FEI Endurance Forum 2017 Report - by Linda Tanian

May 24
by Linda Tanian, Australia

Today’s session at the FEI Endurance Forum was all about modernising the sport. There were lots of interesting stats about the increasing popularity of endurance on a worldwide basis including:

• 95% increase in the number of international endurance events since 2007

• 58% increase in the number of registered endurance riders

• 37% increase in the number of registered endurance horses

Our own Brian Sheehan led the first presentation taking us through the mission statement, values and some of the changes being experienced by endurance. A WEG Review highlighted a number of concerns about endurance and the fact that it is only available for 1 day on the WEG schedule of events means a considerably smaller spectator attendance (6,000 compared to 110,000 spectators for Jumping which runs for 6 days). It is making it unviable to include endurance on the WEG schedule as other sports are subsiding us.

Brian presented his expectations for the future of the sport which included:

• Highest standard of horse welfare of all the FEI and non-FEI disciplines

• Officials practice the highest standard of integration

• New and successful competition format for individuals and teams with high completion rates and entertaining to watch

• Self-funded discipline ensuring financial stability

• Education for officials, athletes and trainers

Valerie Kanavy then provided an inspiration presentation when she answer the question of “where do I want the sport to go in the next 20 years”. Her aspirations included:

• Wanting to be part of a sport she can be proud of

• A sport that challenges her abilities

• A sport where athletes and horses can be admired and respected by others

• Where horse welfare is the most important thing in our sport

The next speaker was Nick Brooks Ward who is the Operations Director of the Horse Power Group and is involved in the Windsor Royal Show and the Euston Park endurance events among many other things. He provided some thought provoking questions for us and highlighted how we keep endurance hidden away.

He has lots of experience in promoting sports (the Tour de France is one of them) and suggested:

• Endurance is conceived as a closed sport

• Videos that his company have put up onto the web are pulling good numbers in terms of views and this is a much under-utilised opportunity

• There is a lack of understanding about what endurance is in the larger equestrian community that we could easily address

• There are lots of positive messages that we could be producing to highlight our sport

• A lot of education is required to bring people up to speed on what we do and how we do it

Stephane Chazel is a member of the FEI’s Technical Committee for Endurance. He talked about the philosophy of the sport and how it has changed from being a complete to win scenario into flat racing. He thought that we had the opportunity to decide where our sport was heading and presented three options:

• More professional and elitist – a little like cycling where a team approach is adopted

• Extreme sport with the supreme test of horsemanship

• Long distance racing

His feeling was that the sport should be splintering and a new rule set should be created for each splinter.

The last presentation was given by Ignasi Casas who is the Chef d’Equipe of the Spanish Team. He gave us a bit of a trip down memory lane and showed how they used to do things in the ‘good old days’ including a vet gate in a bull fighting arena, luckily without the bull. He tracked the changes of the sport from a totally amateur sport to what it is today – professional teams, big sponsorship and monetary/high value prizes.

Ignasi also talked about changes in qualifications and team competitions for championships and how they have continued to evolve over the past 30 years.

The opportunity for everyone to then join in an open discussion on the issues facing the sport and where the sport could go. Many interesting comments were provided and some of the elephants in the corner were allowed to run around a bit. While there was no consensus on a single approach the FEI has been given lots of information and ideas to mull over.

Mongol Derby: Birregurra Australia rider Warren Sutton saddling up

Weeklytimesnow.com.au - Full Article

FRAN CLELAND, The Weekly Times
May 23, 2017

BIRREGURRA horse trainer Warren Sutton is preparing for an adventure of a lifetime — the Mongol Derby.

He will be one of 12 men and 22 women from nine countries to compete in the 1000km race across Mongolia in August, with all riders mounted on semi-wild horses.

The event is featured in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest and toughest horse race, recreating Genghis Khan’s ancient horse messenger system.

The hardy native horses of Mongolia reprise their traditional role and the horse stations will be manned by nomadic herding families as they traditionally were.

Messengers will be riding up to 160kms a day, navigating independently and changing horses at 40km intervals.

Riders have 10 days to complete the course, with last year’s winner taking seven and a half days...

Read more here:
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/sport/horses/mongol-derby-birregurra-rider-warren-sutton-saddling-up/news-story/d1b53c9c0dc474b280cc41431195a5a2

Cambodia: Dara keeps up SEA Games endurance drive

Phnompenhpost.com - Full Article

Wed, 24 May 2017
H S Manjunath

The Cambodian Equestrian Federation’s relentless drive to build an endurance team of six riders and horses meeting SEA Games participation standards met with a measure of success last week when Ly Sovanchandara became the first rider to qualify in an international level competition at a pregames event in Malaysia.

Also making the grade, but at the national competition level, was Phay Visal, while Moeng Sochea, who has already qualified, could not complete his run as his leased horse returned with an injury after the first lap.

Competing in the International Federation for Equestrian Sports-approved 80km event at the Terengganu International Endurance Park in Kuala Lumpur, Sovanachandara, riding Ohara Armor, was ranked 12th in the pregames trial and qualified with an average speed of 14.038. He led the first lap at a speed of 19.327 but slowed down on the next two to conserve his leased horse...

Read more here:
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/sport/dara-keeps-sea-games-endurance-drive

Great Britain: UAE riders take Euston Park by storm

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

Make clean sweep of four endurance rides held in glorious weather in Suffolk

Published: 16:10 May 23, 2017 Gulf News
Leslie Wilson Jr, Racing & Special Features Writer


Suffolk: UAE riders made a clean sweep of the four classes at the first Euston Park Endurance Rides, sponsored by Emirates Airline, which took place in stunning weather conditions in Suffolk, England.
Contests were held in four categories — CEI3* 160km, CEI2* 120km, CEIYJ2* 120km and CEI1* 80Km — on the Euston Park Estate and surrounding land.

All the winning horses represented the MRM Stables and were trained by Esmail Mohammad Al Jeziri.
“We started our European season last week at Royal Windsor Endurance but this was our first three star ride and it’s just amazing,” said Al Jeziri. “The horses finished in great condition and it looks very positive for the season ahead...”

Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/uae-riders-take-euston-park-by-storm-1.2031724

Great Britain: Annie Joppe’s endurance blog: ‘he stood stock still with a look of utter amazement’

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Annie Joppe
10:55 - 22 May, 2017

Well the decision was made; Fantom was going to Windsor and Dilmun would be prepared for the popular inter-regional enduarance championships in July, this year to be held at Cirencester Park.

All the last-minute preparations were made for Windsor. We had a final training session of approximately 20km around a cross-country course averaging 20kph, a relaxing massage (for Fantom, not me!), and a new set of shoes complete with pads in the front to guard against any random stones with our name on it!

I have to admit that I was looking forward to this event with, shall we say, nervous anticipation. I had a plan! Now in endurance there is a saying that plans are bad as they tempt fate with the endurance gods, but in this case it was vital. Fantom was definitely fit enough and carefully prepared for this particular race, but our long term plan this year is to maximise our chances of being selected for the European Championships and to this end, we needed a solid result without taking any undue risks...

Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/blog/annie-joppes-endurance-blog-stood-stock-still-look-utter-amazement-621236#qH8dK7qTGS4KJbxi.99

Great Britain: Equine endurance expert will hold special clinic

Oxted-today.co.uk - Full Article

19 May 2017 By Kevin Black

Equine expert Maggie Pattinson will be holding a special clinic at Lingfield Park Racecourse to put riders of all abilities through their paces.

The Chef D’Equipe of the England Home International Endurance Squad will pass on some of her lifetime skills and passion to enable riders to achieve their personal performance goals.

Run by Lingfield Equine Vets – the official vet partner of Lingfield Park Racecourse at each of its race fixtures – the clinic, on Wednesday, May 31, will aim to develop rider skills and optimise equine fitness.

Maggie, who has a lifetime of experience across equestrian disciplines from dressage to racing, will be working alongside experts in equine nutrition on the day. As well as her endurance work with the England team, she is also official coach and trainer for the Mongol Derby entrants, a race across 1000km of Mongolian Steppe which draws riders from across the world...

Read more here:
http://www.oxted-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=113931&headline=Equine%20endurance%20expert%20will%20hold%20special%20clinic§ionIs=news&searchyear=2017

NZ Endurance forum identifies four strategic areas in need of attention

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

May 17, 2017
Horsetalk.co.nz

Leadership, marketing, promotion, administration and growth were identified at a forum as key areas requiring attention when a new board is elected to run the equestrian discipline of Endurance in New Zealand.

A forum last week, attended by 31 people, examined the strengths and weaknesses of the discipline after a series of resignations from the Endurance Board which left it unable to form a quorum...

Read more at https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2017/05/17/nz-endurance-forum-strategic-areas/#3vTS0CI1AgxCs6gY.99