Maktoum Family Endurance Horse Trainer Banned for Steroids Offence

HorseSport.com - Full Article

Ismail Mohammed, a longstanding endurance trainer for the Maktoum family has received a two-year suspension for a banned steroids offence involving Shaddad.

By: Pippa Cuckson | September 3 2019

One of the Maktoum family’s longest standing trainers has been suspended for two years by the FEI for a banned steroids offence involving Shaddad, who was the world number-one ranked endurance horse at the time.

Ismail Mohammed, 56, was also fined 7,500 Swiss francs and ordered to pay 2,500 Swiss francs towards costs. The same suspension, fine and costs order was handed down to Shaddad’s rider Saeed Mohd Khalifa Al Mehairi, 22. The suspensions are backdated to take account of provisional suspensions already served, meaning the pair are ineligible to compete in FEI through August 2020.

The testosterone positive was returned on July 13, 2018, at a Maktoum-sponsored FEI ride at Euston Park, UK. The gelding Shaddad is owned by MRM, the premier endurance stable of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum.

Ismail Mohammed has previous anti-doping violations in both endurance and horse racing. He blamed this latest incident on accidental “contamination” by the horse’s groom on the day, Saleem Khan, who was using a cream containing testosterone to treat muscle soreness on his own shoulders. Khan had worked “diligently” for MRM six years but on this occasion failed to advise MRM management he was using the cream...

Read more here:
https://horsesport.com/horse-news/maktoum-endurance-trainer-banned-steroids-offence/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Maktoum+Endurance+Trainer+Banned+%7C+Inevitable+Tokyo+Jumping++Mess++%7C+Ingrid+Klimke+Golden+at+Euros&utm_campaign=HS+Enewsletter+-+MONDAY+-+LATEST+NEWS+-+Sept+4

St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride 2019 – Ireland’s Emerald Jewel of Endurance and Pleasure Riding

Farmweek.com - Full Article

By Bree Rutledge - September 3, 2019

THE most eagerly anticipated equestrian event of the year is coming up soon and has been on many riders’ minds and training programmes. The annual St. Patrick’s Coast Endurance Ride is the perfect horse-riding event, whether you are an avid eventer, dressage diva or someone who enjoys exploring the glorious countryside on horseback! Now in its sixth year, this event hosted by the Irish Long Distance Riding Association (ILDRA), has become established as Ireland’s premier endurance event offering stunning off-road riding in the scenic County Down landscape.

On Saturday, September 7, the ride will commence at the excellent venue of Downpatrick racecourse, offering ample parking and on site toilets. The ride meanders across the rolling drumlins of County Down through numerous fields before reaching the East Down Gallops...

Read more here:
https://farmweek.com/st-patricks-coast-endurance-ride-2019-irelands-emerald-jewel-of-endurance-and-pleasure-riding/

Fines, bans imposed over testosterone level in Endurance horse in Britain

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

September 3, 2019 Horsetalk.co.nz

Excessive testosterone levels found in an Endurance horse who competed over 160km in a contest at Euston Park, England, have result in both the rider and trainer being fined and banned by the FEI Tribunal.

The rider, Saeed Mohammed Khalifa Al Mehairi, who is registered with the United Arab Emirates, rode UAE-registered Shaddad in the CEI3* 160km ride held at the venue on July 13 last year.

Shaddad, a gelding, had blood and urine samples taken for testing. Analysis revealed the presence of testosterone in the urine sample. The internationally agreed threshold for free and conjugated testosterone in a gelding’s urine is 20 nanograms per millilitre.

Shaddad’s concentration of testosterone was found to be 35 nanograms per millilitre...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/09/03/fines-bans-testosterone-endurance-britain/

Better welfare outcomes seen in domestic-level endurance

Horsetalk.co.nz - full article

August 30, 2019 Horsetalk.co.nz

Endurance rides ridden at slower speeds over technically challenging terrain have fewer eliminations and better horse welfare outcomes, the authors of a New Zealand study have found.

Massey University researcher Kylie Legg and her colleagues, writing in the open-access journal Animals, noted that international media recently raised awareness around horse welfare during endurance competitions.

However, much of this attention has been focused on international-level FEI competitions.

Little, they said, is known about domestic-level competitions and their risk factors for elimination...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/08/30/better-welfare-outcomes-domestic-endurance/

Long distance riders take to Cariboo trails

Quesnel Cariboo Observer
Long-distance horseback riders from all corners of the province made the Hangman Springs Trails their home this weekend (Aug. 24-25) while competing in the Quesnel Canter endurance race.

Almost 70 endurance horse racers, ranging in age from 10 to 75, took their steeds along a series of looped trails in the Cariboo wilderness just north of Bouchie Lake.

Some of the contestants rode up to 50 miles a day, while others opted for fun rides of 12.4 miles.

Welfare of the animals is of utmost importance to the organizers as well as the competitors.

If the horse is not deemed to be in tip-top shape, the contestant cannot win the race.

The day before the ride, the horses come in and are pre-vetted to ensure that they are sound to ride, and for each loop that a rider and their horse completes, there is a detailed vet checkup to ensure the animal is capable of running the next leg of the race.

“We have two vets here and a treatment vet on call,” says co-organizer Erin Wilde.

She adds the number of vets is dependent on the amount of riders that take part.

“And each vet has a scribe, so it’s all documented and they have a working baseline of the horse’s condition.”

The goal of the sport is to finish quickly with your horse in excellent shape.

“A big part of it is being a team with your animal,” says Cambria Volonte, who came to Quesnel from Bridgelake to race on her horse, Toby.

“You want to make sure that they come in healthy and strong and tired. We always say it’s a healthy horse if it will eat, drink, pee and poo on the trail, so you’re watching all those things.”

The sport of endurance riding is an old one that is still in practice in many places throughout North America, the Middle East and Europe.

One of the most famous races is the Tevis Cup, which is a 100-mile race that follows the coastline of California. This year’s competition was won by an 18-year-old girl on a horse her family had acquired for free off of an ad they had seen on Craigslist.

While the Hangman Springs Trails are not quite the same, the consensus among organizers and riders was the course was a technical one.

“There’s some road riding, but the majority of it is double track,” says Wilde.

“There’s roots, there’s rocks, there’s some mud, and there’s the elevation gain. Our 50-mile riders have climbed an average of 2,000 feet and descended 2,000 feet in one loop, and both the other two loops are about an 1,800-foot elevation gain, so it’s a little hard on the horses.”

She adds the best breed for the contests are often Arabians, as they are known for their ability to recover quickly.

“Vets are looking at horses’ CRI [cardiac recovery index], so you take the horse’s resting heart rate and you ask them to trot down to a certain distance and come back and measure it again, and the average will give you where they’re at metabolically,” says Wilde. “Typically, Arabians recover a lot faster than a lot of different breeds.”

The Quesnel Canter was an Endurance Riders Association of B.C. race. There are about a dozen other races being held by the organization across the province.

For riders like Wilde, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in checking out new trails.

“I love exploring new terrain,” she says, adding the people and the campsites also add to a sense of community among riders.

“We’re all here because we love horses. The biggest thing is exploring and finding new trails and seeing what our horses can do.”

Bucket List Ride: Meg Sleeper Checks off the Quilty




August 20 2019
by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

When you see her stats: over 15,000 AERC miles, being a member of the USA squad that attended every World Endurance Championship from 2004-2016 (Dubai, Germany, Malaysia, USA, Great Britain, France, Slovakia), finishes and medals in multiple World and Pan American Championships, AERC Championship and National Best Condition titles, 2015 nomination by the Arabian Jockey Club for the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies International Award in Endurance, and the 2017 Maggie Price award for excellence in Endurance - just to name a few accomplishments - the only thing surprising is that Meg Sleeper just rode in Australia for the first time this year.


Crossing the ocean to set foot and ride on her final continent (not counting Antarctica “I don’t think there are any rides there”), Meg - well known in the USA and around the world for riding her highly successful homebred endurance Arabians - completed the 100-mile Tom Quilty, Australia’s premiere 100-mile ride, on July 13, in Imbil, Queensland.


Her mount was Jay Randle’s Follydown Gai Emerald, a 21-year-old mare by Gai General X Formosa Park Faberge. The mare - the oldest horse in this year’s Quilty - had previously completed the Quilty in 2013 and 2015. Meg said, “I got to ride her two days before the Quilty when I got to the farm. She was great. She definitely thought she knew a lot more than I did. And she may have, I don’t know,” Meg laughed. “We did kind of come to terms in the ride, that I got to pick too. She actually accepted that very gracefully and she was simply fantastic all day. She was very experienced. She’s packed tons of kids around on different rides. She was just really professional and totally knew what she was doing.”

Seven of Jay’s Splendacrest endurance horses started the Quilty, with five finishing. Numerous ‘students’ of Jay’s accompanied the horses to ride and crew. “Jay has quite an amazing program, bringing kids along, from basic beginner riding to 100 mile rides. It was really fabulous just watching and meeting her and all the kids.” 

299 horses and riders lined up at the starting line of the Quilty at midnight. Why the midnight starting time, common in Australia and New Zealand for 100 milers? “Because it is so much fun starting in the dark on a fresh horse!” joked Aussie endurance rider Linda Tanian. But seriously. “It is about utilising cooler weather conditions, tradition, [and] getting finished in daylight if possible,” Linda said, “as it can be mentally tougher going into the dark when both rider and horse are getting tired.”

Meg rode “Emma” at what she felt was a very easy moderate pace throughout the Quilty. “The mare felt really strong, but I had never ridden her before. So I ended up deciding partway through the ride that if we’re walking down a hill - there was a lot of elevation change in the ride - I’m just going to get off and walk her. And I let her eat as we went along.

“I hadn’t really realized we were pretty competitive. We weren’t anywhere near the front, but it was interesting, because I came in thinking, wow, I just had this really mellow lovely day; I got to see beautiful birds, the trail was gorgeous, and it was impossible for me to tell who was in what weight division. That’s not why I was there, I didn’t particularly care that much anyway. 

“Coming in on that last loop, another rider asked me, ‘How many more loops do you have?’ I said I was on my last loop. And he said ‘Oh, wow, I hope someday I can finish in the daylight.’ 

“And I suddenly felt so lucky! I’d had a great day, it just felt very peaceful and comfortable.”

Meg and Emma did finish in the daylight, after just under 14 hours of riding, around 50th overall (of 194 finishers), and 23rd in the middleweight division. Five of the seven Splendacrest horses finished the Quilty, and Emma was the toast of the stable. 


Meg had high praise for the facilities at Sterling’s Crossing Endurance Complex, built by long-time endurance rider Matthew Sample three years ago. The premises have a 60m x 40m fully lit, undercover area; a large pavilion for horse exams and jogging; permanent overnight camping sites; air-conditioned amenities block with toilets and showers; bathrooms with radiant floor heating; large, level, well-maintained and grassy outdoor areas; and direct access to some of Australia’s most desirable forestry trails.

Meg ranks the Quilty as one of the tougher 100-mile rides she’s done - and one of the most enjoyable. “The ride was amazing on so many levels. One thing I have always found special about international riding is learning how similar we all are and how friendly everyone is on trail.

“Everybody, all day, whoever you passed, would say, ‘Good luck to you.’ It was really striking to me how encouraging everybody was.”


When asked what’s next on her Bucket List, Meg indicates the horizon is limitless. “What i’m trying to do is, any opportunity that comes, I’m trying to take it,” she said. “That’s my goal. 

“There are always some rides that you just go - wow - that was a rough day. But I learn something from every ride, and the people are always great wherever I go. I just love going different places, and this one was definitely one of the most special things that I’ve ever done.”

THE ANNUAL GOBI DESERT CUP KICKS OFF NEXT WEEK

Horse-canada.com

The annual Gobi Desert Cup will be held from August 28 to September 6.

In the heart of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia nomads from the last true horse culture in the world come together to train and condition the horses for the annual Gobi Desert Cup sponsored by TRM Nutrition. While some travel from thousands of kilometers away, they return each year for the 480 kilometer endurance ride that employs and provides sustainability for their nomadic way of life.

While the sun peeks over the horizon the herders bring in the horses who have wandered off into the night in search of grass and water. Soon, these horses will be tied to a traditional horse line awaiting an international rider there to test their horsemanship, their endurance, and fulfill their desire for adventure.

What better way to experience the vast expanses of Mongolia than on the back of a horse?

While many riders compete for the prized Gobi Desert Cup and prizes donated by our generous sponsors such as custom-made Setzi saddles for the first three finishers, others are there for the adventure and experience. Our goal is to provide a safe and incredible adventure to all that changes lives for the better- not only our riders but our nomads and their horses.

Many of you wonder who has been chosen to ride the 2019 Gobi Desert Cup from August 28 to September 6? We have the final list of riders here for you!

Sam Jones, Australia, 45
Sam is no stranger to Mongolia and won the 2014 Mongol Derby! Currently, Sam is a horse trainer working mostly with breakers and remedial cases. She says, “I would like to be able to do every race/ adventure/ endurance ride everywhere! But Mongolia holds a very special place in my heart and I cannot wait to return to the steppe. The more I have heard about the Gobi Desert Cup the more impressed I am, I am excited to be part of an event that gives so much back to the local community. My main goal for this race is to enjoy it! I find the isolation and wide open spaces make it easy to live in the moment and nothing beats riding a good horse across the steppe!”

Liann Wadewitz, USA, 31
Liann is a returning adult equestrian residing in Brooklyn, New York and spending most of her free time doing Roller Derby! She is attending The Gobi Desert Cup for the adventure and we are happy to give her exactly what she is craving.

Michelle Morges, USA, 35
Dr. Michelle Morges is a Veterinary Oncologist and medical acupuncturist. She works hard to play hard and combining travel with horses is about as good as it gets. Primarily a hunter/ jumper Michelle has been training to ride endurance just for this event. Let’s see if her mental determination and willpower will make her a contender.

Carmen Jackson, USA
Carmen hails from the San Francisco area and was one of the first riders to apply. She has made it her priority to train at Global Endurance Riding Center, our official training center and home of 2018 Individual winner, Christoph Schork. Carmen is the epitome of dedication and discipline. Will her long months and crazy calendar of training be enough to ride the entire 480 kilometers and six days across the Gobi Desert?

Cynthia Peticolas, USA, 62
Cynthia Peticolas is no stranger to endurance riding and adventure. She’s ridden endurance since 1991, ridden the 2,000 mile Pony Express route across the USA, and traveled by motorcycle through 7 countries. Now she is turning her attention to join us to experience Mongolia and her culture for the first time. Will her competitive nature kick in or will she just enjoy the ride? Either way, she is going to have the time of her life!

Laetitia Goncalves, France/ Portugal, 29
Laetitia is a seasoned endurance rider and Captain of Team France. While only 29-years old, Laetitia has a strong record. She was a junior and senior rider for the French National Team. She has ridden in both the President’s Cup as well as Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Dubai World Cup four times. In the 2009 World Championship in Hungary, she placed 3rd individual and 1st team with Jasmine des Ayssades. More recently, she placed 8th in the 2016 World Championship Negrepelisse and 16th in the 2016 World Championship Samorin.
Laetitia said, “I am very excited to take part in such a different scenery, the Mongolian horses, the immersion within the local culture. I am looking forward to getting back to basics and being secluded from the modern world. I look forward to sharing this experience with friends for an unforgettable experience where we will share our passion.”
Will her impressive record give her a leg up on these non-traditional endurance horses? Only time will tell.

Sarah Bertaux D’Agier, France, 51
Sarah is a French national, married with two children. She lives in Dordogne and owns two endurance horses and two donkeys which they use to trail ride with friends and family. She discovered endurance about 10 years ago and has ridden in Chile, Mongolia, and Jordan. She never thought she would have the chance to go back to Mongolia! Sarah said, “Sportive by nature with a love for adventure, I had to jump at the opportunity to participate in The Gobi Desert Cup.”

Cassandra Carmona, France, 23
Cassandra is 23-years old and owns about 10 horses. She is passionate about eventing and endurance! Cassandra has 20 years experience with horses and the goal to have her own stable one day. She will be competing as a member of team France and no doubt, this will be a team to watch for during the race!

Virginie Jacquet Bournazel, France, 35
Virginie Bournazel is the manager of L’écurie des Collines for 15 years with her husband and their 11-year old son. They organise local trail rides, treks, and qualify young horses in endurance. She is qualified FEI* and her objective is to preserve her horses’ welfare. Virginie has a very busy professional life, but loves travelling and wish she was doing it more often! We can definitely scratch that itch for her this year!

Jennifer Sims, USA, 44
Jennifer is popular influencer on Instagram known as Styled Equestrian and more recently EqGlobetrotter, where she is known for her equestrian fashion and travels the world on equestrian holidays. Jennifer has primarily been in the hunter/ jumper world but started playing polo last year and is now riding endurance for the first time as Captain of Team EqGlobetrotter.
We asked Jennifer what she was most looking forward to in Mongolia, “Everything. Meeting everyone, meeting all of the horses and the Mongolians who are a part of the GDC. Pushing myself to accomplish something that most people would never be brave enough to attempt.“
Will this be the start of a beautiful relationship with endurance riding? Only time will tell.

Louis Geyer, S. Africa, 51
Meet Louis, owner and operator of Cape Winelands Riding in South Africa!
Louis said, ““I am the owner of a horse riding holiday establishment in South Africa, with 37 years of riding experience. I have ridden in a variety of disciplines including hunting, hunter trails and trail riding amongst others. I regularly go on multi-day trail rides, such as the Namib Desert ride in Namibia. Why the Gobi Desert Cup? Riding in Mongolia is a life goal for me, it is a cultural experience I look forward to. I would like to throw my support behind The Gobi Desert Cup. I look forward to riding in such a remote region on Mongol mounts. Sharing a passion with like-minded horsemen from around the world.”
Louis is no stranger to riding in open spaces and longer distances. But will that help him in Mongolia? We will find out.

Cortney Rothman, USA, 45
Meet Cortney who lives in Oregon, USA. Cortney says, “I have worked with many different horses both in the saddle and on the ground in my 45 years. I am in the best shape of my life as I also ski and surf on a regular basis. I’m inspired by wide vistas and plains, happy to be dirty and smell like horse for days at a time, camp under the stars, be too cold or too hot. I’m also so excited to learn and experience endurance riding and to visit such an incredible place.“
We can certainly check those boxes for Cortney and make her adventure a memorable one!

Olympia Granger, USA, 46
Olympia says, “My experience began at the age of 11-16, halted for 20 years, and restarted in 2010. My riding spans all disciplines – you can call me a bit of a dabbler. Gaming, barrel racing, hunter/jumper, cow working, and my latest obsession, polo. I’ve participated in multiple horsemanship clinics since 2012 with renowned clinician Buck Brannaman, Peter Campbell, Greg Eliel, and an up and comer Michael Sparling. Mainly though i trail ride one of my four horses who are all very different. Two quarterhorses, 1 thoroughbred, and 1 quarter/cross (polo pony) I ride weekly in both Western and English. I’ve traveled 3 x to Africa on horse safari, one being in Mashatu that requires intermediate/experienced riders only. The past 3 years I’ve become involved with riding and organizing the John Wayne Pioneer Wagons & Riders with their cross state ride across Washington State that involves riding 220+ miles over 17 days, mileages upwards of 27 miles per day. (3 break days) My attitude towards horses is what can i offer them.”
Apparently Olympia does it all and we can’t wait to see her experience Mongolia for the first time!

Sybil H.Mair, UK, 43
Meet Sybil a dressage rider and filmmaker from England. Sybil said, “I am enthralled by Mongolia. And having learned more about the ethos and objectives of the GDC, I feel that we are being given an extraordinary opportunity to explore another culture and people more intensely, to set and overcome our own personal challenges, and the rare chance to forge a relationship with another being and attempt to navigate a path together.“
Sybil will be uniquely challenged riding in the wide, open spaces of the steppe since she spends most of her time in the dressage arena. But we know that she can do it and go home with the knowledge she can ride anywhere.

Shelley Ensor, NZ, 51
Shelley is a lively Kiwi who heard about our ride on the news, when our 2018 rider Stephanie Scott was interviewed about her travel. She applied the same day! Shelley said, “I have been riding since I was young. I love a challenge and have broken my last 2 horses in, Jackson is a thoroughbred x and my Clydesdale Belle. Both different types that had their own challenges. I do the cavalcade every year which is a 7-day horse trek over difficult terrain with basic facilities. I saw this race on TV tonight and just loved what I saw. How exciting 😆😆”

Andrew Hogg, NZ
Andrew was intrigued by the ride when he found out friend Shelley was joining up, and decided to apply with her. Andrew noted, “I was brought up on a high country station near Albury in South Canterbury and have been riding since I was 7 years old. We did all our hill work shifting stock with horses and over the years I have broken in several. While working as a valuer in Auckland in the late 1980’s I had a string of ponies and played polo for the Auckland club however since getting married in 1993 I have restricted myself to cavalcade and weekend horse trips. I do an annual one week cavalcade with Shelley Ensor who had informed me of the Gobi Desert Cup and that she was doing it. I have always been very outgoing and like adventure and feel that the experience would be excellent.“
From following their training rides, it seems Andrew is a late to arrive but passionate about horses all the same. How will he do getting prepared each morning before sunrise? I guess we will find out soon enough!

Nigel Colefax, AUS
Nigel Colefax is an Australian that has competed the famous Shahzada three times, and completed it three times. It is no small feat to ride 400 kilometers successfully on one horse! So we asked Nigel why he was riding the Gobi Desert Cup and why others should as well. He said, “It will be a once-in-a-lifetime ride. The only ride in the world that offers this type of experience.”
We couldn’t agree more Nigel!

Helen Davey, Australia 48
Helen rode as a teenager before taking 20 years off and coming back several years ago. Since then she has been riding endurance as well as jumping and some cattle work. She trains with Sam Jones who she will be riding in Mongolia. Helen’s biggest challenge? She said, “Riding so many different horses with different personalities and gaits. It will use all my muscles and more!”

Monde Kanyana, S. Africa
Monde is no stranger to Mongolia and has ridden the Mongol Derby, even winning the Sportsmanship award! He is a horsemanship trainer and works on a game preserve in South Africa. We are so pleased to welcome him to The Gobi Desert Cup this year and show him how we prize horse welfare and the native culture. More, we hope he shows us and our nomads a thing or two about horsemanship!

Jillian Vickers, USA, 56
Jillian is living the equestrian life in Hawaii training horses, riders, and playing polo. Jillian said, “I’ve been a horse trainer and riding instructor most of my life. I start colts, ride English (hunter/jumper and basic dressage) and Western, show horses (pleasure and trail). I have played polo for the last 25 years and grew up riding competitive trail (NATRC) and endurance riding. I worked for about 15 years in the Arabian horse show industry before moving to Maui and starting my own horse business which I’ve had for 25 years now. It consists of lessons and training. I also breed Arabian horses! !I ride five or six days a week between two and four hours a day.”
It sounds like Jillian brings a lot of experience and passion to her work. Aloha, Jillian and we are sure you will find adventure with us in Mongolia!

Nayef Alenezi, Kuwait, 25
Nayef was a member of the Tennessee Tech Equestrian Team and competed in endurance. He lives currently in Kuwait City. When asked if he could handle a Mongolian horse he answered, “I trained my crazy Arabian horse and he taught me how to be patient and a lot about horsemanship. I love to spend time with horses and to explore places on horseback because I love the desert and nature.“
Twenty-one riders from all over the globe brought together by a passion for travel and horses. As you can see they vary in age and discipline but all want to experience Mongolia and support an amazing cause. We are happy to oblige and take them on the journey of a lifetime. A journey which employs and supports the local nomads for several months via the Mongolian Horse and Nomads Foundation through our annual event.
Please, please support them and cheer them on via our Facebook page where we will be posting ride updates and interviews. You may also track their progress across the steppe using the following link: https://share.garmin.com/gobidesertcup. Trust us the riders rely on your encouragement while they are far from home!