FEI announces new member of Endurance Temporary Committee

Inside.FEI.org

4 Dec 2018

Valerie Kanavy (USA), the former athlete representative on the Endurance Committee, is to replace her compatriot Dr Margaret (Meg) Sleeper on the Temporary Committee set up in October to urgently review the Endurance rules in order to address the issues currently affecting the discipline.

Meg Sleeper, who was initially announced as one of the members of the Temporary Committee chaired by Dr Sarah Coombs (GBR), has resigned after advising the FEI last week that she could be in breach of the FEI rules on mandatory rest periods after competing in two national events in the US.

Dr Sleeper competed with her horse Syrocco Cadence (FEI ID 102UO89) in a national ride on 22 September and the mare completed 137.6 of 160 kilometres before being eliminated for irregular gait (lameness). Dr Sleeper then entered the mare for a second 160-kilometre national ride on 27 October, which she won, but was subsequently advised by her National Federation that she could be in breach of FEI rest period rules.

This has now been confirmed to the FEI by US Equestrian, and the FEI today notified Dr Sleeper that she has been given 100 penalty points under FEI Endurance Rules Articles *815.3.1 and 815.3.3, resulting in an automatic two-month suspension commencing today (4 December 2018).

“We are sorry to lose Meg Sleeper, and we appreciate her honesty and transparency in immediately advising us of this issue, even before it had been confirmed by her National Federation, but it was clear that her position on the Temporary Committee was untenable in these circumstances”, FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “This meant that we had to find a replacement and the FEI Board has agreed that this should be Valerie Kanavy, who is an athlete, a former member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee and also an organiser, so she brings a wide range of experience to this new role.”

Dr Sleeper, who has competed in FEI Endurance since 2005 and is also a trainer, official veterinarian and veterinary cardiologist, commented: “As soon as I realised that I could be in violation of FEI rest period rules I immediately contacted the FEI and my colleagues on the Temporary Committee and explained the situation. Once it was confirmed, I knew that the right thing to do was to resign. I made a mistake and I bitterly regret it, but the work of the Temporary Committee will shape the future of my discipline and that is too important to allow my mistake to deflect from that goal.”

Valerie Kanavy, who won individual gold with Pieraz at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Den Haag (1994) and took the world title again four years later with High Winds Jedi in Abu Dhabi (UAE), was a member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee and the Athletes’ Representative on the Endurance Committee for the four-year term 2014-2018. She has been competing at the elite level of the sport for more than three decades and won her most recent FEI event, a CEI2* 120-kilometre ride with Amir El Arab AT in July of this year, a week before celebrating her 72nd birthday.

The other members of the Temporary Committee are Tarek Taher (KSA), an international Endurance athlete elected by his peers as a member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee earlier this year; Pieter Wiersinga (NED), chef d’équipe of the Dutch Endurance team, a Police Commissioner and former Head of the Mounted Police in the Netherlands; and Dr Tim Parkin (GBR), who was elected onto the FEI Veterinary Committee at last month’s FEI General Assembly and who heads up the scientific research conducted at the University of Glasgow as part of the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study (GEIS).

The Temporary Committee is chaired by Dr Sarah Coombs (GBR), a top FEI Endurance veterinarian who has many years’ experience of officiating at FEI Endurance events. Dr Coombs was formerly the British Endurance team vet, is a Trustee of the global equine charity World Horse Welfare and is also chair of its Veterinary Advisory Committee.

FEI Vice President Mark Samuel (CAN) will also be involved in the work of the Temporary Committee and will help facilitate communications between the Committee and the FEI Board.

The first in-person meeting of the Temporary Committee will be held at FEI Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) on 12 December. This first meeting will establish the methodology to be used to fulfil the Committee’s remit to carry out an in-depth review of the rules in order to identify the most effective way of bringing the discipline back to its original roots of Endurance riding as opposed to Endurance racing, with horse welfare and horsemanship at its core, while still maintaining the competitive aspect of the sport. The Temporary Committee will also use this first meeting to determine the crucial consultation process with relevant key people in order to tap into their expertise and in-depth knowledge of the discipline.

Notes to Editors:

In order to protect horse welfare, FEI rules on mandatory rest periods apply to both international and national events, even in cases where the National Federation rules do not include rest periods.

*FEI Endurance Rules, Art 815.3 Mandatory Rest for Horses
If a horse participates in a CEN during the mandatory rest period, the Athlete will receive an official notification from FEI Headquarters. The 100 penalty points will be applied on the date of the FEI notification and consequently the Athlete’s two month suspension will take effect as of the date of the FEI notification.

About Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) www.fei.org

The FEI is the world governing body for horse sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founded in 1921. Equestrian sport has been part of the Olympic movement since the 1912 Games in Stockholm.

The FEI is the sole controlling authority for all international events in the Olympic sports of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing, as well as Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining.

The FEI became one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its seven able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The FEI now governs all international competitions for Para Dressage and Para Driving.

UAE: Power and surprises at Al Wathba races

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

Info@endurance-world.com
27th November 2018

Emirates International Endurance Village, Al Wathba, United Arab Emirates. Saturday 24 November 2018. An unusual appearance with two races on the same day; a CEI1* 80km and a CEN 100km being the main event HH Shaikha Fatima bint Mubarak for Private Owners – Ladies Endurance Cup.

The ladies race, which was first scheduled as a CEI2* but got later changed into a private owners’ race, was run under the Al Wathba conditions where the organisers have right of first refusal to buy the top three horses.
As in the past, these standards kept the most important private stables away, while others like Al Kamda Endurance Stables, Bin Ham Endurance Stable, Al Ghandi Pvt Stables and Al Ain Stables signed present...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/power-and-surprises-at-al-wathba-races/

Oman: Mohammed Al Balushi wins 48th National Day Endurance Race

Timesofoman.com - Full Article

November 26, 2018 | 2:04 PM by ONA

MUSCAT: Horse rider Mohammed bin Khamis Al Balushi, took the top honours of the 48th National Day Endurance Race organised by Oman Equestrian Federation (OEF) in the 100km open category.

The competition was held at the Endurance Village in Seih Al Mahamed that included two qualifying races over a distance of 40 and 80km. The number of horses that took part in the three competitions stood at 88.

The 100km race saw the participation of 62 horses, where Mohammed bin Khamis Al Balushi secured the first place in 3 hours 56 minutes...

Read more here:
https://timesofoman.com/article/494595

FEI, UAE vet tells of time at forefront of equine welfare developments

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

November 23, 2018
Horsetalk.co.nz

A pioneering horse vet who was at the forefront of several landmark equine health and welfare developments in the sport horse world has published his memoirs on his time in the industry.

When Irish veterinarian Alex Atock, 86, began his first job in regulatory veterinary medicine as a racing official, he would not have guessed that one day his lifelong affection for horses would impact how horse sports are conducted worldwide, and that his advocacy for their welfare would improve their treatment near and far.

As a pioneer of international equine health regulation and welfare for several organizations such as the FEI, World Horse Welfare, the Irish Turf Club and the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, Atock initiated programs and wrote policies still endorsed and followed by regulatory veterinarians and stewards around the world.

Now retired, Atock has put away his passport, and picked up a pen...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/11/23/fei-uae-vet-equine-welfare/?fbclid=IwAR0NrwmnLh0KxsZqIXYFqmPMHB6XiKL3B-3Pd9tds8BWvirZaMV615aBOX4

South Africa: Race the Wild Coast blog: it was utterly brutal, an onslaught, heroic and redeeming

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Katy Willings
10:55 - 30 October, 2018

My ability to sit and write this final post has been hampered far more by an inability to sit vs. an inability to write. The saddle sores are finally healing over acceptably and so in this post I’ll take you through my race and the experience, and cover off the most frequently asked questions by my friends, family and fellow seekers of equine adventure.

So, how was it?

Utterly brutal, an onslaught, heroic, redeeming. An adventure so full of hazard and hardship that you must focus your entire self on the immediate, the now, the horse under you and the terrain in front of you, and cope with the utter basics of your existence.

You can breathe, you can run, you can ride, you can see (for most of it… more on that later), so you are not dead yet and you are still in this race...

Read more at https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/blog/race-wild-coast-blog-utterly-brutal-onslaught-heroic-redeeming-669257#KKIuRSvzwgrGDsjr.99

South Africa: Brave adventurers tackle the ride of their life on Horse & Country

Horseandcountry.tv

November 15, 2018

The thrilling series The Ride returns to Horse & Country for a third series, with Barry Armitage and Joe Dawson tackling yet another incredible journey on horseback.

Human endurance
In 1835 Sir Harry Smith took just six days to ride 950km from Cape Town, using the horse-based postal system of the Cape Colony. His mission was to take command of the British garrison at Grahamstown.

Smith had fresh horses waiting for him at post stations every 40km, but it was still a remarkable feat of human endurance and horsemanship. Riding at an average speed of over 22km per hour, he covered around 150km a day.

Brave duo
This incredible race against time is relived by Barry and Joe in the latest series of The Ride.

Using 40 horses, sourced from the local trail and endurance riding communities, the brave duo replicate the postal system of 1835 and endeavour to match the furious pace set by Smith.

You can watch their epic journey on Horse & Country. Episode one of The Ride: Ghost of Harry Smith premieres on 1 November at 7pm.

Horse & Country is available on iOS and Android apps. You can also find us on Amazon Video, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Sky 184 and Virgin TV 298.

Watch the preview, or sign up to watch:
https://horseandcountry.tv/brave-adventurers-tackle-the-ride-of-their-life-on-horse-country/

French Riding Federation announces departure of French national endurance coach

Grandprix-Replay.com - Full Article

[translation]

Friday, November 23 - 10:53 | Interviewed by Yeelen Ravier

"I HAD THE IMPRESSION OF ENDORSING THINGS THAT I DO NOT LIKE", BÉNÉDICTE EMOND BON

This morning, the French Riding Federation announced the departure of Bénédicte Emond Bon from her position of national endurance coach. Petrified of convictions and love for his discipline of heart, like a Nicolas Hulot devoured by its principles, the Southern decided to throw in the towel, feeling helpless against the continuing excesses of his sport.

GrandPrix-Replay: What motivated you to leave your post at the French Riding Federation?

Benedicte Emond Bon: Let's say that I recognize myself less and less in the discipline of high level endurance. There are many drifts that taint this sport. The straw that broke the camel's back was the scenario of the Tryon World Equestrian Equestrian Games ( read here ) ... It was beyond anything I could imagine. It was not even imaginable! This has totally demotivated me, and I do not see any solutions to the current problems. So, I feel helpless. I feel like endorsing things that I deeply dislike.

GPR: So you decided to leave, even in spite of the recent declarations of the International Equestrian Federation, which has in particular launched avenues for reflection on the future of your discipline?

BEB:For me, the FEI says it takes action, but they are just facades...

Read more here:
http://www.grandprix-replay.com/article/8469/javais-limpression-de-cautionner-des-choses-qui-me-deplaisent-benedicte-emond-bon?fbclid=IwAR0BWp41u1ZToJo2QXH10cGqQlkZQVNzPy3cztbiqNNBo94Ii0t5MOLs_6U