ABC.net.au - Full Article
ABC Sunshine Coast By Kylie Bartholomew
Updated Mon at 9:44pm
A tiny five-year-old from Queensland who stands just over a metre tall has braved darkness, the cold and rain to complete her first 40-kilometre horse ride in less than five hours.
Taylor Grogan, a fourth-generation endurance rider from the Sunshine Coast's renowned Sample family, rode into the diverse terrain of the Mary Valley's Imbil State Forest in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Dad Mark Grogan thought his daughter might be deterred by the conditions.
"I thought she'd pull the pin with the wet, especially when we had to go out and it was already raining before she got up."
But a determined Taylor — who completed her first 5km ride a month before her second birthday — would hear nothing of the sort...
Read more here:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-28/taylor-grogan-endurance-horse-ride/10172938
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Philip Graham’s (NZ) Long Road to WEG

27 August 2018
Although each horse and rider combination takes a different road, the goal of competing on the world stage and representing their country is the same.
It’s been 12 years since Philip Graham of New Zealand competed in the WEG Endurance competition.
He and Rosewood Bashir (aka Benny) are making the long journey from New Zealand later this summer.
“The sense of achievement of completing big rides well, on horses that I have produced from youngsters, is a real buzz,” Philip says...
Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/philip-graham%E2%80%99s-long-road-weg?&list=3&content=2
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Mongolia: Gobi Desert Cup: Day 4 & 5

August 29 2018
Day 4:
We are here finishing the fourth day of the Gobi Desert Cup! Today has been the fastest ride yet and all 18 have stuck together through the day with all crossing the finish line within moments of each other.
We had a wonderful day in the national park with the riders enjoying the scenery, which included boulders and camels.
There was a slight hiccup when Stephanie Scott’s rein loosened and she had to go with a single rein for a few kilometers but she did it with a laugh and grace as usual.
Just before the finish line the riders broke apart and went for the finish line and the points. Sadly, we had a few vet out due to heart rate because of this, including the first place finisher Mathilde S.
After getting the placing a for today are as follows:
Elodie
Tania
Claire
Amy
Ruth
Kasmira
Jeff
Bob
Christoph
Michael
Stephanie
Cele
Lorie
Howard
Jon
Vetted out due to heart rate:
Mathilde, Allan, and Pete.
The award for Best Managed Horse on Day 4 is Elodie Maillard! She had a very forward horse that would have galloped the entire track, however she managed to keep her horse at a stable pace and keep him healthy throughout. Congratulations on some great horsemanship!
Day 4 winner of the Best Sportsmanship award is Stephanie Scott! Stephanie had shown throughout the entire ride that she is positive no matter the pace, willing to help other riders, and today while losing a rein, laughed it off and patiently rode on while waiting for us to fix it on track. Congratulations!
Day 5:
Halfway update: we had some excitement this morning, when the horse ridden by Amy Eighteen came up lame on track before the 15km and had to withdraw on track. Not long afterward Cele Stone withdrew because her knees were bothering her again. It was determined that Amy would ride Cele’s horse after vetting through and she would not compete for points.
Just afterward Bob Gauthier’s horse, who was well in the lead, hit soft footing and came up lame, pulling them out at the 30km marker.
The vets have been very happy with how these horses are managed by our riders, and sadly the lameness is not uncommon because of the footing and the Mongolian horses’ conformation and bare feet.
All other riders are traveling well so stay tuned!
Our first riders are in across the finish line! In a gallop to the end Jeff Stuart (US) edged out Elodie Maillard (FR) and Amy Eighteen (AUS) by a nose! We had a hot day over open terrain here in Mongolia, with a nice view of the Trans-Siberian Railroad! We had 15 riders over the finish line today, with one withdrawal on course due to sore knees and one vet out due to lameness. All horses and riders will be okay, and lots of smiles all around!
Congratulations to Claire McManus on winning Best Managed Horse for Day 5!
Claire has shown she always puts her horse first over the course of this week and please join us in congratulating her!
Many congratulations to Lorie Duff on winning Best Sportsmanship on Day 5! Lorie is not an endurance rider, and has done many things outside her comfort zone this week, including powering through a sore knee to ride and raise money for the CHEO Foundation at home. All with a smile on her face and no complaints. Congratulations Lorie!
More at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Mongolia/2018GobiDesertCup/
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
St Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride 2018 – The Emerald Jewel of Endurance and Pleasure Riding in Ireland

By Bree Rutledge - August 27, 2018
THE annual must-do horse riding event is coming up soon, whether you are an avid dressage rider, a keen show jumper or simply someone who just enjoys hacking out, St. Patrick’s Coast is the ride for you! Now in its fifth year, this event hosted by the Irish Long Distance Riding Association (ILDRA) has become established as Ireland’s premier endurance event offering stunning off-road riding in the scenic County Down landscape.
On Saturday, September 1, the ride will commence at Downpatrick Racecourse, heading out across the rolling drumlins of County Down through numerous fields before reaching the East Down Gallops. From here you’ll descend towards the endless sandy beaches of Tyrella, perfect for a gallop or two. The beautiful Mourne Mountains are a perfect backdrop across this scenic ride, as you head back along further fields and grassy laneways to reach Tullymurray Equestrian Centre. A jaunt along the old County Down railway line awaits before a shaded hack through the peaceful Hollymount Forest. A final stretch across an open field leads back to Downpatrick Racecourse, with the perfect opportunity for a galloping finish past the post...
Read more here:
https://farmweek.com/st-patricks-coast-endurance-ride-2018-the-emerald-jewel-of-endurance-and-pleasure-riding-in-ireland/
Ireland: Fitness preparation for Endurance Riders at Knockmany Forest

By Bree Rutledge - August 27, 2018
ILDRA (Irish Long Distance Riding Association) headed to the West of the country to the hidden gem of Knockmany Forest Park near Augher on August 19. Pleasure rides and Competitive Trail Rides were on offer on the day for the riders. A drizzly start to the day soon warmed up to what became quite humid riding conditions.
The attending vet on the day was Quirine Tettelaar, MVetMed, MRCVS. Quirine is new to the sport of endurance and she did a brilliant job of checking all of the CTR horses before and after the completion of their respective rides. Many of the riders attending the Knockmany Forest Park ride were putting in some conditioning and fitness training before the St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride on September 1. Offering some of the most stunning views of the County Down landscape, this ride offers something for everyone, both pleasure and endurance riders!...
Read more here:
https://farmweek.com/fitness-preparation-for-endurance-riders-at-knockmany-forest/
Monday, August 27, 2018
Clean Endurance: A Guide For Spotting Cheating and Abuse
27 August 2018
How to spot cheating and abuse – and what to do about it 1 A guide to spotting rule breaches and cheating in equestrian endurance is published today (August 25, 2018) by Clean Endurance. The informal “A to Z” format aims to make this very serious subject accessible. Clean Endurance has produced the A to Z in response to the many enquiries it is now receiving from observers and volunteer helpers at endurance rides who think they saw a violation taking place, but were unsure how to respond or whom to alert.
In recent years the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) has acted to address welfare issues, doping and rule-breaking on the field of play. The FEI is constantly reviewing endurance rules to combat the types of foul play highlighted in the A to Z. Sadly, the accompanying picture collages and press archives which can be found on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cleanendurance/ show that many FEI rules are still being openly and routinely broken.
More Yellow Warning Cards are awarded for “not conforming to applicable sport rules” and horse abuse (in conjunction with disqualification) than for any other offence in endurance. Disrespect of officials has increased, causing the FEI Endurance Department to introduce special measures to deal with this. Receipt of an Endurance Incorrect Behaviour Yellow Warning Card triggers an automatic two-month suspension. This topic appears in the A to Z under U for Unsportsmanlike behaviour.
Another major issue is dealt with under K for Knowing the 30-minute rule and Keeping proof. A particular barrier to fair play is that endurance is subject to the same 30-minute rule for lodging protests as the arena-based sports. But because endurance can span 160km (100 miles) of unsupervised open country, photographic or video evidence often only emerges hours or days later – too late for the Ground Jury to act upon. Only the reporting of alleged horse abuse is not time-limited (see A for Abuse).
O is for Obstructing the horse from view in grooming areas and vet-gates - against FEI rules. Why a horse might be concealed is explained in C for Crew, I for Invasive treatment and N for Nerve-blocking.
For those not involved in endurance, training for heart rate recovery is fundamental to the sport since the clock only stops once the horse drops below a maximum heart rate. While the naked eye cannot spot a horse that has been medicated to reduce its heart-rate (D for Doping), there are plenty of other visible tricks to gain an unfair advantage before or after entering the vet-gate: see E for Ear-twitching, G for Gaining time, J for Jammed heart-rate monitors and Q for Queuing for a favourite veterinarian.
Clean Endurance is a global collective of volunteers who are pledged to restoring the traditional values of their sport.
They have an informal working relationship with the FEI; several recent FEI rule changes, procedures as well as sanctions have been developed from matters they have raised.
Clean Endurance is happy to supply links for further reading, including coverage in bona fide news media about many of the field-of-play incidents highlighted in our A to Z.
The A to Z is by no means exhaustive and will be revised and updated from time to time. Clean Endurance welcomes comments and suggestions.
Find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cleanendurance/ and contact them through the message button or email contact.cleanendurance@gmail.com.
The Clean Endurance A to Z Guide can be seen here:
http://www.endurance.net/international/UAE/2013FEIControversy/CleanEnduranceAtoZCheatSheet_25_08_2018.pdf
How to spot cheating and abuse – and what to do about it 1 A guide to spotting rule breaches and cheating in equestrian endurance is published today (August 25, 2018) by Clean Endurance. The informal “A to Z” format aims to make this very serious subject accessible. Clean Endurance has produced the A to Z in response to the many enquiries it is now receiving from observers and volunteer helpers at endurance rides who think they saw a violation taking place, but were unsure how to respond or whom to alert.
In recent years the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) has acted to address welfare issues, doping and rule-breaking on the field of play. The FEI is constantly reviewing endurance rules to combat the types of foul play highlighted in the A to Z. Sadly, the accompanying picture collages and press archives which can be found on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cleanendurance/ show that many FEI rules are still being openly and routinely broken.
More Yellow Warning Cards are awarded for “not conforming to applicable sport rules” and horse abuse (in conjunction with disqualification) than for any other offence in endurance. Disrespect of officials has increased, causing the FEI Endurance Department to introduce special measures to deal with this. Receipt of an Endurance Incorrect Behaviour Yellow Warning Card triggers an automatic two-month suspension. This topic appears in the A to Z under U for Unsportsmanlike behaviour.
Another major issue is dealt with under K for Knowing the 30-minute rule and Keeping proof. A particular barrier to fair play is that endurance is subject to the same 30-minute rule for lodging protests as the arena-based sports. But because endurance can span 160km (100 miles) of unsupervised open country, photographic or video evidence often only emerges hours or days later – too late for the Ground Jury to act upon. Only the reporting of alleged horse abuse is not time-limited (see A for Abuse).
O is for Obstructing the horse from view in grooming areas and vet-gates - against FEI rules. Why a horse might be concealed is explained in C for Crew, I for Invasive treatment and N for Nerve-blocking.
For those not involved in endurance, training for heart rate recovery is fundamental to the sport since the clock only stops once the horse drops below a maximum heart rate. While the naked eye cannot spot a horse that has been medicated to reduce its heart-rate (D for Doping), there are plenty of other visible tricks to gain an unfair advantage before or after entering the vet-gate: see E for Ear-twitching, G for Gaining time, J for Jammed heart-rate monitors and Q for Queuing for a favourite veterinarian.
Clean Endurance is a global collective of volunteers who are pledged to restoring the traditional values of their sport.
They have an informal working relationship with the FEI; several recent FEI rule changes, procedures as well as sanctions have been developed from matters they have raised.
Clean Endurance is happy to supply links for further reading, including coverage in bona fide news media about many of the field-of-play incidents highlighted in our A to Z.
The A to Z is by no means exhaustive and will be revised and updated from time to time. Clean Endurance welcomes comments and suggestions.
Find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cleanendurance/ and contact them through the message button or email contact.cleanendurance@gmail.com.
The Clean Endurance A to Z Guide can be seen here:
http://www.endurance.net/international/UAE/2013FEIControversy/CleanEnduranceAtoZCheatSheet_25_08_2018.pdf
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Mongolia: Gobi Desert Cup: Day 3

The riders are all in for Day 3! What an exciting day for all.
The day started cold and raining but by the time we began, a rainbow promised good luck to the riders.
At the 15km mark, Cele Stone was having knee problems and Howard Kent had a slow horse keeping them in the back. Cele decided to withdraw and the officials made the decision to switch horses for Howard, so he trotted off happily.
Until his horse decided he didn’t want to go forward anymore and he had to withdraw at the 30km.
With two riders out we checked in at the halfway point with the other riders to find the US team member Bob Gauthier had a fall when his horse tripped and rolled. Bob was okay but when taking the reins to mount his horse spun and kicked him in the abdomen. He mounted and continued to the checkpoint where the doctor examined him and approved him to continue. Sore but determined, Bob powered through to finish in 4th place.
Unable to complete the course yesterday, Tania Orlov stuck with the leading group of riders and came whooping across the finish line wit arms outspread at a gallop.
She was quickly followed by the remaining riders to take their places.
Once part of the lead group of riders, Peter Breidahl walked his horse 12km after being thrown off and met with Michael Shaw and Ruth Benney on their horses. Traveling together to the end, they all tied. But then there had to convince their horses to trot again for the vet check.
Leading up to the 55km checkpoint, one of the herdsman working with the Gobi Desert Cup met up with slower riders Stephanie Scott, Kasmira Graham, and Amy Eighteen on the horse ridden by both Cecilia Stone and Howard Kent, and showed us all how Mongolians ha dale horses effortlessly. They continued to ride together to the end of the course tying for last place.
The final placing are as follows:
Tania Orlov
Allan Horn
Mathilde Schwartz
Bob Gauthier
Jon Heeboll
Jeff Stuart
Christoph Schork
Elodie Maillard
Claire McManus
Tie: Michael Shaw, Ruth Benney, and Peter Breidahl
Tie: Stephanie Scott, Kasmira Graham, and Amy Eighteen
More at:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Mongolia/2018GobiDesertCup/
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