Australia: Two Table Top horses prepare for World Endurance Championships

Bordermail.com.au - Full Article

JANET HOWIE
23 Aug 2016

TWO Table Top horses leave Australia on Wednesday for a journey that will end at next month’s World Endurance Championships in Slovakia.

The pair will help their trainer Amanda Kettlewell, of Oso Arabians, achieve a longstanding goal.

“You’re competing for your country, you don’t get much bigger than this,” she said.

It would be fantastic to get a medal for the team, but I think the biggest thing will be getting two happy, healthy horses around, completing the course
- Amanda Kettlewell...

Read more here:
http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/4114526/border-team-prepares-for-a-feat-of-endurance/

Australia: 2016 Shahzada Day 2

August 23 2016

On Day 2 of the 5-day 400-km Shahzada, Lightweight Melissa McCullough and Forbes View Sienna have the lead with an overall time of 13:16. Lightweight Melissa Longhurst and Pioneer Park Wings of Sudan are 7 minutes behind.

45 started the ride on Day 1. 4 more riders were eliminated on day 2, leaving 38 still riding on.

The 3-day 120-km Mini Marathon began today, with 103 starting and 13 eliminated. Two riders are tied for the lead with a time of 3:35: Andrew Jonkers and Girilambone Comet, and Kylie Jonkers riding Girilambone Venus.

Unofficial results are here:
http://www.aeraspace.com.au/RideResultsDetail_S.aspx?eventid=28356&ridenumber=1

and here:
http://www.aeraspace.com.au/RideResultsDetail_S.aspx?eventid=28356&ridenumber=2

Follow along at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Australia/2016Shahzada/

Portugal: Meydan FEI European Endurance Championship for Young Riders & Juniors 2016

http://www.endurance.net/international/Portugal/2016EuropeanYRJChampionship

From 2 to 4 of September
The FEI European Endurance Championship for Young Riders and Juniors is organized every two years. It is one of the most important European competitions, leading to the discovery of promising young Endurance riders.

Particularly directed for riders between 14 and 21 years, its an important foundation of future professional Endurance riders.

The last edition was in 2014, in Verona, Italy.

This year, for the first time, this competition will take place in Portugal, in the Rio Frio Equestrian pole, from 2 to 4 of September. Over 20 countries are expected to bring over 100 riders and a total of 400 participants.

It’s a 120km competition in several counter clock phases, where the rider’s ability to manage the horse’s effort is tested, along with the horse’s speed and resistance. At the end of each phase, a veterinary inspection takes place.

Endurance is becoming a popular discipline throughout the world, and is nowadays, not only the second biggest equestrian discipline in competition number and participants, but the highest growing. According to FEI, more than 900 Endurance competitions are held every year, and the discipline has more than 6000 riders and 10000 horses registered.

Follow the ride at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Portugal/2016EuropeanYRJChampionship/

Australia: 2016 Shahzada is Underway

http://www.endurance.net/international/Australia/2016Shahzada

The 36th annual Shahzada has begun in St Albans, New South Wales. It runs August 22 through August 26th.

Shahzada is the ultimate test for horse and rider of 400km over five days up and down the beautiful mountains surrounding the picturesque Macdonald Valley, sometimes three times in the one day.

For those on younger, less experienced horses, the Mini Marathon of 120km over three days starts today, Tuesday, and runs through Thursday.

45 were entered for the 400 km, with 42 finishing day 1. Lightweight Melissa Longhurst and Pioneer Park Wings of Sudan have the overall lead, finishing the 80 km in 6:27.

Unofficial Results from Day 1 400 km are here:
http://www.aeraspace.com.au/RideResultsDetail_S.aspx?eventid=28356&ridenumber=1

Follow the ride at
http://www.endurance.net/international/Australia/2016Shahzada

Meet your USA Team for the 2016 World Endurance Championship in Slovakia

2016 WEC on Endurance.net

Tom Hagis and Indian Reinman, from Fries, Virginia, Ellen Olson and Bey Gibby, from La Motte, Iowa, and Dr Meg Sleeper and Shyrocco Rimbaud, from Frenchtown, New Jersey, will be traveling to Samorin, Slovakia for the 2016 World Endurance Championship on September 15-16.

All three riders are raising money in various ways to help cover expenses, and they each have a GoFundMe page set up for those who want to contribute.

Tom says:
My 10 year old Arabian gelding Indian Reinman and I have been chosen the represent the USA at the World Endurance Championship in Samorin, Slovakia next month. To help offset the tremendous cost of sending Reinman, Gina and a crew to the venue I am asking my friends to help. If we can spread the cost burden amoung the several hundred friends that we all have, this will be a reality. I am honored and humbled by this experience. The ride was originally scheduled for Dec. in the UAE but has been moved to Sept. in Slovakia. That doesn't leave us much time but with all your help I will proudly represent you and the USA. Welcome to Team Hagis and Team USA. I thank you all!!

See more on Tom at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Slovakia/2016WorldEnduranceChampionship/Tom01.html

Ellen says:
Gibbys going to Slovokia for the Endurance World Championships!! Due to the change in location and short timeframe we are looking for support with the cost of shipping him over! Gibby is 16 and this is his second World Championship and last hurrah" per say overseas! Gibby has had a fantastic year and worked soo hard to participate in the WEC! So we are looking for help in supporting Gibbs! We ship out in ONE MONTH!!! gooooo Gibbs!!!

See more on Ellen at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Slovakia/2016WorldEnduranceChampionship/Ellen01.html

Meg Sleeper says:
We are organizing for the trip to Slovakia for the world championship and there are so many loose ends to tie up!! I am rarely on FB, but posts get forwarded so I think I have read them all. I apologize for not responding to each one, but it is impossible for me to express how much the generous donations and the well wishes mean to me!! It makes me realize how fortunate I have been…not only am I able to compete in a sport that is my passion, but I work in a profession I love and have so many remarkable friends!! Thank each and everyone one of you! In particular, I need to thank Robyn, who set up the gofundme site (https://www.gofundme.com/MegSleeperEnduranc) and has been absolutely leaving no stone unturned in her attempt to help raise funds for this event! She even reached out to Bill Gates!! Thanks to Triple Crown and Southern States Feed- not only for making fabulous products that have helped us get here, but also for helping with travel support. Thanks to OmegaAlpha for nutritional supplements that support top level equine athletes (and dogs and humans too!).
I will try to send updates periodically as we prepare, and as frequently as possible once we start the journey. I usually send out an email blog, but I will post it on FB and the gofundme site as well. The horses will leave from JFK on September thth following a 6 hour quarantine and land in Frankfurt on the 5th. They will then van to Samorin, Slovakia and arrive at the venue on the 6th. Opening ceremonies are on September 15th at 8pm, first inspection is on the 16th and the ride starts on September 17th at 6 am. For anyone interested, here is the link for the event website: 
http://www.wech2016.com. The venue looks gorgeous and there should be live streaming during the event.

See more on Meg at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Slovakia/2016WorldEnduranceChampionship/Meg01.html

Stay tuned for more information and stories from the 2016 WEC here:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Slovakia/2016WorldEnduranceChampionship/

French riders sweep HH Sheikh Mansoor Festival-supported Belgian endurance ride

Enduroonline.com.br - Full Article

Source: HH SH Mansoor Global Arabian Flat Racing Festival / Satya Narayan
Photo: Morhaf Al Assaf

Brussels, Belgium - It was a French 1-2-3 led by Vincent Gaudriot on 9-year-old Tahar Du Barthas in the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival-supported Brussels Equestrian Endurance Masters (BEEM) 160-km ride on Thursday, August 18, at the Sonian forest region near the city of Brussels.

Gaudriot who was fourth in penultimate stage of the five-stage 160-km ride, finished first with a time of 9 hours 8 minutes and 26 seconds recording an average time of 17.50kmph.

It was a reversal of the fourth stage placing as Julien Goachet on Ulyssa De Coat Fritty who was third at the penultimate finished second while second-placed Virginie Atger on Quersane Des Pins, second going into the final loop, was pushed to third place.

The 160-km ride was the first of the three-day Brussels Equestrian Endurance Masters (BEEM), the result of a three-year pact between the Royal Belgian Federation of Equestrian Sports (FRBSE-KBRSF) and the HH Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival...

Read more here:
http://www.enduroonline.com.br/2016_sh_mansoor_festival_French-riders-sweep-HH-Sheikh-Mansoor-Festival-supported-Belgian-endurance-ride.php

Underlying defect likely to have caused Mongol Derby horse death

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Sarah Radford 10:56 - 15 August, 2016

Post mortem results have revealed an underlying defect was probably behind the death of a pony in this year’s Mongol Derby.

The mount of British dressage rider Tatiana Mountbatten died suddenly on day seven of the 1,000km horse race (August 10]), between urtuus (horse stations) 23 and 24.

Investigating vet Dr Jeremy Hubert found a massive diaphragmatic rupture, which he attributed to either a congenital defect or the legacy of an old kick injury.

“He found it unlikely that the rupture could have been the result of strenuous exercise. There is no evidence to suggest that anything Tatiana did while under saddle caused the rupture,” said Katy Willings in a statement from organisers The Adventurists HQ...

Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/mongol-derby-horse-death-588126#JKXbBdpPFVU3XBFf.99