The Mongol Derby: A Ride of a Lifetime

TryonDailyBulletin.com - Full Story

July 6 2017

Written by Judy Heinrich

Photos submitted

Endurance competitors cover 50 to 100 miles in a single day on a single horse, within allotted times of 12 to 24 hours, depending on distance. There are several mandatory vet checks during rides, to ensure horses are fit to continue and give both rider and horse an hour or so to rest, re-hydrate and eat. Out on the trail, competitors encounter all kinds of terrain in whatever conditions the weather gods decree, from freezing cold to blistering heat, pouring rain and thunderstorms, or some combination. And if they’re lucky, cloudless skies to light the dead-of-night trails. For riders who can’t get enough, there are “Pioneer Rides,” with multiple days in a row of endurance riding for combined distances of at least 150 miles.

It’s no wonder endurance riding is considered an extreme sport. But for Marianne Williams of Tryon, your typical endurance rides just aren’t extreme enough. In August she’ll be competing in the Mongol Derby, deemed the world’s longest and toughest horse race by the Guinness Book of Records. It’s in Mongolia, of course, a landlocked sovereign state in East Asia that’s bordered by China to the south and Russia to the north. The Derby is 1,000 kilometers long – that’s 621 miles – and riders have 10 days to complete it, preceded by three days for navigation and survival training, and meeting the horses.

Unlike typical endurance races for which courses are well marked by friendly florescent ribbons, the Derby course isn’t marked at all. In fact each year’s course is kept secret until right before launch. But you can be sure the riders will experience every type of Mongolian terrain, from high passes, open valleys, wooded hills and river crossings to wetlands, floodplains, sandy semi-arid dunes and, of course, “open Steppe” – the expansive grasslands that cover most of the country.

And forget the trusting longtime bonds that endurance riders invariably have with their horses: Mongol Derby riders are on half-wild Mongolian horses that they switch out every 25 miles. Fresh horses are provided at 25 stations along the way, with choice of horse on a first come-first served basis. So if you’re in the back of the pack, you choose from the horses nobody else wanted...

Read more here:
http://www.tryondailybulletin.com/2017/07/06/the-mongol-derby-ride-of-a-lifetime/

Canada: Local vet explains the art of endurance riding

Citizen.on.ca - Full Article

July 6 2017

By Constance Scrafield

There is all kinds of art, including more than we acknowledge, in the world of sport. To ride a horse in a 50-mile race and bring him in, also winning the award for Best Condition, takes skill, work – and finesse.

Local horse veterinarian Bri Henderson took time this week to discuss the art of endurance riding with us.

The horse in this case is her fabulous grey Arab stallion Stryder, stable name Rivendell Elessar, “one of the most competitive horses I’ve ever ridden,” Dr. Henderson said.

She described their recently won race, the Coates Creek Endurance Competition: “We went out five minutes after the group of riders went so I could keep him calm. He was quiet until he saw the others horses as we caught up to them. He realized what we were doing and then – he hunted [the other horses], passing each one. He hates a horse to be in front of him. I had to hold him back a lot of the time.”

An endurance race, essentially a competitive 50-mile trail ride at speed, is run in stages both as to the trails themselves and the breaks for recovery along the way. These latter are actually serviced stops with vets in attendance, watching the speed at which the horse’s heartbeat recovers and its general condition as to soundness of limbs and lungs – whether it is eating and drinking and is in good spirits – before horse and rider continue on their way. The ride is mapped out in loops that come and go into the area of the pit stop and vet checks...

Read more here:
http://citizen.on.ca/?p=9338

German Championship Races in Neustadt Dosse

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

6 July 2017
Race report made with the assistance of: Dr. Juliette Mallison

Brandenburg’s State Stud, Neustadt Dosse. Saturday 24 June 2017.

The winner of the CEI3* 162 km ride and the new German endurance riding champion is Anne Wegner with her home bred 8 yr. old grey Arab gelding, Salamah Ibn bint Khazzan, his first CEI3* 162 km ride, in 09:17:08 hrs 17.45 km/h.

She won a thrilling finish against Bernhard Dornsiepen with Rio 243 09:17:13 hrs and Dunja Kolossa with Bekele El Djem in 09:17:18 hrs. Rio 243 won the best condition award. Six horses and riders were ranked, a finishing rate of 40%.

Anne Wegner, former Junior and Young rider champion and her horse are members of the German Federation’s perspective group for promising young endurance riders.

This was also the case for the winner of the CEIYJ2* 121km ride, the junior and young rider German champion Moira al Samarraie (18) with Zarah 41 in 06:56:55 hrs 17.41 km/h. and the second placed Nayla al Samarraie (16), her sister, with Warsana in 06:56:56 hrs...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/german-championship-races-neustadt-dosse/

Great Britain: Long List for European Championships

Endurance.gb.co.uk

European Championships - Long list - (Published:04 July 2017)

The final assessment for the International Squad was held at Warwick on Saturday 3rd June ahead of the European Championships in August. The Squad Management Team were able to work with riders, horses and crews and it can now be confirmed that the longlist of nominated entries are:

Caroline Cowley HS Bellini

Harry Ingram Warrens Hill Chayze

Lorna Kidson Sheer Bliss

Annie Joppe Fantom

Carri-Ann Dark HS Drift

Rachael Atkinson Tannasg Psyches Realm

Nicola Thorne LM Bolena, LR Bold Greyson

The final team training session will be on 20th July where the team will be selected and we would like to wish all combinations the best of luck.

UAE lady riders dazzle at endurance race in Italy

Khaleejtimes.com - Full Article

July 3 2017

Lady riders from the UAE did the country proud when four of their riders finished in the top five in the 120-km Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies CEI Two-star Cup which was part of the three-day Sardinia Endurance Festival that concluded on Sunday in the Horse Country Resort area in Arborea, Sardinia in Italy.

Four rides were part of the Sardinia Endurance Festival and the highlight was the ladies competition in which UAE riders Alyazia Al Romaithi on Holoutaria and Alia Al Saboori on Shamberlain finished hand-in-hand in the 120-km.

Italian rider Isabella Bonetto on Ottello finished third to prevent a podium sweep but the next two were again two UAE riders - Nouf Ali on Aranza and Ayesha Al Romaithi on Oregon - thus making it four in the top five for the UAE.

Alyazia and her horse Holuoutaria, a 10-year-old chest mare, covered the 120-km distance in 6 hours 59 minutes and 30 seconds at an average speed of 17.44 kmph...

Read more here:
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/sport/horse-racing/uae-lady-riders-dazzle-at-endurance-race-in-italy

Great Britain: Horse rider rescued after falling on farmland near Guisborough on endurance ride

TheNorthernEcho.co.uk - Full Article

3 July 2017

A HORSE rider was taken to hospital with serious back injuries after an accident on a 40-mile endurance ride, writes Laura Gilbert.

Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team were called out to Dunsdale, near Guisborough, to help a 34-year-old woman who fell from her horse just after midday yesterday, Sunday.

Emergency crews were called when family members became concerned after the woman, from the Midlands, failed to reach a check point.

Paramedics and mountain rescue volunteers found the woman on remote farmland...

Read more here:
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/15387030.Horse_rider_seriously_injured_on_40_mile_endurance_trail/

Canada: Lexi Vollman On the Rise

Equestrian.ca - Full Story

Lexi Vollman Has the Endurance to Make it to the Top
It takes more than dedication, training and stamina to excel at endurance riding. It takes real passion for the sport, and Lexi Vollman of Regina, SK, has that in spades.

The 17-year-old first started riding at age three, walking around the yard and up and down the road at her grandparents’ farm. From there it was on to her first pony, Lola, before entering the competition ring when she was 12.

“I began competing in barrel racing jackpots and small shows,” explained Vollman of her competitive start. “I used a couple different horses over the years, but the main ones would be my mom’s old mare Chiquita, my old pony Roxy and my current horse, Splash. None of them particularly enjoyed showing but they all put up with it anyways.”

Proving her versatility as a rider, Vollman opted to try her hand at tackling the trails, and took on the challenge of endurance riding, a sport that tests horse and rider over varied and often tough terrain. Not phased by the challenging treks, she made the move to the FEI level last year with her trusted mount, AJ Splash of Pizzaz, aka Splash, a 10-year-old bay Pintabian gelding.

“From the start of my endurance career, I’ve always loved riding with my mom,” explained Vollman, who often competes alongside her mother and fellow FEI competitor, Tracy. “Even if it’s a miserable day or race, it’s always nice to cross the finish line and see the smiling faces of your crew. One of the biggest highlights of my competitive career has been meeting so many welcoming people who are always so helpful to both the riders and horses...”

Read more here:
https://www.equestrian.ca/news/rtfToNs82ygJ6ZaMX/on-the-rise