Oman: Proud Achievement

Omantribune.com - Full Article

On the heels of a bit of a gloom in the country after the national football team’s debacle in the 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifying campaign, comes exhilarating news of the victory of Sultanate’s equestrian rider HH Sayyid Loay Bin Ghaleb Al Said at the Endurance Riding Championship in the Czech Republic. Oman’s experienced and well-known equestrian ace clinched the six-stage 160-km ride over some testing terrain for both the rider and his mount.

Loay’s winning performance adds to the numerous sporting glories of the Sultanate and reflects the rising standards of our sports-persons in recent years. Endurance riding is a complete test of the rider and the horse, and it requires exceptional skills, dedication, determination and, above all, lasting stamina to be able to complete the course. Loay deserves all the accolades for keeping the Sultanate’s flag flying at this international ride which was also a qualification for next year’s Endurance World Cup which will be held in Normandy, France. Laoy’s triumph has brought the smiles back on the faces of Omani sports fans – it was a proud moment for Oman’s endurance riding star to see the national flag fluttering at a major international sports event.

Ghaleb Al Said, who is credited with being the first Omani rider to take part in the Endurance World Cup in Dubai in 2005, has dedicated the victory to his Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, Sultanate’s visionary leader under whose guidance the nation has made remarkable progress in all fields of human endeavour. We recall the care and support which His Majesty the Sultan provides to the youth of the country so that they can excel in education, art, culture and sports. Through Royal orders and directives, Sultanate’s athletes have achieved good results in regional and international competitions. Even though Sultanate’s top football side could not qualify for the World Cup, they put up a competitive performance that underlined the rise in the standard of the game in the country...

Read more here:
http://www.omantribune.com/index.php?page=editorial_details&id=2727&heading=EDITORIAL

Letter from a Young Rider from Uruguay

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

June 24 2013

[google translate]

This is a letter from a young rider, Cecilia Garcia, who will participate in World Youth Endurance Riders in Tarbes (FRA), with a Mauxi family horse, and with great feeling, expresses her love for the sport of Equestrian Endurance from her native Uruguay expressed satisfaction that we have to be representative of the National Flag Celeste.
The thrill of representing their country in some tracks far from her home turf and with the hope of bringing a new victory with her team.

This is the letter from Cecilia:

"First I want to thank you for letting me life grow with the sport so cute and we all want the" ENDURO. "
After many joys, triumphs and sorrows satifacciones today is for me to fulfill a dream that is to represent Uruguay in a world championship, as it was my last chance to run a world as young rider, next year and happened to be rider and start again from scratch.

This possibility is the first I want to thank my family who supports me and makes a very big economic effort, thanks to Dad that his years in Spain and today I made ​​friends baby steps to get the blue with a Spanish mare...

Read more here:
http://ggjineteraid.blogspot.com/2013/06/carta-de-una-joven-amazona-ante-su.html

Australia: Riders descend for prestigous Quilty

Tenterfieldstart.com.au - Full Article

June 26, 2013

THE weekend of June 7-10 saw the running of the 48th Tom Quilty Gold Cup.

This year’s event was held in Queensland (the event moves from state to state each year) in the small township of Kilkivan in the South Burnett district.

Kilkivan has been hit with three major floods in the last 18 months but despite this the small community managed to host an excellent event with help from sponsors and local government support to rebuild many of the buildings lost in those floods.

Five members of the Tenterfield endurance-riding club attended with their horses plus support crew to take up the national challenge.

They joined 245 other riders from across Australia and several international riders. Greg Lyons was riding Chingford Just Dreaming, Narelle Childs was riding Halo Kazaam, Damien Keys was riding Elfar Karnella, Michael Combe wasriding Nasr and Caroline Windle was riding Sarina Rosetta.

This year, the weather was unseasonably warm, but at midnight on Friday, June 7, riders headed out into the night on the first leg of the five-leg course.

The course without doubt was a true “Quilty” course. The conditions and terrain were challenging which led to a low successful completion rate of only 43 per cent...

Read more here:
http://www.tenterfieldstar.com.au/story/1596240/riders-descend-for-prestigous-quilty/?cs=1640

Bahrain's Royal Endurance Team secured a 1 - 2- 3 finish in the best endurance horse ride

BNA.bh - Full Article

23/06/2013

Manama, June 23 (BNA) -- Bahrain's Royal Endurance Team yesterday secured a 1-2-3 finish in the Best Endurance Horse Ride Dillingen 2013 in Germany.

Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa put up another splendid performance as he steered CD Uproar to win this challenging six-stage ride amidst broad participation from 60 riders from all around the world.

Held at the Military training area in Dilingen District, the ride saw other participants coming from the UAE, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Poland and Czech Republic.

This 160km ride was divided into six stages, including 35km each for the first and second stages. The third and fourth were over 25km each, while each of the remaining fifth and sixth stages covered 20km.

Shaikh Nasser was in superb form as he crossed the finish line first in seven hours, 31 minutes and 38 seconds, just a second ahead of fellow Bahraini teammate Abdulrahman Al Saad, who came second on Quenzo.

Issa Al Hazza (7:42:29) then rounded off Bahrain's impressive show bny coming third on Raja Du Roc'h.
Hood Buchiri (8:04:34), also of Bahrain, came in fourth position, followed by UAE's Ahmed Al Bouloushi (8:09:52) and Ghanim Al Mirri (8:09:53) who were respectively fifth and sixth...

Read more here:
http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/566822

New Zealand: Smiths in frame for France

Stuff.co.nz - Full Article

FAYE LOUGHER
20/06/2013

Following their success at the national endurance championships, Andrea and Georgia Smith have both been named in the endurance high-performance programme squads for the 2014 World Equestrian Games in France.

The Smith family from Mangaweka did the trifecta at the national championships at Easter, with mother Andrea winning the CEI 3-Star 160km, daughter Georgia the CEI 3-Star Junior Youth 160km, and younger sister Brigitte the CEI 2-Star Junior Youth 123km. All three were also awarded best conditioned prizes for their horses.

Equestrian Sports New Zealand (ESNZ) high performance director Sarah Harris said as far as she could determine, it is the first time a junior has been named in the senior squad and also the first time a mother and daughter had both been selected.

"They are at a very high level, they operate so professionally - the whole family really, from Murray through to Brigitte. It's a really exciting time for them as a family and also for the sport, to see some really talented riders coming through..."

Read more here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/sport/8819258/Smiths-in-frame-for-France

Endurance doping: Time to draw a line in the desert sand?

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

By Neil Clarkson on Jun 20, 2013 in Equestrian Sports, News

People do not need to be rocket scientists to realise how easily a sport’s reputation can be damaged by drug scandals.

One only has to look at cycling to see how repeated and high-profile drug infractions can trash a reputation. Once lost, recovering that reputation can be a long and difficult process. The commercial damage can also be considerable, as sponsors tend to see little value in supporting a tarnished sport.

The sport of endurance is facing just such an uncomfortable truth: that if it does not start to make serious inroads into drug infractions in the Middle East, the sport’s reputation could well sustain lasting damage...

Read more here:
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2013/06/20/endurance-doping-draw-line-in-sand/#axzz2XBCVY89W

Shaikh Nasser will lead today some of Bahrain's finest riders at 6th edition of Best Endurance Dillingen

BNA.bh - Full Article

6/22/2013

Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa today (JUNE 22) will lead some of Bahrain's finest riders at the sixth edition of the Best Endurance Dillingen 2013 in Germany.

The event, due to take place at the Military training area in Dilingen District, will see more than 60 riders from around the world vying for glory, including members of the Bahrain Royal Team.

This day-long festival consists of three races over 80 km, 120 km and 160 km, as the Bahraini team members are all lined up in all three rides.

The 160km ride will be divided into six stages, including 35km each for the first and second stages. The third and fourth will be over 25km each, while each of the remaining fifth and sixth stages will cover 20km.

Spearheading Bahrain in this ride will be Shaikh Nasser, along with Abdulrahman Al Saad, Abdulrahman Al Zayed, Yaqoub Al Hammadi, Hood Buchiri, Isa Al Hazza, Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and Mohammed Al Khatry...

Read more here:
http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/566723