Weed Out Weak Officials, If Endurance is to Have a Chance

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

Cuckson Report | April 9, 2019

It’s seven years since the inaugural FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne – April 2012. I remember it very well, for I was approached during a break by a senior vet who urged me to by-pass the eventing meeting I was heading to, and attend the endurance debate instead.

The endurance, in fact, proved news-worthy indeed. We media (all two of us!) arrived late, but once we’d got our notebooks out, distinguished officials stood up and spoke frankly about doping, cheating and death – many of them clearly directing their remarks towards the press. That, I then realised, had been no spontaneous encounter with the vet over coffee; 2012 was the first “open” conference about endurance since 2007, and it seemed quite a few participants wanted the media there to write it all down, the good, the bad and the (mostly) ugly.

That’s the occasion that piqued my interest in the malaise. I have written extensively about it ever since – as valued readers of my blog know only too well…

Seven years, though: desert racing has now crashed from grim to gruesome. So at the eighth edition of the FEI Sports Forum next week, a whole day is devoted to endurance. We will hear recommendations of the special FEI committee that has slaved away since October on potential reforms, hoping to succeed where previous reviews failed.

The day is entitled “Re-shaping Endurance,” though it might just as easily be called “Last Chance at the OK Corral.” There is not much wrong with existing FEI endurance rules, but there’s a lot wrong with their enforcement. The blind-eye attitude of certain officials owes more to the Wild West than to the military/gentlemanly heritage of the Olympic equestrian sports...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/cuckson-report/weed-weak-officials-endurance-chance/

Qatar: Omani riders shine at Al Shaqab Endurance Competition

TimesOfOman.com - Full Article

April 9, 2019 | 7:53 PM by ONA

Doha: Aisha Al Braiky successfully completed Al Shaqab Endurance Competition for a distance of 100 km at the Marathon Village in Sealine, Qatar. A total of 94 participants from different countries took part in the race.

The competition witnessed the participation of well-known endurance horse riders from various stables of the world. The race was divided into 3 stages; 40 km for the first stage, 35 km for the second stage and 25 km for the third stage/...

Read more here:
https://timesofoman.com/article/1108976/Sports/Omani-riders-shine-at-Al-Shaqab-Endurance-Competition

Northern Ireland: Spring has sprung at ILDRA’s Gosford Ride

Farmweek.com - Full Article

By Bree Rutledge - April 8, 2019

ILDRA (the Irish Long Distance Riding Association) turned out in force at Gosford Forest Park near Markethill on Sunday, March 24. Several CTR (Competitive Trail Ride) and pleasure riders enjoyed the excellent riding conditions, along the meandering woodland trails. Sunshine and warmer temperatures led to the feeling of spring in the air.

David Nealon, MRCVS, performed veterinary duties for the numerous CTR riders and their horses. All CTR riders successfully completed their respective distances with congratulations going to all riders. Experienced endurance rider, Martin McNamara, who has competed internationally at FEI level, completed a 20 mile CTR bringing ‘Sayel Al Khalediah’ to his first endurance ride. Another experienced endurance rider, who has also completed FEI rides, bought a new horse to compete in endurance, with Nicola Boud Tighe on ‘Elan’ successfully completing a 20 mile CTR. Louise Lynn completed her first CTR with ILDRA on the experienced endurance horse, ‘Frandore Al Maury’ – congratulations go to all new horses and riders...

Read more here:
https://farmweek.com/spring-has-sprung-at-ildras-gosford-ride/

Great Britain: ‘Social media at its best’ - missing horse Basil de Mulo is found

EADT.co.uk - Full Article

PUBLISHED: 22:02 07 April 2019 | UPDATED: 08:47 08 April 2019
Mariam Ghaemi

A horse that went missing during a competitive long distance ride in Suffolk has been found following an extensive search.

Basil de Mulo, a grey gelding, parted company with his rider Karen Grieg after she fell during the Endurance GB King’s Forest Spring Ride yesterday.

It happened just under an hour after leaving the venue at Wordwell, north west of Bury St Edmunds.

Police and RAF officers were involved in the hunt, which covered hundreds of miles of forest tracks and heathland.

A spokesman for Endurance GB confirmed on its Facebook page this evening that Basil has been found - on the Elveden Estate between Elveden and Barton Mills...

Read more here:
https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/missing-horse-is-found-1-5983185

FEI Responds to Endurance Tack Abuse Photos

Grandprix-replay.com - Full Story

Saturday 30 March - 10h41 | Lulu Kyriacou

The International Equestrian Federation (FEI) has responded to internet outrage over photos of an endurance ride that have been the centre of social media outrage.

Thousands of concerned horse people from every discipline, not only endurance, have been commenting and sharing the images originally posted on Instagram (since removed) and highlighted by British journalist Pippa Cuckson. Of particular concern was the image above of the sand encrusted horse wearing a very tightly fastened noseband. Fastening nosebands in this fashion contravenes FEI rules for other disciplines and, for example, in recent months four showjumping riders have been penalised for this breach of regulation. In endurance there is no specific regulation with regard to tack and saddlery, something which te FEI's Endurance Temporary Committee hopes to address at a meeting next month.

​The ride was part of an international festival of Endurance at Al Wathba in the United Arab Emirates, which is part of the FEI's Group 7 area and the centre of much debate in recent years after a series of fatal horse accidents and doping scandals.

​The FEI response (below) to this incident is unusually long and detailed and is encouraging that there might be a new transparency emerging with regard to this particular discipline...

Read more here:
http://www.grandprix-replay.com/uk/article/6097/fei-responds-to-endurance-tack-abuse-photos

No Tack Monitoring in Endurance Raises Welfare Concerns

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

April 1, 2019 | Comments
by: Pippa Cuckson

The FEI has admitted it is difficult to monitor the entire field of play in endurance, and that it welcomes observer intervention, in a letter sent to members of the public last week.

The letter responds to social media furore over severe tack that is the norm in desert endurance. Photos from the recent endurance festival at Al Wathba, the principal venue in in Abu Dhabi, have been shared more than 2,500 times from Facebook – the originals since removed by the photographer.

One image in particular shows Techno de la Bassanne ridden by Hassan Salman al Sabri, in the CEI** 120km, wearing the typical desert arrangement of long-shanked lever bit. There is also very low set, tight grackle noseband, which has caused huge comment and comparison with the strict rules of other FEI sports...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/no-tack-monitoring-endurance-welfare/

Namibia: Stefanus Pienaar Memorial Ride

Endurance-world.com - Full Article

Info@endurance-world.com
30th March 2019

Otjivero Endurance Club, Sandune lodge, Gobabis, Namibia. Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 March 2019. The Stefanus Pienaar Memorial Ride took place on the eastern side of Namibia near Gobabis at the venue of Sandune lodge.

It was hosted by Otjivero Endurance club as a FEI ride with the following distances, CEI1* 80km and CEI2* 120km. The National Federation hosted also distances from 30 to 160km under the FEI rules and regulations.

This ride is one of a kind with two consecutive rides in two days time. It’s been held as totally different rides with separate entries and different horses. It is organized this way to accommodate riders who travel long distances and want to qualify more than one horse for upcoming races later this year.

Otjivero club claimed a very successful ride and a completion rate of 84% . This is remarkable if taking into consideration the extreme weather conditions with soaring temperatures rising over 40 degrees and high humidity on Saturday as well...

Read more here:
http://endurance-world.com/stefanus-pienaar-memorial-ride/