Great Britain: Nasser bin Hamad wins Windsor Endurance Race

BNA.bh - Full Article

15/05/2015

London, May 15 (BNA): Following the leadership of His Majesty the King’s Representative for Charity and Youth Affairs, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Chairman, Bahrain Olympic Committee President and Bahrain Royal Endurance Team Captain HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain Royal Endurance Team won the first three places in the endurance race of the 73rd Royal Windsor Horse Show, held in the United Kingdom today.

HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa won first place for the second year in a row. Team members Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa and Raed Mahmood won the second and third places respectively.

More than fifty riders took part in the race, representing England, Honk Kong, Holland, Oman, Poland, South Africa, Argentina, Spain and France...

Read more here:
http://bna.bh/portal/en/news/668747

Great Britain: Arabian stud celebrates 50 years with open day

Westerndailypress.co.uk - Full Article

By Western Daily Press | Posted: May 16, 2015
by Jeff Wells

A breeder of Arabian horses is celebrating 50 years in the business this weekend, opening his stud's gates so the public can see some of the famous bloodlines.

Michael Harris' family have been at Combe Farm, near Honiton, Devon for 70 years and in that time the horses have been named world champions and Newmarket record holders...

Read more: http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Arabian-stud-celebrates-50-years-open-day/story-26509666-detail/story.html#ixzz3aJYSnYDe

Great Britain: Globally-renowned Golden Horseshoe ride set for return to moor

Westernmorningnews.co.uk - Full Article

By Western Morning News | Posted: May 14, 2015

The 50th – and possibly – last ever Golden Horseshoe endurance ride is taking place on Exmoor this weekend with most classes full as riders seize what may be their last chance to take part.

The ride will see around 200 riders and horses following routes varying in length from 100 to 15 miles over the moor’s rolling hills and valleys.

Two entrants are travelling from Hong Kong to take part with other riders due to arrive from Scotland and Ireland...

Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Globally-renowned-Golden-Horseshoe-ride-set/story-26503382-detail/story.html#ixzz3aEhKXuTv

Great Britain: H&H Golden Horseshoe team blog: stunning views and aching legs

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Horse & Hound
13 May, 2015

With just days to go until the Horse & Hound team tackle the Golden Horseshoe, team members Polly Bryan and Rachael Hook update us on their training

Polly: minor acrobatics and protesting thighs

With the 25km Golden Horseshoe ride looming, and having not sat on a horse since going hunting on New Year’s Day, I got in some match practice by heading to Somerset to ride my potential mount for the event.

Sunny, a buzzy 16.3hh ex-pointer, isn’t the usual type of horse you would imagine taking part in an endurance event, but I’m sure he will prove an excellent partner. He has been very kindly lent to me by Jess Baker.

Fellow H&H team member Emily Secrett and I were lucky enough to have beautiful weather as we set off onto Exmoor.

For the first half of the ride, my attention was more focused on the car rally that was taking place in the area — all four of us were acutely aware of the ominous sound of rally cars in the distance.

Thankfully, after being chased up a hill by one such rally car, and Sunny displaying some minor acrobatics, we were into the peace and quiet of the moor.

As we climbed, assessing Sunny and Sox’s suitability for gate opening (Sox – very, Sunny – not so much), the views of the sea and surrounding countryside began to open up — it was really stunning...

Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/blog/hh-golden-horseshoe-team-blog-stunning-views-and-aching-legs-491872#urPMlY27g5jfy2GQ.99

UAE suspension: What we know so far

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

Neil Clarkson | May 12, 2015

The sun is shining and the temperature climbs to around 40 degrees Celsius across the United Arab Emirates at this time of the year.

It is safe to assume that the air conditioning in the Abu Dhabi headquarters of the Emirates Equestrian Federation is set to a much more comfortable level.

Despite that, we are led to believe the federation is still feeling the heat over its interim suspension by the FEI over concerns in the discipline of endurance...

Read more: http://horsetalk.co.nz/2015/05/12/uae-suspension-what-know/#ixzz3Zw576Brn

Great Britain: Final preparations under-way for equestrian extravaganza at Windsor

Windsorobserver.co.uk - Full Article

10 May 2015

FINAL preparations are being made for one of the most prestigious equestrian events in the country with more than 50,000 visitors expected to descend on Windsor.

The Royal Windsor Horse Show (RWHS) - the UK’s largest outdoor equestrian show, held in the private grounds of Windsor Castle - returns on Wednesday (13/5) promising a five-day equine extravaganza of showjumping, dressage, showing, carriage driving and endurance riding.

Top quality riding is promised with a selection of 3* international jumping and dressage and 1* international jumping classes and appearances by Olympians Ben Maher, Peter Charles, Nick Skelton and Carl Hester who will be hoping for some home advantage.
Simon Brooks-Ward, Royal Windsor Horse Show Director, said: “We are delighted to see some of the world’s best riders returning to Royal Windsor Horse Show this year. We strive to make the show as enjoyable as possible for competitors and it is great to see that it maintains its popularity among all four disciplines across the five action-packed days.”

Mr Maher said: “It’s great to be back at Royal Windsor and competing on home soil. It’s not often that I get to ride in front of a home crowd and it’s such a magical show set in an iconic venue – I can’t wait!”

Mr Hester will also be giving a dressage masterclass on the Friday evening of the show.

There will also be top class equestrian entertainment including The Musical Drive of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, The Musical Ride of the Household Cavalry, The DAKS Pony Club Mounted Games and The Shetland Pony Grand National.

For a third year, the Royal Windsor Endurance (CEI2*) is being held in Windsor Great Park with riders from nine nations covering 120km from 7am on the Friday of the show. The event is free to watch...

- See more at: http://www.windsorobserver.co.uk/news/roundup/articles/2015/05/10/109451-final-preparations-underway-for-equestrian-extravaganza-at-windsor/#sthash.pXhoxzNW.dpuf

Getting Away With it is Part of the Fun

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Cuckson Report | May 8, 2015

It’s been interesting to read reaction on social media to the FEI’s suspension of the UAE, posted by disparate (and maybe desperate) parties around the world who make their living selling endurance horses to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

It is strongly rumoured that if the suspension drags on, the UAE will simply set up an independent regulatory body to organise its favoured style of racing-speed, high attrition endurance. By all accounts, their public disgrace has not hindered the UAE’s current buying spree in Europe.

My first, admittedly facetious, reaction was: why bother with the farrago of creating a new governing body? Just as easy to pick a piste and charge off, mob-handed, cobbling up a results sheet later just in case anyone wanted one, as is already a well-honed practice in those parts?

But then I realised that the UAE actually like a semblance of rules. Half the fun is in breaking the rules, and seeing just how much they can get away with. They just can’t help themselves – so much so that one rider has triggered a brand-new scandal even while grounded...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/cuckson-report/getting-away-with-it-is-part-of-the-fun/