New Zealand: Race through Mongolia dream for Bay woman

Stuff.co.nz - Full Article

MEGAN HUNT
Last updated 09:35, July 22 2016

Over 100 hours on a horse with a diet of boiled mutton does not sound like many people's idea of a holiday.

But the 1000km Mongol Derby across the Mongolian steppe has been a dream for Hawke's Bay woman Krista Donnelly since she first heard about the race.

Next month the 25-year-old paediatric nurse will spend between seven and 10 days competing the solo challenge, along with 40 riders from different countries.

The event, which follows a trail set by Mongolian ruler Genghis Khan in the 13th century, involves riders navigating their way between horse stations spaced at 40km intervals guided by GPS trackers.

"The horses are vet checked when they come in and we get a new horse every 40km, " Donnelly said.

"We ride the horses Mongolians use to race, they are small and fast, I would be taller than one of them..."

Read more here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/82240902/Race-through-Mongolia-dream-for-Bay-woman

U.S. Veteran Takes On The Ultimate Riding Challenge: The Mongol Derby

Hereandnow.org - Listen in

July 25 2016

The world's longest and toughest horse race gets underway next week in Mongolia. The Mongol Derby spans more than 600 miles and takes about 10 days.

Among this year's riders is U.S. Air Force Capt. Tim Finley. He deployed to Iraq to command air strikes for nine month, and returned home last summer.

Here & Now's Meghna Chakrabarti speaks with him about finding the challenge — and affirmation — in meeting his goal.

Interview Highlights: Tim Finley

On what the Mongol Derby is:

“You ride 25 horses, each rider. There's 40 of us this year. The event is put on by a group called The Adventurists out of Britain, but you get on a horse, you ride for 25 miles. Then you hop off a location that's called an urtu. It's basically a farm, where they have a bunch of new houses lined up. You pick a new horse, ride it for another 25 miles. Rinse and repeat...”

Listen to the interview:
http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2016/07/25/veteran-mongol-derby

Mongolia: Former champion jockey swaps racecourses for wilderness

Racingfotos.com

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Lucy Elder
15:02 - 19 July, 2016

Former champion jockey Kevin Darley is swapping racecourses for the wilds of Mongolia to take part in the world’s longest horse race, for charity.

Kevin, a professional jockey for three decades, is taking on the 2016 Mongol Derby in aid of the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF), H&H’s charity of the year.

During his career he rode 2,431 winners and was crowned champion Flat jockey in 2000.

He is hoping to raise £2,000 to buy a Dyno Concept 2 — a multi-purpose strength and training rehabilitation device — for the IJF’s Jack Berry House centre in Malton...

Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/kevin-darley-mongol-derby-574753#k2qeStDQU6FGMzwI.99

Australia: Horses battle wet conditions during 2016 National Endurance Championships

AU.News.Yahoo.com - Full Article

Yahoo7 News on July 17, 2016,

Reigning champion Ben Hudson has successfully defended his national title after completing the 160km ride in very wet conditions at the 2016 National Endurance Championships.

The championships were held at Sterling Crossing Endurance at Imbil on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on the weekend.

Despite heavy rain and tough conditions, Hudson achieved the impressive time of 10 hours 15 minutes and 30 seconds. He was riding Cap Braveheart from Oso Arabians in Table Top New South Wales.

Together the pair were averaging a speed of about 15km per hour, while runner-up Kaylea Maher galloped in only three seconds behind.

Matthew Sample, owner of Sterling Endurance Arabians and founder of the club, said he was delighted with the outcome of the inaugural endurance event.

He congratulated Mr Hudson on the outstanding result.

"Ben had an excellent ride, especially considering riders rode in rain for most of the time which adds significantly to the effort needed to complete the course," Mr Sample said...

Read more here:
https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/32076275/horses-battle-wet-conditions-during-2016-national-endurance-championships/#page1

Air Force captain from Kansas to compete in 621-mile horse race in Mongolia

CJOnline.com - Full Article

Captain Tim Finley is riding in the Mongol Derby to raise awareness about the 22 veteran suicides that occur each day.

Posted: July 17, 2016

By Emma Fiander
emma.fiander@cjonline.com

Air Force captain Tim Finley, of Chapman, isn’t one to let life pass him by.

He also isn’t one for keeping quiet on issues that matter to him. Combine those traits and you get a man who is riding in the Mongol Derby to honor the 22 veterans who commit suicide every day.

On Aug. 4, Finley and approximately 40 others will start their race across 1,000 kilometers of Mongolian steppe. They will ride semi-wild horses, face bandits or packs of wild dogs, and rely solely on what they can carry and the hospitality of rural Mongolians to see them through the 10-day course.

It is the world’s most grueling horse race...

Read more here:
http://cjonline.com/news/2016-07-17/air-force-captain-kansas-compete-621-mile-horse-race-mongolia#

Canada: Bromont WEG: The Death Throes

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

July 14, 2016
by: Horse-Canada.com

To no one’s actual surprise, and the Canadian equestrian community’s profound disappointment, it is likely that the World Equestrian Games set for August 11-26, 2018, at the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park are going to be cancelled after the Government of Canada informed the Organizing Committee that it won’t support the games.

A statement from the office of the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities read:

“On July 11, 2016 the 2018 World Equestrian Games Organizing Committee was informed that the Government of Canada will not be providing federal funds to support the hosting of the 2018 World Equestrian Games.

Through Sport Canada, the federal government is not in a position to support the hosting of the 2018 World Equestrian Games given the financial viability of this project. The event has an estimated budget of $100 million, of which approximately $66.6 million of overall revenue sources must be raised from the private sector. As of today, no private sector funds have been confirmed, nor has a deficit guarantor.

Federal funding was never committed for this event, we have continued to be clear of our requirements and expectations in our discussions with the 2018 WEG Organizing Committee.”

Although the cancellation is not yet official, it seems as though the monster event was doomed from the beginning, with an unrealistic budget, no support from the federal government, logistical problems surrounding traffic and accommodations, and a revolving door of CEOs and other top management that pointed to the turmoil within the organizing committee, COJEM...

Read more here:
http://www.horse-canada.com/horse-news/bromont-weg-the-death-throes/

Australia: The narrrowest of wins after 160km and 10 hours of racing

Sunshinecoastdaily.com.au - Full Article

16 Juuly 2016

EQUESTRIAN: While it was close, Ben Hudson successfully defended his national title on Saturday after completing the 160km ride in wet conditions at the 2016 National Endurance Championships.

Held at Sterling Crossing Endurance at Imbil, Hudson was aboard Cap Braveheart from and clocked a time of 10hrs15min30sec, while runner-up and local Kaylea Maher galloped in only three seconds behind.

“Ben had an excellent ride, especially considering riders rode in rain for most of the time which adds significantly to the effort needed to complete the course,” Matthew Sample, owner of Sterling Endurance Arabians and founder of the club, said...

Read more here:
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/the-narrrowest-of-wins-after-160km-and-10-hours-of/3062875/