Australia: Tom Quilty forum held by North Eastern Tasmania Tourism

Examiner.com.au - Full Article

September 17 2018
Frances Vinall

Excitement is ramping up for the Tom Quilty, Australia’s premier endurance horse ride, to be held this year in Dorset.

Between 50 and 60 people attended a forum on Thursday night hosted by North East Tasmanian Tourism, which aimed to help local businesses prepare for the event.

The Tom Quilty is expected to bring more than 1000 people to the region, and NETT secretary Tony Scott said a significant number are likely to stay for about a week...

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https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5650992/tom-quilty-forum-held-by-north-eastern-tasmania-tourism/?cs=95

Ireland: St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride resounding success continues for 2018

Farmweek.com - Full Story

By Bree Rutledge - September 18, 2018

THE 2018 St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride, held on September 1, was a resounding success for all involved, whether riding, crewing or helping out, it was a brilliant day enjoyed by many. Beginning at the excellent venue of Downpatrick Racecourse, offering ample parking, on-site stabling, camping and the ever-popular burger van, over 100 riders headed out to explore the vast routes on offer throughout the scenic County Down landscape.

Whether you are a keen endurance rider or a pleasure rider out enjoying this event, everyone enjoyed themselves and the brilliant horseback riding available here. A misty start to the day transformed into beautiful riding conditions of glorious sunshine, perfect for the stunning photographs captured by the official photographer, SDS Photo...

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https://farmweek.com/st-patricks-coast-endurance-ride-resounding-success-continues-for-2018/

Chaos at the World Equestrian Games

NYTimes.com - Full Article

By Victor Mather
Sept. 17, 2018

For Tryon, in western North Carolina, the arrival of the quadrennial World Equestrian Games this month was a chance to host the type of big international event that seldom comes to small Southern towns. Organizers promised half a million spectators and $400 million in economic impact.

Instead, much has gone wrong.

Few could blame organizers for the effects of Hurricane Florence, which has caused the delay or cancellation of several events. One of the classic events at the Games, called the three-day event, had to be extended to four days because of the storm.

But a series of decisions and mistakes, over housing and a botched endurance race, have led to some far more acrimonious disputes, and created hard feelings among some at the Games.

The competition, which continues through Sunday, is one of the biggest and most important show horse gatherings outside of the Olympics. A thousand horses were shipped to Tryon, about 90 miles west of Charlotte, representing more than 60 nations.

But things got off on the wrong foot almost immediately when some of the competitors were sent the wrong way at the start of the endurance event last Wednesday. Tarek Taher, a rider from Saudi Arabia, told Horse and Hound that he followed a sign to the right and ignored a person who did not look official who told him to turn left.

As a result, organizers decided to restart the event at a shorter distance. “As there is no possibility to reschedule the ride tomorrow,” organizers said, “this was the only pragmatic solution.” But that decision sparked only more bad feelings, and competitors and others sounded off on social media and expressed anger on site that the shorter race benefited some riders more than others...

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https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/17/sports/world-equestrian-games.html

A Great Start for WEG Horse Care

Equimanagement.com - Full Article

Veterinary care for horses at the FEI WEG Tryon 2018 is receiving high praise.

KIMBERLY S. BROWNSEP 14, 2018

“The first big challenge is over” for the treating veterinarian team, said Anne Baskett, DVM, DACVS. Baskett, who was referring to the WEG Endurance competition. Even though the Endurance event was surrounded by controversy over a mis-start and cancelling of the race late in the day, the competition was considered a success for the veterinary care of the equine competitors.

Baskett and her husband, Bill Hay, DVM, DACVS, are in charge of FEI treating veterinarians at the FEI WEG Tryon 2018.

There was a large team of veterinarians attending the horses at the Endurance veterinary inspection and throughout the event, and six equine ambulances and veterinarians were available on course. When the Endurance event was cancelled due to high heat and humidity near the end of the day, “We were able, with GPS tracking, to go pick up horses that were still on course so we could give them a ride in,” said Baskett.

“We had a lot better access to horses on this course because of the clearing they did of the trail,” she added.

Baskett said most of the Endurance horses were recovered in the veterinary tent on course with fluids, but that even the more-intense medical cases are now good...

Read more here:
https://equimanagement.com/news/a-great-start-for-weg-horse-care

WEG off to a bumpy start

TheDigitalCourier.com - Full Article

By Mackenzie Wicker mwicker@thedigitalcourier.com
Sep 16, 2018

MILL SPRING – The World Equestrian Games at the Tryon International Equestrian Center got off to a bumpy start this week, hampered by weather, misdirection and controversy after the first event, the endurance race, was cancelled.

Endurance teams were upset by the cancellation. One horse on the field had to be put down.

A 20-year-old Anglo-Arab gelding named Barack Obama, ridden by New Zealand's Jenny Champion, was euthanized Friday, media spokesperson Gayle Telford confirmed in a press release. The horse had been competing in international Endurance events since 2009. Champion had been partnered with him from 2014 and together they had won six events.

He was treated onsite and then transferred to the Tryon Equine Hospital. After consulting with Champion and veterinarians, the horse's owner, Mark Round, elected to have the horse euthanized.

Endurance: 'Completely a mess'

Barack Obama was one of 53 horses sent to the Endurance Treatment Clinic during and after incomplete rides in the event, which would have covered 100 miles and lasted around 14 hours...

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http://www.thedigitalcourier.com/news/weg-off-to-a-bumpy-start/article_885117c7-e487-5b00-b54f-a3b862d7c2e5.html

Officiating blunder costs Bermudian Brangman

RoyalGazette.com - Full Article

Stephen Wright
Sep 14, 2018

Marvin Brangman’s World Equestrian Games came to a premature end after he withdrew his horse from the endurance riding event because of an officiating blunder.

Brangman had completed 20 miles of the 100-mile trek on Tuesday when riders were told there had been a false start and route complications. He said he opted against restarting the race after spotting behavioural changes in his horse MM Godiva Chokalat.

The race was called off later that day, perhaps saving the organisers’ blushes, because of a “dangerous combination of heat and humidity” after heavy rain in Tyron, North Carolina, where the Games are being held.

“When we got back [after completing 20 miles for the first inspection] it was absolute chaos,” Brangman said. “We were told there was a false start and the officials had sent us the wrong way. They wanted to restart the race..."

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http://www.royalgazette.com/equestrian/article/20180914/officiating-blunder-costs-brangman&template=mobileart

World Equestrian Games Dressage Freestyle Canceled–Official

Dressage-News.com - Full Article

September 15 2018

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

TRYON, North Carolina, Sept. 15, 2018–The World Equestrian Games dressage Freestyle was canceled Saturday after the riders pulled out because of too many schedule and competition venue changes forced by Hurricane Florence.

The decision by the riders to withdraw led to an official announcement by the organizers hours later cancelling the event. Earlier in the week, endurance was canceled after a botched start.

“Despite the best efforts of the whole Tryon 2018 team and the officials, who have been working on plans for rescheduling since yesterday (Friday) evening, including meetings with the chefs de mission and chefs d’equipe, the logistics of putting all necessary elements into place in time have proved insurmountable. As a result, and very regrettably, the dressage freestyle will now be cancelled,” the organizers said in a statement.

“This was not an easy decision, but we have explored every option, including trying to reschedule the horse departures, and even looking at moving the competition into the indoor with a change of footing, but the logistics of making all this happen are just not possible,” Tryon 2018 organizing committee President Michael Stone said.

“We know this is desperately disappointing for the 15 athletes who had qualified their horses for the Freestyle, and of course for all the spectators who had bought tickets, but the weather has simply left us with no choice. Horse welfare has to be the top priority and flying the horses out on the same day as competition doesn’t work, so sadly the decision to cancel the Freestyle had to be taken..."

Read more here:
http://dressage-news.com/2018/09/15/world-equestrian-games-dressage-freestyle-off/