Mongolia: Crossing the Finish Line

Horse-canada.com - Full Story

Desk to Derby | August 31, 2015

It’s been over two weeks since I crossed the Mongol Derby finish line and I’m just beginning to understand what happened to me.

Twenty-eight Mongolian horses and 1,000 kilometres later I’m a much different person from the timid amateur rider who crossed the start line on August 5th. The extreme experiences I’ve had over this last month make my six weeks training in Utah feel like a dream – like overheard anecdotes from a stranger’s life.

The real Mongol Derby journey began after a bumpy four-hour bus ride out of Ulaanbaatar and two days of training out on the steppe, when we finally reached start camp. Day 1 of the Derby was a brilliantly sunny day, with few clouds in the sky. The sweet grassy smell of the open plains was almost overwhelming, choking out even the musky odour of our Mongolian bridles made of goat hide.

I think I was fifth or sixth in line to get my mount and the herders threw me up on a frisky little chestnut and we milled about for almost an hour before all 36 riders were up and organized. We clustered about the flags at the start and Mongol Derby chief Katy Willings began counting down from 10. It was only in the 10 seconds before the race began I truly began to feel calm, knowing I’d prepared as best I could. In those final 10 seconds another emotion began to build – real excitement about the adventure I was about to embark on...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/desk-to-derby/crossing-the-finish-line/

Jaume Punti Dachs wins 2015 European Championship

September 13 2015

Spain's Jaume Punti Dachs repeated his win in the 2013 European Endurance Championship by winning the 2015 FEI CEI**** 160-km European Championship held in Slovakia over the weekend of September 11-13. Riding the 14-year-old Ajayeb this year, the pair crossed the finish line in a time of 7:05.13, by just one second over the Netherlands' Marijke Visser, riding Laiza de Jalima. France's Jean Philippe France (another former European Endurance Champion) finished third aboard Secret De Mon Coeur in 7:13.31, just nipping 4th place Alex Luque Moral of Spain aboard Calandria PH by two seconds. Spain's Maria Ponton, yet another former European Champion, finished 5th riding Selif De La Nie.

Best Condition went to Jean Philippe Frances and Secret de Mon Coeur.

Spain won the Team Championship, in a combined time of 21:50.59. France took the silver in 22:42.28, and the Netherlands got the bronze, in 23:54.31.

37 riders out of 65 starters completed the course.

For complete results, see
http://www.eech2015slovakia.eu/

Great Britain: Celebrity ambassadors welcome launch of Dartmoor Derby

Westernmorningnews.co.uk - Full Article

By Western Morning News | Posted: September 11, 2015

Westcountry horse riders seeking a unique challenge are being offered the opportunity to take part in a new multi-day riding experience, with an exclusive pilot event later this month.

The Dartmoor Derby has been created and organised by the team behind existing top adventure riding business Liberty Trails, in partnership with The Riding Club London.

Covering a distance of 100km across Dartmoor in Devon, the ride is open to competent riders from around the world and will take in wide stretches of open moorland, forests, ancient stone circles and some of the Westcountry’s finest views.

Riders will be expected to maintain a reasonable pace to complete the ride within daylight hours, but it is not necessary for either horse or rider to have endurance riding experience. The aim is to complete the ride with your horse in first-class condition and having had a brilliant time...

Read more: http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Celebrity-ambassadors-welcome-launch-Dartmoor/story-27779927-detail/story.html#ixzz3lXC7RTb1

UAE to stage three major endurance rides in Italy

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

September events to form part of the Italian Endurance Festival at Verona

Published: 19:19 September 11, 2015
Staff Report

Abu Dhabi: The HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival will stage a series of endurance rides including the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance CEIO Cup for teams in Verona, Italy, later this month.

Details of the events, which will take place under the directives of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, were revealed at a press conference during the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) 2015.

The rides, which will be part of the Italian Endurance Festival, comprise the FEI World Championship for Young Horses (Under 7 years) on September 26 and the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance CEIO and the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival Cup rides on September 27.

Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of the Shaikh Mansour Festival, confirmed that in 2016 the Festival will join hands with the sport’s governing bodies in France and Portugal to stage the same events in Negrespelisse, France, and Portugal during April and September respectively...

Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/uae-to-stage-three-major-endurance-rides-in-italy-1.1582540

2018 WEG: Bromont Bail

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Blogs Straight-Up | September 4, 2015

Have you heard the not-so-breaking news about Paul Côté resigning as CEO of Bromont 2018? Probably not, as the announcement wasn’t exactly sung from the rooftops. I considered adding the word ‘out’ to the title of today’s post, but the suggestion that something is being rescued would give very much the wrong signal. Côté has washed his hands of Bromont and returned to the world of mass transit. If I were a palm reading type, what I would read between the lines here is that he saw an opportunity to get out while the getting’s good – and took it.

It would not be at all accurate to say that Côté jumped off a sinking ship, either, since that cliché suggests the ship was not only floating but had moved somewhere under its own power from the dock. If there is anything remarkable about the year since Bromont ‘won’ its bid for WEG 2018 (kind of like I once ‘won’ first place in a dressage class with only one entry and I exceeded the 59% minimum score to get the first place ribbon and coffee mug), it’s that so very little has happened. Three years out from D-day, two years out from when test events would be run, and we’ve heard next to zilch about the enormous infrastructure improvements that were promised in Bromont’s bid book. And now the one man who might have been able to make the show go on has walked off the set...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/straight-up/bromont-bail/

2015 Shahzada Won by Gadsby and Lengronne

September 10 2015

65 horses and riders, including 4 Juniors, started the 36th annual 400-km, 5-day Shahzada endurance marathon in St Albans, New South Wales, Australia, that began on Monday, August 24. The ultimate test of endurance horsemanship, riders must complete all 5 days and be judged fit to continue at the end to earn a coveted Shahzada buckle.

Heavyweight Matthew Gadsby and Ra Silver Dancer, and Middleweight Marion Lengronne and Kalkadoon Vienna had the fastest finish time of 34:08 over the five days. First Lightweight was Curtis Kaliana and Blake's Heaven Carousel in a total time of 37.13. Isabel Foster, riding Sharabel Kalarney, was the only Junior to finish the ride and earn a buckle. 26 horses and riders completed the 5 days.

For more information, results, and photos, see
http://www.shahzada400.com/

Bahrain Endurance: Dana enters Elite Club

GDOnline.com - Full Article

9 September 2015

Dana Al Binghadeer Al Dossary has entered the World Elite Club following her fourth place finish in Virton Endurance Championship in Belgium.

Dana is the first female Arabian rider to attain such an international accomplishment in equestrian sports in addition to qualifying for the World Youth Endurance Championship to be held in Chile...

Read more here:
http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/22631/Endurance-Dana-enters-Elite-Club