Ugly End to WEG Endurance Ride

NZEquestrian.org.nz - Full Story

September 13 2018

The reduced endurance ride at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games dissolved into chaos this afternoon when it was cancelled with the leading riders having just come in from the third of four loops.

The very contentious call was a unanimous decision between the president of the ground jury, the technical delegate, the president of the veterinary commission and the organising committee, citing welfare of the horse as the key driver.

As the decision was announced, the crowd erupted, whistling and yelling their disgust, and running towards the fences surrounding the vet check areas. Calls for calm went largely ignored, with security and police quickly brought in.

New Zealand’s two riders – Jenny Champion aboard Barak Obama and Philip Graham on Rosewood Bashir – who were on their second loop withdrew their horses before the decision was made.

Chef de mission Sarah Dalziell-Clout said it was a real credit to their horsemanship, recognising the conditions were just too tough. Jenny said her priority was to look after her horse. “He was really feeling the heat,” she said. “We had already done 90km if you include the first loop this morning. It is a long way to come for this to happen.”

She said the marking on the ride had been very good, but the track got very stodgy after a particularly heavy downpour. “It made it quite treacherous for horses and then when the sun came out it was so hot. I am disappointed, but I know I did the right thing.”

Philip had not long passed Jenny when he too called the race. “We had a drink at a creek crossing and he just was not as responsive as usual. With heat and humidity like that, things were only going to go one way. I am just disappointed for the day and the event and the way it transpired. It is quite an historic day for endurance.”

Philip said the 40km loop was very demanding even without the humidity. “We did the best we could.”

The president of the Veterinary Commission Thomas Timmons said the cancellation of the ride had been done with horse and athlete welfare in mind. “The conditions this afternoon after the rain resulted in extremely high levels of humidity and, combined with the rising heat, it was deemed unsafe to continue the ride.”

The planned 160km championship ride had not got off to the best of starts – this morning some teams were misdirected at the beginning of the ride and the competition was stopped at the first vet gate. By that time most riders had covered around 40kms. Organisers then restarted the ride as a 120km championship nearly five hours later. The FEI has tasked the independent Equestrian Community Integrity Unit with doing a full investigation how it all went so wrong. The investigation will include interviews with officials, volunteers, the organising committee and any other relevant personnel to provide a full picture of just what happened.

Chef d’equipe for the New Zealand endurance team Sue Reid said it had been a challenging start to the day. When the 160km ride was cancelled a petition was circulated calling for people to support horses and riders being flown to Europe for another shot at the championships. Eighteen of the 40 countries in the ride agreed, with two later withdrawing their support. New Zealand did not sign the petition.

“We worked for two years to get here,” said Sue, “there were just too many variables involved. The petition was very controversial.”

By Diana Dobson – NZ Team Media Liaison

Cancellation of Endurance Competition at FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018

Tryon2018

By: WEG Admin
Sep 12, 2018 - 6:00 PM

Cancellation of Endurance Competition at FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018

The remainder of today’s Endurance competition has been cancelled due to a potentially dangerously high combination of heat and humidity, and the conditions out on the trail following heavy rain this afternoon. The decision to cancel, which is in accordance with FEI General Regulations, Article 109.12 was unanimous between the President of the Ground Jury, Technical Delegate and President of the Veterinary Commission, and the Organising Committee.

The decision is also in line with the FEI Code of Conduct for the Welfare of the Horse, which states: c) Extreme weather: Competitions must not take place in extreme weather conditions that may compromise welfare or safety of the horse.

“This was a difficult decision to make, but it was done with horse and athlete welfare in mind as the conditions this afternoon after the rain resulted in extremely high levels of humidity and, combined with rising heat, it was deemed unsafe to continue the ride”, President of the Veterinary Commission Thomas Timmons said.

British scientist Dr David Marlin, who has been working on heat and humidity studies for the FEI since the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, provided the Ground Jury with data from the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index which showed a reading of 31. Anything over 25 is monitored very closely, and the officials agreed unanimously that 31 presented an unacceptable risk to horse welfare.

In addition, following this morning’s false start, the FEI has tasked the independent Equestrian Community Integrity Unit (ECIU), which is onsite here at Tryon, to do a full investigation into the circumstances that resulted in some horse/athlete combinations being misdirected. The investigation will include interviews with the officials, volunteers, Organising Committee and all other relevant personnel to provide a full picture of what happened.

The findings will be presented to the FEI Bureau and the conclusions will then be made public.

WEG Endurance off to worst possible start – a restart!

Horseandponymag.com - Full Article

The New Zealanders are safely through the first leg of the endurance competition but it counts for nought now, as the race will be restarted as a 120km competition.

By Jane Thompson - September 13, 2018

The Endurance competition has had the worst possible start at the 2018 World Equestrian Games when there was so much confusion at the start and during the first leg of the competition, that the race will be restarted later today (estimated to be between 11 and 11.15am here).

The official release states:

“As some teams were unfortunately misdirected at the start of today’s Endurance ride, the competition will be stopped at the first vet gate and re-started as a 120-kilometre championship. In order to ensure that all horses are fit to compete, they will all go through the vet check. Only horses who have passed the vet check will be allowed to compete. No substitution of horses will be allowed...

Read more here:
http://horseandponymag.com/2018/09/13/endurance-off-to-worst-possible-start-a-restart/

Chaos at WEG Endurance

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

September 12, 2018 | Comments
by: Pippa Cuckson

UPDATE: Horse Sport talked to the Canadian endurance team members as they prepared to mount up for the second time. They were in good spirits and said they were all part of the group who did the full 40 km loop. Their horses were all going well but when they were relayed the news about the restart they took it easy on the way back to the first compulsory hold, as their score from the first outing would not count anyway.

*****

Unprecedented scenes of chaos and anger are unfolding on the opening day of the World Equestrian Games, with the ground jury’s decision to re-start the endurance race as 120km 2* event. Many horses had travelled most of the first loop’s 40kms already, but confusion reigned after some riders were misdirected at the start.

Angry scenes erupted amongst participants and their back-up teams, notably within the UAE camp. Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, is sponsoring the event through his Meydan corporation, and his son, Crown Prince HH Hamdan al Maktoum is vying to claim gold again following victory in WEG 2014.

Officials tried to stop the UAE 4* judge Ahmed AL Hammadi broadcasting his altercation with FEI officials on Facebook Live...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/chaos-weg-endurance/

Unprecedented Re-Start at World Equestrian Games Endurance

September 12 2018

Due to the unfortunate circumstances of some riders being misdirected at the start of the WEG Endurance ride this morning, FEI issued a statement ordering a re-start of the ride as a 120-km Championship as soon as all riders were off their first loop.

The statement reads:

"As some teams were unfortunately misdirected at the start of today's Endurance ride, the competition will be stopped at the first vet gate and re-started as a 12-kilometre championship. In order to endure that all horses are fit to compete, they will all go through the vet check. Only horses that have passed the vet check will be allowed to compete. No substitution of horses will be allowed.

The restart of the ride will take place 45 minutes after the last horse has been inspected at the vet gate.

As there is no possibility to reschedule the ride tomorrow, the President of the Ground Jury, President of the Veterinary Commission, Foreign Veterinary Delegate and the Organising Committee agreed that this was the only pragmatic solution.

This is in line with the preamble to the FEI Endurance Rules which state: "in any unforeseen or exceptional circumstances, it is the duty of the Ground Jury and the Veterinarians to make a decision in a sporting spirit and approaching, as nearly as possible, to the intention of these rules and of the General Rules of the FEI."

We must speak for the horse, says endurance vet

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

September 12, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

The growing prize money on offer in endurance has led to a fierce rise in competitiveness, which has increased the risk to horses, delegates to an international endurance veterinary conference ahead of the World Equestrian Games were told.

Veterinarian Dr Martha Misheff, in her opening remarks at the day-long International Endurance Veterinary Conference (IVEC) in North Carolina, said it was incumbent upon veterinarians to speak for the horse.

The conference, near Tryon, drew nearly 100 veterinarians and other endurance professionals from about 20 countries, including Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Northern and Southern America and Australia.

Misheff, a US equine surgeon living in the United Arab Emirates and a member of the FEI veterinary committee, told delegates: “We mustn’t forget the horse; because it is the horse to which we owe our careers, and the many opportunities with which we have been provided...”

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/09/12/speak-horse-endurance-vet/

Latest Research Reviewed at Endurance Conference

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

September 11, 2018 | Comments
by: FEI

A very successful second International Veterinary Endurance Conference (IVEC) was held near Tryon (USA) yesterday. Nearly 100 veterinarians and other endurance professionals from about 20 countries around the world, including Europe, Middle East, South Africa, Northern and Southern America and Australia came together for a full day of presentations.

After the opening of the conference by Dr. Martha Misheff, equine American surgeon living in the UAE, long time involved in the endurance sport and member of the FEI veterinary committee and also President of the Treating Veterinarians in the world endurance championships in Tryon, Dr. Albert Solé Guitart, presented a wrap-up of the most relevant publications in the endurance sport in the lastest years.

One of the key presenters was Dr. Stephanie Valberg from the USA, the most renowned veterinarian in the field of muscle pathology, who once more stressed that tying up is not related to accumulated acid lactic in the muscle, but to other mechanisms related to calcium regulation of muscle. She also presented her later research on myofibrillar myopathy, a condition that could explain recurrent rhabdomyolisis in arabian horses.

Dr. Marc Walton introduced the audience to endurance in South Africa and shared his experience regarding most common injuries seen and their management in this geographic area.

Dr. Emmanuelle van Erck from Belgium highlighted the importance of using data from field exercise tests in the impact on improving performance of endurance horses.

Dr. Massimo Pucetti who works in the UAE and Italy described how he does pre-purchase exams, sharing his experience by showing numerous xray and scans case studies which was highly appreciated by the audience.

Dr. Monica Mira, also organiser of IVEC, presented some preliminary results on using a portable inertial sensor based system during endurance competitions to help veterinarians objectify their gait assessment during endurance competitions.

Morgane Schambourg presented her results of her study supported by the FEI on using a special device to check for hyposensitivity in limbs of horses subjected to neurolytics previous to competitions, a banned procedure thought to contribute to catastrophic injuries in endurance races.

Dr. David Marlin, renowned physiologists showed which strategy winners of endurance competitions seem to be using in comparison with non-winners, after statistical treatment of the data of major championships and other other international competition.

The panel discussion at the end of the day with participants from most FEI regions brought interesting topics to the forefront. One issue raised was how the FEI demands have increased competition costs so much that it has decreased the ability for many people to join the sport in countries like Uruguay and Australia.

Quoting Dr. Martha Misheff, “The conference provided an opportunity for the folks in the Endurance community to hear and discuss updates on current veterinary practices and research. There were some excellent speakers, and it was well received by the attendees, who were from a number of different countries from around the world. A round table discussion that followed gave people the opportunity to make many positive suggestions for solving some of the challenges faced by the rapid evolution of the sport.”

IVEC is organised before every biannual world championship, providing the international endurance community with the latest research in the sport. Speakers from all FEI groups are represented in the programme. The next IVEC is planned to take place at the World Endurance Championships in Pisa, Italy, in 2020.