Canada: Ride continues to grow

Standard-freeholder.com - Full Article

By Lois Ann Baker, Cornwall Standard-Freeholder
Friday, June 13, 2014

Horse lovers from all over the world will be riding their way into the small hamlet of Berwick at the end of this month for the annual Stormont Endurance Race.

For over 10 years, the Ride has taken place in Berwick and over the past few years it has grown from a small local ride to an international event.

According to a press release from Sharon Anderegg, Logistics Manager of the Ride, there are only one or two events at this level in Canada and those take place out west.

The ride is sanctioned by the Ontario Competitive Trail Riding Association, Endurance Canada and the Federation Equestre Internationale in Switzerland. Approximately 50 to 65 riders take part in the annual event...

Read more here:
http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2014/06/13/ride-continues-to-grow

Turkey: Lasting to the Finish: Endurance

Dailysabah.com - Full Article

The horse has always occupied a special place in Turkish history and culture. The new sport of Endurance Racing is proving popular as it helps people to rediscover this connection

Jane Louise Kandur Published : 14.06.2014

I spent much of my childhood in the saddle, or longing to be in the saddle. Horseback riding was my great passion, and I pursued it whenever I could. However, upon moving to Turkey, I turned my back on the sport. I had young children now, and without transport to get to and from the stables, riding just wasn't feasible. Six years ago a friend who wanted to start riding dragged me to a stables. Since that day, I have been trying to ride, on and off, whenever I can. Growing up in the United States, riding was the sport of cowboys; it belonged to the people, and anyone could do it, without spending a fortune on fancy gear. You could gallop through the hills, jump over rivers, feel the wind on your face, all for a small fee. But in Turkey I saw that everyone was in shiny boots, spanking new jodhpurs and a luxurious velvet hard hat.

The price of such equipment here makes this is a serious investment, and once you have made it, you feel compelled to go on. If the student wants to buy their own horse, this is even more of an investment, with the most basic horse starting at a price of around 30,000 euros.

However, a few years ago I met Efe and Yasemin Çehreli, who run Sırapınar Country Club. They have a different approach to equestrian sports. Efe started riding in 1998 as a hobby. But he was dismayed that this was a sport for the elite, and anyone who did not have the money to purchase a potential champion was scorned. He knew that horses run in the blood of Turks; in Turkish history the horse was a revered and treasured companion. But what Efe saw was that the horse had now become a vehicle of status, being divorced from its historic past.

Efe and Yasemin decided that the best way to break this stranglehold on riding was to become involved in the Equestrian Federation of Turkey. Efe became a licensed rider in 1998 and in 2006 qualified as a judge for show jumping competitions and then for dressage competitions, finally qualifying as a judge for endurance races. In 2013 Efe was appointed as a member of the endurance committee by the president of the Equestrian Federation.The Çehrelis passion and leading cause is the promotion of endurance riding...

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http://www.dailysabah.com/features/2014/06/14/lasting-to-the-finish-endurance

USA's Emilynn Dibassie tops the FEI Young Riders World Endurance Ranking

June 13 2014

As of May 31, 2014, USA's Emilynn Dibassie continues to dominate the Young Riders World Endurance Ranking, with over 100 points ahead of second place Teresa Sanchez of Uruguay. France's Nina Lissarrague is third. USA riders Taylor White and Taylor Stine rank 4th and 5th.

French riders hold the first two spots on the FEI Open Riders World Endurance Ranking. Philippe Tomas tops the list followed by Jean Philippe Frances. USA's Willemina DeBoer ranks third. Jeremy Reynolds has the 11th place, and Cheryl Van Deusen is 15th.

UAE riders hold the first two spots in the Open Combination World Ranking. Saif Ahmed Al Mozroui and Nopoli Del Ma are first, with Saeed Mohammed Khalifa Al Mehairi and Kedjari Des Serres are second. Tunisian rider Abdelkader Aouini and Nesseb are third. Steve Rojek and Trident are the highest ranking US rider in 12th.

Former church treasurer charged with murdering horse rider wife by deliberately swerving car off motorway and crashing into a tree

Dailymail.co.uk - Full Article

By MIA DE GRAAF
PUBLISHED: 05:39 EST, 11 June 2014

A former church treasurer has been charged with murdering his horse rider wife by swerving off a motorway and smashing their car into a tree.

Tracy Maria Walters, 48, died in hospital two days after the collision on the M1 near Markfield, Leicester.
Her husband, Ian John Walters, 50, was behind the wheel of the black Mitsubishi L200 Animal when they careered off the south carriageway into a tree on March 21.

Mr Walters was also flown to Coventry's University Hospital with serious injuries but survived.
Today police confirmed Walters, a former Parochial Church Council treasurer at Christ Church in Swindon, Wiltshire, has this week been charged with Mrs Walters' murder.

A spokesman for Leicester Police said he appeared at Leicester Crown Court on Monday and was remanded in custody to appear again on June 23.

Mrs Walters, from Swindon, was a keen endurance horse rider - an equestrian sport in which participants take part in competitive long distance races...

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2654967/Former-church-treasurer-charged-murdering-horse-rider-wife-deliberately-swerving-car-motorway-crashing-tree.html#ixzz34R1EIazK

New rules for endurance to be operational on August 1

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

By Horsetalk.co.nz on Jun 11, 2014

New endurance rules, sparked by concerns over excesses in the sport centered on the Middle East, have been approved by the FEI Bureau.

The rules will become operational on August 1, meaning they will be in place for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France.

The rule revisions are the end of a process that began last year, after several national equestrian federations in Europe raised concerns over what they viewed as excessive fracture rates and worrying numbers of doping infractions centered on the Group VII nations of Dubai, Qatar and Bahrain...

Read more here:
http://horsetalk.co.nz/2014/06/11/new-endurance-rules-operational-august-1/#ixzz34R0dPb5j

FEI Bureau approves Endurance rules revisions

10 Jun 2014

The FEI Bureau has today approved the revised Endurance rules during the second day of its in-person meeting in the FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI). The revised rules, which are in line with the recommendations of the Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG) and which received widespread support at the FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne (SUI) in April 2014, will be implemented on 1 August 2014.

Additionally, and in order to more formally recognise the HRH Princess Haya’s previously stated conflict of interest with regard to the discipline, the Bureau voted unanimously to officially mandate the 1st Vice President John McEwen to take over full responsibility for the entire Endurance discipline during Princess Haya’s term of office.

The FEI and the National Federations have consistently stressed the importance of putting the new rules in place as soon as possible rather than waiting for a vote at the FEI General Assembly in December, which would mean delaying implementation until 1 January 2015. Under Article 20.3 of the FEI Statutes, the Bureau can, in emergency situations, pass resolutions that are normally voted on at the General Assembly.

Brian Sheahan, Chair of the FEI Endurance Committee and a member of the ESPG, welcomed the rapid implementation of the new rules. “The new rules for Endurance are a great step forward for horse welfare and fair play, and we strongly believe they address the key issues that the discipline has been facing,” he said.

“We are all aware that the discipline has faced a number of difficult challenges recently, but the combination of the ESPG, the consultation process with the National Federations and other stakeholders, and the determination of the Endurance Committee and the team at FEI Headquarters to address the issues within the discipline has resulted in some fundamental rule changes specifically aimed at improving horse welfare protocols and ensuring a level playing field globally.

“Now we can go forward with confidence to the World Equestrian Games, knowing that we have the right regulations and the right officials in place to ensure horse welfare and fair play, and also knowing that the athletes and their teams are confident in the rules and their implementation. While we will of course continually monitor the effectiveness of the new rules to make sure they are fit for purpose, this is definitely a major breakthrough for Endurance that means that we can now turn the focus back onto the sport.”

In addition to the new rules and in response to one of the ESPG recommendations, the Endurance Task Force is looking at ways that new technology can also be used to ensure horse welfare and provide a level playing field for Endurance events around the world.

Following on from the strong support for the far-reaching initiatives outlined at the special Endurance session at the Sports Forum, a large number of the leading Endurance National Federations have expressed their further support in writing.

Notes to Editors:

Under Article 20.3 of the FEI Statutes, National Federations have 30 days to object to the amendments to the Endurance rules, but further changes can only be made if a majority of National Federations register their objections within the specified timeframe.

The new Rules for Endurance to be implemented on 1 August 2014 will be published shortly on the FEI website here. Any media requiring a copy of the rules should contact the FEI Press Team at press@fei.org.

Great Britain: New Chair confirmed for Endurance GB

Endurancegb.co.uk

25th May 2014

At its meeting this weekend, the Board elected John Hudson as the new Chair of Endurance GB, supported by Peter Claridge as its Vice Chair.

In recognition of the importance of Rides and Rules to its Members and to horse welfare, the Board also decided to create separate sub Committees for these core activities, and is pleased to announce that Jeni Gilbert has been appointed Chair of Rides and Julie Martin as Chair of Rules. The Board looks forward to continuing to work with its Members over the coming months to promote and develop the sport we all enjoy at every level within Great Britain.