Italy: Toscana Endurance Lifestyle delivers top class racing with UAE in charge

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

by Admin
17 July 2017

Toscana Endurance Lifestyle, San Rossore, Pisa, Italy. Saturday 15 July and Sunday 16 July 2017.

A total of 517 riders, coming from 44 different nations and prize money at Euro 2,000,000. These are the facts of this year’s edition HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup Festival in this Toscana Endurance Lifestyle event.

The buzz was very vibrant during this high octane of racing with three races on Saturday CEI1* 80km (57 entries), CEIYJ2* 120km (29 entries) and the discipline that gains popularity the CEI2* 120km ladies (172 entries). Sunday two race were scheduled with the CEI2* 120km (200 entries) and the CEI3* 160km (50 entries).

The European record breaking entries for the ladies’ race obliged the organiser to move this race from Sunday to Saturday. “We felt this was necessary to have the best and safest races” were the comments.

On Saturday in the CEI1* 80km it was Bairisal Singh – IND (Magic Glenn Avelina) who was the strongest and crossed the finish half an hour in front of Essa Al Shair – UAE (Ghazwen) and Alessandro Generali – ITA (Ireno) a further 15 minutes back.
The warm weather seemed to be a concern for most stables: “It’s very hot out there and on certain parts of the track there is no air which makes it pretty hard for the horses...”

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/toscana-endurance-lifestyle-top-class-racing-uae-charge/

Italy: Toscana endurance ride breaks European records

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

Festival inspired by Shaikh Mohammad sets new landmarks in entries and rider benefits

Published: 18:27 July 14, 2017 Gulf News
Staff Report

Dubai: The status of the Toscana Endurance Lifestyle continues to grow as the competition sweeps all existing records with respect to unprecedented entries for this week’s endurance event at the San Rossore Estate.
The festival draws its inspiration from the patronage and vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The competition now boasts a record 500 entries from 44 nations, across all continents and a record prize money fund that has increased, from the previously announced Euro 500,000 to approximately double, by the Meydan Group.

Commenting on this very positive development Brigadier Mohammad Essa Al Adhab, General Manager, Dubai Equestrian Club, stated: “Such positive feedback from competitors and officials inspires us to plan for bigger and better events to promote endurance riding.

“The positive vision and blueprint designed by Shaikh Mohammad makes us confident that the best is yet to come in the world of endurance riding competitions supported by the UAE and Dubai all over the world..."

Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/toscana-endurance-ride-breaks-european-records-1.2058867

Tom Quilty Gold Cup endurance ride: Enduring honours for Tasmanian riders

The sought-after Quilty cup returns to Tasmania for the second year in a row after Brooke Brown Cordell and Tierview Salama won the overall event in South Australia.

Miss Cordell, of Lilydale, completed the gruelling 160km ride in a time of 10 hours and 28 minutes to win the middleweight section and overall ride.

Nine-year-old mare Salama is owned by the Pickering family and Miss Cordell has been competing on her for about 12 months.

The pair came fourth in last year’s Quilty.

“She’s got a really loveable character,” Miss Cordell said.

“She’s a beautiful mare to ride. Sometimes she can be a bit silly on the first leg, but she knows her job. She really impressed us last year and did really well this year.”

Miss Cordell, 20, started competing in endurance riding when she was about eight. She has now ridden in eight Tom Quiltys and this is the third time she has won a buckle.

Fellow Tasmanian and last year’s Quilty winner Debbie Grull and her horse Lauralyn Notorious also put in a great performance to come second.

Tasmanian Bella Pickering won the junior section riding Vandieman Trojen. Kirstie Lockhart, also from Tasmania, was second on Zane.

All up, 12 Tasmanians received the prized Quilty buckles for completing the event this year. They include Keryn Marney of Deloraine who now has 20 Quiltys to her name.

Tasmania also won the team competition.

Ms Grull was hoping to defend her title this year but said she was just pleased to see the trophy back in the state.

“I was really happy with how we did, especially considering we had a few issues leading up to it,” she said.

“To be honest it’s nice to see a new name on the trophy.”

This year’s Quilty was the seventh time Ms Grull has received a buckle and for her horse Fred it is the fifth time he has placed in the top five.

Ms Grull said this year’s course was quite challenging with plenty of hills and rain.

She said Tasmania’s dominance this year came down to the quality of the horses.

“Tassie does hilly quite well and our conditions down here can be quite thought, we do get rapid changes in the weather at times,” she said.

“I think the main thing is thought that our horses are just tough.

“ We do have a very good veterinary team and they are quite fussy with the horses so over time that has helped with the quality of the horses competing too,” Ms Grull said.

Full article plus photos and videos ..

Lilydale rider the toast of the endurance horse riding in Australia after winning the Tom Quilty

20 year old Brooke Brown-Cordell from Lilydale has stunned the horse world with a brilliant win in this year's Tom Quilty Gold Cup.

The young rider was in the saddle for just under 10 and a half hours to win the event which was held in South Australia.

Brooke Brown-Cordell has told Laurissa Smith the win on her mare Sally was very satisfying.

Listen to the radio piece on Brooke here..

Australia: Grull goes well again at prestigious event

TheAdvocate.com.au - Full Article

Alex Fair
12 July 2017

Staverton’s Debbie Grull has once again tasted success at the prestigious Tom Quilty Gold Cup.

Grull and her horse and her horse Lauralyn Notorious finished equal second in the middleweight division of the the 160 kilometre endurance event held over the weekend.

Grull and Lauralyn Notorious finished the course in 11 hours and 11 minutes after starting at midnight on Friday, backing up after last year’s win in the event.

This year’s event was held in Wirrina Cove in South Australia, with strong winds and rain an obstacle on what was already going to be a tough course.

“We are quite pleased with how we did,’’ she said this week.

“We also won the Shareym award for the horse with the most consecutive buckles at the Quilty and the Newbridge Trophy as the first registered horse across the line...”

Read more here:
http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/4784782/grull-goes-well-again-at-prestigious-event/

Brooke Brown Cordell and Tierview Salama win 2017 Tom Quilty

July 8 2017

Brooke Brown Cordell and Tierview Salama won the 2017 Tom Quilty at Wirrina Cove, South Australia in a finish time of 10:28.40. They took the top Heavyweight award and the Best Condition award.

Tying for second place (and also Middleweights) were Debbie Grull aboard Lauralyn Notorious, and Talea Hasko-Stewart aboard Blake's Heaven Bombora.

106 finished the tough ride in rough weather out of the 164 starters, for a 64.63% finish percentage.

Complete results can be seen here:
http://www.aeraspace.com.au/RideResultsDetail_S.aspx?eventid=36895&ridenumber=1

More on the ride at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Australia/2017TomQuilty/

Great Britain: Cornish farmer prepares for ride of a lifetime

FWI.co.uk - Full Article

11 July 2017
Charlotte Cunningham

A Cornish dairy farmer is preparing to complete the longest and toughest horse race in the world in a bid to raise money for charity.

Paul Richards, from Hayle, Cornwall, is heading off to Mongolia in August to take part in the Mongol Derby, which will see him cover 620 miles in 10 days on semi-wild horses.

“I came across the Derby by accident a few years ago while I was looking for hunting videos on YouTube,” explains Mr Richards. “I followed it for a couple of years and thought I would love to have a go, but feared I was too old.”

Mr Richards, 59, is one of just nine people from the UK taking part in the Mongol Derby – a race that comes with the disclaimer: “Your chances of being seriously injured or dying as a result of taking part are high...”

Read more here:
https://www.fwi.co.uk/farm-life/cornish-farmer-prepares-ride-lifetime.htm