Abu Dhabi: Hazza takes President's Cup

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

By M. Satya Narayan, Chief Sports Reporter
Published: 00:00 February 12, 2012

He started on a slow pace but steered the horse brilliantly to take the crown

Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Hazza Bin Sultan Al Nahyan revealed great horsemanship when he won the prestigious HH The President's Cup CEI Three-star 160-km endurance ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village here yesterday.

While winning the Dh1.5 million ride, Shaikh Hazza also denied Sultan Ahmad Al Beloushi his third consecutive success in the President's Cup.

Riding 12-year-old Glenmorgan, Shaikh Hazza started on a slow but steady pace and from being positioned 46 after the first stage out of the 126 riders who started, he went on to score a brilliant win against some of the UAE's top riders.

Shaikh Hazza and Glenmorgan completed the six-loop 160-km ride in six hours 21 minutes and 35 seconds finishing ahead of Al Beloushi on Cronus, the winning pair of last year's ride with National Day Cup winner Fatima Jasem Al Merri on Ohio in third place and recent winner of the His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup 160-km ride - Abdullah Ganem Al Merri in fourth place.

Shaikh Hazza, whose previous best in the President's Cup was a 9th place finish in 2002, moved from 46th position to 12 after the second stage of 31 kilometres and after the third set of 31 kilometres he got into the top ten...

Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/hazza-takes-president-s-cup-1.979231

Belgium: Pre-Ride for FEI European Endurance Championship for Young Riders & Juniors

http://www.endurance-belgium.com/montlesoie-2012/

On the saturday 28th and sunday 29th of April, Mont Le Soie will organize a series of competitions for senior and young riders, all in FEI classes. This will be a unique opportunity for the national squads to discover the competition.
Everyone knows of course how important it is to prepare well in advance all details concerning their participation to a big event.
 
The competitions on the saturday will count at the same time for the Belgian Championship: the CEI***160 for seniors and the CEI**YR120 for young riders).

On the saturday 28th of April, 4 international competitions:
° CEI**YR120km and CEI*YR100km
° CEI***160km
° CEI**120km.
 
On the sunday 29th of April, 2 international competitions:
° CEI**120km
° CEI*100km.

Mont Le Soie is a hilly and tough ride. The venue is located on the top of a plateau (elevation 550 meters). There are several hills on each stage, some being easier than others. The elevation graphs gives a good idea of the route. There are easy stretches where horses will canter easily, there are tough descents and gruelling ascents.
The going is mostly hard, so it is highly advisable to shoe the horses accordingly. The trail comprises large forest pads (used by forestry equipment), narrower trails (mostly going up and down the hills), dirt roads in the open ranges, asphalt roads when crossing the villages.

Spain: VII Raid Al-Andalus Interhorse Program

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

Advance program VII Interhorse Raid Al-Andalus:
Fee:
180.00. - € registration + 60. - € box., horse and rider to participate in three days.
140.00. - € registration + 60. - € box., horse and rider involved two days .
70.00. - € registration + 60. - € box., horse and rider to participate one day.
30.00. - € dinner party end awards in Camping La Aldea. El Rocío.
Inscriptions previous: Until March 30, 2012.

Registration definitive:
The maximum registration period is April 4. As the April 4 step required by the secretariat of the competition to finish the term of numbers including delivery.
Licenses: All riders must have their licenses sports (LDN) and valid insurance.
All horses must have its sports licenses in force (LAC), FEI passport for non-Spanish horses and LIC for the Spanish, and meet the health conditions required (health card, vaccines, micriochip). MUST SEND A COPY OF THESE.

Stages:
5.4.2012 - The Mist - Matalascañas - The Dew Point: 71.080 kms.
6.4.2012 - The Mist - Fennel - The Dew Point: 74.260 kms.
7.4.2012 - The Mist - Four Vitas - The Dew Point: 77.840 kms.

AWARDS Section 828 of the RCR
only opt for the different awards those teams that qualify in every stage of the test.
prize The prize money is to be determined in advance of program.
The Organizing Committee reserves the right to award in its discretion other prizes.
All prizes will involve subsequent tax bill at the time of payment.

Final standings Awards in Euros (Teams) Trophies
1, 1500. - €, Trophy, certificate and Rosette.
2 º 1,000, - € Trophy, certificate and badge.
3 º 500. - € Trophy, certificate and badge.
Best condition: Trophy, certificate and badge.
Total value: 3,000. - €
Advancement Program and Regulation: Regulation VII Raid Al-Andalus Ironhorse.

Greetings from Gabriel.

Canada: Riders, horses to test their limits

Standard-freeholder.com - Full Article

By ERIKA GLASBERG, EGLASBERG@STANDARD-FREEHOLDER.COM

CORNWALL – Several passionate horseback riders from the area are getting ready for some serious riding as the Seaway Valley Arabian Horse Association hosts their International Endurance ride later this year in Finch.

The endurance race will be the third one held by the club but the only endurance race held in Ontario in 2012, one of three held in Canada and one of 11 races in North America.

“Usually in Ontario we try to have one international ride a year and nobody was stepping up to the plate,” said Dessia Miller, president of the club.

The races that are being held are in the one and two star levels.

In order for riders to qualify for the championship races (known as the four star level), they have to go through the star system.

The one star level requires the rider to complete an 80 km run at slower than 16 km an hour.

The two star level is a 120 km course with no speed restrictions.

The three star level is a 160 km course with no speed restrictions and finally, the four star level requires riders to complete a 160 km course in under 12 hours...

Read more here:
http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3467014

New Zealand: Marlborough riders third in Canterbury

Stuff.co.nz

Last updated 09:20 10/02/2012

Marlborough Trail and Endurance club members performed well at last weekend's South Island Endurance championships at Harwarden in Canterbury.

On a new and challenging track, Anna Hynes, who lives in Westport but belongs to the Marlborough club, and Millenium Sensation were third in the 36km Intermediate CTR. Hynes finished on the best heart rates in the class but had misjudged the final 10km and rode slightly too fast, incurring 28 time faults.

Charlotte Wadsworth, 14, rode in the CEI 1* 100km Young Rider event and was also part of the Trans-Tasman New Zealand team. Charlotte had a very exciting gallop finish with the other Kiwi junior and finished in an impressive time of 5hrs 44min 04sec.

Charlotte's horse, Avaasha NZL, then went on to win the Best Conditioned Horse award for this Young Rider class. The Australians just won the Trans-Tasman Challenge, their three top scores beating New Zealand's by 1min 47sec.

Heidi Bulfin on Stonelea Sparkling Rose and Robyn Hill on Silands Rhaffety, competed in the CEI 2* 120km ride. Hill won the class with Bulfin runner-up, the first competition for both at that level and the duo rode most of the four-loop ride together.

It started at 5am on Sunday and travelled over fairly testing terrain. Hill's time was 8.27.07 seconds and Bulfin clocked 8.27.41.

The Marlborough riders beat some more experienced horses in their class even though everyone rode fairly conservatively in this one, mainly aiming for completions.

The vetting standards are very tough in endurance with just the slightest niggle being enough to put a horse out. Hill's horse was also awarded best conditioned.

Out of 56 total entries there was a completion rate of 69 per cent which is good as riders tend to push their mounts a bit more than usual.

- The Marlborough Express

Spain: Raid Al-Andalus Ironhorse News

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2012

Raid Al-Andalus The Ironhorse starts to move, says that soon will have prepared the application form and need volunteers to lend a hand in the test and the Organization of the Competition.
Here's the contact to communicate with them: raidironhorse@gmail.com

Together we must help Jose Manuel Soto, a man who is completely devoted to the organization of this event Equestrian Endurance, high-level sports event, all riders want to participate and compete in this competition, but this year is shorter than normal, hopefully next year, return to their usual characteristics, walking for half Andalusian geography, to show the beauty of our landscapes, our food and contact with our people.

This year test daisy with departures and arrivals in the village of Rocio at the foot of the White Dove, three days together in the Great Week.

Greetings from Gabriel.

British endurance rider Catriona Moon heads to Abu Dhabi

Horseandhound.co.uk

Charlotte White, deputy news editor

7 February, 2012

Dorset vet Catriona Moon will be the only British rider at the 160km President’s Cup three-star endurance ride in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (11 February). Catriona, who has twice before represented Britain, expects conditions to be harsh as she and the 13-year-old Leila cross steep desert sand dunes in temperatures in the high 20s.

The duo fly to Abu Dhabi today (Tuesday 7 February).

Follow Catriona's progress with updates on Twitter via: @EnduranceGB