Qatar's Al Shaqab dominates in Florac Endurance Championship

Gulf-times.com - Full Article

September 18 2014

Al Shaqab’s Endurance team celebrates it's victory in the podium at the Florac championship in Monpazier, France last weekend. The Qatar team was its dominating best in the event.

Agencies/Paris

Al Shaqab is the name of the moment in endurance world after three weekends in a row wins. Since August, Al Shaqab hasn’t given a chance for other teams to reach the podium and confirmed a successful season in Europe.

In an atmosphere perfect for achieving good results, the endurance team went to Florac to participate in three competitions: CEI3 160 Km, CEI3 140 Km Young Horses 8 years and CEI2 130 Km. The team were ready to compete with the best riders and horses from Europe, in a really traditional competition in France.

Florac is known for the particular characteristics. It’s very tough track with mountain climbing and downward tracks, making it very hard and difficult race. But Al Shaqab endurance team overcame the challenges and showed it’s qualities, confirming the professionalism in the team.

A total of 430 Km was run on September 11, when 4 riders from Al Shaqab finalised the two races 130 Km and 140 Km: Faleh Bughenaim, Nasser Almohannadi, Mohamed al-Sowaidi and Khalid Sanadi...

Read more here:
http://www.gulf-times.com/sport/192/details/408747/qatar's-al-shaqab-dominates-in-florac-endurance-championship

HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival Supports International Endurance Season

Horsereporter.com - Full Article

September 12, 2014
by Pamela Burton

12 September 2014, Abu Dhabi ~ The sponsorship of International Endurance Championships was the subject of an international news conference at the opening of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX). Now the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival has stepped up to sponsor endurance events in the five continents from the upcoming 2015 season.

Conclusion of 2014 season in Slovakia

25-28 September ~ The current endurance season will be concluded with the FEI World Endurance Championship for Young Horses in Samorin, Slovakia, from 25 – 27 September 2014, according to Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Chairman of Ladies Racing Committee in International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR)

“The HH Sheikh Mansoor festival will be represented in Slovakia by the Gold medalist, Afra Khalifa Al Suwaidi, winner of the HH Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance Cup in Verona, Italy, in July 2014,” Sawaya confirmed...

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http://www.horsereporter.com/2014/09/12/hh-sheikh-mansoor-festival-supports-international-endurance-season/

Bahrain: Animal abuse rider stripped of medals

Gulf-daily-news.com - Full Article

By AHMED AL OMARI , Posted on » Wednesday, September 17, 2014

A TOP Bahraini rider has been stripped of his medals by the international governing body for horse-riding sports due to animal abuse.

The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) said on Monday that the winner of His Majesty The King's Cup 120km endurance race in February will have to relinquish his awards.

Two British journalists filed a complaint against the winner, Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, and his groom over an alleged horse-beating incident.

It related to online video footage showing the horse, Tarabic Carl, beginning to slow before being beaten by two men who appeared from a nearby pickup truck.

The journalists, Pippa Cuckson and Lucy Higginson - both formerly of Horse and Hound magazine, also cited a second video that appeared to show the rider hitting the horse with a lash...

Read more here:
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=386024

Tersk Stud Celebrates 125 Years

Horsereporter.com - Full Article

September 12, 2014
by Pamela Burton

Tersk Stud celebrates milestone event at August Open House

9 September 2014, Caucasus, Russia ~ 125 years ago, here at the foot of the Mt. Zmeyka in the Caucasus, Count Stroganov laid the foundation of Arabian horse breeding in Russia. At the end of August, Tersk hosted its 4th annual festival of Arabian horses, this year celebrating the 125 years of this most important stud.

More than 3,000 people attended the 2014 Tersk Open House on August 22 and 23. As part of a two-day event program, Tersk held the Star of Five Mountains National C- class show and Summer Stakes of Tersk. The festivities also included a children’s show-jumping competition, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, and the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Horse Breeding (VNIIK), ECAHO and RAHBA (Russian Arabian Horse Breeding Association).

The attention of the audience was gripped by the Tersk history play, where Count Stroganov himself told the story of discovering the most appropriate environment for horse breeding, here in the Northern Caucasus, the hard years of the War, the Victory of the Russian people, culminating with the Victory Day Parade with Marshal Zhukov on the back of the snow-white stallion Kumir. The audience was captivated...

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http://www.horsereporter.com/2014/09/12/tesk-stud-celebrates-125-years/

FEI Tribunal disqualifies sheikh from top Bahrain endurance race

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

By Horsetalk.co.nz on Sep 16, 2014 in News

A formal protest lodged with the FEI by two British journalists has resulted in the disqualification of the winning rider in last February’s King’s Cup 120km endurance race in Sakhir, Bahrain.

The disqualification of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, of Bahrain, was handed down by the FEI Tribunal early today.

The February 8 race, a CEI2* event, was at the centre of controversy over online video footage.

It showed the horse ridden by the sheikh, Tarabic Carl appearing to slow. Two men emerged from a nearby pickup truck and ran towards the horse. The footage appeared to show one of them beating the horse on the rump with an object. Tarabic Carl then quickened his pace, later breaking into a canter...

Read more: http://horsetalk.co.nz/2014/09/16/fei-tribunal-disqualifies-sheikh-bahrain-endurance-race/#ixzz3DUG7PT8a

Horse racing body slammed over lenient treatment of Bahrain Sheikh

Arabianbusiness.com - Full Article

By Courtney Trenwith
Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Horse racing’s world governing body has been lambasted by its own tribunal for failing to adequately punish a wealthy Arab Sheikh whose horse was repeatedly beaten during two international endurance races.

According to International Equestrian Federation (FEI) rules, Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s royal family, should have been automatically disqualified from winning the King’s Cup in Bahrain in February after his groom ran onto the race track and struck his tiring horse several times in the closing stages of the 80-mile race, The Telegraph reported.

The incident was not reviewed by the federation until video footage was unwittingly posted by the event’s own broadcaster, attracting international condemnation.

Sheikh Mohammed was given a yellow warning card, fined 500 Swiss francs ($534) and suspended for the few remaining weeks of the Middle East winter horse racing season.

During his first race back on May 23, Sheikh Mohammed’s horse was again beaten while racing and suspended for two months...

Read more here:
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/horse-racing-body-slammed-over-lenient-treatment-of-bahrain-sheikh-564840.html

Endurance racing horse abuse case produces ground-breaking ruling against governing body

Telegraph.co.uk - Full Article

Tribunal finds FEI failed correctly to disqualify rider Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa from winning King’s Cup in Bahrain after groom struck tiring horse

By Telegraph Sport
16 Sep 2014

A formal protest by two journalists – the Telegraph's Pippa Cuckson and Lucy Higginson, former editor of Horse & Hound – over a horse-beating incident during an endurance race has resulted in a ground-breaking ruling against the sport’s governing body by one of its own tribunals.

It found that judges from the International Equestrian Federation failed correctly to disqualify rider Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa from winning the prestigious King’s Cup in Bahrain in February, when his groom ran onto the “field of play” and struck his tiring horse several times in the closing stages of the 80-mile leg of a desert ride.

It also dismissed the FEI’s claim that under “double jeopardy” an earlier punishment against the rider could not be reassessed.

Video footage unwittingly posted by the event’s own broadcaster the same day as the ride caused public outcry worldwide when the incident came to light. The incriminating pictures were seen next day by delegates at a global forum in Lausanne to discuss a clean-up of endurance racing, which is stricken with doping, horse fatality and cheating scandals...

Read more here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/equestrianism/11098331/Endurance-racing-horse-abuse-case-produces-ground-breaking-ruling-against-governing-body.html