UAE: Video: Meet Emirati endurance rider Fatima Al Harthi

Emirateswoman.com - Full Article & Video

This up-and-coming equestrian athlete has a simple message for other young women: “Never stop.”

We’ve got another incredible young Emirati athlete for you to cheer on, and this one’s coming on horseback.

Fatima Al Harthi first got into riding as a child, inspired by her mother’s love of the sport. Now, at 27, she’s making a name for herself in the challenging field of endurance riding. That means racing distances of 80, 100 or even 120 kilometres, and spending up to 15 hours in the saddle.

This isn’t exactly a casual weekend ride.

Al Harthi, who’s based in Abu Dhabi, says that what keeps her going on those long distances is the bond she has with her horses.

“Horses are very beautiful and lovely to communicate with. They have a unique characters and feelings,” she says...

Read more & see video here:
http://emirateswoman.com/video-meet-emirati-endurance-rider-fatima-al-harthi/

Royal Cavalry of Oman win third place in French Florac Endurance Race

Timesofoman.com - Full Article

September 11, 2017 | 3:12 PM by Times News Service

Muscat: Royal Cavalry of Oman clinched third place in the 160km French Florac Endurance Race in France.

The latest achievement of Royal Cavalry of Oman was made possible by Ali Hassan Al Farsi, who rode ‘Khanjar’ to the third place after overcoming difficult conditions and stiff competition.

The result helped the Royal Cavalry to take the number of Omanis achieving qualifying berths in the World Equestrian Games to five.

The World Equestrian Games will take place at the Tyron International Equestrian Center in North Carolina, U.S., from September 11 to September 23, 2018.

More at:
http://timesofoman.com/article/116867/Sports/More-sports/Horse-racing-Royal-Cavalry-of-Oman-win-third-place-in-French-Florac-Endurance-Race

France: 2017 Florac

Boudheib Initiative

FLORAC 9th September 2017 - 160km CEI/CEN***


When one thinks of world class endurance, there are only 3 venues which spring to mind, Tevis, Quilty & Florac. So it was a huge priviledge to combine the philosophy of the Boudheib Initiative (BI) with this year's Florac CEI/CEN*** 160km. Event organiser, Jean-Paul Boudon's vision to invite Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nayhan's BI protocol strengthening the focus of the welfare of the endurance horse has been widely applauded.

The oldest 160km endurance ride in Europe & steeped in equestrian history, Florac, based in the heart of Persikland in the beautiful Cevennes region of Southern France, celebrated its 42nd year at the helm of international endurance this weekend and the crowds and participants were not disappointed! 54 competitors and their trusted horses set off at 4.30 am on Saturday morning to tackle the immensely challenging 160km 5 loop course set amongst some of the most spectacular scenery France has to offer, climbing and descending enormous hills and valleys - the weather also proved challenging with temperatures around 11 degrees and rain settling in around late morning. Fortunately conditions improved for most of the afternoon and 29 competitors (more than 50% completion rate) arrived home safely to enormous cheers, and some tears of joy as the atmosphere at Florac is exceptionally moving - to complete this course reveals the necessity for strong partnerships between horses & their riders.


Competitors from 9 countries from as far afield as Australia, Colombia, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, & the UAE. together with 5 entries representing the Royal Cavalry of Oman set out to win the coveted prize at Florac, but the overall winner with an average speed of 16.288 kph was Spain's Robert Diez Noguera riding 9 year old Sunit Du Colombier.

Huge respect and many congratulations go to Robert & Sunit Du Colombier who also won Florac's 160km together in 2016, a wonderful role model for sustainable endurance. 66 year old Daniel Ollivier and Pot Made led the way throughout the first 4 loops and were only beaten during the last 23km leg to come home 2nd with an average speed of 16.029 kph in Daniel's first participation at Florac - Daniel was delighted though to win the Boudheib Initiative's BECA (Best Endurance Challenge Award) 1st prize and received a cheque for 2,000 euros together with a Gaston Mercier endurance saddle & handsome trophy.

BECA's 2nd place went to French rider Virginie Atger with her lovely grey Tonik Armor in an average speed of 15.130kph and in BECA's 3rd position was Ali Hassan Yousaf Al Farsi riding Khandjar Du Boulve from the Royal Cavalry of Oman who also took 3rd place in the CEI3* event.

Not only is the Florac 160km race a resounding endurance success but was also an exceptional result for descendants of the famous horse Persik with the 1st four home all being Persik descendants:-


1st place - Sunit Du Colombier (Persik dam lines)

2nd place - Pot Made (Persik sire lines)

3rd place - Khandjar Du Boulve (Persik sire lines)

4th place - Papillon Du Parc (Persik dam lines)


Many great achievements are made in Florac but one of the most incredible tests of sustainable endurance has to be the continueing participation of Frenchman Denis Pesce who has taken part for the last 30 years and won Florac's formidable 160km eight times with five different horses and is still competing this year with his wife, Marilyn Lemoine, riding Ultimatum Mirbel.


The Boudheib Initiative is delighted to be part of Florac 2017 and offers very many congratulations to all who completed and we hope to see you all again next year.


Many thanks go to Jean-Paul Boudon and his team for the excellent event organisation and to the highly professional team of veterinary staff and ground jury who all helped to ensure Florac 2017 was a huge success.

BOUDHEIB INITIATIVE - DRIVING THE FUTURE OF ENDURANCE
www.facebook@boudheib

For full FEI results go to www.atrm-systems.fr

Article & photos by Leigh Young

Sweetwater County public defender competes in the 'toughest horse race in the world'

The Adventurists photo
Trib.com - Full Story

Elise Schmelzer 307-266-0574, elise.schmelzer@trib.com
Sep 10, 2017

It was pure joy galloping across the Mongolian grassland through cold rain and wind, a freedom unlike any other Rick Helson had experienced, a freedom worth the bowel issues to come.

Helson, a public defender from Sweetwater County, had traveled thousands of miles to try his hand at the self-proclaimed toughest horse race in the world. The event’s premise is simple and insane: draw a handful of riders from around the world, supply them with a fleet of semi-wild horses and give them 10 days to race 600 miles across the Mongolian steppe.

“The horses just ran and ran, that was an incredible feeling,” Helson recalled Wednesday, safely back in his Rock Springs office. “They just have heart like you haven’t seen.”

Helson had few expectations when he arrived for the race, modeled after a postal route created by Genghis Khan in the year 1224. Competitors even ride the same small, sturdy breed of horses that carried Khan to victories across the continent.

“I’m just old enough to know that it’s not going to be like I expect,” the 59-year-old said with a chuckle...

Read more here:
http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/sweetwater-county-public-defender-competes-in-the-toughest-horse-race/article_9cc39c3f-9a77-50f4-a909-554f3128b056.html

Cambodia: KL success spurs CEF activities at home

Phnompenhpost.com - Full Article

Mon, 11 September 2017
H S Manjunath

The Cambodian Equestrian Federation is to launch a nationwide drive to spot talented young riders who can build on the goodwill and competitive interest whipped up by the success of the men’s national endurance team at the recent 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.

On its first big mission in the region, the six-member Cambodian squad of Ly Sovanachandara, Lon Sopheaktra, Phay Visal, Moeung Sochea and Sim Narith, along with team leader Hoy Sopharith, returned with a team bronze medal to reward the CEF with a fitting gift to mark its 10th anniversary, formed, as it was, in 2007.

“We can not sit on the glory of this medal. We have to secure our future and build a much stronger endurance team that can aim higher,” said CEF President Mona Tep at a meet the press programme arranged by the federation for interaction with the members of the winning team at the Cambodian Country Club, the home of the City’s equestrian community, on Friday...

Read more here:
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/sport/kl-success-spurs-cef-activities-home

Australia: Melissa Longhurst and Pioneer Park Wings of Sudan win 2017 Shahzada

www.shahzada400.com

Melissa Longhurst and Pioneer Park Wings of Sudan repeated their 2016 feat of winning the 400-km, 5-day Shahzada over the week of August 21-25, 2017. The pair finished in an overall time of 38 hours. Melissa was also first Lightweight.

Finishing first Heavyweight was Robert Catlin aboard Avita in a ride time of 41:37. First Middleweight was Debbie Pevy riding Galaxy Mi in a ride time of 40:19.

44 started and 20 completed the ride.

More at:
www.shahzada400.com

Endurance riders prepare for the Tom Quilty 2018 returning to Tasmania

Examiner.com.au - Full Article

Lucy Stone
@ljstone09

9 Sep 2017, 8 a.m.

It’s midnight, but the night isn’t quiet.

Under a cold winter sky in Wirrina Cove, South Australia, a swirling mass of horses and people are preparing, lining up to start the ultimate test of equestrian endurance.

This is the Tom Quilty Gold Cup: riders and horses are faced with a gruelling 160 kilometres of challenging tracks, across all terrain, in all weather, for the ultimate prize of the Quilty trophy.

At the end of each stage, they have to go through a rigorous, impartial vetting process to ensure each horse is fit and well to continue the next.

In Australia’s outback heritage the icon of horse and rider rings through literature and culture – the Man from Snowy River, the drover and his dog, Phar Lap and Jim Pike, the yearly spectacle of racehorse and jockey striving for the Melbourne Cup.

And the Tom Quilty is made of the same stuff of legend.

The race was created in the late 1960s by RM Williams, who wrote to horseman Tom Quilty asking for support creating a long distance horse race. From that letter came an annual endurance race and the birth of an amateur sport.

To finish a Tom Quilty, regardless of placing, is to win, with just the satisfaction of gaining a highly coveted Quilty buckle.

There’s no prize money allowed in Australian endurance riding – riders take part for the love of testing themselves and their horses against their own times, against the elements, and each other.

The midnight start launches the hopes of more than 150 riders, including several international riders joining the challenge.

By daylight, in just 10 hours, 28 minutes and 40 seconds, Brooke Brown-Cordell and Tierview Salama become the winners of the 2017 Tom Quilty...

Read more here:
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/4903341/the-ultimate-endurance-race/