Two US Endurance Riders Will Ride in 2014 WEG Test Event

USEquineendurance.org

US  Athletes and Others will Attend the Endurance Test Event for the 2014 World Equestrian Games – Two will ride.

Two endurance athletes, Meg Sleeper of Pennsylvania and Marcia Hefker from Colorado will  be the United States riders at the upcoming WEG test event in Normandy, France. Others will attend to support the riders and observe.

​The ride, an FEI2*, is one of several pre-game events intended to help WEG organizers test their operation systems (organization, logistics, timing, scoring, etc.) while at the same time offering endurance teams from around the world the opportunity to pre-ride part of the course.  The test events also allow the participating nations to become familiar with the organization and provide the National Federations with the opportunity to give feedback to the organizers.

​Each of the 40 countries expected to attend was invited to send two riders.  The US riders will lease two French owned and trained horses.   US athletes will be accompanied by Emmett Ross (Chef d’Equipe) and Vonita Bowers (USEF Director of Endurance).  Other team hopefuls, owners and crew members expected to attend include Skip Lightfoot, Amy Atkins, Lisanne Dorion, Dave Augustine, Steve Betzel and Valery Kanavy. Information obtained at the test event will be used to inform training programs back home and to develop the right team of horses and riders for the WEG competition August 2014.

​More information about the test event can be found here:    
http://www.alltechfeiweg2014-normandy.com/files/fck/files/COMMUNIQUE%20DE%20PRESSE%20-%20EPREUVES%20PREPA%20UK%20-%20OK.pdf

The Endurance CEI2* Test Event will not be open to the general public.

As the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy project gains momentum, the Organising Committee is set to test various aspects of its organisation during preparatory events in August 2013. These events, which feature in the national and international calendar, though at a lower level than the main event in 2014, will take place in some of the official 2014 Games venues but will not be open to the general public. Below you will find all of the information regarding the Endurance test event (CEI2* level), which will be held in Sartilly (Manche) on Friday 16th August 2013.

http://www.alltechfeiweg2014-normandy.com/en/news/endurance-cei2--test-event-information---16th-august-2013-a200.html

Thoughts on the Raid World Junior in Tarbes (FRANCE)

El Raid Blog - Gabriel Gamiz

August 10 2013

[google translation]

My friend Oscar Ricca, from his native Uruguay, I submitted a series of reflections of the past World Junior Raid in Tarbes (FRA), run past July 27, 2013.
As one of the participants in this World Cup, attending his daughter Oriana Ricca, that such good results obtained in these World with Jon Fernandez Spanish mare "Talitha Kumi 50%", being ranked in the fourth place of those World, can give us a review of how the events occurred before, during, and after the race.
The events are not known, can not be measured, so if after a championship as important, such as a World and draw some conclusions, it is impossible to improve for the next. Sure that the memory test is conducted by competent bodies, but an assessment of a sufferer of all these circumstances, are valued and taken into account for future international events, since language is one of the drawbacks or setbacks Oscar describes us.


"THE BAD, THE REGULAR AND THE GOOD OF THE WORLD AND / R OF TARBES, France, 2013.
From my point of view only, I will tell you some details, which at best, can serve to improve in future competitions. Reflections are:

THE BAD:
1.-THE START. A real mess. Some authorities authorized, others stopped, other largaban before ... everything!
Two. - SUPPORT POSTS. - Very distant, without any signaling and difficult to park and get out in time for another post of support.
Three. - DEVICE FOR COOLING A VET BEFORE THE HORSES CHEK. - Very little space, the provision of water tanks should be in the same direction between arrival and control.

USUALLY:
1. - THE LANGUAGE. All in French. As an international event, it should have taken into account the English language, too.
Two. - BATHS. Especially for the ladies.

THE GOOD:
1. - JOGGING TRACK. - Notable
Two. - GIVEN EXCELLENT TREATMENT FOR ALL OFFICERS, SECRETARY, ETC.
Three. - PRIZES: Great Good! For its quantity and quality.
As in all international events, the best thing to always remember is the treatment shown to us all fulfill some function. In this World Cup, the deal was EXCELLENT!
We returned to our Country, very happy to have received a great reward to the enormous effort we made. Doors were opened to us, we interact with various players in the world, a real success, beyond positions to finish the race.
But it was a real success Talita Kumi involving 50% with Oriana, so that was very generous reward.
Now we begin to dream of another project ... Normandy! Basques and Uruguayan together again!.
Thank you very much, friend Gabriel by this inexhaustible vein of friendship that you have generated.
Big hug. Oscar ".

Thanks Oscar for your contribution to the improvements of the tests within the global environment.
Greetings from Gabriel.

Canada: Melhuish, Hudson celebrate success of first High Sage event

Lillooetnews.net - Full Article

AUGUST 7, 2013

WENDY FRASER
After 55 miles and more than seven-and-half demanding hours of endurance riding, it all came down to seven riders and their horses galloping to the finish line with mere seconds between them.

Organizers June Melhuish and Scott Hudson say they couldn’t have asked for a better finish to the High Sage Ride, the first endurance ride they organized after years of June and their daughters Nora and Molly riding competitively in endurance events.

The July 27 High Sage event featured three rides – a 50 Mile event that was re-sanctioned to a 55-mile distance, a 22 Mile event and an 11 Mile fun ride for newcomers to the sport. Twenty-six riders saddled up for the challenging 55 Mile ride, 21 competitors entered the 22 Mile ride and four riders gave the 11 Mile event a try. Competitors came from the United States, Fort St. John, 100 Mile House, the Okanagan and the Lower Mainland...

Read more here:
http://www.lillooetnews.net/article/20130807/LILLOOET0108/308079994/-1/lillooet/melhuish-hudson-celebrate-success-of-first-high-sage-event

World Championships for Icelandic Horses - Berlin 2013

Icelandreview.com - Full Article

Long-Distance Ride to Berlin

Participants of the traditional long-distance ride preceding the World Cup arrived in Berlin from three different directions, traveling with the FEIF greeting message. Among them were hardcore trail riders like the couple Christel Velte and Walter Schmid, who rode the ‘southern route’ of 800 km (500 miles) from Austria to Berlin, as Eiðfaxi reports.

On the ‘western route’ a whole Board of Directors of the IPZV rode through the extremely densely-populated Rhine-Westphalia, which similar to the wild glacial rivers of South Iceland, is not really made for long-distance riding because either expressways or huge cities are in the way.

Therefore, the first part from the Dutch border near Venlo to the river Rhine was the hardest part of the ride.

Yet Marion Heinsdorf, chair of the Icelandic Horse Association Heinsberg, vice-chair Miriam Faller, secretary Melanie Wiesenhöfer and treasurer Peter Kames decided to bring the FEIF-baton to Berlin this way.

In Niederkruechten, the same place where the ride kicked off two years ago, the Dutch-Icelandic horse riders launched their journey of 13 difficult days. However, Kames had obviously not had enough; he afterwards traveled south and rode on with the southern team for six days...

Read more here:
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/icelandic_horses/Long_Distance_Ride_to_Berlin_0_402065.news.aspx

Australia: Fast finish to inugural endurance ride

Cowraguardian.com.au - Full Article

The Lachlan Endurance Riders Club had a wonderful weekend running their inaugural ride at Bumbaldry. A huge thank you to local landholders Sue & Ken; Karen, Lee & Dave; Greg & Nerodah; Matt, Cheryl & Paul; Gay & Allan; Craig & Cathy; Mick; Steve.

And the support of the community by way of fantastic sponsorship as follows: 1503 2BS Gold, Archer Saddle Cloths, Back Creek Metal Signs, Besedic Motor Cycles, Carline Mufflers, Computers Inc, Cowra Freight, Cowra Meat Processors, Eagle Boys Pizza Cowra, Edinburgh Horse Rugs, Geronimo Farm Equipment, Gutzbusta Hay Nets, Horse Deals, International Animal Health Products, Irrifab Cowra, Jimbarb Arabians, Kintamani Arabians, Lachlan Engineering Services, Lachlan Fertilisers Rural, Moss Rock Endurance Inc, Pro-Touch, Pryde's EasiFeed, Specialized Saddles Australia, Spot-On Cowra.

The ride attracted 68 entries in its main 80kms event together with 28 in its 40kms Training ride and 21 riders in the 20km Social ride, a total of 117 horses and riders to experience the wilds of Bumbaldry...

Read more here:
http://www.cowraguardian.com.au/story/1692140/fast-finish-to-inugural-endurance-ride/?cs=591

Mongolia: Teenager rides into history books by winning epic week-long horse race

Independent.ie - Full Article

11 AUGUST 2013

A teenager has made history by winning an endurance challenge dubbed the world's "longest and toughest horse race".

Lara Prior-Palmer, 19, from Hampshire, won the Mongol Derby, becoming the first female rider and also the youngest person to win the race since its launch in 2009.

American 20-year-old Devan Horn crossed the finish line first following a tight contest with Ms Prior-Palmer that began seven days earlier. But strict rules on the horse's heart rate meant the American was handed a two-hour penalty, bumping the Briton up to first place...

Read more here:
http://www.independent.ie/world-news/teenager-rides-into-history-books-by-winning-epic-weeklong-horse-race-29489732.html

Lara Prior-Palmer wins the Mongol Derby 2013 in dramatic fashion

Lara Prior-Palmer chasing Devan Horn on the last leg of the Mongol Derby, 10th Aug 2013. She started the leg around 10 minutes behind
Mongolderbyblog - Full Story!

10 August 2013

1000km horse race across Mongolia is won by female rider for the first time in 5 editions

• First rider across the line Devan Horn fails vet inspection after riding ‘near immaculate race’ and incurs 2 hour penalty handing dramatic victory to Lara who finished an hour later

• Half of the 30 riders who began the race have already withdrawn adding clout to the race’s claim to be the longest and toughest race on the planet

Read full recap here!
http://mongolderbyblog.theadventurists.com/2013/08/10/lara-prior-palmer-wins-the-mongol-derby-2013-in-dramatic-fashion/