Australia: Hendra vaccine in spotlight as unvaccinated event looms

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

April 9, 2017
Horsetalk.co.nz

Equestrian events in Australia exclusively for horses unvaccinated against the dangerous Hendra virus are disturbing the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA).

The AVA has expressed its concern about the health and welfare of horses who have not been vaccinated against Hendra at events, including endurance races. It follows comments by Equestrian Queensland board member Peter Toft, who said the pressure on members to boycott events where vaccination was not mandatory was counterproductive.

Toft told the Gympie Times: “The reality is that this is a new vaccine and its long-term impacts are largely unknown at present, so it’s understandable that some horse owners – particularly those living in areas of the state that are free from bat colonies – are hesitant to vaccinate their animals.”

Organisers of the Easter Endurance Carnival in Gympie, Queensland, stipulate that all horses entering the competition grounds must have a current Hendra vaccination certificate.

The Queensland Endurance Riders Association has approved another event the same weekend, for unvaccinated horses. The Lockyer Valley Endurance Riders will be Australia’s first non-vaccinated only endurance ride...

Read more at http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2017/04/09/hendra-vaccine-spotlight-unvaccinated-event/#uPEzfs0KRDRCDRHA.99

Endurance Great Britain and The Pony Club collaborate over new Endurance League

Endurancegb.co.uk - Full Article

05 April 2017)

Pony Club Members who take part in Endurance GB rides at Novice (20-30km), Intermediate (31-39km) and Open (40km+) levels can now benefit from a new league where they will receive points for each kilometre completed.

The 2017 Pony Club Endurance League is now open, closing on 20 August when one lucky Member will be the first to receive a trophy kindly donated by Pony Club Endurance Chairman Robert Blane in memory of his horse, Pink Floyd.

Eligible rides can be found all over the country, and to take part Pony Club Members must either be a full member of Endurance GB (EGB) or they can register for free as an EGB Club Member which entitles them to compete up to 40km whilst paying member’s rates.

John Hudson, EGB Chairman, said: “We hope that the new league table will help reward those Pony Club Members taking part in Endurance GB rides, and increase the number of young people who enjoy the challenge and adventure of taking part in Endurance riding.”

This new league is also welcomed by The Pony Club as a benefit to its Members, and to help strengthen the mutually beneficial relationship the organisation has with EGB; with whom they are collaborating to increase participation amongst younger Endurance riders.

Robert Blane said: “We’re really excited about the new league, and we’re grateful to Endurance GB for their support. The league will offer a new level of safe competition for Pony Club Members taking part in Endurance GB competitions, and it is hoped that together we and Endurance GB can continue to increase the number of riders discovering the exciting sport of Endurance Riding.”

The three highest ranked combinations at each level will be presented with a sash, and the overall winner will receive The Pink Floyd Trophy which Robert Blane feels is a fitting tribute to his horse. Described by Robert as a true all-rounder, Pink Floyd was a 17hh Advanced Endurance horse who also competed to a high level in Dressage and Show Jumping.

Details of the new league tables can be found below:

Open

Horse and Rider combinations who receive the most EGB points in rides of 40km or above (GERs or CERs using normal EGB trophy points). Best ten rides to count.

Intermediate

Horse and Rider combinations who receive the most EGB points in rides between 31 and 39km (Vetted Pleasure rides and GERs using normal EGB points) Best ten rides to count.

Novice

Horse and Rider combinations who receive the most EGB points in rides between 20 and 30km (Vetted Pleasure rides getting one point per kilometer and Novice GERs using normal EGB points). Best ten rides to count. EGB Open/Advanced horses or riders are not eligible for this section.

The League tables will be available for viewing on the EGB website, where a list of rides and details on how to enter can also be found.

More info at:
https://endurancegb.co.uk/main/news#2017040501

Chevaux Brasília Championship

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

April 1 2017
Article written with help from: www.chevaux.com.br

Brasilia’s regional championship promises a good year for endurance in Brazil

Chevaux Brasília Championship, Fazenda Água Limpa, Brasilia, Brazil. Saturday 25 March 2017.

This was the first stage of the Chevaux Brasília Championship and was the same location as the season closing event of last year’s championship.

In total, there were 94 entrants in categories that started with 23.5km until the CEI1* 80km both in senior and junior that brought riders from different states together.

Some riders were in an endurance competition for the first time. One of them was Pedro Silva Neto, who went to the trails for the first time with his two children: “I’ve always ridden horses, but this was my first time in an endurance competition. It was much better than I expected, because there´s a lot of contact with horses and nature. I´ll come back with my children for sure”...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/bra-chevaux-brasilia-championship-25-march-2017/

FEI partners with equestrian data science company EquiRatings on data and risk analysis initiatives

Inside.FEI.org

4 Apr 2017

The FEI has signed a four-year agreement with Irish equestrian data science company EquiRatings, which will see the two organisations working together on risk management initiatives for both Eventing and Endurance.

The partnership will see EquiRatings work with the FEI’s extensive database which, alongside competition and veterinary data, has been collating statistics on fences, falls and injuries in Eventing and other information related to risk management in international competition for the last 10 years, working closely with National Federations and stakeholders.

As an important step in the FEI’s ongoing risk management work in Eventing, the company will initially focus on the implementation of the EquiRatings Quality Index (ERQI) at all level of events starting with the elite 4-star level. The ERQI is an index which helps assess the risk of horse falls in the cross country phase and has proved an accurate indicator at national level. EquiRatings and the FEI will work on specific projects at the request of the FEI Eventing Committee and the FEI Risk Management Steering Group.

The agreement will also see the FEI and EquiRatings further collaborating on horse welfare and data analysis projects in Endurance, formalising exploratory work between the parties over the last 12 months. Initially this will include developing data analysis and predictive analysis tools to measure and manage risk for both human and equine athletes.

“This exciting new partnership with EquiRatings is part of a holistic approach to risk management, working with our national federations from grassroots right up to elite level”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “The ERQI is both a powerful tool for understanding and predicting risk in both Eventing and Endurance and brings a new layer of insight into the decision-making process at a global governance level.

“We have worked with EquiRatings in the past, but formalising this partnership provides us with a platform to move forward with more concrete analysis of the FEI’s data, and gives valuable insight into performance and risk. It also has the potential to contribute greatly to the promotion of our sport and the way in which it is consumed by fans.”

EquiRatings director Diarmuid Byrne commented: “Managing risk in equestrian sports is a collective responsibility and we are delighted to be working alongside the FEI as we all play our part. This official partnership shows the ongoing commitment of the FEI and the FEI Risk Management Steering Group to new measures and tools. We will also be working with a number of National Federations around the world in 2017 to implement ERQIs at national level.”

EquiRatings will make a presentation on data analysis as part of the Eventing risk management session at the 2017 FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne on the afternoon of 11 April. The FEI Sports Forum will be streamed live on the FEI YouTube channel.

Full details on risk management in Eventing can be found on the FEI website: http://fei.org/fei/disc/eventing/risk-management

Australia: Club back after ten years to host endurance ride

TheChronicle.com.au - Full Article

3 April 2017

BONY Mountain on the Darling Downs will play host to five endurance rides this Easter weekend with riders from as far afield as Manilla in New South Wales looking to enjoy the break with their horses and take on the challenging terrain.

The rides - which range between 20 and 80km in distance - have been organised by the Lockyer Valley Endurance Riders (LoVERs) club which was reinstated to host this event after a 10-year sojourn.

Ride organiser Lyndell Abercrombie said she was delighted to see the club reunited and looked forward to welcoming both new and existing endurance riders to the Darling Downs.

"We're thrilled to be back in the saddle, so to speak, to host the LoVERs Endurance Ride and welcome scores of families and their horses to Bony Mountain," Ms Abercrombie said...

Read more here:
https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/club-back-after-ten-years-host-endurance-ride/3162080/

USA: 2018 Tryon WEG Logo Unveiled

Horse-canada.com

April 3, 2017 | Comments
by: FEI

Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) unveiled the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (FEI WEG) event logo and promotional video at the 2017 FEI World Cup™ Finals in Omaha, N.E., on Friday, March 31.

Held every four years in the middle of the Olympic cycle, the 2018 FEI WEG will be held September 11-23 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) in Tryon, NC.

The press conference was hosted by key members of the FEI WEG organizing committee, Mark Bellissimo, CEO, and Michael Stone, President and Sports Director; alongside FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez, and U.S. Equestrian President Murray Kessler.

“We are thrilled to launch the brand and rally enthusiasm for the 2018 Games,” said Bellissimo. “The promo video is only a taste of the action and entertainment fans can expect when they come to Tryon in September 2018...”

Read more here:
https://www.horse-canada.com/horse-news/2018-tryon-weg-logo-unveiled/?utm_source=Enews+April+3%2C+2017&utm_campaign=EnewsApr32017&utm_medium=email

USA: World Equestrian Games Coming To Charlotte Region – Bringing $400 Million Economic Impact

Charlottestories.com - Full Article

By Adrianna Robinson - March 24, 2017

The Charlotte Chamber has has announced that North Carolina will be the official site of the 2018 World Equestrian Games – held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Polk County. The internationally acclaimed event will take place from September 10th-23rd – it occurs every 4 years, staggering the summer Olympics.

The games will feature the best riders from around the world competing in eight core equestrian disciplines of show jumping, dressage and para-equestrian dressage, evening, driving, endurance, vaulting and reining...

Read more here:
http://www.charlottestories.com/world-equestrian-games-coming-charlotte-region-bringing-400-million-economic-impact/