Endurance.Net: World News

Monday, May 24, 2021

UAE and Spain Take Endurance Golds

22 May 2021
Words by Stacey Stearns
Images by Chris Taniere

Salem Hamad Saeed Al Kitbi is the new World champion...

United Arab Emirates riders showed a strong performance in the FEI Endurance World Championship™ at the San Rossore Estate in Pisa, Italy, winning the Individual gold and silver medals.

Salem Hamad Saeed Al Kitbi riding Haleh is the Endurance World champion and Individual gold medal winner. Mansour Saeed Mohd Al Faresi riding Birmann Aya won silver.

Al Kitbi and Al Faresi worked together and applied pressure to Omar Blanco Rodrigo and For Ferro of Spain, who led for most of the day, on the final loop. The UAE riders established a gap between themselves and the remaining pack, as the battle for the final standings in the top 10 and the team medals evolved in the final loop.

Boni Viada de Vivero of Chile on AS Embrujo rode a strategic race to capture the bronze in an emotional and fantastic finish.

AS Embrujo and de Vivero moved up progressively throughout the day, in a textbook performance earning the first medal for Chile in an FEI Endurance World Championship™. They moved from 19th place early in the day to the bronze position using clever riding and tactics.

Spain led the team standings throughout the day, with steady pressure from Brazil. Angel Soy Coll on Warrens Hill Chayze came from behind to finish fourth. Omar Blanco Rodrigo on For Ferro finished sixth. Maria Ponton Alvaraz guided Mandany into 15th. Brazil rode consistently all day as a team, finishing in 8th, 9th, and 10th to earn the silver medal. France finished in the bronze position...

Saturday, May 22, 2021

UAE’s Salem Hamad Saeed Malhoof Al Kitbi and Haleh Win World Endurance Championship

May 22 2021

The UAE finished 1-2 at the World Endurance Championship in Pisa, Italy today. In a ride time of 7:24.24 for the 160-km race, Al Kitbi finished just ahead of his teammate Mansour Saeed Mohammed Al Faresi aboard Birmann Aya.

Chile’s Boni Viada de Vivero finished third aboard AS Embrujo, some 7 minutes behind the winner.

Rounding out the top ten were:

4th - Spain’s Angel Soy Coll and Warrens Hill Chayze
5th - Portugal’s Rui Lanternas and Alvantava
6th - Spain’s Omar Blanco Rodrigo and For Ferro
7th - Uruguay’s Vanessa Peyronel and AR Trueno
8th - Brazil’s Felipe De Azevedo Morgulis and Saiph SBV
9th - Brazil’s Andre Vidiz and Chamboro Endurance
10th - Brazil’s Renato Salvador and Uzes Trio

Former World Endurance Champion Jaume Punti Dachs of Spain was eliminated after loop 5 aboard JM Bucefala. Former World Endurance Champion Maria Alvarez Ponton (Jaume’s wife) finished 15th aboard Mandany.

26 finished the race out of 74 starters.

More to come at: http://www.endurance.net/international/Italy/2021WorldEnduranceChampionship/

Sick horse dashes US hopes at World Endurance Champs

Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article

May 22, 2021
Horsetalk.co.nz

The USA has pulled its team out of the FEI World Endurance Championships in Italy after one of its horses developed a viral infection.

The team’s five horses had travelled and been stabled together over the past two weeks, leading to the decision by the US team to withdraw from the event near Pisa. The horse had developed a fever on Thursday, May 20, and the US team immediately put in place additional biosecurity measures to prevent any possible transmission of disease.

The affected horse requires monitoring under the FEI’s Return to Competition protocols following an EHV-1 (Equine herpes virus) outbreak in Europe earlier in the year. Measures include advance PCR testing, temperature monitoring of horses as well as enhanced examination on arrival procedures. Stringent biosecurity measures and mitigation plans, in line with the FEI Veterinary Regulations, also form part of the measures.

US Equestrian CEO Bill Moroney said the health and safety of the team’s horses are of the utmost importance...

UAE knights vying for top spot at Endurance World Championship 2021 in Italy

WAM.ae - Full Article

21-05-2021

TUSCANY, 21st May, 2021 (WAM) -- The UAE knights will be vying for the top spot, along with 80 celebrated international endurance riders from 32 nations, at the Longines FEI Endurance World Championship 2021, opening tomorrow, May 22nd, in Pisa San Rossore, Italy.

The UAE team have the highest probability for success with a prestigious track record of achievements that goes down in history of endurance sport, on top of which comes the global accomplishment notched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, when he was crowned winner of the 2012 FEI World Endurance Championship for the Individual and Team categories Suffolk, UK...

Friday, May 21, 2021

USA Team withdraws from FEI Endurance World Championship in Pisa (ITA)

Inside.FEI.org

21 May 2021 Author: FEI

The United States of America has withdrawn its full team of horses from the FEI Endurance World Championship in Pisa (ITA) after one of its horses, stabled offsite, developed a fever.

The USA Team Veterinarian informed the President of the Veterinary Treatment Commission in Pisa on Thursday 20 May that they had a febrile horse. Subsequently, results from a blood test indicated a viral infection. The USA team immediately put in place additional biosecurity measures to prevent any possible transmission of disease.

Following consultation with the FEI and the President of the Veterinary Commission, the USA decided today to proactively withdraw the entire team, as their horses had all travelled and been stabled together over the past two weeks.

The horses, which arrived in Pisa several days ago, have been stabled 2kms outside the venue. A risk assessment conducted by the FEI Veterinary Department and the Veterinary Commission established that there was a negligible risk of transmission to any other horses taking part in the World Championship. The USA Athletes and team staff discussed the protocol measures directly with the FEI Veterinary Director as part of the decision making process.

“I commend the USA Team veterinarian, the USA Chef d’Equipe and the Athletes for their professionalism and proactivity in addressing this difficult situation, which resulted in the USEF decision to withdraw the team from the Endurance World Championship”, said FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström.

“This is a really unfortunate situation for the U.S. Team and I understand their bitter disappointment, but this decision was necessary and is completely in line with the biosecurity measures and rules we have in place to avoid the spread of infectious disease.

“The welfare of our horses must be put above any sporting goals and ambitions, and today the USA Team have done just that. It’s the right thing to do - and the only thing to do - for the safety of all the horses competing at the Event. We will continue to monitor all the participating horses closely to ensure a biosecure and successful championship for all the participating nations and athletes.”

The five USA Athlete/Horse combinations withdrawn from the Championship are:

Karen BINNS-DICAMILLO / RGS RAGNAR ZE MONARCH
Holly CORCORAN / POETE
Jessica DICAMILLO / JUST BELIEVE
Jeremy REYNOLDS / TREASURED MOMENTS
Cheryl VAN DEUSEN / HOOVER THE MOVER

A total of 31 nations will line up for the start of the FEI Endurance World Championship on Saturday 22 May, 12 of which will be battling for the team medals.

81 Entries from 32 Nations Set for World Endurance Championship in Pisa, Italy on Saturday

81 entries from 32 nations are set for the 160-km World Endurance Championship in Pisa, Italy on Saturday, May 22.

See the complete list of entries here:
2021WECEntries

Vetting in starts Friday at 3 PM local time.

Start time for the race is 7 AM local time (in the US, 1 AM Eastern, 12 midnight Central, 11 PM Mountain, 10 PM Pacific)

You can watch live on the free Yamahah App on your devices; we will provide updates when possible.

More at:
www.endurance.net/international/Italy/2021WorldEnduranceChampionship/

Thursday, May 20, 2021

World Endurance Championship USA Team Flashback: The Lightning Bolt in Malaysia, 2008

As our USA Endurance Team preps for the 2021 World Endurance Championship in Italy on May 22, we look back to the 2008 WEC in Malaysia, where a lightning bolt nearly struck USA Team members Jan Worthington (now an AERC Hall of Famer) and Leon, and Meg Sleeper and Reveille on loop 2 in the dark.

Both horses and riders went down. Both got back on and continued riding, moving through the loops toward the finish line of 160 km, and more drama ensued….

Read Meg's amazing recap of that crazy race here from her diary, November 8: http://www.endurance.net/2008WEC/megnotes.html