Endurance bosses urge officials to stay vigilant over welfare

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

Horsetalk.co.nz | 7 November 2015

Endurance officials are being urged to be vigilant by two of the most senior figures in the discipline, who warn that serious welfare incidents had the potential to irreversibly harm the sport.

The chairman of the FEI’s Endurance Technical Committee, Brian Sheahan, and the FEI’s endurance director, Manuel Bandeira de Mello, in a letter to officials, said endurance had developed into a highly professional equestrian sport over the past decade...

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http://horsetalk.co.nz/2015/11/07/endurance-bosses-vigilant/#ixzz3qqauGAgo

Endurance Canada Awards now Open for Nominations

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

November 5 2015

Endurance Canada is pleased to announce that nominations are officially being accepted for the following awards:

Endurance Canada Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame Award is presented to a member of the Canadian endurance community in recognition of long-term commitment, active involvement, and outstanding contributions to Endurance Canada and the sport of endurance riding in Canada.

Ron Janzen Memorial Trophy

The Ron Janzen Memorial Trophy is given to the Endurance Canada member who best displays the same goals, vision and ethics as the late Ron Janzen. A superb athlete who dedicated much of his time to the sport of long distance riding in Canada and internationally, Janzen passed away on Jan. 6, 2008 at the age of 52, leaving behind his loving wife, Christine and children, Brett and Jaylene. Candidates nominated for the Ron Janzen Memorial Trophy should display some or all of the following qualities:

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/horse-news/endurance-canada-awards-now-open-for-nominations/

FEI appoints Ralph Straus as Commercial Director & The Sports Consultancy

FEI.org

5 Nov 2015

The FEI has appointed The Sports Consultancy as its official global sponsorship sales agency up to and including the FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2018 in Bromont/Montreal (CAN).

The Sports Consultancy, appointed after a competitive tender earlier this year, has a proven track record working with the FEI on a variety of commercial consultancy projects over the last seven years.

“With our partners Longines, Furusiyya, Reem Acra and Ariat International, the FEI has already proven the benefits of being associated with equestrian sport,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos. “We still have a lot of high profile FEI events and assets for which we believe we can attract new partners. We are looking forward to working with The Sports Consultancy again, this time to develop our partnership programmes and to build relationships with premium brands who will greatly benefit from their involvement with the FEI and its wide-ranging portfolio.”

“We are delighted to have been appointed by such a prestigious international federation,” said Marc Hope, Director, Rights Marketing at The Sports Consultancy. “The high interest and participation of equestrian sport in major economies around the world, combined with its distinct positioning and demographic is incredibly appealing and we are extremely confident that our experience, use of data and understanding of the market will deliver significant results for the FEI and for the sport as a whole.”


New Commercial Director

In other commercial news, Ralph Straus (NED) has joined the FEI as Commercial Director. He takes up the post at FEI Headquarters in the Olympic capital of Lausanne (SUI) this week.

Straus was previously Vice President of Marketing and Communications in the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in the United Arab Emirates, with the primary role of developing the global marketing and communications strategy for the 2020 World Expo in Dubai.

Prior to taking up the Dubai role, Straus was Head of Strategy and Brand Management at FIFA for seven years, in charge of planning and executing the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup marketing campaigns, spearheading global licensing and brand development, and implementing all FIFA experiential marketing initiatives, including the FIFA Fan Fests.

He also oversaw the FIFA Interactive World Cup, an annual international competition of football video games recognised by the Guinness World Records Gamers Edition as the biggest global gaming tournament, collaborated with FIFA sponsors for global consumer engagement programs and developed social media strategies for FIFA event brands.

Straus has held several senior roles in the private sector, including at telecommunications company Swisscom and oil and gas company Royal Dutch Shell. He is also a regular speaker at conferences on sports marketing.

“The wealth of equestrian events, its rich history and the extensive global fan base presents compelling sponsor opportunities and provides fascinating content for broadcasters and digital platforms”, Straus said. “I am joining the FEI at a very exciting time and I am also keen to see how the changes in the digital landscape provide new opportunities to service the equestrian community and grow its fan base.”

“Ralph Straus’ extensive international marketing and commercial expertise in both the sport and private sectors will be massively beneficial to the FEI,” the FEI President said. “His leadership skills and experience in building up expert teams is crucial as we look to maximise our commercial goals into 2016 and beyond.”


About The Sports Consultancy www.thesportsconsultancy.com

The Sports Consultancy was founded in 2006 by Robert Datnow and Angus Buchanan, whose respective expertise in sports law and commercial rights management, has created a strategic sports marketing consultancy poised to provide commercial advice and delivery to venues, brands, rights holders and others involved in top-level sport. Marc Hope joined the business in 2015 to head up a newly created rights marketing practice which aims to combine an insight led approach to consulting with a proven sales record.

About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org

The FEI, the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was founded in 1921. The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining. The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para-Equestrian Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI governs all international competitions for Para-Equestrian Dressage and Para-Driving.

Bahrain: Endurance Season to start Saturday

BNA.bh

04/11/2015

Manama, Nov. 4 (BNA): HM the King's Representative for Charity Works and Youth Affairs also President of Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) cum Honourary President of Bahrain Royal Equestrians and Endurance Federation (BREEF), His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, has expressed optimism at the new season of endurance horseracing events.

The season is slated to open with the 80-km distance prequalification race on Saturday, November 7 from Bahrain's International Endurance Village.

His highness said this seasons will be unlike previous seasons in view of the strong competition and the high standard attained by Bahrain endurance thanks to the constant unlimited support from the Kingdom's Principal Knight His Majesty Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, citing His Majesty's directives which constitute the biggest incentive to all cavaliers and stables.

HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad has expressed full confidence and trust in the abilities of cavaliers and stables to achieve spectacular positive results throughout the season.

FEI get-together: What’s going down in Puerto Rico – other than the daiquiris?

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

Neil Clarkson | 3 November 2015

Puerto Rico, where national delegates are about to gather for this year’s FEI General Assembly, can lay claim to no fewer than five Miss Universe pageant winners. One imagines that the beautiful people of the FEI would fit in very nicely there.

Its capital, San Juan, oozes character, with its blue cobblestone streets, friendly inhabitants and copious quantities of the local delight, rum. And let’s not forget that this is the home of the beautiful Paso Fino horse.

So, in between downing rum-laden daiquiris, what can we expect from the movers and shakers of the equestrian world?

Here’s a few snippets to whet your appetite:

Endurance

What a year it has been. Negative headlines have abounded, almost exclusively centred on the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The country was provisionally suspended in March amid welfare concerns, but has since been welcomed back after agreeing to reforms...

Read more: http://horsetalk.co.nz/2015/11/03/fei-general-assembly-puerto-rico-daiquiris/#ixzz3qRmNmYfM

UAE: Valentin powers Zenith to title win

En-maktoob.news.yahoo.com

Khaleej Times

Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, along with other Shaikhs and VIPs attended the ride.

Maeva Valentin of France steered Zenith Des Pins, a horse owned by Mubarak Al Arti, to victory in the Al Wathba Endurance Cup for Private Owners, a 100-km Endurance Ride held at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs, along with other Shaikhs and VIPs attended the ride.

A total of 64 riders took part in the National Ride, sponsored by National Feed And Flour Production And Marketing Co. LLC, and the French rider took 3hrs 44 mins 51 secs to finish ahead of UAE riders Saeed Mohd Al Jaber on Highland View Dolly and Salem Hamad Al Kitbi on Mansoor...

Read more here:
https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/valentin-powers-zenith-title-win-064306502.html

New Forest horserider Iain Hayter, 62, completed the Mongol Derby despite breaking his back in five places

Dailyecho.co.uk - Full Article

Christopher Yandell / Sunday 1 November 2015

HE WAS just three days into a two-week endurance ride when he broke his back in five places.

But 62-year-old Iain Hayter was unaware of how serious his injuries were and unwittingly risked paralysis by climbing back into the saddle and completing the 1,000-kilometre challenge.

Iain, who has won the annual New Forest point-to-point three times, was the oldest competitor in this year’s Mongol Derby.

The gruelling event involved 37 riders from 14 countries who rode semi-wild horses along a route based on a relay postal system created under Genghis Khan in 1224.

Iain, of Sway, said he was given a slow animal for one leg of the race and swapped it for a faster one.

“It dropped its left shoulder and then went into a full gallop,” he said. “I was thrown off and that’s when I broke five vertebrae...”

Read more here:
http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/13928980.62_year_old_completes_1_000km_endurance_ride___despite_breaking_back_in_FIVE_places/?ref=rss