Practicalhorsemanmag.com - Full Story
JOCELYN PIERCE
NOV 26, 2018
My short-necked chestnut mount darted left around a tuft of shrubby grass, then right, totally out of control and gaining momentum. He stumbled in the soft earth, fell to his knees and grazed his nose on the ground. Without missing a beat, he picked himself up and was off and running at breakneck speed again. It was at that moment that I realized my girth was loose. Gritting my teeth and silently cursing, I grabbed mane and clung for dear life onto my fifth horse of the day. Eventually, the ground flattened out and, by maintaining equal weight in my stirrups, I was able to keep the saddle centered. His frenetic gallop soon became an easy canter. In the fading light, I glanced at my watch and squinted at the horizon. We needed to find a place to stay for the night, and we needed to find it now.
It was the third day of the Mongol Derby, and already I had broken my GPS device, been dragged on the ground by a barely 13-hand stallion, outrun vicious dogs and found myself falling in line with an unexpected group of riding companions...
Read more here:
https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/lifestyle/600-miles-on-horseback-conquering-the-mongol-derby?utm_source=PracticalHorsemanNL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9dGdVWiQ3YP8RzOsQO2UiEZkf2lNzbM9UNAI8NYBMZL6XMlJfkAD_OnsKA6cWZFK3e9N_11d0YJhxN30Qc8US0XyUelw&_hsmi=69359265
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Proposed Endurance reforms tackle cheating, reward good horsemanship
Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article
April 17, 2019 Horsetalk.co.nz
Endurance cheats are likely to find the terrain ahead much more difficult if the wide-ranging proposals unveiled today by the Endurance Temporary Committee are implemented.
The committee, presenting its much-anticipated findings and recommendations to the FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland, proposed changes which broadly reward good horsemanship and further penalise ill-disciplined riders.
Ideas include the possibility of tests on horse hair, which will be able to detect longer-term abuse of drugs such as anabolic steroids, possible out-of-competition drug testing, and mandatory post-mortem examinations where catastrophic injuries occur.
The chair of the committee, Dr Sarah Coombs, told delegates there was no future for international Endurance within the FEI if everything stayed the same.
“We have no automatic right to practice equestrian sport on an international stage, especially in these days of social media and instant news around the world. We have to bring about positive change if Endurance is to survive within the FEI...”
Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/04/17/endurance-reforms-cheating-horsemanship/
April 17, 2019 Horsetalk.co.nz
Endurance cheats are likely to find the terrain ahead much more difficult if the wide-ranging proposals unveiled today by the Endurance Temporary Committee are implemented.
The committee, presenting its much-anticipated findings and recommendations to the FEI Sports Forum in Lausanne, Switzerland, proposed changes which broadly reward good horsemanship and further penalise ill-disciplined riders.
Ideas include the possibility of tests on horse hair, which will be able to detect longer-term abuse of drugs such as anabolic steroids, possible out-of-competition drug testing, and mandatory post-mortem examinations where catastrophic injuries occur.
The chair of the committee, Dr Sarah Coombs, told delegates there was no future for international Endurance within the FEI if everything stayed the same.
“We have no automatic right to practice equestrian sport on an international stage, especially in these days of social media and instant news around the world. We have to bring about positive change if Endurance is to survive within the FEI...”
Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/04/17/endurance-reforms-cheating-horsemanship/
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Major reforms around officials, training proposed by Endurance committee
Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article
April 14, 2019 Horsetalk.co.nz
It appears no avenue has been left unexplored by the special committee appointed by the FEI to examine ways to reshape Endurance.
The conclusions of the Endurance Temporary Committee, appointed last October in a bid to tidy up undesirable aspects of the discipline, will present its findings on the second day of next week’s FEI Sports Forum.
It is the first time an entire day at the annual forum has been dedicated to one issue.
The committee, which has reportedly received wide-ranging input and met in person several times, has been exploring ways to bring the discipline back to its original roots of Endurance riding as opposed to Endurance racing.
The discipline has been wracked by controversy for years, much of it centered on welfare issues and behavior in the professional desert-style racing seen in the Gulf region...
Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/04/14/reforms-officials-training-endurance-committee/
April 14, 2019 Horsetalk.co.nz
It appears no avenue has been left unexplored by the special committee appointed by the FEI to examine ways to reshape Endurance.
The conclusions of the Endurance Temporary Committee, appointed last October in a bid to tidy up undesirable aspects of the discipline, will present its findings on the second day of next week’s FEI Sports Forum.
It is the first time an entire day at the annual forum has been dedicated to one issue.
The committee, which has reportedly received wide-ranging input and met in person several times, has been exploring ways to bring the discipline back to its original roots of Endurance riding as opposed to Endurance racing.
The discipline has been wracked by controversy for years, much of it centered on welfare issues and behavior in the professional desert-style racing seen in the Gulf region...
Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/04/14/reforms-officials-training-endurance-committee/
FEI Session 7: Improvements and innovations to reshape Endurance
Inside.fei.org - watch the session
16 Apr 2019
Proposed improvements and innovations to reshape Endurance, which form the basis of the Endurance Temporary Committee's proposed rules modifications, were presented during the afternoon’s opening session.
Prior to presenting the Committee’s 16 far-reaching proposals, Chair Dr Sarah Coombs referenced the fact that the Committee is also proposing more effective drug sanctions to include extending suspension on horses and to include owners, stating that there is never an excuse for horse abuse.
“Everyone in this room has to agree that the level of drug abuse is unacceptable”, she said. “For me it is the underlying factor in a lot of the issues that we see and we have to all agree that it has to be stamped out.”
Details of the full 16 proposals put forward by the Endurance Temporary Committee are below, along with supporting documents.
Recommendations of the Endurance Temporary Committee for proposed rule changes:
• Qualification from 1* to Championships: based on capped speeds and completion percentage for qualification up through the ranks from CEI 1* to Championships, with free speed only for those with a completion rate of 66% or over (as presented in Session 5).
• Course design: minimum loop length 20 km; minimum number of loops: 6 for 160km, 4 for 120km, 3 for 80km. A 5km distance between crew points and a max 10 km distance between water points.
• Number of crew: limit number of crew to three in crew areas, reinforcing the responsibility of the athlete.
• The role of the trainer: The registered trainer must be at least 18 years old. Substitution of the registered trainer of a horse taking part in an event not allowed after the date of Definite Entries. When a horse has a change of registered trainer, the Horse will not be permitted to compete for 30 days.
• Minimum rider weight: reduce minimum rider weight to 70kg for senior rides of 2* and above (regardless of athlete’s age).
• Maximum number of starters: maximum 200 starters per event subject to venue and appropriate ratio of competitors to Officials; maximum 400 starters per day subject to the same conditions.
• Criteria for test events: ensure smooth running of all Championships test events with requirement to match distance, course, panel of Officials, timing provider, data handling and heart rate monitoring.
• Heart rate parameters and presentation times: GEIS evidence supports 60 bpm in presentation time of 15 minutes; for venues where for the last 3 years, the top 10 finishers have an average speed of 20kph or greater over the same distance, 60 bpm and 15 minutes for all vet gates, with presentation time of 20 minutes at the finish; for venues where for the last 3 years, the top 10 finishers have an average speed of less than 20 kph, the existing rules regarding heart rate and presentation times will apply. At the first vet gate after the halfway point in a ride, horses that present with heart rate greater than 64bpm at the first presentation will not have the opportunity to re-present and will be designated FTQ-ME.
• Implementation of rules on the basis of Horse Welfare: where a rule change is judged to have a clear potential benefit to horse welfare, the FEI Board should require changes to be made if there is a chance that this could make a positive difference.
• Targeted Mandatory out of Competition Periods (MOOCP, currently MRP): longer MOOCP to be applied: additional seven days for horses exceeding the average of 22kph over completed phases; additional 14 days for 2 consecutive FTQ-ME; 6 months following 3rd consecutive FTQ-GA with specific examination protocol before being permitted to start; MOOCPs specifically targeted to musculoskeletal or metabolic serious injury and no longer related directly to immediate invasive treatment.
• Tack/equipment and horse abuse: Specific recommendations regarding permitted tack/equipment to bring Endurance in line with other disciplines.
• Extension of period for reporting rule violations to enable sanctions: extend to 12 hours for making an objection and then 24 hours to provide evidence.
• Increased sanctions for Horse Abuse: increase sanctions for Horse Abuse in line with current review underway by the FEI Legal Department; suspensions to be served within the competitive season of those involved.
• Increased sanctions for removing a horse from the field of play: Six months suspension plus 80 penalty points for first infraction.
• Visible blood: Horses in competition that have free-flowing blood from an injury or from an orifice should be examined by a panel of three veterinarians who will report their findings to the President of the Ground Jury. These horses would be designated FTQ.
• Serious (SI) and Catastrophic Injury (CI) designations: in order to eliminate confusion, the MOOC period that was previously triggered by Immediate Invasive Treatment would now be linked to the SI designation.
Professor Timothy Parkin, member of FEI Veterinary Committee and the Endurance Temporary Committee and who heads up the research programme for the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study (GEIS), had earlier presented several parameters based on the GEIS evidence, which provided the scientific basis for the Endurance Temporary Committee’s proposed rule changes.
Data shows that the risk of failure to qualify (FTQ) can be reduced by a number of factors: increased number of rides as a combination, longer out of competition periods, fewer rides in the previous 120 days, and more loops of similar length in a ride. Professor Parkin also advised that a lower heart rate on first presentation decreases the risk of FTQ at the next loop. Statistics show that a heart rate of greater than 64bpm at first presentation, especially during the second half of the ride, increased the risk of FTQ.
FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström had opened the session with a focus on drug abuse, the new hyposensitivity protocol, the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication strategy for Endurance, post mortem results and injury reporting. The new post mortem protocol now includes forensic investigation which can identify pre-existing bone injury, injection marks and the time of the injection, nerve blocks and the type of substance used. The Veterinary Director also revealed that there are currently three ongoing horse abuse cases in Endurance based on post mortem findings.
Other possible future veterinary actions under the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Programme (EADCMP) include hair testing, out of competition testing for banned substances, saliva testing after the vet gate, thermography and detection of nerve blocking agents.
16 Apr 2019
Proposed improvements and innovations to reshape Endurance, which form the basis of the Endurance Temporary Committee's proposed rules modifications, were presented during the afternoon’s opening session.
Prior to presenting the Committee’s 16 far-reaching proposals, Chair Dr Sarah Coombs referenced the fact that the Committee is also proposing more effective drug sanctions to include extending suspension on horses and to include owners, stating that there is never an excuse for horse abuse.
“Everyone in this room has to agree that the level of drug abuse is unacceptable”, she said. “For me it is the underlying factor in a lot of the issues that we see and we have to all agree that it has to be stamped out.”
Details of the full 16 proposals put forward by the Endurance Temporary Committee are below, along with supporting documents.
Recommendations of the Endurance Temporary Committee for proposed rule changes:
• Qualification from 1* to Championships: based on capped speeds and completion percentage for qualification up through the ranks from CEI 1* to Championships, with free speed only for those with a completion rate of 66% or over (as presented in Session 5).
• Course design: minimum loop length 20 km; minimum number of loops: 6 for 160km, 4 for 120km, 3 for 80km. A 5km distance between crew points and a max 10 km distance between water points.
• Number of crew: limit number of crew to three in crew areas, reinforcing the responsibility of the athlete.
• The role of the trainer: The registered trainer must be at least 18 years old. Substitution of the registered trainer of a horse taking part in an event not allowed after the date of Definite Entries. When a horse has a change of registered trainer, the Horse will not be permitted to compete for 30 days.
• Minimum rider weight: reduce minimum rider weight to 70kg for senior rides of 2* and above (regardless of athlete’s age).
• Maximum number of starters: maximum 200 starters per event subject to venue and appropriate ratio of competitors to Officials; maximum 400 starters per day subject to the same conditions.
• Criteria for test events: ensure smooth running of all Championships test events with requirement to match distance, course, panel of Officials, timing provider, data handling and heart rate monitoring.
• Heart rate parameters and presentation times: GEIS evidence supports 60 bpm in presentation time of 15 minutes; for venues where for the last 3 years, the top 10 finishers have an average speed of 20kph or greater over the same distance, 60 bpm and 15 minutes for all vet gates, with presentation time of 20 minutes at the finish; for venues where for the last 3 years, the top 10 finishers have an average speed of less than 20 kph, the existing rules regarding heart rate and presentation times will apply. At the first vet gate after the halfway point in a ride, horses that present with heart rate greater than 64bpm at the first presentation will not have the opportunity to re-present and will be designated FTQ-ME.
• Implementation of rules on the basis of Horse Welfare: where a rule change is judged to have a clear potential benefit to horse welfare, the FEI Board should require changes to be made if there is a chance that this could make a positive difference.
• Targeted Mandatory out of Competition Periods (MOOCP, currently MRP): longer MOOCP to be applied: additional seven days for horses exceeding the average of 22kph over completed phases; additional 14 days for 2 consecutive FTQ-ME; 6 months following 3rd consecutive FTQ-GA with specific examination protocol before being permitted to start; MOOCPs specifically targeted to musculoskeletal or metabolic serious injury and no longer related directly to immediate invasive treatment.
• Tack/equipment and horse abuse: Specific recommendations regarding permitted tack/equipment to bring Endurance in line with other disciplines.
• Extension of period for reporting rule violations to enable sanctions: extend to 12 hours for making an objection and then 24 hours to provide evidence.
• Increased sanctions for Horse Abuse: increase sanctions for Horse Abuse in line with current review underway by the FEI Legal Department; suspensions to be served within the competitive season of those involved.
• Increased sanctions for removing a horse from the field of play: Six months suspension plus 80 penalty points for first infraction.
• Visible blood: Horses in competition that have free-flowing blood from an injury or from an orifice should be examined by a panel of three veterinarians who will report their findings to the President of the Ground Jury. These horses would be designated FTQ.
• Serious (SI) and Catastrophic Injury (CI) designations: in order to eliminate confusion, the MOOC period that was previously triggered by Immediate Invasive Treatment would now be linked to the SI designation.
Professor Timothy Parkin, member of FEI Veterinary Committee and the Endurance Temporary Committee and who heads up the research programme for the FEI’s Global Endurance Injuries Study (GEIS), had earlier presented several parameters based on the GEIS evidence, which provided the scientific basis for the Endurance Temporary Committee’s proposed rule changes.
Data shows that the risk of failure to qualify (FTQ) can be reduced by a number of factors: increased number of rides as a combination, longer out of competition periods, fewer rides in the previous 120 days, and more loops of similar length in a ride. Professor Parkin also advised that a lower heart rate on first presentation decreases the risk of FTQ at the next loop. Statistics show that a heart rate of greater than 64bpm at first presentation, especially during the second half of the ride, increased the risk of FTQ.
FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström had opened the session with a focus on drug abuse, the new hyposensitivity protocol, the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication strategy for Endurance, post mortem results and injury reporting. The new post mortem protocol now includes forensic investigation which can identify pre-existing bone injury, injection marks and the time of the injection, nerve blocks and the type of substance used. The Veterinary Director also revealed that there are currently three ongoing horse abuse cases in Endurance based on post mortem findings.
Other possible future veterinary actions under the Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Programme (EADCMP) include hair testing, out of competition testing for banned substances, saliva testing after the vet gate, thermography and detection of nerve blocking agents.
Endurance GB to attend FEI Sports Forum on 'Reshaping Endurance
Endurancegb.co.uk
Endurance GB has confirmed that the organisation will be represented at this week’s International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Sports Forum taking place in Lausanne (15-16 April).
The entire programme on Tuesday 16 April, the second day of the Forum, is being dedicated to the sport of endurance and Endurance GB will be represented by Chair, Rebecca Kinnarney and International Chair, John Robertson. The Chief Executive of the British Equestrian Federation, Nick Fellows will also be in attendance.
The Endurance Temporary Committee, which is chaired by former British Team Vet Dr Sarah Coombs, will present over three sessions the work it has done since its creation in October 2018, with what it describes as an emphasis on the Committee’s philosophy for changing the approach of athletes and officials to the sport.
Members of the Temporary Committee include Valerie Kanavy (USA), the former athlete representative on the Endurance Committee, Tarek Taher (KSA), an international Endurance athlete elected by his peers as a member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee last 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 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 programme for the day is headed Reshaping Endurance and will cover three sessions between 9am and 3.30pm;
· Qualification of Horses and Athletes: reducing welfare risks;
· Educating Officials and correct application of the rules and
· Improvements and innovations to reshape Endurance.
There will be a two-hour closing session to allow for contributions from delegates.
In a statement, the FEI has said that open dialogue between the Temporary Committee, the FEI and the audience will be encouraged.
Rebecca Kinnarney said: “We are there to represent our members and the values and ethos upheld at every level by everyone involved in the sport in this country and will be robust in sharing our views on the way forward.
She added: “Endurance GB’s core objective is the promotion of a safe sport bringing health and wellbeing benefits to horse and rider through endurance competition and training and we are here for everyone at whatever level they participate. Central to this, the Society exists to promote and uphold at all times the highest standards of horse welfare and clean sport.”
The FEI Sports Forum sessions will be live streamed here.
Endurance GB has confirmed that the organisation will be represented at this week’s International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Sports Forum taking place in Lausanne (15-16 April).
The entire programme on Tuesday 16 April, the second day of the Forum, is being dedicated to the sport of endurance and Endurance GB will be represented by Chair, Rebecca Kinnarney and International Chair, John Robertson. The Chief Executive of the British Equestrian Federation, Nick Fellows will also be in attendance.
The Endurance Temporary Committee, which is chaired by former British Team Vet Dr Sarah Coombs, will present over three sessions the work it has done since its creation in October 2018, with what it describes as an emphasis on the Committee’s philosophy for changing the approach of athletes and officials to the sport.
Members of the Temporary Committee include Valerie Kanavy (USA), the former athlete representative on the Endurance Committee, Tarek Taher (KSA), an international Endurance athlete elected by his peers as a member of the FEI Athletes’ Committee last 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 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 programme for the day is headed Reshaping Endurance and will cover three sessions between 9am and 3.30pm;
· Qualification of Horses and Athletes: reducing welfare risks;
· Educating Officials and correct application of the rules and
· Improvements and innovations to reshape Endurance.
There will be a two-hour closing session to allow for contributions from delegates.
In a statement, the FEI has said that open dialogue between the Temporary Committee, the FEI and the audience will be encouraged.
Rebecca Kinnarney said: “We are there to represent our members and the values and ethos upheld at every level by everyone involved in the sport in this country and will be robust in sharing our views on the way forward.
She added: “Endurance GB’s core objective is the promotion of a safe sport bringing health and wellbeing benefits to horse and rider through endurance competition and training and we are here for everyone at whatever level they participate. Central to this, the Society exists to promote and uphold at all times the highest standards of horse welfare and clean sport.”
The FEI Sports Forum sessions will be live streamed here.
Monday, April 15, 2019
Australia: Tom Quilty Gold Cup set to triple Imbil’s population
Matthew Sample, joint winner of the 2009 Tom Quilty Gold CupMySunshineCoast.com.au - Full ArticlePublished: 12th of April 2019
Prestigious endurance horse ride brings economic impact of close to $2m to region.
In July this year Australia’s most prestigious endurance horse riding event will come to Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex, expecting to bring over 2,000 visitors to the Imbil area and provide a significant economic benefit for the region.
Over 350 riders and their support crews will converge on Imbil with many expected to stay for five to seven days to best position their horses to complete the challenging 160km ride through the Imbil State Forest.
The economic impact for the region is expected to be close to $2 million based on conservative estimates which do not include the substantial funds being injected into the local economy by event host, Stirling’s Crossing Equestrian Complex.
Complex owner and founder of Stirling’s Crossing Endurance Club Matthew Sample said he was delighted to be hosting an event that would have such a positive impact for local businesses.
“We want to put Imbil on the map as a premier equestrian hub in Australia ― particularly for endurance riding ― and we don’t underestimate the opportunity this provides for local businesses too,” Mr Sample said...
Read more here:
https://mysunshinecoast.com.au/news/news-display/tom-quilty-gold-cup-set-to-triple-imbils-population,58931
Thursday, April 11, 2019
FEI Seeks New Powers Over Suspensions and Yellow Cards
Horse-canada.com - Full Article
April 8, 2019 | Comments
by: Pippa Cuckson
Rider suspensions could be applied tactically in future to by-pass the “closed” season, if proposed changes to the FEI legal system are approved.
At present, suspensions for doping and other offences usually commence the date the FEI Tribunal hands down its decision, except where the rider is already provisionally suspended and given credit for time served.
Now the FEI seeks powers to delay the start in certain cases “to deal with those disciplines that have ‘off seasons,’ in order to ensure that the suspension has a real effect.” There have been a number of cases in recent years where an endurance rider has been suspended for six months towards the end of the winter season in the Middle East – the region with by far the worst doping record – and so is back in action by September, in ample time for the next...
Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/fei-seeks-new-powers-suspensions-yellow-cards/?fbclid=IwAR2T5ya6ZzFsFWlmXchdWm62UtcJFiGKmFQlQULjU-TMelveBxQJUoLTRrg
April 8, 2019 | Comments
by: Pippa Cuckson
Rider suspensions could be applied tactically in future to by-pass the “closed” season, if proposed changes to the FEI legal system are approved.
At present, suspensions for doping and other offences usually commence the date the FEI Tribunal hands down its decision, except where the rider is already provisionally suspended and given credit for time served.
Now the FEI seeks powers to delay the start in certain cases “to deal with those disciplines that have ‘off seasons,’ in order to ensure that the suspension has a real effect.” There have been a number of cases in recent years where an endurance rider has been suspended for six months towards the end of the winter season in the Middle East – the region with by far the worst doping record – and so is back in action by September, in ample time for the next...
Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/fei-seeks-new-powers-suspensions-yellow-cards/?fbclid=IwAR2T5ya6ZzFsFWlmXchdWm62UtcJFiGKmFQlQULjU-TMelveBxQJUoLTRrg
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