UAE: Former endurance rider Ana Mendez revels in new role as a flat-racing trainer

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

Argentine scores a double at Sharjah Racecourse’s first meeting of the new season

Published: November 02, 2019 18:54
Leslie Wilson Jr, Racing & Special Features Writer

Dubai: Former endurance rider Ana Mendez is revelling in her new role as a flat-racing handler where she is in charge of the Al Wathba Stables owned by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

The Argentine horsewoman, who only took out an ERA’s training license two months ago, matched reigning champion Ernst Oertel win-for-win at the Sharjah Equestrian Club’s first meeting of the 2019-2020 UAE racing season on Saturday.

Mendez did not waste time to get off the mark at Abu Dhabi last week when she sent out Saarookh to secure a career-first victory that will always remain very close to her heart.

As the action turned to Sharjah, Mendez began the afternoon in fine style when Rawaa ran out a comfortable winner of the opening Sharjah Sports Maiden.

She then doubled the score with Fandim in the Longines Conquest VHP Maiden.

Mendez, a regular on the endurance scene, has for the past five years been honing her flat-racing skills that are essentially focused on Purebred Arabians, as an assistant trainer...

Read more here:
https://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/former-endurance-rider-ana-mendez-revels-in-new-role-as-a-flat-racing-trainer-1.67564907

Australia: Endurance riders raise funds to support drought relief

CowraGuardian.com.au - Full Article

October 31 2019

The Lachlan Endurance Riders Club has donated $4000 to drought relief efforts in NSW, following through on a commitment made earlier in the year.

The club decided to contribute to attempts to alleviate the drought's effects earlier in the year, and after careful consideration, decided to do so through Lions International, who have more than 600 volunteers donating thousands of hours of their time servicing Central NSW.

There are several steps in the Lions International aid process, which made it clear that it was the right organisation for us to direct our energy towards assisting.

First and foremost, it is co-ordinated through the Geurie Lions Club, and with assistance from Wellington Lions, all money donated is used to purchase hay direct from farmers, as well as stock lick blocks, while delivering both items to communities in need...

Read more here:
https://www.cowraguardian.com.au/story/6468398/endurance-riders-raise-funds-to-support-drought-relief/?cs=594

Clean Endurance urges National Federations to approve 2020 FEI Endurance Rules

5 November 2019
Immediate Release

Clean Endurance has written to all 134 National Federations invited to the FEI General Assembly in Moscow on November 19th 2019, asking them to vote in favour of the 2020 Endurance Rules Proposals in order to ensure the survival of Endurance as a FEI discipline.

They told the National Federation Secretary Generals that their letter was a last resort to try and convey to them the absolute emergency situation Endurance is in today, and that a positive vote was of the utmost importance.

Clean Endurance sketched the dire straits Endurance is in as follows:

‘Back in 2014, the FEI created the Endurance Strategic Planning Group (ESPG) which concluded that emergency measures were needed to reduce the numbers of doped, injured and dying horses at Endurance competitions. Only a few of their 41 recommendations were implemented and no improvement was seen.

In fact, the situation kept getting worse and worse, with ever increasing Catastrophic Injuries and the FEI Tribunal overwhelmed with doping and abuse cases. Currently, two thirds of all suspensions are for Endurance riders and trainers, over half of the Administrative Sanctions for doping involve Endurance horses ( and the winter season is only just beginning), over half of all doping cases treated by the FEI Tribunal in 2019 were Endurance related, and 80% of horse abuse sanctions imposed by the Tribunal this year were for Endurance. Numerous other abuse cases involving Endurance horses are queuing up to be heard by the Tribunal. An ever-increasing number of horses are collapsing and dying during Endurance competitions all over the world. This endangers ALL horse sports including the Olympic disciplines by bringing them into disrepute.

The continuing problems led the FEI to create the Endurance Temporary Committee in 2018 which was charged with creating rule proposals to protect the horses by putting them first, and thus ensuring Endurance could survive as a FEI discipline.’

Clean Endurance than pointed out that prior attempts at improving the Endurance Rules (in 2017 for example) failed, but that this time, commercial or political interests could not be allowed to prime over horse welfare, nor could a lack of involvement from those National Federations not actively participating in Endurance. They also mentioned that National Federations had no doubt, as was the case in 2017, received presentations from those National Federations who prefer to continue with racing horses at high speeds over very long distances and who will have tried to persuade them that this is the future. But that instead, they should ask themselves why the career span of a young horse sold to take part in these races is less than two years, and why the rate of positives to prohibited substances in that region is 12% - nearly 10 times greater than any other horse sport in any other country.

Clean Endurance went on to quote FEI President Ingmar de Vos from his opening speech at the 2019 FEI Sports Forum:

“Regardless of all actions undertaken, all the decisions, and all the resources made available we still have the same issues: horse welfare and the integrity of the sport remain huge concerns in Endurance. There are still too many injuries and fatalities, and I can only talk about those that we know of. We collectively hold our breaths when the season in the Middle East starts again. After Tryon, the FEI board unanimously agreed this had to stop. We need to bring horsemanship back to the heart of Endurance. It is our responsibility AND THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE. Endurance has great potential for the future, but NOT AS IT CURRENTLY EXISTS”.

Ingmar de Vos also stressed the fact that “We need to be courageous to make the right decisions in November”.

Clean Endurance wrote that ‘regardless of whether you as a National Federation are actively involved in Endurance or not, we urge you to vote a resounding YES to ALL the Endurance rule propositions the FEI submits to you. These proposals are not perfect, but an important steppingstone to finally get Endurance under control and build a sustainable future for it, within the FEI’.

They concluded their letter by stating they trust that the National Federations will support the FEI in its efforts for clean and fair sport.

Clean Endurance is a global collective which aims to restore the traditional values of their sport. It combats fraud, doping and abuse in collaboration with the FEI, National Federations and numerous other stakeholders.

Clean Endurance is happy to supply links for further reading, including coverage in bona fide news media.


Clean Endurance also welcomes comments and suggestions.

Find them on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cleanendurance and contact them through the message button, or email contact.cleanendurance@gmail.com

Advice from a 70-Year-Old Endurance Champ

FEI.org - Full Story

31 October 2019
Words by Noelle Maxwell

70-year-old Bob Long reveals how preparation helped turn him from western rider to Endurance champion!

When it comes to Endurance, longevity is clearly an advantage.

That’s certainly the case for Bob Long, the 70-year-old American who – like his horses – just keeps on going!

Bob, of Boise, Idaho, just recently became the oldest ever winner of the 2019 Mongol Derby. That’s a 650-mile trek through the wilderness of the East Asian country.

As with all Endurance athletes, Bob puts his success down to readiness. “Age is just a number – preparation trumps youth,” he said recently.

We found out more about how Bob's preparations took him from long-distance novice to champion!

Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/endurance-bob-long

South Africa: Australian winner of world's wildest horse race on Wild Coast

Sport24.oo.za - Full Article

25-10-2019

Cape Town - The world’s grittiest horse race, Race the Wild Coast (RTWC), was won on Friday, October 25, 2019 when Australian rider Emma Manthorpe crossed the finish line at Kei Mouth, ahead of 13 other international competitors.

The dramatic multi-stage 350km race, sponsored by KTC and supported by Jack Black Beer, was the third iteration of the race, held on the Eastern Cape’s iconic, unspoilt Wild Coast.

It took place with entrants from as far afield as the USA, Hungary, Australia, Switzerland, UAE, France, Ireland, South Africa and the UK.

There were two riders from South Africa. Seven male and seven female riders competed against one another.

According to race organiser and co-founder Barry Armitage of Rockethorse Racing: “We congratulate Emma - as well as all the participants - and recognise their grit, tenacity, and exceptional horsemanship. The race is always gruelling, despite the fact that the Wild Coast is a paradise of a location...”

Read more here:
https://www.sport24.co.za/OtherSport/South-Africa/australian-winner-of-worlds-wildest-horse-race-on-wild-coast-20191025

Final version of Endurance rules set to go to FEI General Assembly

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

October 25, 2019
Horsetalk.co.nz

The Endurance Temporary Committee, tasked with finding a sustainable way ahead for the discipline, has published its final modified version of proposed rules for next year.

The FEI General Assembly will vote on the new rules in Moscow in mid-November.

The Endurance Temporary Committee was appointed by the FEI in October last year in a bid to find solutions to ongoing welfare issues and reputational damage to the discipline, much of it arising from the fast-style desert racing centred on the Gulf region.

The committee says it has considered all feedback in shaping the final rules, which will come into effect as soon as reasonably possible in 2020 if passed by national federations at the General Assembly...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/10/25/endurance-rules-fei-general-assembly/

Cambodia: Third endurance riding held as CEF looks to greater heights

KhmerTimesKH.com - Full Article

October 25 2019
Jose Rodriguez T. Senase / Khmer Times

A bigger turnout marked the third edition of the endurance riding event organized by the Cambodia Equestrian Federation (CEF).

Kao Vannarin and Sou Thai won in their respective categories in the competition held over the week in Kampong Chhnang province.

With Pick as his mount, Mr Vannarin, a well-known and experienced rider, won in the 40kms category over nine other competitors.

The second place went to Cheam Kean riding on Rocky and third spot was won by Dun Sokhorn on Chamreon.

In the 20kms category, it was the turn of Mr Thai riding on Liza to shine. Second spot went to Rinda Menlong on Kropum, while So Ram riding on Sros bagged the third place.

There were 14 riders that joined the endurance riding event this time. Of the number, 14 competed in the 40kms category, while four joined in the 20kms division...

Read more here:
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50654125/third-endurance-riding-held-as-cef-looks-to-greater-heights/