor stabling for all of the squads horses, meant that once again both of the squads could enjoy the facilities and get together.

On Saturday, both squads had individual guidance and assessments from their individual team vets, farriers, and physios along with riding and trot-up practise. Crews were also included in the trot-up training and given guidance on what is required of them next season.

In the afternoon both squads came together for some talks including, Lorna Edgar from Baileys horse feeds and Alison Northroyd and Dan Gorton from Anglia Ruskin University on the science they need our help with to provide research on the fitness and nutritional requirements for the Endurance Rider. Lots of our riders have now signed up to assist with research which will include visits and assessments at the university along with assesments at competitions. It is hope from this, that they will be able to provide the firm facts on what we need to optimise our performances as riders.

Two WCSPS riders then talked about their experiences so far, Lindsey Comben on completing her first 160k ride and Gill Brown on her experiences crewing for Catriona Moon at the Florac European Champs.

A super Buffet dinner was arranged by Bury Farm caterers for all in the evening.

Sunday morning was workshops and team building sessions, as well as overviews by the team Chef’s as to what we plan for next season.

Sunday lunchtime saw all departing until the next training in Feb 2012.


World Class Start and Potential Squad 2011/2012

The following combinations put their horses forward for assessment at this weekend, and will be preparing now for next season under the guidance of the World Class Squad MT.


Start level Riders – Preparing for 2* rides UK and Europe

Gill Brown – Nougat Du Villard
Laura Short – Bey Shebaan
Harrier Hammond – Natida Rahmoon
Rebecca Kinnarney – Seren Capella
Anna Kidd – Espace
Selena Webb – Dolivier
Fiona Griffiths – Oliver/ Dear kate
Jane Greatorex – Trust me Too
Claire Wertheimer – Marouk du Caprice
Rachael Stendall – Tuleeka


Potential Level Riders - Min of 2 x 2* rides completed working towards Elite

Jo Malcolm – Rasslan
Lindsey Comben – Radhwan

We look forward to welcoming them and those riders both start and potential who where not able to attend this weekend, to the next Squad training weekend at Bury Farm on 18th-19th Feb 2012.

Andrea Baker
Chef D’equipe

India: Second horse endurance today

Saturday, 19 November 2011 11:03
Indian Sports News

Chandigarh: The 2nd All-India Horse Endurance Championship will be organised by the Punjab Horse Sports and Breeders Society (PHSBS) at Kaler Bhaini village in Patiala district on November 19.

Sumrinder Sira, president of the PHSBS, in a press release today, said the race would cover 40 km, divided into two rounds of 20 km each. The prize money had been doubled to Rs 1 lakh this year, while the second and third prizes would be of Rs 51,000 and Rs 21,000, respectively.

Sira said the average speed of the winning horses in the 40-km national endurance run was around 16 km per hour, whereas during the previous Punjab endurance meet held in April, the winner delivered a speed of 18.38 km per hour and that too by indigenous breed against high standard of performances generally attributed to other established horse breeds, especially the Army stock, which have dominated the endurance rides in the recent past.

The Tribune

South Africa: De Kock battles to have equine export ban lifted

Racingpost.com - Full Article

By Michael Clower 12:09PM 18 NOV 2011

South Africa: Trainer Mike de Kock and Racing South Africa boss Peter Gibson have enlisted the support of the South African government in a bid to have the equine export ban lifted and, in particular, to be allowed to fly horses direct to Dubai.

South African horses going to Dubai have tobe quarantined in Europe en route but outbreaks of African Horse Sickness earlier this year resulted in Brussels imposing an automatic two-year ban on horses from South Africa.

This means that de Kock and other South African trainers are unable to send their local stars for the Dubai carnival.

President Zuma raised the matter in Dubai earlier this week with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohammed, who is Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE.

The South African government has agreed to prioritise the problem of horse exports to the UAE and Zuma was joined on the state visit by the South African Equine Trade Council...

Read more here:
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/mike-de-kock-south-africa-de-kock-battles-to-have-export-ban-lifted/949264/international/

New Zealand: Junior pair make NZ team

Times-age.co.nz - Full Article

Gary Caffell gary.caffell@age.co.nz | Friday, November 18, 2011 16:00

Wairarapa Endurance Club provides two members of the four-strong New Zealand team for the 2011 FEI world junior endurance championships to be held at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates on December 10.

Emma Mason and Tessa Duess are part of a squad which, for the first time, will take their own horses with them to compete in what is certain to be a hotly-contested event.

They will face a course which takes in a gruelling 120km in temperatures and over terrain completely foreign to them.

Duess, 21, and her mount Aspen Hills Santa Ana were selected after a very successful 2010-11 season.

They were the only combination to complete back-to-back 160km rides in both the North Island and national championships held in Karatau.

A meritorious eighth in the senior division at the North Island champs was followed by a third placing in the young rider division at the nationals.

Aspen Hills Santa Ana was bred by Tessa's mother Gabrielle Duess, who passed away last year and was a huge influence on her daughter's endurance riding career...

Read more here:
http://www.times-age.co.nz/news/junior-pair-make-nz-team/1178117/

Record interest in hosting 2018 World Equestrian Games

Insidethegames.biz - Full Article

Thursday, 17 November 2011
1

By Duncan Mackay

November 17 - A record eight countries have put themselves forward to host the 2018 World Equestrian Games, it has been announced.

Australia, Austria, Canada, Hungary, Morocco, Russia, Sweden and the United States all submitted official expressions of interest by the time the deadline set by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) expired at midnight on Tuesday (November 15).

"It also shows the value of the review that the FEI has commissioned of the bidding process for the FEI World Equestrian Games and FEI European Championships, which is aimed at raising the profile of these events and their associated revenues by creating a competitive, well structured and transparent bid process," said Ingmar de Vos, the secretary general of the FEI.

The event includes eight of the FEI's ten disciplines: combined driving, dressage, endurance riding, eventing, paraequestrianism, reining, show jumping, and vaulting.

A decision will be announced after the FEI Spring Bureau meeting in early 2013 as the third and final phase in the new bidding process that the FEI has put in place for the FEI World Equestrian Games and FEI European Championships...

Read more here:
http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/equestrian/14911-record-interest-in-hosting-2018-world-equestrian-games

Penn State student horseman headed for United Arab Emirates event

Live.psu.edu

Friday, November 11, 2011

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- During a time when most students are stressing over finals, Penn State junior Steven Hay will be heading to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

On Dec. 10, Hay will have the honor of competing in the Young Rider World Endurance Championship as part of the United States team. "I'm so excited," he said. "It's definitely nerve-wracking, but it's a big deal."

Riders, ages 14-21, were required to submit applications to compete. In choosing the team, a selection committee looked at the riders' records, their horses' records, how well and fast they've competed, and other criteria.

The 21-year-old Port Matilda native is ranked second in the country amongst those who applied for the event in the Middle East.

In addition to being a full-time student, the Environmental Resource Management major in the College of Agricultural Sciences has an impressive list of accomplishments, including two team gold medals as the 2010 and 2011 North American Champion and two individual bronze medals from the 2010 and 2011 North American Junior Young Riders Championships.

He also placed eighth out of 79 riders in the Biltmore 50-mile event in 2010, and fifth overall at the Biltmore 75-mile event in 2011.

With the competition approaching, Hay is looking for sponsors and donations to cover the expenses of the trip while making sure his horse is in tip-top shape. "I'm just working on fine tuning now, preparing for the sandy conditions of Abu Dhabi. The climate difference will be the hardest part, especially in comparison to the December weather here."

Having competed at local and national levels for years, Hay hopes to keep pushing his boundaries. "It's a cool way to step up into another level of competition," he said. "My goal is to move up to international riding."

His passion for horses started at a young age. By the age of six, Hay was riding and taking lessons. Over the next couple of years, he took part in local horse shows and events, but he became bored. When he was 12, Hay started to compete in trail riding and distance riding after hearing about it through a neighbor.

His interest in trail riding eventually led to endurance riding on courses that are 50 to 75 miles long. "It's pretty challenging, but I think it's worth it," he said. "Competing is my passion. To date, I have completed 2,850 miles of endurance riding."