FEI must tackle endurance problems, say US officials

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

By Horsetalk.co.nz on Feb 12, 2015 in News

The governing body for long-distance riding in the United States wants the FEI and US Equestrian Federation (USEF) to show their commitment to endurance reform, following the distressing demise of a competition horse in Abu Dhabi with two broken front legs.

The harrowing image of 12-year-old Australian-bred Splitters Creek Bundy, circulated widely in social media and published by Britain’s Daily Telegraph, shows the horse standing helplessly, having snapped both his cannon bones in the Al Reef Cup, staged in Abu Dhabi on January 31...

Read more: http://horsetalk.co.nz/2015/02/12/fei-tackle-endurance-problems-us-officials/#ixzz3RXsspZ4c

The Silence of the Lambs

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

by Pippa Cuckson
February 10 2015

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That’s just as well, because the greater the scandal, the briefer the utterance we get out of the FEI.

I refer of course, to the hideous image of Splitters Creek Bundy perched on his shattered forelegs at the CEN in Abu Dhabi on January 31st, which the FEI said it could do nothing about because the Al Reef Cup was a national event.

Disgust on social media at the FEI’s inertia is still running a close second to the outcry at the grotesque fate of Bundy as the battalion of following vehicles ploughed on regardless, no doubt horns blaring and with one eye on the speedometer to see just how fast the remaining cannon-fodder could be hazed into running. No one has denied reports that it took a veterinarian 20 minutes to arrive...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/cuckson-report/the-silence-of-the-lambs/

India: City girl shines at equine endurance race

TimesofIndia.com - Full Article

February 9 2015

VADODARA: City girl Arundhatee Sarvaiya has bagged second position at the Equine Endurance Competition that was recently held at the equine festival organized by the Equestrian Federation of India in Ambod village near Gandhinagar.

The Ambod Equine Festival is one of the few endurance races that are organized in the country. In an endurance race, the winning horse is the first to cross the finish line while stopping periodically to pass a veterinary check that deems the animal fit to continue.

Nineteen-year-old Sarvaiya participated in the open category race that was spread over a length of 20 km.

A horse-riding enthusiast since she was six years old, the fest was a comeback for Sarvaiya who had been advised to take a break following an injury two years back. Sarvaiya had competed against 19 amateurs and professionals in a race through ravines and village plains along the Sabarmati river passing through Ambod...

Read more here:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/City-girl-shines-at-equine-endurance-race/articleshow/46171135.cms

FEI plays get-out-of-jail-free card in latest endurance controversy

HorseTalk.co.nz

It is hard to escape the conclusion that the FEI has chosen to play a get-out-of-jail-free card over the harrowing demise of an Australian-bred endurance horse in a race in Abu Dhabi.

An image which has circulated in social media, and was published by Britain’s Daily Telegraph on Friday, shows Splitters Creek Bundy standing helplessly, having snapped both his cannon bones in the Al Reef Cup, staged a week ago.

The problem? The race over 120km was not an FEI-sanctioned event. It was run under less stringent rules adopted by the United Arab Emirates’ equestrian federation for some domestic endurance races. On that basis, the FEI has no jurisdiction, or, as the Telegraph reported, the world governing body asserted it was “powerless to act”.

[Read More ...]

Spirited: Australia's Horse Stories

SMH.com.au - Full Article

February 6, 2015 - 11:45PM
Daniel Vaeth-Levin

The National Museum of Australia's Spirited: Australia's Horse Stories exhibition displays a beautiful photograph of a horse trotting through seemingly endless desert. With its graceful arched neck, large eyes and gorgeous contours, the horse, as any horse lover would recognise, is an Arabian.

The magnificence of the horse and rider and the almost mythical desert setting have captivated me and sparked an interest in something I did not know existed – endurance horse riding. The horse in the image is Castlebar Kalahari, being ridden by Meg Wade, of NSW, in the 2009 His Highness the President of United Arab Emirates Endurance Cup in Abu Dhabi. Wade is a champion endurance rider in Australia, having won the Tom Quilty Gold Cup endurance race four times...

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/spirited-australias-horse-stories--daniel-vaethlevins-favourite-20150203-1328f8.html#ixzz3R0fgl5RF

The World's First* Endurance Riding Video Game has arrived!

Endurance.net Games

Endurance.net's Steph Teeter has just released the world's first* Endurance Riding video game.

The goal sounds simple: You will ride your horse safely to the first rest stop. However, there are plenty of trail challenges and obstacles along the way, including jumps, rocks that your barefoot horse must negotiate at a walk, spooky monsters you must walk past, and flying monsters you must dodge. You'll need to watch your pace, time your jumps, and be sure to eat and drink to keep your horse healthy. Collect apples for extra points. First aid kits will assist your horse when necessary, but will also deduct points. Scores are calculated on time elapsed till the first vet check, amount of water and food and apples ingested along the way, and first aid required.

It is currently playable for free on your computer with a safe and simple Unity Web Player download. Play on Smart Pads and iPhones is just around the corner.

"Learning how to make games was a big project, and they will improve as I get better," Steph says. "I think you'll enjoy playing once you figure out the controls, the points scoring, and the goal. I have many more games planned - and will also eventually make them playable on smart pads and phones, and add multi-player functionality. And let you pick your horse and rider, maybe buy boots and special tack items, and other features. But that's another learning curve... this is just a start! Stay tooned!"

Get the game here:
http://www.endurance.net/Games/

Try it out, and send comments and questions to steph@endurance.net .


*It's probably the world's first endurance riding video game. If not the first, it's the most fun!

Abu Dhabi: Focus on GCC riders in Al Wathba endurance rides

Gulfnews.com - FUll Article

4WDs and cash prizes up for grabs on Friday and Saturday at Emirates International Endurance Village

Staff Report
Published: 16:23 February 4, 2015

Dubai The focus will be on riders from GCC countries when the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival hosts two endurance rides this weekend at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi.
The CEN 120-km Shaikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Challenge will be held on Friday, while the CEN 120-km Emirates Championship (Open) will be held on Saturday.

Highlighting details about the rides Adnan Sultan Al Nuami, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club said: “The CEN 120-km Shaikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Challenge is an Open ride, but only riders from GCC countries will be considered for the prizes.

“The three top riders from Gulf countries will win a 4WD vehicle each, while the fourth and fifth finishing GCC rider will get Dh100,000 and Dh90,000 respectively. “Another Dh40,000 will be distributed for those GCC riders finishing 6th to 10th, while all the other riders who complete the event will get a share of Dh30,000,” he added.

“The Emirates Championship CEN 120km (Open) event will see the top six riders driving away with a 4WD vehicle each...”

Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/uae/focus-on-gcc-riders-in-al-wathba-endurance-rides-1.1451582