South Africa: Arabs mad for our Arabians

Timeslive.co.za - Full Article

Aron Hyman | 01 December, 2015

Where does a sheik go when he wants a really good Arabian horse? To South Africa, of course.

Foreign buyers - mostly from the Middle East - have spent almost R8-million on 58 South African bred horses, and are footing a R29-million bill for their transportation.

Buyers include the Dubai royal family, which has purchased 48 horses, the Crown Prince of Bahrain, who has bought three, and US and British interests .

It is the biggest single shipment of horses from South Africa.

The horses are mostly Arabians - including a mare sold for R4-million - but there are some American Saddlers and Warm Bloods in the mix.

The horses were flown out of Cape Town yesterday on a chartered Qatar Airlines flight on the first leg of a three-month journey...

Read more here:
http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2015/12/01/Arabs-mad-for-our-Arabians

Tough new local rules designed to reform UAE endurance

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Pippa Cuckson
29 November, 2015

A member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family aims to reform UAE endurance with tough new local rules.

FEI rules still apply, but at the Bou Thib venue of Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, prizes will only be awarded to combinations meeting new best condition-orientated criteria. These include a GPS-controlled maximum speed of 20kph, 10-minute vetting time, 50-minute compulsory hold, hypersensitivity tests to discourage nerve-blocking, and a bid to reduce “mobile crewing” by limiting following cars to one per five horses and providing official crew points every kilometre...

Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/tough-news-rules-reform-uae-desert-endurance-518775#wxr8tUvbM55Dxx6f.99

Bahrain: Nasser bin Hamad awards endurance race winners

BNA.bh - Full Article

28/11/2015

Manama, Nov.28 (BNA): HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of Bahrain Olympic Committee and Honorary President of Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (BREEF) on Saturday crowned the winners of opening 120km, 80km qualifying endurance race at Bahrain International Endurance Village.

The event was attended by HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of Bahrain Athletic Federation and Captain of Al Khalidya Stables...

Read more here:
http://www.bna.bh/portal/en/news/698510

Abu Dhabi: Milena partners Moreno to victory

Khaleejtimes.com - Full Article

November 29, 2015

Last year Moreno carried Argentina's Catalina to victory in this race and this year it was another Argentinean lady Milena Mendez who won a thrilling 100-km ride spread over four stages.

Moreno, an 11-year-old bay stallion from Al Reef Stables won the 100-km Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance Cup for the second year in a row at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Last year Moreno carried Argentina's Catalina to victory in this race and this year it was another Argentinean lady Milena Mendez who won a thrilling 100-km ride spread over four stages.

Earlier in the morning 95 lady riders started in the race which was held under the directives of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

The UAE's Mariam Jasim Al Ansaari on Horr Ibn Jahir was second with Kamila Anita Kart on Othentik Du Fausset third. Argentina's Maria Julia Sciaroni on Sugarsop De Sallaz and the UAE's Sara Mohammed Al Jaber on Highland View Dolly finished fourth and fifth and all five top riders were awarded a 4WD car each...

Read more here:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/sport/horse-racing/milena-partners-moreno-to-victory

Spanish Chef d'equipe Ignasi Casas Appointed to FEI Endurance Committee

November 15, 2015

Ignasi Casas, Chef d'Equipe for the Spanish endurance team, was appointed to the FEI Endurance Committee, replacing outgoing member John Robertson of Great Britain, for a term of 4 years (2015-2019).

He joins the other new appointee, Rocio Echeverri of Costa Rica, who replaces Brian Dunn of Ireland.

The appointments took place at the FEI Bureau meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November.

Riding ‘Mongol Derby,’ The Longest Horse Race On The Planet

Gearjunkie.com - Full Article

November 25, 2015
By: Erik Cooper

Horses are the ‘vehicle’ of choice in the wilds of Mongolia, where an adventure event each year draws competitors from around the globe. Our correspondent was there to take part in the action.

Riders from a dozen countries converge upon Mongolia to test their skills and luck in the Guinness Book of World Records’ recognized longest horse race on the planet — The Mongol Derby.

Organized by The Adventurists, riders in the event race atop the semi-wild horses of the steppe for 1,000km through the Mongolian wilderness.

They are only allowed 11lbs of essential survival kit — no changes of clothing and no back-ups in case something breaks. For navigation, riders are armed with a GPS device and crude intuition to guide them.

World’s Longest Horse Race

In its 6th year, the Mongol Derby is a multi-horse race taking influence from Genghis Khan’s legendary postal route. The system relied on a vast network of horse stations manned by the nomadic herding families of the steppe.

Throughout the 10-day race, riders live with these same herding families and race in the hoof prints of those ancient messengers.

The Mongolian families are the heart of the race; they open their homes and condition their horses for the Western riders.

Riders race 13.5 hours a day, and they switch horses in pony-express-fashion, sometimes four times a day. It’s really an ultimate test, both mentally and physically, that pushes riders to the absolute limit!

I was one of these scrappy, questionably-sane competitors in 2012, and this year I was offered the opportunity to return to the steppe and experience the race as a crew member, heading the Bloodwagon — essentially scraping broken riders off the dirt and performing search and rescues...

Read more here:
https://gearjunkie.com/mongol-derby-mongolia-horse-race-adventurists/

UAE: Sheikh’s world endurance champs helmet sells for $US6.5m

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

Horsetalk.co.nz | 26 November 2015

The helmet worn by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to win the 2012 FEI World Endurance Championships has sold at a charity auction in Dubai for $US6.5 million ($NZ9.95m).

The helmet which sold for AED24.05m was among several equestrian items at the auction to benefit the Al Jalila Foundation, which raised a total of 89.8 million dirhams, or $US24.5 million ($NZ37.2m)...

Read more: http://horsetalk.co.nz/2015/11/26/sheikh-world-endurance-champs-helmet-us6m/#ixzz3sc4aITYu