Canada's Wendy Benns: Going the Distance

HorseNetwork.com - Full Article

A veteran of the Canadian endurance team, Wendy Benns is no stranger to championship competition. She’s competed in three Pan American Games, the UAE World Cup in Dubai and the World Equestrian Games in Malaysia during her 20 year career. But with no seasoned horse in her stable and a wedding to plan in 2018, qualifying for this year’s WEG is an entirely new breed of challenge. Benns takes us on her whirlwind journey to qualify for Tryon 2018. As told to Carley Sparks.

I wouldn’t necessarily recommend trying to qualify for the World Equestrian Games (WEG) and plan your wedding in the same year—unless you like to take on a challenge!
Each of those things on their own require a tremendous amount of planning and preparation. Put them together and, well, let’s just say there were moments when my fiancé, Jeremy Dupuis, probably thought I was a little on edge. (Or crazy. There’s a good chance that crossed his mind…)

But, in the end, I wouldn’t change a thing. It all came together just perfectly for us!

Jeremy and I were planning our wedding for March in Mexico. It was a destination wedding, so it was a little easier than planning a traditional one at home but it’s still a lot of work. As exciting and fun as it is to dream about your wedding day, a lot goes into pulling all the different pieces together, especially when you have a full-time job—I’m an animal control officer—and a stable full of horses on your property to manage.

I was consumed with all that and really wasn’t concerned about this year’s WEG.

Plus, I didn’t have a horse to do it.

I’ve been competing in endurance or over 20 years. As with any horse sport, always you’re looking to the next horse. For me, that’s usually meant breeding.

We bred my top mare, Flirt with Fyre (an offspring of my Pan American Games mount Flirt with Ecstasy) last year. She just had her foal in June, a chestnut filly that is the first ever Canadian-born/Asgard-bred Arabian. (And gorgeous, if I do say so myself!) Competition-wise, that left me with my upcoming horse Egalite. He only started competing in FEI last year, so my focus has been bringing him along. I figured either the stars would align and I’d qualify or I’d sit out this WEG.

Then the ride on a top endurance horse just sort of materialized...

Read more here:
https://horsenetwork.com/2018/06/wendy-benns-going-distance/

Estonia: Dubai based riders dominant in Padise Endurance Festival

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

9 June 2018
Race Report made with the assistance of PEC Team
Photo Credit: PEC Team

Padise Equestrian Centre, Padise County, Estonia. Thursday 24 and Thursday 31 May 2018.
In 2017 Padise Equestrian Centre hosted two FEI Endurance international events, this year Padise Equestrian Centre will host six endurance events under the Padise Endurance Festival.

The Padise Equestrian Centre is the brand-new capital of equestrian sports in Northern Europe located in beautiful Padise County, Estonia, near the cost of the Baltic Sea.

The third and fourth edition of the Padise Endurance Festival were held on 24 and 31 May 2018. These events gathered riders from dozen of European countries as well as from the UAE., including the Crown Prince of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who won the competition for 160 km at Padise Endurance Festival IV.

It was the first time in history of the Republic of Estonia that horses arrived by several planes and landed at Tallinn Airport. 24 horses came from Spain, Italy and Great Britain to compete in the championship level distance of 160 km...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/dubai-based-riders-dominant-in-padise-endurance-festival/

Mongolia: The Gobi Desert Cup challenges riders, body and soul

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

4 June 2018

Race Preview made with the assistance of Heather Wallace.
Photo Credit: The Gobi Desert Cup.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 4 May 2018. The Gobi Desert Cup is a 480 kilometer endurance ride beginning outside Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The challenge is focused on teamwork, horsemanship and immersion in the Mongolian culture as well as completing the marked course safely.

Now in its second year, this life-changing experience accepts no more than 20 riders from around the world to compete from 22 to 31 August 2018.

Each participant arrives at camp and is trained for two days on the tack and horses in preparation for the race to begin. This also gives the participants the opportunity to meet officials and discuss the rules and safety guidelines. Each rider has six horses for the length of the trip, one per day. Ride Director and Co-founder Camille Champagne notes: “The challenge focuses on testing your endurance and horsemanship by managing the horses over 80 km in one day.” Throughout the course there are two veterinary exams: one at 40 kilometers and the second at the end of the day’s ride, at approximately 80 kilometers.

“You may have what it takes, but it will take everything you’ve got.” Camille Champagne...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/the-gobi-desert-cup-challenges-riders-body-and-soul/

Australia: International riders compete at The Rock

TheRural.com.au - Full Article

June 13 2018
Nikki Reynolds

RIDERS from as far away as France and Sweden have competed in a world class endurance ride in the Riverina.

The ride holds significance on the world stage due to the fact it was affiliated with Federation Equestrian International (FEI).

For ride director Col Lewis the event, which used Bullenbong Station at The Rock as a base, was a big success.

He said 147 competitors entered and despite the international interest there was plenty of support from southern NSW. In fact, 60 per cent of the riders were from the local area...

Read more here:
https://www.therural.com.au/story/5464854/the-rock-endurance-ride-is-on-the-world-stage/?cs=6528

The secret to the man against horse race that brings thousands to a small Welsh town

WalesOnline.co.uk - Full Article

By Will Hayward
8 JUN 2018

At some point everyone has had a debate in the pub about something completely random.

Would Muhammad Ali beat Bruce Lee in a fight? Who is the greatest footballer of all time? One of these very conversations was happening in the Neuadd Arms Hotel, Llanwrtyd Wells , in June 1980.


The then landlord, Gordon Green, overheard two men discussing the relative merits of men and horses running over mountainous terrain. And from that, the Man v Horse race was born.

Almost 30 years on, the race has grown and grown with a dedicated following and people travelling from all over the UK.

“We don’t really know what has made it so popular,” said 72-year-old Bob Greenough who is part of the organising team. According to Bob the event is a welcome boost to the area.

“It is very well attended, a lot of people come out to watch it. People will come here from a long way away. The runners will come from all over the UK and people come with them...

Read more here:
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/how-man-v-horse-race-14729882

New Zealand: Waikato man gears up for the 1,000km Mongol Derby, the world's longest and toughest horse race

TVNZ.co.nz - Full Article

It's "one hell of a ride" but Waikato horse rider Eion Kemp says he's looking forward to competing in the world's longest and toughest horse race, the Mongol Derby.

It's raced over 1000 kilometres of some of the world's most gruelling terrain in Mongolia in August.

TVNZ1's Seven Sharp found Eion Kemp breaking in yearlings and two-year-olds at a farm at Matamata before they go on to a trainer.

In much the same way, Mr Kemp is about to be broken in, in the biggest riding challenge of his career.

"The Mongol Derby. The world's longest and toughest horse race. It's raced over 1000 kilometres through the steppes of Mongolia," he said...

Read more & see video here:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/waikato-man-gears-up-1-000km-mongol-derby-worlds-longest-and-toughest-horse-race

Two-Year Ban for Endurance Rider in 'Feed Contamination' Claim

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

June 8, 2018
by: Pippa Cuckson

A young Uruguayan endurance rider has been suspended for two years and fined 3,000 Swiss francs by the FEI Tribunal after her horse tested positive to a substance associated with lowering the heart rate.

Victoria Goni, 22, argued vehemently that the presence of banned substance ergonovine in El Mate’s sample was caused by contaminated feed. Uruguay has a known problem with an arable fungus which can cause a disease called ergotism linked with alkaloids including ergonovine. In worst cases, ergotism leads to gangrene of the limbs.

However the FEI argued that as “one of the side-effects of ergonovine was that it lowered the heart rate” and “it could therefore be abused in endurance.”

El Mate was sampled at a 120km ride in Trinidad in February 2017. (FEI results show there were just three starters, with El Mate the only finisher at an average speed of 18.7kph)...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/two-year-doping-ban-endurance-rider-feed-contamination-claim/