Ana Whitehead: New Zealand's Young Endurance Talent

FEI.org - Full Story

25 March 2020

Ana Whitehead is the world’s best young Endurance athlete, holding the No.1 position in the Young Rider world rankings since the start of the year.

The New Zealander, who will turn 18 years old in May, developed an interest in long-distance riding at a young age and is planning on travelling the world to hone her skills and enjoy new and exciting trails when she completes school later this year.

Here we speak to Ana about her love of the sport, her magical and tough horses and what the future holds for her…

“I have grown up around horses ever since I was little. I live on a sheep and beef hill country farm about an hour from the nearest town,” she says.

“Endurance is a sport that the whole family can be a part of and I think that through the support that I receive I’m able to thrive and work to achieve my goals...”

Read more here:
https://www.fei.org/stories/equestrian-endurance-ana-whitehead-new-zealand-2020

Hunting helps British women conquer the Gaucho Derby

Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article

Becky Murray
23 March, 2020 18:47

The skills instilled by hunting experience came to the fore in the inaugural Gaucho Derby – a 10-day, 500km “race” across the wilds of Patagonia run by the founders of the Mongol Derby.

Not only is the winner, Marie Griffis, heavily involved with the Big Sky Hounds in Montana, USA, but all the three British riders who finished in the top 10 of the 23 starters have strong connections to hunting.

Clare King, who was second, hunts with the VWH and has twice won the Old Berks hunt race on the ex-racehorse Ravens Brook. And joint sixth – although actually first across the finishing line – were Ledbury joint-master Louise Daly and Laura Redvers, wife of Louise’s joint-master David.

“It was a serious adventure,” said Clare, who has so far raised £8,000 of her £10,000 target for the Children’s Cancer and Leukemia Group.

“Was it fun? Absolutely, in retrospect! Scrambling up steep mountains, getting stuck in bogs and being wet, cold and lost in the middle of nowhere wasn’t exactly fun at the time, but it all made for a real adventure. The horses, scenery and great bunch of riders were fantastic, and wouldn’t we all just love to be a real Gaucho!..."

Read more here:
https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/hunting-helps-british-women-conquer-the-gaucho-derby-710640

Claire King comes second in the ultra-endurance multi-horse race - The Gaucho Derby

Richard Dunwoody photo
SwindonAdvertiser.co.uk - Full Article

23 March 2020
By Jonathan Leighfield @JonnyLeighfield
Sports reporter

WILTSHIRE’S Clare King picked up silver in the ‘world’s toughest horse race’, The Gaucho Derby.

In early March, King took on 23 other riders from around the world in an ultra-endurance multi-horse race that crossed the mountains of Patagonia and the Gauchos in South America.

Though she narrowly missed out on the title, experienced rider King showed why she had picked up a third in the Mongol Derby in 2013 with some exceptional survival skills and a true determination to run eventual winner, Marie Griffis, extremely close.

Explaining the multitude of skills a person needs to be successful in this race, as well as the Gaucho culture she experienced, King said: “Every single decision affects your adventure and in turn your survival..."

Read more here:
https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/sport/18329297.claire-king-comes-second-ultra-endurance-multi-horse-race---gaucho-derby/

Clean Endurance welcomes FEI Tribunal decision that jabbing with a severe bit is abuse

23 March 2020

Clean Endurance is relieved that the FEI Tribunal has agreed that a leading UAE endurance rider committed horse abuse through the mis-use of a severe bridle during the 160km CEI*** President’s Cup at Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi in February 2019.

This decision sets a landmark precedent for Endurance – where more and more harsh bits and tight nosebands are being employed in an attempt to compensate for poor riding skills and lack of proper training of the horse.

Rashed Hamoud Humaid Al Junaibi, aged 22, was suspended for three months, fined 2,000 Swiss francs and ordered to pay 3,000 Swiss francs towards costs.

The Tribunal told Mr Al Junaibi his riding was “totally out of line with all general principles of horsemanship” and that he must take and pass all FEI Courses available on “FEI Campus” before returning to competition.

The FEI Tribunal was “comfortably satisfied” that Mr Al Junaibi committed abuse by repeatedly yanking and pulling the reins by using his bodyweight while riding 8 Minute (previously known as Zafira.) The same pair won the 2018 President’s Cup, but were eliminated for lameness at Gate 5 (140 km) of the 2019 competition.

This is the sixth allegation of horse abuse in UAE endurance that has been sanctioned by the FEI Tribunal in the past 12 months. Four of these cases resulted from Protests to the FEI Secretary General by Clean Endurance, the other two by Miss Cuckson including this latest, which went to an oral hearing in Lausanne last month.

Mr Al Junaibi was represented by Morgan Sports Law of London. Miss Cuckson represented herself and called an expert witness, Mr William Micklem, who is a Fellow of the British Horse Society and a recognised authority on bitting and horse physiology. Miss Cuckson provided lengthy footage from the official broadcast of the 2019 President’s Cup. She alleged that Mr Al Junaibi was trying to control 8 Minute by leaning far back using his full body weight against the reins. The impacts on the mouth would have been exacerbated by the leverage enabled by the long-shanked bit, the fixed looped or “para” reins and the tight cross noseband with a bottom strap of exposed metal chain.

She described it as “taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut.” Fellow riders could be seen on the video riding alongside 8 Minute and cooling her because Mr Al Junaibi could apparently not take one hand off the reins.

Miss Cuckson added: “Any rider can have an occasional, accidental ‘wrong’ moment but I submit these were not just one or two unfortunate snapshots amid an otherwise exemplary performance. Mr Al Junaibi did not have control of 8 Minute over many hours and it seems likely that severe gadgetry was employed, as it was anticipated the rider would have no control.”

Mr Micklem said “the result of these forces and pressure on nerves and blood vessels will mean that after initial discomfort and pain the mouth and lower jaw area is almost certain to become numb during the competition, making the horse a potential danger to both other competitors and spectators, and then hypersensitive in the days and weeks afterwards due to bruising and lacerations.

“The tight noseband also causes unacceptable pressure on the inside of the mouth, where the top jaw molar teeth are considerably wider than the lower jaw teeth. Therefore the delicate tissue inside the mouth is trapped between the protruding outside edge of the top jaw molar teeth on the inside and the noseband on the outside. This bruises or cuts the tissue on the inside of the mouth and can cause mouth ulceration. Therefore it is widely accepted that nosebands that are cranked tightly should not be part of a modern horse world.”

In his defence Mr Al Junaibi did not believe 8 Minute would have performed as well as she did if she felt any pain or unnecessary discomfort from the tack or his riding style. He said: “At various times during the ride, when I felt 8 Minute was getting strong, I tried to use my bodyweight to control the speed. As most riders would tell you, moving your bodyweight back from a neutral position helps to slow horses down and leaning toward typically makes them speed up. This does not increase the amount of pressure applied to a horse’s mouth – it is a question of where your centre of gravity is on the horse”. “Everyone has their own riding style and so long as the horse is well taken care of, it is a dangerous approach to dictate about style. Contrary to Ms. Cuckson’s allegation, 8 Minute and l worked very well together to complete 140km. Perhaps Ms. Cuckson has never taken part in long distance riding but in my opinion, it would be pretty hard to ride so far without control.” Mr Al Junaibi also said he had been competing since he was 14 and had never been told his riding was not good. He maintained that the FEI officials had the responsibility to ensure the horse’s well-being and safety. If they became aware of any horse abuse, it was their responsibility to disqualify the rider and report it to the FEI.

The FEI Legal team supported Miss Cuckson, stating: “Bits and bridles are for communication with the horse. They are not handles in order to stabilize the rider in the saddle or instruments for pulling on the horse’s mouth.”

The FEI said that in the video the rider was “clearly jabbing the horse’s mouth with the left and right hand repeatedly, ” and at other times “putting his whole body weight on the reins, jabbing the horse’s mouth severely; the horse is trying to avoid the discomfort and pain by thrusting the head up high and as a consequence even falls into trot.” Article 142.1 (iv) of the FEI GR’s specifically states that one sole jab constitute horse abuse.

Several items of tack worn by 8 Minute have been prohibited under FEI endurance rules since January 1, 2020, following concerns about the reliance on lever bits as “brakes” by unskilled riders. The Tribunal recognised that the bridle worn by 8 Minute was not prohibited in 2019, but assessed the case on the manner in which the rider had used the formerly permitted bridle and bit.

The Tribunal said the rider’s viewpoint was “unacceptable,” and that it objected to his criticism of Miss Cuckson.

“For the Tribunal, these are not hypothetical theories of horse suffering. The continuous jabbing of the horse’s mouth displayed by the respondent during the video is totally out of line with all general principles of horsemanship. What the Tribunal saw on the video was a very rough bit, used without any regard whatsoever for the horse’s mouth and welfare. Of course, the respondent’s way of riding, by pulling back with his entire body and with such a rough bit, cannot be accepted in any competition”.

“It should be obvious for any person with minimal horsemanship knowledge, that leaning back and totally out of balance for so long and continuously, with the bit, bridle and the reins used by the respondent, increases the amount of pressure to a point that causes or is likely to cause pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse.

“The Tribunal once more reiterates – as it has already stated in previous decisions – the FEI should investigate why FEI Officials did not react on apparent horse abuse happening during competition.”

A number of legal points were discussed, including the timeframe for reporting cases of alleged abuse. Mr Al Junaibi complained there had been “undue” delay in submitting the Protest (which is not time-limited under FEI regulations) and that he had been prohibited from making further submissions after seeking legal representation some months after his initial response. However, during the hearing he revealed that he had received help in writing his initial response from the wife of the trainer of Al Wathba stables, Emma al Jahouri (nee Finnie) a British-trained lawyer.

Although Clean Endurance is satisfied with the FEI Tribunal’s decision, it regrets that the proceedings were dragged out until the end of the UAE season – by which time an immediate suspension has no effect.

Clean Endurance also finds it abhorrent to see a reputable law firm argue the inadmissibility of an abuse protest on legal technicalities rather than on the factual content of the allegations. It is grateful that the FEI Tribunal dismissed these legal arguments, found the allegations of horse abuse to be true, and sanctioned the rider accordingly.

The full FEI Tribunal decision can be found here: https://inside.fei.org/system/files/Case_2019-11_Alleged_Horse_Abuse_Cuckson_v_Al_Junaibi-Final_Tribunal_Decision_13_March_2020_corrected.pdf

A short extract of the footage of Mr al Junaibi and 8 Minute can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkMf0DP_g8U&feature=youtu.be

Brit Claims Second Spot in the Greatest Test of Horsemanship and Survival Skill on Earth

by David Ferguson

Imagine yourself thundering deep into the wilds of Patagonia on horseback. You’ve got your steed underneath you and a pack horse by your side. You’re navigating across some of the wildest terrain on Earth attempting to win one of the toughest and most unusual equine challenges in history...this is the Gaucho Derby

After running the Mongol Derby for a decade, renowned as the ‘world’s toughest horse race’, The Adventurists decided it was time to grow the sport of ultra-endurance horse racing and went in search of the next world beating adventure. They didn’t just replicate The Mongol Derby with new scenery, but designed a new race from the ground up, based on the landscape, culture, history and horses of Patagonia and the Gauchos, and created, what they believe, is the ‘greatest test of horsemanship and wilderness skills on Earth’. And so, on the 5th of March, 24 riders from around the Globe lined up at the start of the Pioneer Edition of the Gaucho Derby and, over the next 10 days, the race certainly lived up to its billing

The nine stage race crossed 500km of Patagonian wilderness, including high mountains and pampas lowlands, making the event not just a test of riders’ skills on a horse, but pushing their navigation skills to the limit and testing their physical endurance and ability to handle the wilderness.

Whilst The Gaucho Derby is a multi-horse race, it differs from the Mongol Derby. The race is broken down into 40km legs, but riders don’t change horses at every section (as they do in the Mongol Derby). The high mountains are a test of skill, not flat out speed, so the horses don’t run out of steam and can cover several legs at a time. On the flatter pampas sections however, where horses can eat up the miles quickly, riders swap to fresh horses regularly.

Riders also do large sections with pack horses, to carry extra kit into the mountains. As well as looking after and guiding a second animal, they have to switch mounts mid leg to ensure the health of both animals by minimising the work.

The Adventurists monitor the horses’ welfare at every stage, with vet checks every 40km as well as race marshals and emergency and roaming vets to ensure that no rider puts their own competitiveness before the welfare of the animals - “We would rather nobody wins than someone wins by pushing too hard. Riders seen making bad decisions, riding too fast across difficult terrain or not presenting horses in great condition will get penalties or be disqualified. Full rules will be available to riders as we are developing them with our vet team now.”

The first Gaucho Derby began with a fast valley ride for some. Other riders took what they believed was a short cut through the mountains, only to have to turn back and lose any hopes of an early lead when they met unpassable terrain. Temperatures were hot, with riders wondering why they’d bothered packing so many cold weather clothes, luring many riders into a false sense of security as to what was to come.

Over the next few days, navigation remained a key part of the race. Riders traversed some breath taking, but ‘pretty gnarly’ countryside, with trails through passes, river valleys, dense forests, and bogs presenting challenges - all whilst individual riders tried to chivvy along a packhorse and keep their own horse on an even keel.

Then came the storm! Drama unveiled as the race headed through the mountains and a ferocious snow storm swept in. Local Gauchos helped guide riders to safe passage and an emergency shelter was created in a forest, with some riders (most to re-join the race later) air lifted out as a precaution.

With further bad weather forecast, the race was reset on day 6, with riders carrying forward their accumulated times from the previous stages, before the storm hit. Some faster riding, without pack horses, ensued and in the end, it was American Marie Griffis (a 2016 Mongol Derby veteran who runs an annual equestrian trip into the US mountains back home in Montana) who crossed the line first, having ‘weathered the storm well’ and ridden confidently ever since. In hot pursuit, crossing the line in the second place was Clare King from Wiltshire, an experienced rider who finished third in the Mongol Derby in 2013.
Of the race she commented...

“Every single decision affects your adventure and in turn your survival. There’s a battle between being competitive and ensuring your survival.”

But it was the Gaucho culture that left the biggest impression on her…

“The gaucho culture, (was the best bit) staying in a puesto the last night and getting to experience it hands on out of necessity.”

If you believe you have what it takes to ride in next year’s Gaucho Derby, visit https://www.theadventurists.com/adventures/gaucho-derby for more details.

Editor’s notes:

The Gaucho

“He has taken his first lessons in riding before he is well able to walk” 

said David Christison in the 1882 Journal of the Anthropological Institute. Gaucho’s were nomadic, skilled horseman and cow herds who were reputed to be brave and somewhat unruly. Greatly admired and renowned in folklore and literature they became an important part of the regions cultural tradition. A way of life that has dwindled as farming practices and land ownership changed.

Clothed in a poncho (which doubles as a saddle blanket and as sleeping gear), a large knife called a facón and loose trousers called bombachas held in place with a wide belt, they travelled far across the wild landscapes of South America.

Some photos from the ride are here:
http://www.endurance.net/international/Argentina/2020GauchoDerby/pictures01.html

Canadian Claims Third Place in inaugural Gaucho Derby

Horse-canada.com - Full Article

On the 5th of March, 24 riders from around the globe, including Alberta's Chris Peterson, lined up at the start of the pioneer edition of the Gaucho Derby.

By: David Ferguson, New Chapter Marketing | March 18, 2020

Imagine yourself thundering deep into the wilds of Patagonia on horseback. You’ve got your steed underneath you and a pack horse by your side. You’re navigating across some of the wildest terrain on Earth attempting to win one of the toughest and most unusual equine challenges in history…this is the Gaucho Derby.

After running the Mongol Derby for a decade, renowned as the ‘world’s toughest horse race’, The Adventurists decided it was time to grow the sport of ultra-endurance horse racing and went in search of the next world beating adventure. They didn’t just replicate The Mongol Derby with new scenery, but designed a new race from the ground up, based on the landscape, culture, history and horses of Patagonia and the Gauchos, and created, what they believe, is the ‘greatest test of horsemanship and wilderness skills on Earth’. And so, on the 5th of March, 24 riders from around the globe lined up at the start of the pioneer edition of the Gaucho Derby and, over the next 10 days, the race certainly lived up to its billing.The nine stage race crossed 500km of Patagonian wilderness, including high mountains and pampas lowlands, making the event not just a test of riders’ skills on a horse, but pushing their navigation skills to the limit and testing their physical endurance and ability to handle the wilderness...

Read more here:
https://horse-canada.com/horse-news/canadian-third-inaugural-gaucho-derby/

‘Interfering’ organizer to stand aside at World Endurance Championship

HorseSport.com - Full Article

San Rossore in Italy can continue to host September's medal event but organizer Gianluca Laliscia must be ‘hands off’ and FEI will appoint all officials.

By: Pippa Cuckson
March 18 2020

A controversial endurance organiser accused of interfering with the decisions of judges and vets is being allowed to keep the 2020 world championship ride – but he must stand aside and allow the FEI to appoint all officials.

The conduct of Gianluca Laliscia ‒ proprietor of San Rossore in Pisa, Italy ‒ has been the subject of much speculation following incidents last fall, and the FEI notified him about possible disciplinary action.

But while reallocation of the 2020 worlds to another venue was clearly an option, the FEI is “mindful that the disciplinary proceedings against Mr Laliscia (including any appeal) might not be resolved until after the 2020 Championship,” and that the endurance community ‒ whose 2018 championship at Tryon was cancelled when leaders had medals within their grasp ‒ needs certainty.

San Rossore has strong ties to Dubai, with Meydan as title sponsor, and has been the subject of previous controversy...

Read more here:
https://horsesport.com/horse-news/interfering-organizer-stand-aside-world-endurance-championship/