Australia: National ride offers final chance to qualify for world champs

Mysunshinecoast.com.au

12 July 2016

The countdown is on for the 2016 Equestrian Australia Endurance Championships which will see over 97 riders — including ten hoping to secure a place at the World Championships in Slovakia later this year — converge on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast between 14-17 July.

Matt Sample, founder of the Sterling Crossing Endurance Association and owner of Sterling Endurance Arabians, said he was delighted with the response to the event which is the first to be held at the new purpose-built ride base in Imbil, in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland west of Noosa.

“The number of registrations has certainly exceeded all expectations and competition will be tough given the high calibre of riders we have participating,” said Mr Sample.

“We have some of the best in the country participating including the current National Champion and 2015 Quilty Cup winner Ben Hudson.”

“We have riders travelling from across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and even one travelling from Osaka in Japan to compete in the internationally accredited event.”

“The inaugural event at the ride base is accredited by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) and will see competitors battle it out for the national title over distances of 82, 120 and 160 kilometres.”

“There are also high stakes at this event given it’s the final opportunity for the ten riders currently on the shortlist to represent Australia at the 2016 World Endurance Championships to impress the selection panel.”

“Six of those riders — namely Jennifer Annetts (NSW), Benjamin Hudson (NSW),Sasha Laws-King (QLD), Kristie Taprell (VIC), Alexandra Toft (QLD) and Penny Toft (QLD) — will be hoping to secure their place in the team which heads to Slovakia in September.”

The Sterling Crossing Endurance facility is certainly ready to rise to the occasion with over $2.5 million being invested since construction commenced in April 2015 to create Australia’s first purpose-built endurance facility.

This week, Mr Sample took delivery of a top-of-the-range horse treadmill, a piece of equipment which helps condition horses at a range of speeds and gradients. It also allows for performance assessments in a controlled environment and for low-impact recovery exercising.

“This treadmill, along with the 60m x 40m fully lit, undercover vetting area, the designated camping area and the quality of the tracks and terrain all work together to create a world-class endurance ride base and we’re very excited to see it all coming together ahead of the event this week,” said Mr Sample.

“We look forward to welcoming competitors who will start arriving in the next couple of days and preparing for a tough few days of intense competition.”

The event is open to the public and to find out more please visit www.sterlingcrossingendurance.asn.au.

Bromont WEG to be Cancelled?

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

July 14 2016

A critical blow has been dealt to the Bromont 2018 WEG, as Carla Qualtrough, the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, has declined to support the event.
“The federal government can not support the presentation of the 2018 World Equestrian Games through Sport Canada. The Games have an approximate $100 million budget. The financial viability of this project raises concerns because nearly $66.6 million of revenue must come from the private sector. To date, the private sector has confirmed no contribution, nor an endorser in case of deficit,” was the quote from the Press Secretary of Minister Qualtrough, reported in La Voix De L’Est...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/horse-news/bromont-weg-to-be-cancelled/

FEI Tribunal publishes Final Decision in 2015 Endurance prohibited substance case

FEI.org

8 Jul 2016

The FEI Tribunal has today published its Final Decision in the case against the Iranian rider Abdulla Mahmood Abdulla Darban (FEI ID 10044343). Samples taken from the horse Lunatica (FEI ID 103JV94/QAT), which finished fourth at the CEI1* in Doha (QAT) on 2 May 2015, returned positive for two prohibited substances, Propranolol and Dexamethasone.

The beta blocker Propranolol, which is used to lower the heart rate, is a banned substance under the FEI’s Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Rules (EADCMRs). The corticosteroid Dexamethasone is a controlled medication.

The FEI Tribunal has imposed a two-year suspension on the athlete, effective immediately. The period of provisional suspension, which was effective from the date of notification, 23 June 2015, has been credited against the period of ineligibility. This means that the period of ineligibility will now run through to 22 June 2017.

The athlete, who is based in Qatar, is also fined CHF 2,000 and ordered to contribute CHF 1,500 towards the cost of the judicial procedure.

The full Final Decision is available here

The athlete has 30 days from the date of notification of the Final Decision (7 July 2016) to appeal this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Notes to Editors:

The FEI’s Prohibited Substances List is divided into two sections - Controlled Medication and Banned Substances. Controlled Medication substances are those that are regularly used to treat horses, but which must have been cleared from the horse’s system by the time of competition. Banned substances (doping), are substances that should never be found in the body of the horse.

Netherlands: Endurance Championship juniors known

Horses.nl

By Tamara Buunk July 7, 2016

The KNHS makes it known the endurance team will represent the Netherlands at the European Junior Championships in Rio Frio on September 3rd. Five riders, three of which have participated in the KNHS AUDEVARD talent plan, have met the criteria, which will travel a full team to Portugal.

Liselore van Zetten and Jorrit Koopmans are long time member of the juniors framework and appeared in 2014 at the Junior European Championships in Verona. they both have trained a new horse in the last two years.

Liselore, a member of the junior team that managed to seize the Nations Cup at Fontainebleau in October last year in third place, went there to the 120km with El Kebir du Florival, and finished in a creditable 9th place with an average of 18km per hour. Early this year, the combination completed their first successful 160km in Abu Dhabi.

Jorrit and his chestnut gelding Conner gained their qualification at the 120km in Lanaken last year where he finished 8th in the 120km last April at Fontainebleau.

Imke Lamsma has already trained two horses from the base to the international level. With Sjacour she goes further prepare for the European Championships.

The two youngest members of the team are Laura Bucher and Ijjou Mohamed. Ijjou also was part of the successful Dutch team at the CEIO Fontainebleau in October last year. Akis with the Presle was fifth in Ermelo last May, which she claimed a team place.

Laura Bucher her international career started only this year, and with success. Fontainebleau she earned a creditable 8th place. Followed by a 3rd place in Villers-Pont Eastern AA with Kabila. With Kabila they will continue to prepare for the European Championships.

Dutch team in Rio Frio accompanied by KNHS youth coach Jarmila Lakeman designated for this match as chef d'equipe.

Source: Paardenkrant-Horses.nl/Persbericht

HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival Supports Belgium Endurance Masters

Horsereporter.com - Full Article

by Pamela Burton

Endurance rides to be held in the ancient Sonian forest in the heart of Belgium

7 July 2016, Brussels, Belgium ~ The HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and the Royal Belgian Federation of Equestrian Sports have jointly announced an annual international endurance festival for a three-year period starting from August, 2016.

The Brussels Equestrian Endurance Masters (BEEM) is positioned as a major meeting for the European and International Endurance community and is scheduled annually on the 3rd weekend of August in the city of Brussels, the capital of Belgium. BEEM offers three days of endurance competition under the auspices of the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale).

The announcement of the Brussels Equestrian Endurance Masters (BEEM) was made at a joint press conference held at the Dolce La Hulpe Brussels Hotel last week and addressed by Eugene Mathy, Vice President of the Royal Belgian Federation of Equestrian Sports (FRBSE-KBRSF), Pierre Arnold of FRBSE-KBRSF, Ms Lara Sawaya, Executive Director of HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival, Chairperson of the International Federation of Horse Racing Academies (IFHRA), Chairperson of Ladies & Apprentice Racing Committees in the International Federation of Arabian Horse Racing Authorities (IFAHR), Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club...

Read more here:
http://www.horsereporter.com/hh-sheikh-mansoor-festival-supports-belgium-endurance-masters/

South Africa: Fauresmith Endurance gets underway today

Sabrina Dean/OFM News photo
OFM.co.za

July 4 2016
Tlhaloganyo Makau/OFM News

The three day event is considered one of the toughest in the world, not only because of the distance, but because riders complete long distances over three consecutive days. The Endurance Riders Association of South Africa's Charmaine Nickisson says 536 riders have entered including 11 riders from Botswana, Namibia and Zambia respectively.

- See more at: http://www.ofm.co.za/article/local-news/188016/fauresmith-endurance-gets-underway-tomorrow#sthash.HmkjyrWM.dpuf

Mongol Derby: For 2 Montanans, unbroken horses and blow-torched marmot come with the territory in 'world's toughest' race

BillingsGazette.com - Full Article

By JEFF WELSCH jwelsch@billingsgazette.com
June 28 2016

They know Guinness calls it the longest and toughest equestrian race in the world – that they’ll be crossing the Mongolia steppe astride a series of unbroken horses while possibly or likely encountering dehydration from searing desert heat, hypothermia from penetrating mountain cold, roving packs of wild dogs, the snarling guard dogs of nomads, intense sleep deprivation, myriad diseases and, perhaps worst of all, dysentery from a local diet comprised of mutton, fermented mare's milk and – we swear this is true – blow-torched marmot.

Here’s what Kelly Hale of Red Lodge and Marie Griffis of Manhattan don’t know about the wild and woolly Mongol Derby, a 1,000-kilometer sprint in August that roughly follows in the hoof prints of an ancient Genghis Khan postal trail.

The route.

“I have two theories on this,” says Griffis, 42, a lifelong Montanan, dedicated horsewoman for just as long, and professional pastry chef. “One, they want to keep it a secret so nobody goes and scopes it out. And No. 2, for our safety.”

We hadn't mentioned the marauding bandits, lubricated by vodka and/or the mare's milk concoction called airag? They're in the Mongol Derby minefield, too.

So it won't be until on or around the Aug. 4 start near the capital Ulan Bator that Griffis and Hale learn, along with 42 other contestants from 13 countries, a remote route they’ll have 10 days to complete...

Read more here:
http://billingsgazette.com/sports/for-montanans-unbroken-horses-and-blow-torched-marmot-come-with/article_2018c549-c9d4-59ec-8670-8dba831b8ab5.html