Qatar: UAE endurance riders sweep all medals

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

Mohammad on hand to witness the winning performance of Hamdan and his teammates

By Yasir Abbasher, Senior Reporter
Published: 00:00 December 18, 2011

Doha: The UAE dominated the endurance riding competition at the 12th Arab Games in Doha, winning all three individual medals as well as team gold yesterday.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was in attendance to watch his son, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the President of Dubai Sports Council, help the UAE team to victory. Shaikh Hamdan was awarded the silver medal after finishing alongside Yousuf Al Beloushi, who claimed gold. The bronze was won by Sultan Al Maamary. They were joined by Ali Ganem Al Merri, Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri and Mohammad Ahmad Al Subose in the UAE team that swept aside all competition in the 120km endurance ride.

Al Beloushi finished the first stage leading the pack riding Shardell Prince Valiant in 1hr 11min 34sec, followed by Shaikh Hamdan on Muhannad in 1:11.48, Al Maamary in third on Dudleydick TE in 1:12.06 and fourth-placed Al Merri on EO Rakam in 1:12.09.

Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, from Bahrain, placed fifth on Picaflor in 1:12.16, while Al Jahouri was ninth on Lourizon Frost in 1:14.04 and Al Subose 10th on Indian Eskalonik in 1:16.36...

read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/uae-endurance-riders-sweep-all-medals-1.952780

Australia Third and New Zealand Sixth in FEI YR/J World Endurance Championship

Horsezone.com.au

Published on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 in Event Results
Uruguayan wonder-boy, 15-year-old Martin Stirling, rode the nine-year-old Vendaval to Team and Individual gold at the FEI World Endurance Championship for Juniors and Young Riders 2011 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Abu Dhabi hosted the FEI World Junior Endurance Championships over the weekend where Australia and New Zealand were both represented by teams.

The Young Riders Representing Australia in the World Youth Endurance Championships were Alexandra Toft and High Society te; Brooke Warner and Kunama Safira; Georgia Toft and Bremervale Arrogance; and Allix Jones and Castlebar Moonlight.

New Zealand was represented by a team of four competing on their own horses - Tessa Deuss, Emma Mason, Sian Reid and Georgia Smith.

All the horses were fitted with electronic head collars, so live results were available for each loop/phase (five loops in total) of the ride. The winning time was 5 hours, 18 minutes and 51 seconds by Martin Stirling of Uruguay.

Congratulations to Australian team member Allix Jones riding Castlebar Moonlight, who did an outstanding job and finished second in the fantastic time of 5 hours, 19 minutes and 3 seconds. Individual silver medallist, Allix Jones, was less than a minute behind with Castlebar Moonlight whose average speed was 22.567kph. And it was a moment to savour for the horse's owner, Margaret "Meg" Wade, one of the great heroines of equestrian sport who won the FEI's "Against All Odds" Award, but missed out on the presentation at the 2011 General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro last month when her flight to Brazil was cancelled. Meg's extraordinary recovery and return to the saddle after the multiple champion suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fall two years ago has been nothing short of inspirational.

Aussie Brooke Warner finished 16th with a time of 5 hours, 59 minutes and 52 seconds and Alexander Toft finished 37th. Unfortunately Georgia Toft's horse Bremervale Arrogance was vetted out in phase three. The Australian team did brilliantly and ended up in third place overall, out of 17 teams.

Best placed New Zealand Junior was Sian Reid and AA Sabatage in 28th place with a time of 6.42.21, closely followed by Tessa Deuss and Aspen Hills Santa Ana in 36th place with a time of 6.52.42. Georgia Smith and her horse Glenmore Astroid rounded off the New Zealand results in 42nd place with a time of 7.10.20. Emma Mason and Taralea Sheer Illusion were unfortunately vetted out pre-ride. The New Zealand team put in a great effort and placed sixth overall.

There were 77 individual entries in total, so both Australian and New Zealand young riders did a fantastic job.

Team Results:
1st Uruguay 16.35.53
2nd France 17.31.42
3rd Australia 18.14.39
4th USA 19.36.56
5th Argentina 20.06.43
6th New Zealand 20.45.23

FEI World Rankings for Young Riders & Juniors

Meydan Young Riders World Ranking as of December 5 2011

1. Manuela Basombrio - Argentina
2. Martin Garcia Lazo - Chile
3. Camila Fiandra - Uruguay
4. Kyle Gibbon - USA
5. Magdalena Leiva - Uruguay
6. Catalina Bastons - Argentina
7. Juan Pablo Viana Ponte - Uruguay
8. Cristina Mutis - Colombia
9. Martin Stirling - Uruguay
10. Daniela Moreno - Ecuador

Full list here:
http://search.fei.org/Search_Centre/Ranking/Pages/Search.aspx?rankingCode=E_WR_Y


Meydan Young Riders Combination World Ranking as of December 5 2011

1. Pablo Llompart and Ankar Samurai - Chile
2. Sofia Ribadeneira and Angostura Frodo - Ecuador
3. Sebastian Taverne Barros and Eclipse - Chile
4. Kyle Gibbon and Misu Koran - USA
5. Benjamin Boetsch Table and Khadijah - Chile
5. Manuela Basombrio and Faisal - Argentina
7. Joyce Van Den Berg and Bas de Cardonne - Netherlands
7. Juan Pablo Viana Ponte and Larkeena del Timote - Uruguay
9. Magdalena Leiva and Minuana and Uruguay
10. Catalina Bastons and RP Dardanell - Argentina

Full list here:
http://search.fei.org/Search_Centre/Ranking/Pages/Search.aspx?rankingCode=E_WR_Y_RH


Meydan Young Riders Horse World Ranking as of December 5 2011

1. Faisal
2. H C E Falcaida
3. Xime
3. Ankar Samurai
5. Angostura Frodo
6. Eclipse
6. RP Hard Line
8. Misu Koran
9. Khadijah
10. Bas de Cardonne
10. Larkeena del Timote

Full list here:
http://search.fei.org/Search_Centre/Ranking/Pages/Search.aspx?rankingCode=E_WR_Y_H

Great Britain: Jeni Gilbert Triumphs at Endurance GB Awards

Horsemart.co.uk

15 December 2011

HorseHage-sponsored endurance rider, Jeni Gilbert, and her Connemara pony, Flurrie, have triumphed at the recent annual Endurance GB Awards.

The pair took the titles of Senior and Supreme Champion as well as winning the Veteran Trophy and awards for the Best Unregistered Horse and Best Endurance Ride Results This Season. They were also runners-up for the Best Team award (four horses) and the Best Three Endurance Ride Results and achieved their 6400km award for successful competition.

This is the second time Jeni and Flurrie, who are based near Huddersfield in Yorkshire, have been crowned Endurance GB Supreme Championship and is a brilliant achievement for both horse and rider as Flurrie is now sixteen-years-old and is a native breed competing in a sport dominated by Arab horses.

Said a delighted Jeni: “My great pony, Flurrie, and fantastic crew of Sue Headland and Julie Martin are the mainstay behind our success and it is always a real team effort. I am also very grateful to the support I receive from my sponsor, Marksway HorseHage. It was a thrilling end to a great season!”

For further information on HorseHage, or advice on feeding your horse or pony, please call 01803 527257 or visit www.horsehage.co.uk

Stephen Gray to represent Australia in endurance race

Couriermail.com.au

by: Margaret Maccoll, Southern Star
From: Quest Newspapers
December 16, 2011

Rochedale equestrian rider Stephen Gray will head to New Zealand without his horse on January 26 for an endurance horse-riding event.

Gray will represent Australia in the 160km Trans Tasman endurance race in which the host nation supplies horses to its visitors.

Gray has competed in endurance events since 2000 after taking up the sport for interest and falling in love with it.

From his semi-rural property he maintains nine horses, devoting much of his time to providing them with special attention as well as training and preparing for competitions.

``Endurance riding is a major growing sport in Australia and overseas, as is evidenced by the growing number of horses and popularity of equestrian sports throughout Australia, particularly in areas close to the city,'' he said.

On this occasion, however, he will be training and riding a New Zealand horse unknown to him which will add another dimension to his competition riding.

During his 12 days in New Zealand attending the Trans Tasman Event in the South Island of New Zealand, he will encounter extremely difficult and rugged terrain, which will test the stamina of both horse and rider.

FEI World Rankings

Meydan Open Riders World Ranking as of December 5 2011

1. Maria Hagman-Eriksson - Sweden
2. Virginie Atger - France
3. Enora Boulenger - France
4. Faleh Nasser SS Bughenaim - Qatar
5. Jack Begaud - France
6. Alex Luque Moral - Spain
7. Hassan Tahous S.J. Al Nuaimi - Qatar
8. Philippe Tomas - France
9. Romain Laporte - France
10. Sabrina Arnold - Germany

Full list here:
http://search.fei.org/Search_Centre/Ranking/Pages/Search.aspx?rankingCode=E_WR

Meydan Open Combination World Ranking as of December 5 2011

1. Jose Juis Ruiz Hidalgo and Al Gharbe - Spain
2. Maria Hagman-Eriksson and Power - Spain
3. John Crandell III and Heraldic - USA
4. Roland Verge and Ainhoa Soldarike - France
4. Bernardo Algorta and Cacique - Uruguay
6. Sean Trafford and Sayfwood Rolling Stone - New Zealand
7. Inger Pitter Bertelsen and Portal OX - Denmark
8. Alex Luque Moral and Nitra - Spain
9. Alex Luque Moral and Ikland - Spain

Full list here:
http://search.fei.org/Search_Centre/Ranking/Pages/Search.aspx?rankingCode=E_WR_RH

Meydan Open Horse World Ranking as of December 5 2011

1. Nikel Kermorvan
2. Mario De Plouvor
3. Al Gharbe
4. Power
5. Heraldic
6. Mazayha
7. Mediatik Larzac
8. Negro Jefe Molles
9. Ainhoa Soldarike
9. Cacique

Full list here:
http://search.fei.org/Search_Centre/Ranking/Pages/Search.aspx?rankingCode=E_WR_H

Great Britain: Kirsty still riding high despite odds

Bridportnews.co.uk

Wednesday 14th December 2011 in Local Sport

By Ky Capel »

LYME’S Kirsty Wiscombe continues to defy the odds.

Last year the endurance rider finished as the top British rider in the FEI World Open Endurance Rider Rankings just 12 months after recovering from a life-threatening illness.

And now, having won the Mirwart FEI World Veteran Rider Championship, the 41-year-old has begun another bout of rehabilitation after having both hips replaced.

Reflecting on the past year, Wiscombe said: “I have had a mixed season.

“Unfortunately I have struggled to ride most of the season due to severe osteoarthritis in my hips.

“However, Eskar, my 11-year-old pure bred gelding, has been fantastic and despite me being in a lot of pain he has looked after me all season.

“He has done two FEI one-star rides and two FEI two-star rides.

“For my final ride of the season I returned to Mirwart in Belgium and despite being in pain and having to be helped on and off Eskar, I had a fantastic ride.

“The ride is a tough hilly one and hosts the Belgium Nat-ional Championships. We finished seventh overall and won the Mirwart FEI World Vet-eran Rider Championship...

Read more here:
http://www.bridportnews.co.uk/sport/localsport/9416738.Kirsty_still_riding_high_despite_odds/