Namibia: Lanel scoops up second win in gruelling enduro race

Zoutnet.co.za - Full Article

18 September 2016
Written by: Isabel Venter

A local horse rider, 24-year-old Lanel van Nieuwenhuizen on her mare Jozami Zanica, dominated one of Africa’s toughest endurance races recently.

Competing in the African Endurance Championships on 24 August, Lanel came up against top riders from South Africa, Namibia and other countries. Not only did she finish the gruelling 122km in a winning time of 06:34, she clinched the overall first place.

This was the 10th time Lanel competed in Walvis Bay, Namibia, but not the first time that she had won this prestigious race. As well as taking third place in her category in 2013, she won the race overall in 2014 and managed a second place in last year’s race, taking the award for the Best Conditioned horse, as well as the Best of Best award. “Walvis Bay is definitely one of my favourite races on the endurance calendar,” said the well-travelled Lanel. She has competed on Zanica, as well as on unfamiliar horses on local shores and abroad. “But Walvis Bay, although tough on both rider and horse, is beautiful. For one part of the race, you find yourself in the desert. The next moment you get to see the flamingos flying over the ocean as you gallop alongside the waters,” said Lanel.

The African Championships, which started some 20 years ago, is hosted by the Namibian Endurance Ride Association (NERA), and saw 144 riders competing over 122km. The race is divided into five stages and sets off in the dark hours of the early morning...

Read more here:
http://www.zoutnet.co.za/articles/sport/38787/2016-09-18/lanel-scoops-up-second-win-in-gruelling-enduro-race

Slovakia: Spaniard wins FEI World Endurance Championship gold after three riders disqualified

Insidethegames.biz - Full Article

By Liam Morgan
Saturday, 17 September 2016

Spain's Jaume Punti Dachs sealed the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) World Endurance Championships title amid controversial circumstances on board Girola de Querchus in Samorin in Slovakia today.

The bizarre finish to the race began when Saif Ahmad Al Mazroui started to wave the United Arab Emirates flag as he crossed the line in first position, only for his horse Napoli Del Ma to be disqualified by the judges for an imperfect gait.

Jonatan Rivera Iriarte of Uruguay appeared well placed to secure the crown but the same fate befell his horse - LG Muneerah - meaning he was also disqualified.

Al Mazroui's compatriot Ganem Abdullah Al Merri was the third rider who thought he had done enough for victory only to have his hopes dashed as his horse Quran El Ulm was found to have a metabolic condition by the vet, ruling him out of contention.

Dachs, forced to deny allegations of wrongdoing back in 2013 when the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Britain seized over 100 veterinary products from Moorley Farm East in Newmarket, finished the gruelling 160 kilometres course in a time of 6 hours 46min 42sec...

Read more here:
http://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1041747/spaniard-wins-fei-world-endurance-championship-gold-after-three-riders-disqualified

Slovakia: Veteran Dachs follows in wife’s footsteps

Shaikh Hamdan leads a posse of riders with the historic Danube River in the background, during the FEI World Endurance Championships in Samorin, Slovakia - Image Credit: Dubai Media Office twitter
Gulfnews.com - Full Article

Spaniard claims Endurance gold in Slovakia as UAE’s hopes are dashed at final vet gate

Published: 21:42 September 17, 2016 Gulf News
By Leslie Wilson Jr Racing & Special Features Writer

Dubai: Jaume Punti Dachs, a veteran endurance rider and trainer, clinched the gold medal at the FEI World Endurance Championship in Samorin, Slovakia, as a spirited performance by the UAE’s Saif Ahmad Al Mazroui and Ganem Abdullah Al Merri, ended in heartache at the final vet gate.

Triumphantly waving the UAE flag, Al Mazroui crossed the finish line first following a final loop cat and mouse battle with Uruguay’s Jonatan Rivera Iriarte, only to see his horse, Napoli Del Ma, disqualified due to an imperfect gait.

Iriarte’s horse, LG Muneerah, suffered a similar fate which left third placed Emirati rider Al Merri in the number spot and anxiously awaiting the vet results. But as luck would have it.

Quran El Ulm was found to have a metabolic condition and was also disqualified.

Dach’s horse, the nine-year-old grey gelding Twyst Maison Blanche, passed the vet test ensuring he would emulate his wife, Maria Alvarez Ponton, who was a two-time World Endurance Championship in 2008 and 2010...

Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/veteran-dachs-follows-in-wife-s-footsteps-1.1897692

World Endurance Championship - USA Team Eliminated

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

The USA Team of Meg Sleeper/Shyrocco Rimbaud and Tom Hagis/Indian Reinman vetted in healthy and sound for the 2016 World Endurance Championship in Slovakia today, but unfortunately vetted out during the ride. Indian Reinman was eliminated at the third vet gate for lameness, and Rimbaud was eliminated at the 4th vet gate for lameness.

"Fortunately neither lameness was severe and both horses will be fine to compete another day," Meg said.

"It is hard to put into words how one feels after a pull at this kind of event. It is awesome just to be selected to represent the USA, but of course the idea is to do well and there are so many people that give so much to make it possible for us to be here, it is rather demoralizing to feel like you are letting everyone down."

Meg's other horse, the mare Syrocco Rabia, finished 29th under Guatemala's Fernando Paiz Larrave in a time of 8:35.50. The other USA horse, Colin for Gold, owned by Valerie Kanavy and ridden by Japan's Hirofumi Ono, finished 47th and last in a ride time of 10:23.48.

42 of the 133 starters finished the race, for a completion rate of 35.3%.

Results and updates will be posted at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Slovakia/2016WorldEnduranceChampionship/

Slovakia: All USA Horses Set to Start World Endurance Championship

September 16 2016

All the USA horses entered in the 2016 World Endurance Championship in Samorin, Slovakia, have passed the pre-ride vet inspection and will start the race Saturday morning at 6 AM.

Meg Sleeper will be riding her 10-year-old Anglo-Arabian gelding Shyrocco Rimbaud. Also owned by Meg, her 10-year-old mare Syrocco Rabia will be ridden by Guatemala's Fernando Paiz.

Tom Hagis will ride his 10-year-old Arabian gelding Indian Reinman.

And Valerie Kanavy owns the 10-year-old Arabian gelding Colin for Gold, which will be ridden by Japan's Hirofumi Ono.

132 horses are expected on the starting line. The event will be streamed live, and results will be updated here:
http://www.enduranceresults.info/longines/liveresults-view/?ride=1&id=307&date=20160918&timing=Longines&competition_file_nr=101

More information, photos and stories will be here:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Slovakia/2016WorldEnduranceChampionship/

Slovakia: Hudson has eyes on Aussie team medal at endurance worlds

Centralwesterndaily.com.au - Full Article

September 7 2016
Matthew Findlay

Orange endurance rider Ben Hudson says he and his beloved steed Oso Cap Braveheart will relish the experience of representing Australia at next week’s Federation Equestrian International World Endurance Championships, in Slovakia.

Hudson, just 23, was named in the five-strong Australian squad after winning his second consecutive Australian Championships at Imbil in July, he clocked just over 10 hours on the little but big-spirited Arabian stallion to do so.

Only three seconds separated Hudson and runner-up Kaylea Maher.

For the confused, or unfamiliar, endurance riding is exactly as it sounds – riders and their mounts navigate their way around the very long, often gruelling courses in a bid to clock the fastest time they can.

“That is one good thing about the sport though, there’s the competitive riders who go hard and ride in about 10 or 11 hours but there’s also a lot of people riding for the challenge,” Hudson explained...

Read more here:
http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/story/4140904/hudson-aussies-set-eyes-on-teams-medal/

Slovakia: Hamdan hopes to repeat landmark 2014 victory

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

Published: 17:51 September 16, 2016 Gulf News
By Leslie Wilson JrRacing & Special
Features Writer

Dubai: Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, will be hoping to repeat his landmark 2014 victory as he leads a strong UAE team in the Longines FEI World Endurance Championship in Slovakia today.

Shaikh Hamdan, who will start the 160km ride at the state-of-the-art Samorin Equestrian Centre as the huge favourite, produced a breathtaking ride on Yamamah to win the gold in Normandy, France two years ago.

In what is often described as one of his best performances, Shaikh Hamdan and Yamamah overcame rain and testing conditions to triumph over a world-class field of 173 riders from 47 nations at the historic venue.

Today, he will be joined by four of the UAE’s finest horsemen as bids to give the UAE a fourth individual gold in the event following victories by his father, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who was triumphant at Euston Park, Great Britain in 2012 and his younger brother Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the shock winner at Jerez, Spain in 2002...

Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/hamdan-hopes-to-repeat-landmark-2014-victory-1.1897190