Australia: Local riders make up strong representation at Woodstock ride

Cowraguardian.com.au - Full Article

30/10/2009

For many horse riders, endurance riding conjures up the idea of tolerating long distances in the saddle.

However, as members of the Gooloogong Trail Riders Association and Canowindra Pony Club found out last weekend at Woodstock, it means a great deal of fun and achievement, enjoying the privilege of riding their horses through beautiful countryside on a marked course, without having to open a gate!

Of the 57 riders who started the 40km and 20km rides on Saturday and Sunday, October 17-18, 26 were local riders.

The local competitors came from Woodstock, Cowra, Canowindra, Blayney, Mandurama and Forbes.

Some of these riders included Ann-Maree Watson, Vicki Doyle, Jenny Birch, Karen Gerdes and Garry Birrell from the Gooloogong Trail Riders.

From Canowindra there was Anna Ross, Phil Tucker, Kylie and Penny Whatman.

Naomi Seaford-England came from Forbes and Tim Stevens was very local from Woodstock.

Travelling a little further was Duane Blandford and Megan Blunt from Mandurama as well as Julie Dixon, James Ryan, Karyl and Stephen Bennett from Blayney.

Riding along with the training and social riders were experienced endurance riders, all locals as well, including Chris Bailey, Annette Bailey, Donna Tidswell, Nikki Tucker, Barry Blinman and Erica Allan.

Other local riders to feature in the 80km event were Mary Symons riding Ralvon Vim (12th middleweight), Andrew Jonkers Giriliambone Comet (equal fourth heavyweight), Robin Gossip (equal second lightweight) riding A’landell Sarlee and Dannielle Beard riding Botusa Park Spirit (fifth lightweight).

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Arabian National Endurance and Competitive Trail Rides Underway

Horsechannel.com
Endurance and show Arabians compete simultaneously in Oklahoma this week.
October 28, 2009

For the first time ever, the Arabian Horse Association (AHA) has combined the Arabian National Endurance Ride and National Competitive Trail Ride into one week of exciting competition, October 27-31 at Lake Carl Blackwell in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Both National Endurance rides are American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) Sanctioned. An open AERC ride will follow the championships.

Competition began Tuesday with the 100-mile and 50-mile endurance races. The National Competitive Trail Ride runs Wednesday and Thursday. Winners will be given a special awards presentation during the final evening of U.S. Arabian Nationals in nearby Tulsa on Saturday, October 31.

To qualify for the AHA Championship Competitive Trail Ride, horses must have completed 100 miles of AHA recognized CTR, placed in the top five at a recognized regional CTR, or placed in the top ten at a national CTR.

The National Championship Endurance Ride includes a 50-mile and 100-mile ride. To qualify for the 50 mile, horses must have completed 200 lifetime miles of 50 mile or longer recognized endurance races. Qualifiers for the 100 mile must have completed 300 lifetime miles. In endurance competition, completion of a race means that not only must the horse and rider complete the entire route, but the horse must be pronounced fit to continue by an attending veterinarian.

The dates of the National Endurance rides coincide with that of the U.S. Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, about an hour and half away, giving horse lovers in Oklahoma plenty to see. Arabians, Half-Arabians and Anglo-Arabians, known for their versatility and athleticism will be on display at the Distance Nationals and U.S. Nationals for the public to enjoy everything from the grueling 100 mile endurance ride to the glitz and glamour of Country English Pleasure.
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Australia: Quilty looks positive

Ground Jury Ieva Roberts who travelled from Western Australia
and South Australian Endurance Riders Association president
Sarah Adams at the ride that was based at Bungaree Station.

Northernargus.com.au - Full Article

CHELSEA ASHMEADE
28/10/2009

About 40 endurance riders from South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria made their way to the Bungaree Station last Saturday and Sunday (October 24, 25).

The South Australian Endurance Riders Association held the first Clare Cup throughout the valley over the weekend.

"It has been the most beautiful setting and we must thank the land owners Tom and Sal Hawker they have been fantastic.

"Riders have said it is a challenging and beautiful course," president of the SAERA Sarah Adams said.

Endurance riders had the choice of three different legs, the 'Black leg' that headed north from Bungaree at a distance of 37.5 kilometres, 'Red Leg' that headed east through Emu Rock and was 35.5 kilometres and the third leg was the 'blue leg' that went through Bungaree and headed out 20 kilometres toward Blyth.

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Namibian horse riders in Argentina

The Southern Times

The country will showcase five young riders at the world event and expectations are quite high for Namibia to perform well.

Namibia Endurance Horse Riding secretary-general Annette Hanekom said on Monday that three of the five-member delegation, Wanette Hanekom, Izolde von Schauroth and Marlene Janse van Rensburg, competed in the 2005 junior world championships held in Bahrain.

Hanekom is confident that Namibia will do very well taking into account the experience the trio picked up at the last junior world championships. "I have very high expectations for the Namibian team," said Hanekom.

She said the young riders would depart on 11 March for the South American country to get to know the Argentinean horses they would be riding. The Namibian team will be leasing horses from that country, said Hanekom.

The two other riders making the team are Pierre de Wet and Ellaine Rudman, who are also determined to excel at the global event.

Kentucky Cup 2009 Videos

A video blog from Trisha Dowling with Canada West at the Kentucky Cup Endurance test event. Includes still photo of Terre O'Brennan on Koszaar. October 12




The Kentucky Cup Mudfest October 14
Video and Photos from the Vet Check... The photos say it all about the mud. Congrats to Elroy, Gail and Terre for finishing in a true test of endurance!



Tuesday still photos from Kentucky Cup


Kentucky Cup Vet Check Video & Photos - Walk through video and photos from the vet check at the Kentucky Cup on Tuesday, Oct 13.

Belgium: World Cup for Veterans

www.endurance-belgium.com - Full story

by Leonard Liesens
Photos by Leonard Liesens and Caroll Gatelier

A partir d'octobre il est malaise d'organiser une course d'endurance dans les forets belges. Le lobby des chasseurs est l pour veiller au grain et faire entendre raison a n'importe quel gentil organisateur. Une gageure donc cette Coupe du Monde des Veterans a Mirwart. Heureusement qu'il y a le domaine provincial et ses 1500 hectares de forets ou la chasse est regulee.

Un contingent de 24 chevaux a donc pris le depart par un froid de canard, dans l'obscurite pour affronter les 130km d'un parcours que l'on savait technique mais rouant. Pour eviter les desagrements causes par la pluie toujours possible, les organisateurs ont opte pour un parcours "tous temps" alternant des chemins empierres (avec le plus souvent une piste centrale avec de la terre, donc plus souple). Donc une alternance de pistes galopantes et de chemins durs dont personne ne s'est plaint. La vitesse moyenne est d'ailleurs la pour attester de la qualite du parcours. Mais il y avait des passages techniques ou il fallait relancer le cheval, des cotes et des faux plats, et la descente sur l'asphalte au retour vers le vetgate central.

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From October, it is a hard job to organize en endurance race across the Belgian forests. The hunting lobby is strong enough to dissuade any try. So it was necessary to look for other options. The Provincial Domain of Mirwart was the answer. A public managed forest of 1,500 hectares with good trails to choose from. To avoid muddy going, the choice was made to use dirt and rocky roads with nevertheless a central bank with a bit of grass. So all in all, a technical route made for good skilled horses and riders.

Poespass (with Karin Boulanger onboard) one of the best belgian horse which suffered an elimination at the EC in Assisi was looking for a victory and was al the way in the lead. During the last loop, the couple launched several attacks trying to get rid of the German Petra Hattab and her good gelding. Finally, during the descent on the asphalt, Boulanger wasn't afraid to take the canter for finishing detached. 28 minutes later, a pack of three horses launched a sprint. Third place for the French rider Valerie Parisot.

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Mayed takes Kentucky Cup

Gulf News

M. Satya Narayan
Published: 00:00 October 16, 2009



The rides, sponsored by Emirates Equestrian Federation, are the official endurance test event for the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games, according to a press release from the organisers.

Shaikh Mayed crossed the wire first in the CEI** 75 mile event in a ride time of 6:05:30. McGunigal finished the CEI*** in a ride time in 6:30:41. The CEI*** was originally an FEI qualifying event at a distance of 100 miles (160km), but lost its status when it was shortened to 120km after the footing became questionable in inclement weather. Shaikh Mayed was thrilled with his win.

"It was amazing. This is the sport that we most love. It's our history," said Shaikh Mayed. "Given the weather today, the course was amazing. But the weather made it very difficult. There wasn't any hard part, other than the ground being a bit slippery. Other than that, it was excellent. There wasn't anything wrong or bad."

"I have mixed feelings about shortening the race," said McGunigal. "The footing was only getting worse. Some of the parts of the trail that we had to go over were already slippery and deep and if the race was kept at the original distance, we would have had to go over it again, so in that sense, I am glad they shortened it. But I was hoping to use this race to qualify my horse [Gold Raven] for next year, and now we have to do it at another event, so that is very disappointing."

Focus

Rain was a recurring focus of the day, with a downpour shortly before the start of the rides. It continued throughout the day for all mandatory veterinary exams, creating a messy vet gate and slippery footing. Two-time Endurance World Champion Valerie Kanavy and mother of McGunigal, was affected by the weather and footing. Kanavy was eliminated after her horse LM Parys fell on the second loop.

"We were crossing the road on the blacktop and she just slipped," said Kanavy. "She went down and I went right after. She has recovered and is doing fine now."

The endurance levels of the athletes from the 23 countries participating were truly tested. However, according to Mubarak Khalifa of the UAE, the weather was no big deal. "Endurance riders are used to riding in all kinds of weather, so this is normal."

Riding Kangoo d'Aurabelle le, an 11-year-old pure-bred Arabian grey gelding, Shaikh Mayed completed the ride distance in 06:05:30.

Second and third places in the event went to UAE riders Ahmad Salem Ali Sultan Al Sabousi, who partnered 13-year-old Bess Ess-Ob in 06:05:31, maintaining an average speed of 19.70kmph, and Yaha Sughayer Kanoon Al Aljtabi, who was astride nine-year-old Medjedra. He finished the ride in 06:20:30 with an average speed of 18.90 kmph.

Mubarak Khalifa Bin Shafya finished in fifth place whereas Sultan Ahmad Bin Sultan Bin Sulayem finished in the seventh place. Fourth place went to Spanish rider Jordi Arboix.

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