Shipping in 900 horses from around the world

TryonDailyBulletin.com - Full Article

By Catherine Hunter
Published 8:00 am Wednesday, April 4, 2018

People learn more about WEG equine transport plans

TRYON — Five hundred thousand people and 900 horses are coming to the area in September.

While the sheriff’s office, the state troopers and local fire and rescue departments are working to figure out traffic, local horsemen and equine vets are talking about the horses.

Tryon Equine held an informative discussion about the transport, care and quarantine of the horses coming to the area for the World Equestrian Games in September. Tryon Equine co-owner Anne Baskett, a veterinarian, spoke to a crowd of 50 or more who attended the talk last Wednesday.

“I did not realize all the pieces that had to come together,” Baskett said.

There are more than 100 vets and 75 volunteers involved in assuring the horses’ health and safety during the two-week event in September...

Read more here:
http://www.tryondailybulletin.com/2018/04/04/shipping-in-900-horses-from-around-the-world/

New "Endurance Horse Podcast - Every Mile a Memory" Launches

April 2 2018
by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

"Endurance Horse Podcast - Where you get to share your adventures of riding good horses through beautiful country"

Taking advantage of the growing popularity of podcasts, Christina Hyke, an endurance rider from the Midwest region launched the new Endurance Horse Podcast on March 14.

Inspired by a running podcast that she listens to, The Extra Mile, Chris thought it would be nice if there was a similar podcast for horse people. "Specifically endurance horse people," Chris said, "where we could keep track of each other's success and challenges, and encourage each other."

As a photographer, Chris is good with Photoshop and Lightroom, so she thought she might be able to figure out how to put a podcast together. Her first recording, which became her first introductory podcast, was recorded while on horseback in the Wisconsin woods.

As a 'newbie' endurance rider, Chris has less than a thousand miles, so considers herself a Green Bean. ("I think I'm a cooked bean, or a baked bean - I'm not sure on the Green Bean thing.")

Chris's first full episode, released March 27, features short stories from a variety of endurance riders, from beginners to a World Champion (Becky Hart); riders from the US, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand; Arabian riders to other riders of other breeds (Palomino, Morgan, Mustang, Quarter horse, Appaloosa, Thoroughbred, Miniature); and riders with old horses and young horses. The episode also includes a piece from a distance driver. "16 people, 8 horse breeds, and 4 countries is a great start," Chris said.

Would you like to participate? Endurance riders from around the world are encouraged to submit an audio recording. "Tell us about yourself and your horse and what you're doing, and if you're conditioning, what techniques you're using, what tips you might have on electrolyting, hauling long distances, anything related to camping. What your hopes are. Doing your first LD? Stepping up to 50's or 100's?" Share your experiences on the trail or about the rides you've done.

Chris describes herself as an equine photographer, wife, mother, friend, and lifelong horse woman. Her first introduction to endurance riding was a clinic called "A Taste of Endurance Riding" - which was a 5-mile intro ride that she won on her horse. "I know, that's not even a conditioning ride… but it definitely was a taste of endurance riding because of the people. It was a potluck, it was educational, everybody was friendly, it was fun, it was wonderful. It gave me this overall feeling for the vibe that the sport gives here in the Midwest, which is super supportive. That's how I knew I was going to get into endurance riding.

"The reason I'm doing this podcast isn't so much because I'm qualified to do so, though I wanted to do some good in the world and bring our endurance family closer together."

New episodes of the podcast will be released once a month.

If you'd like to send Christina your story, or would like more information, send her an email at endurancehorsepodcast@gmail.com

Listen to the first podcast at
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/endurance-horse-podcast/id1359332091?mt=2

and subscribe to "Endurance Horse Podcast" on iTunes.

The First WEG: A New Endeavor, To The Tunes Of ABBA

Chronofhorse.com - Full Article

By: Beth Rasin
Mar 29, 2018 - 3:05 PM
Sponsored by the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina


If you’re a fan of the award-winning Netflix series “The Crown,” you probably think of HRH Prince Philip as, at best, merely tolerating the horses so adored by his wife Queen Elizabeth. But in reality, the Duke of Edinburgh, a rider and carriage driver, presided over the Fédération Equestre Internationale from 1964-1986 and is credited with developing the concept of a World Equestrian Games in 1982. In 1984, the FEI General Assembly chose Stockholm to host that first WEG, which would take place in 1990.

It’s fitting that the idea came from royalty, as nothing like it had been attempted before.

“The organization of World Championships in six disciplines within the span of two weeks in a small country like Sweden is more than a major undertaking,” said Princess Anne, FEI president from 1986-1994, according to the Chronicle report in 1990. “It is an unprecedented endeavor.”

The Swedish Equestrian Federation established a staff of 30 people who worked for five years in preparation for the Games, and they were aided by more than 2,500 volunteers, many of whom were set up to guard the horses. The event was deemed the “Horse Festival of the Century,” and a huge clock pillar in Stockholm counted down the days until the Games.

With the exception of parts of the endurance, the entire event was held within city limits...

Read more here:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/article/the-first-weg-a-new-endeavor-to-the-tunes-of-abba

Denmark: Icy winds and warm hearts in Feldborg

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

27 March 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of Mette Holm Halvorsen

Feldborg. Denmark. Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 March. Every year, the Feldborg endurance ride marks the beginning of the Danish endurance season, held in a large pine tree plantation in the western parts of the country.

A very popular two day event with riders from the Scandinavian and other European countries, due to the long stretches and good footing which allows a steady speed and a good way to start the new season.

This year the effects of a special weather phenomenon over the Arctic, leading to wintery conditions unusually late in the season, challenged the riders with frozen ground and very icy winds blowing, even snow at times. The cold could not dampen the spirit of the hardy endurance riders and their horses, however, and the mood was happy and relaxed throughout the event as is the norm at Feldborg. As many as 20 riders started on March 17, in the longest 120 kilometre CEI2* with participants from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Holland...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/icy-winds-and-warm-hearts-in-feldborg/

Australia: Riders to tackle 320km in the Mary Valley this Easter

MySunshineCoast.com.au - Full Article

27th of March 2018

One of the longest endurance horse riding events in Australia will again take place in the Mary Valley over the Easter weekend, with riders taking on the challenging 320km marathon as part of the Far-A-Way Easter Endurance Carnival being held at Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex.

The event will see over 200 competitors put their riding skills to the test across the program of eight rides ranging from the ‘tiny tots’ 5km ride to The Far-A-Way Marathon – a four-day, 320km event.

Far-A-Way Riders Club Secretary Saasha Grogan said riders competing in The Far-A-Way Marathon would cover approximately 80 km per day over four days, with the ride renowned for its technically challenging course in the forestry and hills of the Mary Valley.

“Depending on conditions, marathon front runners usually finish the ride after around 30 hours of riding time, so the level of commitment and endurance from the horse, the rider and their support teams is phenomenal.”

“While the marathon is timed and the leading rider awarded line honours, the focus of endurance riding is very much on the bond between the horse and rider, and both parties finishing in good condition..."

Read more here:
https://mysunshinecoast.com.au/news/news-display/riders-to-tackle-320km-in-the-mary-valley-this-easter,54061

The Foolproof Way to Reduce Doping Violations: Stop Testing!

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Cuckson Report | March 26, 2018

The endurance “round table” at the 2012 FEI sports forum was the first time stakeholders started to openly shame the desert sport.

The evening before I was introduced to the UAE delegate Dr Hallvard Sommerseth. Perhaps anticipating the next day’s debate, he told me the only reason the UAE recorded far more doping violations than anyone else was because the UAE had far more horses and did far more sampling than anyone else.

While this had a simple logic, I am always sceptical when people justify their position to someone they’ve only just met. That is sometimes a good instinct; three years later the FEI suspended Dr Sommerseth for faking ride results on an industrial scale.

Dr S might, of course, have given me 100% bona fide information about the UAE’s anti-doping measures in 2012, though I wouldn’t have been able to check it out independently; back then the FEI only divulged anti-doping returns from competitions staged in Europe.

In 2012, though, you could at least get a snapshot of Dubai’s attitude to doping from a decade’s worth of sampling returns from Euston Park, Sheikh Mohammed’s satellite venue in the UK. Sampling was undertaken at just 11 (40.7%) of Euston’s 27 FEI fixtures, and the only time horses ridden by Sheikh Mohammed himself were sampled there was the 2012 world championship – compulsory testing because it was a FEI medal ride and he won it...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/cuckson-report/foolproof-way-reduce-doping-violations-stop-testing/

Spain: Llanes Endurance Cup 2018

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

25 March 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of Alejandro Asensio.

Porrua, Principado de Asturias, Spain. Sunday 11 March 2018. XVII Raid club Montañas y Caballos. Llanes Endurance Cup 2018.

Porrúa, a small village of the LLanes region, located between the northern Spanish coast and the Picos de Europa national park, was headquarters of the 17th equestrian endurance race organized by the “Club Montañas y Caballos”. The 85km CEI1* event had 22 registered, along with other qualifying races (at controlled speed) of 80km, 60km and 40km.

The loops were conducted on the tracks of “Camino de Santiago”, coastal paths and the Mañanga and Cuera forests. Spring weather for much of the day, gave a respite to the previous’ weeks’ rains, and an optimal soil for the horses. This race, although without significant altitude differences, can be considered technical, since it crosses beaches, rivers and villages in the area...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/llanes-endurance-cup-2018/