Tuesday November 23, 2010
EasyCare Inc. and the American Endurance Ride Conference are delighted with the success of the unique 'EasyCare's Give Back to AERC' campaign.
"The 2010 ride year will draw to a close this week and the participation by our membership to generate funds for AERC has been astounding," said Kathleen Henkel, Executive Director of AERC. "By the time the 2010 ride season ends on November 30 and the mileage totals have been submitted and tallied, we anticipate EasyCare will have contributed more than $11,000 in new and unbudgeted funds to AERC. That will be the third largest sponsorship in AERC's 39-year history."
The total sum will represent cumulative mileage totals in the 2010 EasyCare Hoof Boot Contest well in excess of 41,000 competition miles, approximately twice the 2009 year total of 21,301 miles. "We wanted to help AERC at a time when the organization needed it most," said Garrett Ford, EasyCare's President and CEO. "The idea came to me during a race early in the season and it seemed like the perfect solution to provide support for the organization while building awareness of the EasyCare brand."
The concept was simple: EasyCare paid AERC 25 cents for every AERC mile completed in EasyCare hoof boots. Any and all AERC sanctioned distances counted towards total rider mileage. For example, if a registered rider completed an AERC sanctioned 50-mile event in Easyboots, EasyCare submitted $12.50 to AERC.
The partnership between Easyboot and AERC goes back as early as 1972, when nuclear physicist Dr. Neel Glass conducted his own test of the Original Easyboot in endurance riding. Other riders were beginning to use Easyboots to replace lost shoes in such rides.
The Easyboot of today uses updated technology. Now the best-selling horse hoof boot in the world, the Easyboot Glove is a form-fitting, seamless boot designed to hug the hoof and respond like a natural foot. Flexible and tough, this boot adds traction to the hoof while allowing free stride and early breakover. The material stretches over the hoof and clings to the wall so that debris stays out of the boot even through sandy, wet and muddy conditions. The absence of external hardware makes the hoof boot virtually maintenance free.
Participating riders should submit their miles to the EasyCare offices by December 31 to complete their participation in the 2010 EasyCare Gives Back to AERC Campaign.
Easyboot is the official hoof boot of AERC.
For more information on the campaign, please contact Kevin Myers, Director of Marketing at kmyers@easycareinc.com or 520-297-1900 X 2238. For more information on EasyCare Inc. please visit easycareinc.com or blog.easycareinc.com.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
UAE horse owners spend up large on their animals
Horsetalk.co.nz - Full Article
November 23, 2010
Horse owners in the United Arab Emirates each spend an average of 120,000 UAE Dirhams - that's $NZ42,358 or $US32,654, on equestrian gear, agistment and treatment per year, it has been revealed.
The figure has been revealed in the lead-up to the International Equine Trade Fair, will open on November 29 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
About 200 companies from more than 20 countries will take part.
Saif Sultan Al Awani, a UAE-based equine industry expert and owner of Al Awani General Trading and Gulf Rider companies, said: "The average annual individual expenditure on equine equipment in the UAE is AED120,000, which includes the sheltering and treatment of horses...
Read more here:
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2010/11/145.shtml
November 23, 2010
Horse owners in the United Arab Emirates each spend an average of 120,000 UAE Dirhams - that's $NZ42,358 or $US32,654, on equestrian gear, agistment and treatment per year, it has been revealed.
The figure has been revealed in the lead-up to the International Equine Trade Fair, will open on November 29 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
About 200 companies from more than 20 countries will take part.
Saif Sultan Al Awani, a UAE-based equine industry expert and owner of Al Awani General Trading and Gulf Rider companies, said: "The average annual individual expenditure on equine equipment in the UAE is AED120,000, which includes the sheltering and treatment of horses...
Read more here:
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2010/11/145.shtml
Ride for the wounded
Havasunews.com - Full Article
Havasu cowboy to ride horseback across US to honor veterans
By JAYNE HANSON
Today's News-Herald
Published Monday, November 22, 2010 6:08 AM MST
A local 63-year-old cowboy will saddle up with his 18-year-old son to ride horseback through 11 states across America in June to honor wounded U.S. military veterans.
Jef Keegan, a five-year resident of Lake Havasu City, said he anticipates beginning the trek in Virginia. The endurance ride should take him and his son about five months.
The path they have chosen is the American Discovery Trail, the nation’s first coast-to-coast non-motorized trail, according to the ADT website www.discoverytrail.org. The trail’s terrain includes the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, the states of Ohio, Illinois, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the states of Utah and Nevada and ending in San Francisco.
The Keegans will travel with about six horses and plan to camp each night along the trail.
“Our horses are like part of the family,” Keegan said.
The trip is to help raise awareness for Wounded Warriors and to empower those wounded in battle, Keegan said...
Read more here:
http://www.havasunews.com/articles/2010/11/22/news/doc4cea003cbbff2865628527.txt
Havasu cowboy to ride horseback across US to honor veterans
By JAYNE HANSON
Today's News-Herald
Published Monday, November 22, 2010 6:08 AM MST
A local 63-year-old cowboy will saddle up with his 18-year-old son to ride horseback through 11 states across America in June to honor wounded U.S. military veterans.
Jef Keegan, a five-year resident of Lake Havasu City, said he anticipates beginning the trek in Virginia. The endurance ride should take him and his son about five months.
The path they have chosen is the American Discovery Trail, the nation’s first coast-to-coast non-motorized trail, according to the ADT website www.discoverytrail.org. The trail’s terrain includes the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, the states of Ohio, Illinois, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the states of Utah and Nevada and ending in San Francisco.
The Keegans will travel with about six horses and plan to camp each night along the trail.
“Our horses are like part of the family,” Keegan said.
The trip is to help raise awareness for Wounded Warriors and to empower those wounded in battle, Keegan said...
Read more here:
http://www.havasunews.com/articles/2010/11/22/news/doc4cea003cbbff2865628527.txt
Friday, November 19, 2010
Great Britain: Local endurance rider finishes season with foreign success
Viewfrompublishing.co.uk - Full Article
19 November 2010
LOCAL endurance rider Kirsty Wiscombe of Yawl has fought her way back to fitness after spending weeks in hospital last year to top the FEI worldwide rankings.
Her homebred seven-year-old stallion Yawl Hillbilly has just finished in 5th place at the tough, hilly, 130km FEI 2 star Mirwart ride in the Belgium Ardennes near the Luxembourg border.
‘Billy has had a great season of international rides the longest being 161km in a day at Euston Park in Norfolk and these results mean that Kirsty and Billy have now qualified for next year’s European Championships in Florac, France and are the highest placed GB combination in 64th place.
Kirsty’s other horse, 10-year-old Eskar has also had similar success and finished 13th in the flat fast 120km FEI 2-star ride in Tessenderlo in Belgium and also did a 161km ride this season...
Read more here:
http://www.viewfrompublishing.co.uk/news_view/7550/5/1/horse-racing-local-endurance-rider-finishes
19 November 2010
LOCAL endurance rider Kirsty Wiscombe of Yawl has fought her way back to fitness after spending weeks in hospital last year to top the FEI worldwide rankings.
Her homebred seven-year-old stallion Yawl Hillbilly has just finished in 5th place at the tough, hilly, 130km FEI 2 star Mirwart ride in the Belgium Ardennes near the Luxembourg border.
‘Billy has had a great season of international rides the longest being 161km in a day at Euston Park in Norfolk and these results mean that Kirsty and Billy have now qualified for next year’s European Championships in Florac, France and are the highest placed GB combination in 64th place.
Kirsty’s other horse, 10-year-old Eskar has also had similar success and finished 13th in the flat fast 120km FEI 2-star ride in Tessenderlo in Belgium and also did a 161km ride this season...
Read more here:
http://www.viewfrompublishing.co.uk/news_view/7550/5/1/horse-racing-local-endurance-rider-finishes
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Lone Star Ride
November 18 2010
Thanksgiving is next week.... Turkey and Dressing, pies, Cranberry sauce, gravy, pies, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, yummy rolls, pies, cookies, pies.... doesn't this make you hungry??? (I like pie...) Bring a covered dish to add to the fare.
Come on out to the Hill Country State Natural Area at Bandera, Texas and join us for the Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday evening from 4 to 6. Then ride the Lone Star I & II on Friday and Saturday; or ride one day and work the other.
Our trail crew, Peter Ansorge, Paulette Brehob, Eron Howell and Caryne Edwards, assures us the trails are ready for the riders. We will have everything from some technical to some flat, easier trails so there should be something for everyone.
When you arrive at The Hill Country State Natural Area, turn right across the low water crossing, following the AERC Ride signs, and continue to the Ranger Station. The Park is asking us to pay attention to the signs when you enter the Park this year. Drive through, but don't stop, in front of the Ranger Station. They are counting the rigs. When you reach the Lodge camping area, stop and you will be issued a parking permit and have your Coggins papers checked.
The Lodge camping area is open for us from Thursday morning at 8 am. Please don't plan on arriving before then. If you come in Friday, drive carefully down the road, there will be riders on the road at times.
We will have a manure station set up and marked clearly. Please bring a wheel barrow if you have one. The more the better.
And don't worry about rain. We are dry, it never seems to get down here to us. It is not in our forecast for Bandera. The roads are good. If it did shower, it will be over quickly. Trails are in good shape and will be well marked.
See you next week!
Linda, Bo and all the crew that are making this ride happen! :-)
Thanksgiving is next week.... Turkey and Dressing, pies, Cranberry sauce, gravy, pies, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, yummy rolls, pies, cookies, pies.... doesn't this make you hungry??? (I like pie...) Bring a covered dish to add to the fare.
Come on out to the Hill Country State Natural Area at Bandera, Texas and join us for the Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday evening from 4 to 6. Then ride the Lone Star I & II on Friday and Saturday; or ride one day and work the other.
Our trail crew, Peter Ansorge, Paulette Brehob, Eron Howell and Caryne Edwards, assures us the trails are ready for the riders. We will have everything from some technical to some flat, easier trails so there should be something for everyone.
When you arrive at The Hill Country State Natural Area, turn right across the low water crossing, following the AERC Ride signs, and continue to the Ranger Station. The Park is asking us to pay attention to the signs when you enter the Park this year. Drive through, but don't stop, in front of the Ranger Station. They are counting the rigs. When you reach the Lodge camping area, stop and you will be issued a parking permit and have your Coggins papers checked.
The Lodge camping area is open for us from Thursday morning at 8 am. Please don't plan on arriving before then. If you come in Friday, drive carefully down the road, there will be riders on the road at times.
We will have a manure station set up and marked clearly. Please bring a wheel barrow if you have one. The more the better.
And don't worry about rain. We are dry, it never seems to get down here to us. It is not in our forecast for Bandera. The roads are good. If it did shower, it will be over quickly. Trails are in good shape and will be well marked.
See you next week!
Linda, Bo and all the crew that are making this ride happen! :-)
2011 AERC National Championship
The AERC National Championship Committee is pleased to announce that the 2011 AERC National Championship is going to be held at Fort Stanton, New Mexico. Proposed dates are August 25-28, 2011. Ride managers will be Roger and Sue Taylor, famed for their Fort Stanton Multi-day ride held yearly in July. We are excited to showcase Fort Stanton and AERC's ongoing partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
More information will be passed on when available.
Jan Stevens
Chair AERC National Championship Committee
More information will be passed on when available.
Jan Stevens
Chair AERC National Championship Committee
Linny and Sojourner: after 3,700 miles across the USA
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
"I have dreams to remember"-Otis Redding
We left Hayward, CA. on March 1st, 2010 to trailer Sojourner down to Los Angeles, CA where we would start what would turn out to be a 3,700 mile ride to Bath, New Hampshire.
Two days ago on November 14th at around 4:30pm, eight months and 14 days later, Sojourner, Walter and I stood at the end of the long driveway that led to my childhood home.
I can remember the first steps on Foothill Blvd. in Los Angeles. Every single person who passed by looked at us with their mouths open and most of them with gigantic smiles and I was thinking, “Well, here we go, Sojer. 5 steps down, and about a gazillion to go…”
And now we’re here.
I slipped down from the saddle and put my face close to Sojourner who was looking down the driveway. "This is my home, Soj. This is where we've been riding to all this time. Thank you, my sweet boy, thank you so much...."
Read more here:
http://linnykenney.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-have-dreams-to-remember-otis-redding.html
Read about Linny and Sojourner's entire journey on their blog:
http://linnykenney.blogspot.com/
We left Hayward, CA. on March 1st, 2010 to trailer Sojourner down to Los Angeles, CA where we would start what would turn out to be a 3,700 mile ride to Bath, New Hampshire.
Two days ago on November 14th at around 4:30pm, eight months and 14 days later, Sojourner, Walter and I stood at the end of the long driveway that led to my childhood home.
I can remember the first steps on Foothill Blvd. in Los Angeles. Every single person who passed by looked at us with their mouths open and most of them with gigantic smiles and I was thinking, “Well, here we go, Sojer. 5 steps down, and about a gazillion to go…”
And now we’re here.
I slipped down from the saddle and put my face close to Sojourner who was looking down the driveway. "This is my home, Soj. This is where we've been riding to all this time. Thank you, my sweet boy, thank you so much...."
Read more here:
http://linnykenney.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-have-dreams-to-remember-otis-redding.html
Read about Linny and Sojourner's entire journey on their blog:
http://linnykenney.blogspot.com/
Live Webinar: 10 Key Concepts for Feeding the Performance Horse
KER.com - Kentucky Equine Research
With so many different equine supplements and feed choices on the market today, it can be hard to know what to feed your horse to help ensure that he competes at the top of his game. Dr. Kathleen Crandell, a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research, explains the 10 key concepts for feeding the performance horse in a free one-hour Webinar, which will be held on Nov. 23, 2010, at 1 p.m. (EST). During the Webinar, Dr. Crandell will answer your questions about feeding your horse.
Dr. Crandell will cover:
1. Finding the right combination of energy sources.
2. Getting the right amount of energy.
3. Feeding for proper absorption of nutrients.
4. Keeping the digestive tract happy.
5. Getting the right amount of protein.
6. Balancing the diet.
7. Getting everything needed into the easy keeper.
8. Feeding the right kind of fat.
9. Getting the right type of antioxidant
10. Finding good advice.
What is a Webinar?
A Webinar is an online seminar that you can attend from anywhere with Internet access (we recommend you have high-speed internet). During the webinar, you will be able to send Dr. Crandell questions that she will answer live.
Who Should Attend?
The Webinar is geared toward performance horse owners and equine professionals, but everyone is encouraged to attend.
About Dr. Crandell
Dr. Kathleen Crandell received an M.S. in equine nutrition and exercise physiology from Virginia Tech under the direction of Dr. Tom Meacham and a Ph.D. in equine nutrition and reproduction under the direction of Dr. David Kronfeld. Her Masters research focused on the effects of added dietary fat in exercising growing horses and her Ph.D. work was in vitamin A depletion and supplementation in broodmares and growing horses. Dr. Crandell spent two years on the faculty of Virginia Tech as the Superintendent of the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Middleburg, Virginia. Before pursuing her degrees, Dr. Crandell spent several years abroad and is multilingual. As one of KER's technical staff members, Dr. Crandell provides support for KER Team Members and their customers through formulation, product development, and technical field service.
The Webinar is free, but attendance is limited. To reserve your spot, please go to http://www.ker.com/news/2010/11/live-webinar-10-key-concepts-f.html to fill out the form.
With so many different equine supplements and feed choices on the market today, it can be hard to know what to feed your horse to help ensure that he competes at the top of his game. Dr. Kathleen Crandell, a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research, explains the 10 key concepts for feeding the performance horse in a free one-hour Webinar, which will be held on Nov. 23, 2010, at 1 p.m. (EST). During the Webinar, Dr. Crandell will answer your questions about feeding your horse.
Dr. Crandell will cover:
1. Finding the right combination of energy sources.
2. Getting the right amount of energy.
3. Feeding for proper absorption of nutrients.
4. Keeping the digestive tract happy.
5. Getting the right amount of protein.
6. Balancing the diet.
7. Getting everything needed into the easy keeper.
8. Feeding the right kind of fat.
9. Getting the right type of antioxidant
10. Finding good advice.
What is a Webinar?
A Webinar is an online seminar that you can attend from anywhere with Internet access (we recommend you have high-speed internet). During the webinar, you will be able to send Dr. Crandell questions that she will answer live.
Who Should Attend?
The Webinar is geared toward performance horse owners and equine professionals, but everyone is encouraged to attend.
About Dr. Crandell
Dr. Kathleen Crandell received an M.S. in equine nutrition and exercise physiology from Virginia Tech under the direction of Dr. Tom Meacham and a Ph.D. in equine nutrition and reproduction under the direction of Dr. David Kronfeld. Her Masters research focused on the effects of added dietary fat in exercising growing horses and her Ph.D. work was in vitamin A depletion and supplementation in broodmares and growing horses. Dr. Crandell spent two years on the faculty of Virginia Tech as the Superintendent of the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Middleburg, Virginia. Before pursuing her degrees, Dr. Crandell spent several years abroad and is multilingual. As one of KER's technical staff members, Dr. Crandell provides support for KER Team Members and their customers through formulation, product development, and technical field service.
The Webinar is free, but attendance is limited. To reserve your spot, please go to http://www.ker.com/news/2010/11/live-webinar-10-key-concepts-f.html to fill out the form.
Camaraderie Is Best Part Of Endurance Riding Sport
Horsesall.com - Full Article
ENDURANCE RIDERS OF ALBERTA WWW.ENDURANCERIDERSOFALBERTA.COM
Most of our articles are written on ride results and the competing portion of this sport. Well, I’m going to write about what it takes to become a true endurance rider. To some, endurance is all about the win, but to others it is a gathering of old friends and a great place to meet new ones. Not only do we consider each other as close friends, but family as well. An endurance family. We all get a kick out of each others stories of getting to the ride such as: “Yeah, I blew four trailer tires on the way here,” or “It took me an hour to catch my horse, sorry I’m late!” or the classic, “Wow! That’s a four beer road! I should get a completion for just getting here!” We give each other support, help and knowledge that isn’t easily forgotten.
It all starts with pulling into the ride, setting up and being greeted by our friends. For some of us, setting up is more of a challenge than it is for others. When it comes to parking, some people put a lot of effort into levelling their trailer while others don’t care if they park on a hill. Fencing comes next — from simple panels to tangled hot wire, or even just tying to the trailer. Next, we go register, which usually results in a long conversation about marking trail with the ride manager.
Once registered it’s time to grab your horse and head to the vet. Vetting is a great time to talk about your horse. We all know we love talking about our horses!...
Read more here:
http://www.horsesall.com/Article.aspx?ID=28534
ENDURANCE RIDERS OF ALBERTA WWW.ENDURANCERIDERSOFALBERTA.COM
Most of our articles are written on ride results and the competing portion of this sport. Well, I’m going to write about what it takes to become a true endurance rider. To some, endurance is all about the win, but to others it is a gathering of old friends and a great place to meet new ones. Not only do we consider each other as close friends, but family as well. An endurance family. We all get a kick out of each others stories of getting to the ride such as: “Yeah, I blew four trailer tires on the way here,” or “It took me an hour to catch my horse, sorry I’m late!” or the classic, “Wow! That’s a four beer road! I should get a completion for just getting here!” We give each other support, help and knowledge that isn’t easily forgotten.
It all starts with pulling into the ride, setting up and being greeted by our friends. For some of us, setting up is more of a challenge than it is for others. When it comes to parking, some people put a lot of effort into levelling their trailer while others don’t care if they park on a hill. Fencing comes next — from simple panels to tangled hot wire, or even just tying to the trailer. Next, we go register, which usually results in a long conversation about marking trail with the ride manager.
Once registered it’s time to grab your horse and head to the vet. Vetting is a great time to talk about your horse. We all know we love talking about our horses!...
Read more here:
http://www.horsesall.com/Article.aspx?ID=28534
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
American Endurance Ride Conference Encourages New Members
Horsechannel.com - Full Article
Interested in endurance? The AERC is offering incentives for newbies to the sport.
Edited Press Release
November 17, 2010
Endurance RidersFor trail riders who wish their rides didn’t end at five or 10 miles, endurance riding is the perfect next endeavor. “Our rides range from 25 to 100 miles, and our motto is ‘to finish is to win’,” said American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) Executive Director Kathleen Henkel. “Many fit trail horses are certainly capable of finishing one of the shorter distance rides, and the satisfaction that riders get from completing an AERC ride is incomparable.”
To welcome riders new to the sport, AERC is offering a drawing for a new Polar® Inzone Equine Heart Rate Monitor, sponsored by EquineMonitors.com, for brand-new members who join by January 1, 2011. Using a heart rate monitor is popular with distance riders as it allows them to exercise their horses within a specific target heart rate zone.
Membership in AERC includes a subscription to the monthly Endurance News magazine, plus rider and equine mileage tracking in the organization’s mileage award program. Each new member also receives an endurance handbook, which introduces riders to the sport, plus a packet of education information, a rule book and eligibility in annual regional and national awards programs.
“Endurance riders take their sport seriously, because care for the horse is vital,” said Henkel. “But our members also enjoy being out with their horses and their fellow riders in beautiful locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.”
AERC’s ride season opens December 1, and prospective members can visit www.aerc.org to check out the endurance ride calendar and explore the website’s extensive educational information and back issues of Endurance News, or phone AERC at 866-271-2372. The organization’s national office is in Auburn, California, home of the first modern endurance ride, the Western States Trail Ride, more often known as the Tevis Cup.
“The Tevis Cup is still the one ride that many new members aspire to ride. It’s a tough 100-mile ride and a true test of horsemanship and stamina,” said Henkel. “But once members try their first 25-mile ride, they know that even a 100-mile ride is not out of their reach, with proper knowledge and many miles on the trail together with their horse. Those miles together really bond the horse and rider into a true team, and that’s what endurance riding celebrates.”
To join AERC, or for more information about endurance riding, please contact the AERC office, located in Auburn, California, at 866-271-2372, email aerc@foothill.net, or visit www.aerc.org
Interested in endurance? The AERC is offering incentives for newbies to the sport.
Edited Press Release
November 17, 2010
Endurance RidersFor trail riders who wish their rides didn’t end at five or 10 miles, endurance riding is the perfect next endeavor. “Our rides range from 25 to 100 miles, and our motto is ‘to finish is to win’,” said American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) Executive Director Kathleen Henkel. “Many fit trail horses are certainly capable of finishing one of the shorter distance rides, and the satisfaction that riders get from completing an AERC ride is incomparable.”
To welcome riders new to the sport, AERC is offering a drawing for a new Polar® Inzone Equine Heart Rate Monitor, sponsored by EquineMonitors.com, for brand-new members who join by January 1, 2011. Using a heart rate monitor is popular with distance riders as it allows them to exercise their horses within a specific target heart rate zone.
Membership in AERC includes a subscription to the monthly Endurance News magazine, plus rider and equine mileage tracking in the organization’s mileage award program. Each new member also receives an endurance handbook, which introduces riders to the sport, plus a packet of education information, a rule book and eligibility in annual regional and national awards programs.
“Endurance riders take their sport seriously, because care for the horse is vital,” said Henkel. “But our members also enjoy being out with their horses and their fellow riders in beautiful locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.”
AERC’s ride season opens December 1, and prospective members can visit www.aerc.org to check out the endurance ride calendar and explore the website’s extensive educational information and back issues of Endurance News, or phone AERC at 866-271-2372. The organization’s national office is in Auburn, California, home of the first modern endurance ride, the Western States Trail Ride, more often known as the Tevis Cup.
“The Tevis Cup is still the one ride that many new members aspire to ride. It’s a tough 100-mile ride and a true test of horsemanship and stamina,” said Henkel. “But once members try their first 25-mile ride, they know that even a 100-mile ride is not out of their reach, with proper knowledge and many miles on the trail together with their horse. Those miles together really bond the horse and rider into a true team, and that’s what endurance riding celebrates.”
To join AERC, or for more information about endurance riding, please contact the AERC office, located in Auburn, California, at 866-271-2372, email aerc@foothill.net, or visit www.aerc.org
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Great Britain: Endurance fans can keep up-to-date via Twitter
Horseandhound.co.uk - Full Article
Ellie Hughes
5 November, 2010
Endurance GB, the governing body of endurance riding in the UK, has embraced the social network site, Twitter, to keep its members up-to-date with the very latest news and action.
The crew began tweeting at the World Equestrian Games (25 September-10 October) when they posted information more than 70 times, including 50 tweets during the 129km ride.
With detailed and instant coverage, followers were kept abreast of the action as it unfolded.
Endurance GB plans to continue using Twitter as a way to communicate with its members and fans.
Visit: www.twitter.com/endurancegb.co.uk.
Ellie Hughes
5 November, 2010
Endurance GB, the governing body of endurance riding in the UK, has embraced the social network site, Twitter, to keep its members up-to-date with the very latest news and action.
The crew began tweeting at the World Equestrian Games (25 September-10 October) when they posted information more than 70 times, including 50 tweets during the 129km ride.
With detailed and instant coverage, followers were kept abreast of the action as it unfolded.
Endurance GB plans to continue using Twitter as a way to communicate with its members and fans.
Visit: www.twitter.com/endurancegb.co.uk.
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
An Equestrian's Paradise
Charlotteobserver.com - Full Article
Wednesday, Nov. 03, 2010
Animal lover finds her 'nirvana' at Lynnwood Center
Allison Osman
Connie Jarzmik, 58, of Ballantyne has found a community of fellow riders and friends at the Lynnwood Equestrian Center just over the border in Fort Mill.
The barn boards 35 horses, and the 21 owners mainly are women age 30 to 65. Jarzmik rides with this group of women both locally and internationally.
The riders take their horses on the nearly two hours worth of trails on the center's property, and they have access to an additional 500 acres.
The riders also take day trips to the mountains, beaches and parks, including Boone, Blowing Rock, Asheville in North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, Springs Park and King Creek in South Carolina. Two years ago, 10 of the riders traveled to Barcelona to ride Spain's Andalusian horses.
"We rode 25 miles a day for six days," said Jarzmik. "We made camp for the horses and we stayed at little bed and breakfasts and a variety of places overnight...."
Read more here:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/11/03/1796707/an-equestrians-paradise.html
Wednesday, Nov. 03, 2010
Animal lover finds her 'nirvana' at Lynnwood Center
Allison Osman
Connie Jarzmik, 58, of Ballantyne has found a community of fellow riders and friends at the Lynnwood Equestrian Center just over the border in Fort Mill.
The barn boards 35 horses, and the 21 owners mainly are women age 30 to 65. Jarzmik rides with this group of women both locally and internationally.
The riders take their horses on the nearly two hours worth of trails on the center's property, and they have access to an additional 500 acres.
The riders also take day trips to the mountains, beaches and parks, including Boone, Blowing Rock, Asheville in North Carolina and Myrtle Beach, Springs Park and King Creek in South Carolina. Two years ago, 10 of the riders traveled to Barcelona to ride Spain's Andalusian horses.
"We rode 25 miles a day for six days," said Jarzmik. "We made camp for the horses and we stayed at little bed and breakfasts and a variety of places overnight...."
Read more here:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/11/03/1796707/an-equestrians-paradise.html
Monday, November 01, 2010
The race of a lifetime
APP.com - Full Article
Neptune's Mangalee preparing to ride in 630-mile Mongol Derby
By DAVID BIGGY • STAFF WRITER • October 30, 2010
For Sophia Mangalee, life's adventures are best made on the back of a horse.
And the adventure of a lifetime seems to be just around the corner.
"It's going to come up on me really fast,'' she said. "I'm just going to have to make sure I'm as prepared as I can be.''
Come next Aug. 6, Mangalee will learn whether or not her preparations have paid off, when she embarks on the longest horse race in the world … the Mongol Derby.
The 1,000-kilometer (630-mile) race across the steppes of Mongolia is a dream come true for Mangalee, who grew up with horses in Peshastin, Wash., and has been around and interacted with them ever since...
Read more here:
http://www.app.com/article/20101030/SPORTS/101030079/The-race-of-a-lifetime
Neptune's Mangalee preparing to ride in 630-mile Mongol Derby
By DAVID BIGGY • STAFF WRITER • October 30, 2010
For Sophia Mangalee, life's adventures are best made on the back of a horse.
And the adventure of a lifetime seems to be just around the corner.
"It's going to come up on me really fast,'' she said. "I'm just going to have to make sure I'm as prepared as I can be.''
Come next Aug. 6, Mangalee will learn whether or not her preparations have paid off, when she embarks on the longest horse race in the world … the Mongol Derby.
The 1,000-kilometer (630-mile) race across the steppes of Mongolia is a dream come true for Mangalee, who grew up with horses in Peshastin, Wash., and has been around and interacted with them ever since...
Read more here:
http://www.app.com/article/20101030/SPORTS/101030079/The-race-of-a-lifetime
Friday, October 29, 2010
MILITARY: Horses help heal war's trauma
NCTimes.com - Full Article
By Tom Pfingsten - For the North County Times North County Times - Californian | Posted: Friday, October 29, 2010
RANCHO SANTA FE ---- Behind the gates of an exclusive neighborhood a few miles from the Del Mar racetrack, a group of volunteers who call themselves "Pegasus Rising" is taking a novel approach to post-traumatic stress disorder: Pairing sufferers with horses for an hour a week.
President and CEO Gary Adler said this week that because horses are deeply sensitive to human emotion, they make perfect partners for combat veterans, whose psychological wounds run deep.
"For post-traumatic stress disorder, horses are uniquely situated because they're prey animals ---- their very survival depends on being sensitive to smell, sound and movement," Adler said. "Those are all triggers for people with PTSD. They don't want to deal with human interaction because they've lost trust, constantly dealing with people who want to kill them."
Vietnam veteran Willie Baumann said his post-traumatic stress disorder surfaced in the mid-1970s after two tours with the Navy but was not diagnosed until 2008. Shortly thereafter, he was one of the first veterans to receive help from Pegasus Rising.
"The animals ... gave me an inner peace, and I'm hardly even able to find the words to tell you how relaxing and calming it was," he said...
Read more here:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/military/article_f3fd614a-43f3-5821-9dce-817412c3cc00.html
By Tom Pfingsten - For the North County Times North County Times - Californian | Posted: Friday, October 29, 2010
RANCHO SANTA FE ---- Behind the gates of an exclusive neighborhood a few miles from the Del Mar racetrack, a group of volunteers who call themselves "Pegasus Rising" is taking a novel approach to post-traumatic stress disorder: Pairing sufferers with horses for an hour a week.
President and CEO Gary Adler said this week that because horses are deeply sensitive to human emotion, they make perfect partners for combat veterans, whose psychological wounds run deep.
"For post-traumatic stress disorder, horses are uniquely situated because they're prey animals ---- their very survival depends on being sensitive to smell, sound and movement," Adler said. "Those are all triggers for people with PTSD. They don't want to deal with human interaction because they've lost trust, constantly dealing with people who want to kill them."
Vietnam veteran Willie Baumann said his post-traumatic stress disorder surfaced in the mid-1970s after two tours with the Navy but was not diagnosed until 2008. Shortly thereafter, he was one of the first veterans to receive help from Pegasus Rising.
"The animals ... gave me an inner peace, and I'm hardly even able to find the words to tell you how relaxing and calming it was," he said...
Read more here:
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/military/article_f3fd614a-43f3-5821-9dce-817412c3cc00.html
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
New AERC Members Eligible for Heart Rate Monitor Drawing
October 27 2010
For trail riders who wish their rides didn’t end at five or 10 miles, endurance riding is the perfect next endeavor. “Our rides range from 25 to 100 miles, and our motto is ‘to finish is to win’,” said American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) Executive Director Kathleen Henkel. “Many fit trail horses are certainly capable of finishing one of the shorter distance rides, and the satisfaction that riders get from completing an AERC ride is incomparable.”
To welcome riders new to the sport, AERC is offering a drawing for a new Polar® Inzone Equine Heart Rate Monitor, sponsored by EquineMonitors.com, for brand-new members who join by January 1, 2011. Using a heart rate monitor is popular with distance riders as it allows them to exercise their horses within a specific target heart rate zone.
Membership in AERC includes a subscription to the monthly Endurance News magazine, plus rider and equine mileage tracking in the organization’s mileage award program. Each new member also receives an endurance handbook, which introduces riders to the sport, plus a packet of education information, a rule book and eligibility in annual regional and national awards programs.
“Endurance riders take their sport seriously, because care for the horse is vital,” said Henkel. “But our members also enjoy being out with their horses and their fellow riders in beautiful locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.”
AERC’s ride season opens December 1, and prospective members can visit www.aerc.org to check out the endurance ride calendar and explore the website’s extensive educational information and back issues of Endurance News, or phone AERC at 866-271-2372. The organization’s national office is in Auburn, California, home of the first modern endurance ride, the Western States Trail Ride, more often known as the Tevis Cup.
“The Tevis Cup is still the one ride that many new members aspire to ride. It’s a tough 100-mile ride and a true test of horsemanship and stamina,” said Henkel. “But once members try their first 25-mile ride, they know that even a 100-mile ride is not out of their reach, with proper knowledge and many miles on the trail together with their horse. Those miles together really bond the horse and rider into a true team, and that’s what endurance riding celebrates.”
To join AERC, or for more information about endurance riding, please contact the AERC office, located in Auburn, California, at 866-271-2372, email aerc@foothill.net, or visit www.aerc.org
For trail riders who wish their rides didn’t end at five or 10 miles, endurance riding is the perfect next endeavor. “Our rides range from 25 to 100 miles, and our motto is ‘to finish is to win’,” said American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) Executive Director Kathleen Henkel. “Many fit trail horses are certainly capable of finishing one of the shorter distance rides, and the satisfaction that riders get from completing an AERC ride is incomparable.”
To welcome riders new to the sport, AERC is offering a drawing for a new Polar® Inzone Equine Heart Rate Monitor, sponsored by EquineMonitors.com, for brand-new members who join by January 1, 2011. Using a heart rate monitor is popular with distance riders as it allows them to exercise their horses within a specific target heart rate zone.
Membership in AERC includes a subscription to the monthly Endurance News magazine, plus rider and equine mileage tracking in the organization’s mileage award program. Each new member also receives an endurance handbook, which introduces riders to the sport, plus a packet of education information, a rule book and eligibility in annual regional and national awards programs.
“Endurance riders take their sport seriously, because care for the horse is vital,” said Henkel. “But our members also enjoy being out with their horses and their fellow riders in beautiful locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.”
AERC’s ride season opens December 1, and prospective members can visit www.aerc.org to check out the endurance ride calendar and explore the website’s extensive educational information and back issues of Endurance News, or phone AERC at 866-271-2372. The organization’s national office is in Auburn, California, home of the first modern endurance ride, the Western States Trail Ride, more often known as the Tevis Cup.
“The Tevis Cup is still the one ride that many new members aspire to ride. It’s a tough 100-mile ride and a true test of horsemanship and stamina,” said Henkel. “But once members try their first 25-mile ride, they know that even a 100-mile ride is not out of their reach, with proper knowledge and many miles on the trail together with their horse. Those miles together really bond the horse and rider into a true team, and that’s what endurance riding celebrates.”
To join AERC, or for more information about endurance riding, please contact the AERC office, located in Auburn, California, at 866-271-2372, email aerc@foothill.net, or visit www.aerc.org
Sunday, October 24, 2010
A Girl And Her Horse Take A Cross-Country Trip
WBNG News: Link to full article and video
By WBNG News
October 23, 2010
Binghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton) - A girl and her horse showed up in Binghamton today after a long journey that began nearly eight months ago.
Most people don't usually think about riding a horse all the way across the country but one girl has done just that and is encouraging others to follow their dreams.
On March 1st, 29-year-old Linny Kenney and her horse Sojourner began a coast to coast journey.
They took off from Los Angeles and Binghamton marks the near finale of their 3,400-mile trek.
Kenney says this has been a dream of her's since she was a little girl, getting her first horse at the age of 10.
5 years ago, her parents got a divorce, and that's why she rides.
"It's really just about endurance and getting through hard times and I try to focus on the good things that can come out of difficult times," said Kenney.
She rides in celebration of strong families and those dealing with divorce-related depression.
Kenney invited long time friend Walter Rowland along for the ride, and her four-legged friend has brought strangers together during their trip.
"You know he's an incredible wall breaker with people I mean just today we were riding through town and two neighbors met each other for the first time because a horse was in front of the house and it's been that way you know examples of that across the whole country," said Kenney.
Just a girl, a boy, and a horse. On the ride of a lifetime.
In Binghamton, Lindsay Nielsen, WBNG-TV Action News.
To keep track of where Kenney and Rowland are on their cross-country trip, go to http://linnykenney.blogspot.com/
Sunday, they begin a 375 mile ride to their last stop in New Hampshire.
WBNG News: Link to full article and video
By WBNG News
October 23, 2010
Binghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton) - A girl and her horse showed up in Binghamton today after a long journey that began nearly eight months ago.
Most people don't usually think about riding a horse all the way across the country but one girl has done just that and is encouraging others to follow their dreams.
On March 1st, 29-year-old Linny Kenney and her horse Sojourner began a coast to coast journey.
They took off from Los Angeles and Binghamton marks the near finale of their 3,400-mile trek.
Kenney says this has been a dream of her's since she was a little girl, getting her first horse at the age of 10.
5 years ago, her parents got a divorce, and that's why she rides.
"It's really just about endurance and getting through hard times and I try to focus on the good things that can come out of difficult times," said Kenney.
She rides in celebration of strong families and those dealing with divorce-related depression.
Kenney invited long time friend Walter Rowland along for the ride, and her four-legged friend has brought strangers together during their trip.
"You know he's an incredible wall breaker with people I mean just today we were riding through town and two neighbors met each other for the first time because a horse was in front of the house and it's been that way you know examples of that across the whole country," said Kenney.
Just a girl, a boy, and a horse. On the ride of a lifetime.
In Binghamton, Lindsay Nielsen, WBNG-TV Action News.
To keep track of where Kenney and Rowland are on their cross-country trip, go to http://linnykenney.blogspot.com/
Sunday, they begin a 375 mile ride to their last stop in New Hampshire.
WBNG News: Link to full article and video
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Australia: New venue for Wagin Endurance Ride
Waginargus.com.au - Full Article
14 Oct, 2010 05:11 PM
FOR the past nine years the Wedgecarrup Hall has been the venue for the Wagin Endurance Ride which is organised by David and Anita Lunt in conjunction with the WA Endurance Riders Association.
The Wedgecarrup Hall has been an ideal venue in the past however with the event set to be promoted as an FEI international ride next year, a new venue has had to be sourced in order to comply with international standards.
With this in mind the organisers approached the Wagin shire, the Wagin Pony Club and Wagin Trotting Club resulting in the ride now being hosted at the Wagin Pony Club and adjacent trot training oval.
Organiser Anita Lunt said moving the ride to town this year will allow them to run their normal annual ride as a 'dummy' event in a lead up to the FEI ride giving them a chance to see how the course will run and what improvements and changes will need to be made for next year.
With the change of venue a new course covering two legs of 40 kilometres starting and finishing at the pony club has had to be sourced.
“We have been privileged in past years to have been granted access to a variety of properties west of Wagin,” Mrs Lunt said.
“This year new landholders have been approached in order to accommodate the new course and once again the support shown has been fantastic...
Read more here:
http://www.waginargus.com.au/news/local/sport/general/new-venue-for-wagin-endurance-ride/1969338.aspx
14 Oct, 2010 05:11 PM
FOR the past nine years the Wedgecarrup Hall has been the venue for the Wagin Endurance Ride which is organised by David and Anita Lunt in conjunction with the WA Endurance Riders Association.
The Wedgecarrup Hall has been an ideal venue in the past however with the event set to be promoted as an FEI international ride next year, a new venue has had to be sourced in order to comply with international standards.
With this in mind the organisers approached the Wagin shire, the Wagin Pony Club and Wagin Trotting Club resulting in the ride now being hosted at the Wagin Pony Club and adjacent trot training oval.
Organiser Anita Lunt said moving the ride to town this year will allow them to run their normal annual ride as a 'dummy' event in a lead up to the FEI ride giving them a chance to see how the course will run and what improvements and changes will need to be made for next year.
With the change of venue a new course covering two legs of 40 kilometres starting and finishing at the pony club has had to be sourced.
“We have been privileged in past years to have been granted access to a variety of properties west of Wagin,” Mrs Lunt said.
“This year new landholders have been approached in order to accommodate the new course and once again the support shown has been fantastic...
Read more here:
http://www.waginargus.com.au/news/local/sport/general/new-venue-for-wagin-endurance-ride/1969338.aspx
Family has ‘enduring’ love for horses
Theitem.com - Full Article
Posted: Thursday, October 14, 2010 6:00 am | Updated: 11:38 pm, Wed Oct 13, 2010.
BY RANDY BURNS Special to The Item
BISHOPVILLE - A Lee County woman will spend time behind-the scenes at this week's national championship for endurance (horse) riders, but her impact and influence will be felt all the same.
Luciee Hancock, 64, the 2002 National Champion in the middleweight division, will have to sit out the 2010 American Endurance Ride Conference National Championship at Sand Hills State Forest in Chesterfield County. Hancock was forced to the sidelines when her mare Prissy was injured after they qualified for the national title.
A Spring Hill resident and wife of Harold Hancock, Luciee will instead serve as a volunteer on Wednesday through Friday, and then will become a fan on Saturday during the 55-mile championship ride. Luciee will then devote full attention to the rides of two granddaughters, a daughter-in-law and a close friend.
"I will be doing what I can on the ground to help and encourage them," Luciee said...
Read more here:
http://www.theitem.com/news/article_df7a496a-d743-11df-9cb3-001cc4c03286.html?photo=0
Posted: Thursday, October 14, 2010 6:00 am | Updated: 11:38 pm, Wed Oct 13, 2010.
BY RANDY BURNS Special to The Item
BISHOPVILLE - A Lee County woman will spend time behind-the scenes at this week's national championship for endurance (horse) riders, but her impact and influence will be felt all the same.
Luciee Hancock, 64, the 2002 National Champion in the middleweight division, will have to sit out the 2010 American Endurance Ride Conference National Championship at Sand Hills State Forest in Chesterfield County. Hancock was forced to the sidelines when her mare Prissy was injured after they qualified for the national title.
A Spring Hill resident and wife of Harold Hancock, Luciee will instead serve as a volunteer on Wednesday through Friday, and then will become a fan on Saturday during the 55-mile championship ride. Luciee will then devote full attention to the rides of two granddaughters, a daughter-in-law and a close friend.
"I will be doing what I can on the ground to help and encourage them," Luciee said...
Read more here:
http://www.theitem.com/news/article_df7a496a-d743-11df-9cb3-001cc4c03286.html?photo=0
Australia: Endurance riders winning top awards
Cowraguardian.com.au
13 Oct, 2010 09:36 AM
Kylie Jonkers who lives at Broula just out of Cowra took part in her first 160km ride at the NSW State Championships held at Woodstock recently.
Her mother Linda rode the same stallion at the Shahzada memorial 400kms in August successfully.
Sarah Lymbery from Wagga Wagga was the second junior in the 160kms State Champions, her first attempt at a longer ride.
Lymbery won the rug donated by Cowra Machinery Centre and her horse Garonne Park Tiara also won the Junior Best Conditioned rug donated which was
donated by Jon-de-le Arabians.
The third placed Middleweight rug was donated by Helen and Alan Lindsay of Kintamani Arabians at Cowra and this was won by Kristie Tapprell of Castlebar Endruance Arabians riding Castlebar Dolittle.
During the weekend Kristie won the South Australian Championships 160kms and also recently won the FEI Australian Championships 160 in Queensland at Kenilworth.
The fourth Middleweight rug donated by Beechers Wool Services of Cowra was won by Jennifer Gilbertson of Webbs Creek.
The first Lightweight rug donated by Cowra Tyrepower was won by Carol Layton riding Omani Mr Sqiggle.
13 Oct, 2010 09:36 AM
Kylie Jonkers who lives at Broula just out of Cowra took part in her first 160km ride at the NSW State Championships held at Woodstock recently.
Her mother Linda rode the same stallion at the Shahzada memorial 400kms in August successfully.
Sarah Lymbery from Wagga Wagga was the second junior in the 160kms State Champions, her first attempt at a longer ride.
Lymbery won the rug donated by Cowra Machinery Centre and her horse Garonne Park Tiara also won the Junior Best Conditioned rug donated which was
donated by Jon-de-le Arabians.
The third placed Middleweight rug was donated by Helen and Alan Lindsay of Kintamani Arabians at Cowra and this was won by Kristie Tapprell of Castlebar Endruance Arabians riding Castlebar Dolittle.
During the weekend Kristie won the South Australian Championships 160kms and also recently won the FEI Australian Championships 160 in Queensland at Kenilworth.
The fourth Middleweight rug donated by Beechers Wool Services of Cowra was won by Jennifer Gilbertson of Webbs Creek.
The first Lightweight rug donated by Cowra Tyrepower was won by Carol Layton riding Omani Mr Sqiggle.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
U.S. disappointed in showing at World Equestrian Games
NJ.com - full article
October 10 2010
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- As the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games ends Sunday at the Kentucky Horse Park, the U.S. has a few more chances for glory, but there will be a lot of self-examination to analyze what happened with missed medals.
"We need to evaluate what went wrong and what went right; what we could have done differently. While we can't disregard the bad performances here, we don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water,'' said Jim Wolf, the U.S. Equestrian Federation's director of sport programs.
A question that needs to be answered, he explained, is, "Are we spending money the right way? We invest a lot of money to prepare teams..."
Read more here:
http://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/index.ssf/2010/10/us_disappointed_in_showing_at.html
October 10 2010
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- As the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games ends Sunday at the Kentucky Horse Park, the U.S. has a few more chances for glory, but there will be a lot of self-examination to analyze what happened with missed medals.
"We need to evaluate what went wrong and what went right; what we could have done differently. While we can't disregard the bad performances here, we don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water,'' said Jim Wolf, the U.S. Equestrian Federation's director of sport programs.
A question that needs to be answered, he explained, is, "Are we spending money the right way? We invest a lot of money to prepare teams..."
Read more here:
http://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/index.ssf/2010/10/us_disappointed_in_showing_at.html
Endurance in France
Frenchhorseandcountry.com - Full Article
Endurance Competitions are very well supported in France. It is a highly respected and growing sport with promotion and marketing of competitions on large billboards before events. Those competing for France at International level are (as in most equestrian disciplines in France) held in high esteem and complete respect as athletes, both to horse and rider is afforded. The demands and scientific/technical knowledge required plus the complete rapport between rider and horse and crew are not understated as they may be in other countries from time to time...
Read more here:
http://www.frenchhorseandcountry.com/WP/horse-talk/equestrianism-disciplines-in-france/endurance-in-france/
Endurance Competitions are very well supported in France. It is a highly respected and growing sport with promotion and marketing of competitions on large billboards before events. Those competing for France at International level are (as in most equestrian disciplines in France) held in high esteem and complete respect as athletes, both to horse and rider is afforded. The demands and scientific/technical knowledge required plus the complete rapport between rider and horse and crew are not understated as they may be in other countries from time to time...
Read more here:
http://www.frenchhorseandcountry.com/WP/horse-talk/equestrianism-disciplines-in-france/endurance-in-france/
Saturday, October 09, 2010
Woman Keeps her Distance
THOnline.com - Full Article
Friday October 8 2010
Scales Mound woman, 70, competes in endurance equestrian events around the nation and world.
BY TONY CARTON FOR THE TH
SCALES MOUND, Ill. — Jan Worthington recently rode 100 miles in one day, on a horse.
That is not uncommon for an endurance rider, except Worthington is 70.
The mother of three and grandmother of four competed last week on the five-woman team representing the United States at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky. Her event required a one-day ride of 100 miles at roughly 13 mph.
Worthington said competitive endurance riding is a race with mandatory stops for veterinarian checks.
"They check the horses for lameness and metabolics," she said. "They don't check the riders. We are human and can talk."
She said veterinarians pulled her from competition last week in Lexington at the third check, or about the 60-mile mark.
"I have a really good horse and he had never been lame, but he went lame at the big deal," Worthington said.
Worthington said a veterinarian checked her horse, named Golden Lightning, by using ultrasound and found no major muscle tears...
Read more here:
http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=298072
Friday October 8 2010
Scales Mound woman, 70, competes in endurance equestrian events around the nation and world.
BY TONY CARTON FOR THE TH
SCALES MOUND, Ill. — Jan Worthington recently rode 100 miles in one day, on a horse.
That is not uncommon for an endurance rider, except Worthington is 70.
The mother of three and grandmother of four competed last week on the five-woman team representing the United States at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky. Her event required a one-day ride of 100 miles at roughly 13 mph.
Worthington said competitive endurance riding is a race with mandatory stops for veterinarian checks.
"They check the horses for lameness and metabolics," she said. "They don't check the riders. We are human and can talk."
She said veterinarians pulled her from competition last week in Lexington at the third check, or about the 60-mile mark.
"I have a really good horse and he had never been lame, but he went lame at the big deal," Worthington said.
Worthington said a veterinarian checked her horse, named Golden Lightning, by using ultrasound and found no major muscle tears...
Read more here:
http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=298072
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Trade-off brings first Arabian race to Keeneland
DRF.com - Full Article
10/07/2010
By Marty McGee
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The genesis of the first Arabian race in Keeneland history stems from conversations that track officials had last winter in Abu Dhabi, the capital and government seat of the United Arab Emirates.
“We’re always looking to extend our sales reach, and there has been increasing interest in Thoroughbreds in that part of the world,” said Rogers Beasley, director of racing at Keeneland. “Basically in exchange for their sponsorship of one of our Grade 1 races,” referring to the $400,000 First Lady, “we agreed to stage an Arabian race, with them putting up all the purse money. We believe it’s a worthwhile thing to do.”
The result is the $50,000 President of the UAE Cup, part of a worldwide series of Abu Dhabi-sponsored races for Arabians, a breed far better known for endurance than speed. The 1 1/4-mile Polytrack event is carded as the third race Saturday, with the 4-year-old filly Sand Witchh, unbeaten in nine career starts, likely to be the heavy favorite in a field of 10...
Read more here:
http://www.drf.com/news/trade-brings-first-arabian-race-keeneland
10/07/2010
By Marty McGee
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The genesis of the first Arabian race in Keeneland history stems from conversations that track officials had last winter in Abu Dhabi, the capital and government seat of the United Arab Emirates.
“We’re always looking to extend our sales reach, and there has been increasing interest in Thoroughbreds in that part of the world,” said Rogers Beasley, director of racing at Keeneland. “Basically in exchange for their sponsorship of one of our Grade 1 races,” referring to the $400,000 First Lady, “we agreed to stage an Arabian race, with them putting up all the purse money. We believe it’s a worthwhile thing to do.”
The result is the $50,000 President of the UAE Cup, part of a worldwide series of Abu Dhabi-sponsored races for Arabians, a breed far better known for endurance than speed. The 1 1/4-mile Polytrack event is carded as the third race Saturday, with the 4-year-old filly Sand Witchh, unbeaten in nine career starts, likely to be the heavy favorite in a field of 10...
Read more here:
http://www.drf.com/news/trade-brings-first-arabian-race-keeneland
Horses must endure at the FEI World Games.
HSJ.org - Full Article
Tuesday, October 05, 2010 By Mary Chesnut
Advertising
When Kentuckians think of horse racing, they think of the most famous two minutes in sports, the Derby. The horses fly past with impossible speed. But there is a new kind of race in Lexington that is much more extreme.
The World Equestrian Games have arrived, including the Endurance Competition, which sends horses racing along a 100 mile long course. The endurance competitors start at seven in the morning, riding all day long and into the night. Three hundred glow sticks were used to light the path after sunset. The race involves four types of terrain, mostly grass trails and pastures with three miles of paved road, two miles of gravel, and some dirt trails. Due to the extreme conditions of the competition, horses have to be checked by a team of equine vets six times during the race, each round leading to several disqualifications.
“They check for almost everything: capillary refill, jugular refill, skin tinting for dehydration, gut sounds in all quadrants, muscle tone, tack and leg area for injuries, and heart rate for regularity,” Jack Weber, one of the vets working in the competition, said.
Read more here:
http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/articleid/376000/newspaperid/2111/Endurance_at_the_WEG_FEI.aspx
Tuesday, October 05, 2010 By Mary Chesnut
Advertising
When Kentuckians think of horse racing, they think of the most famous two minutes in sports, the Derby. The horses fly past with impossible speed. But there is a new kind of race in Lexington that is much more extreme.
The World Equestrian Games have arrived, including the Endurance Competition, which sends horses racing along a 100 mile long course. The endurance competitors start at seven in the morning, riding all day long and into the night. Three hundred glow sticks were used to light the path after sunset. The race involves four types of terrain, mostly grass trails and pastures with three miles of paved road, two miles of gravel, and some dirt trails. Due to the extreme conditions of the competition, horses have to be checked by a team of equine vets six times during the race, each round leading to several disqualifications.
“They check for almost everything: capillary refill, jugular refill, skin tinting for dehydration, gut sounds in all quadrants, muscle tone, tack and leg area for injuries, and heart rate for regularity,” Jack Weber, one of the vets working in the competition, said.
Read more here:
http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/articleid/376000/newspaperid/2111/Endurance_at_the_WEG_FEI.aspx
World of endurance sport mourns loss of Moorthy
GulfNews.com
By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
Published: 00:00 October 6, 2010
Abu Dhabi: Endurance sport suffered a major loss when Vijay Moorthy, the former Head of Endurance and currently the Technical Advisor at the Emirates Equestrian Federation, passed away in Pune, India on Tuesday morning.
The 61-year-old Moorthy, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about a year ago, breathed his last at a Pune hospital after a multiple-organ failure, according to his daughter Vijaya Moorthy.
He was buried on Tuesday afternoon, leaving behind his wife Phalguni, son Raja Moorthy and daughter Vijaya.
Moorthy, who first joined the then UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation as a Handicapper for thoroughbred horses, later became the head of Racing Department before he took a keen interest in endurance and went on to head the Endurance Department at the UAE Federation.
He was one of the pillars of endurance sport both in the UAE and in the world and officiated at major international endurance rides. Vijay was one of the members of the FEI (World Equestrian Federation) Task Force set up in January 2009 to formulate endurance rules and regulations.
Aziz Sheikh, Endurance Chief at the Federation, who has been working with Moorthy since 1986, said, "We were together in Bombay/Pune until 1992 and he came first here in November 92 and brought me here in April 93. Ever since we have worked together and he was the first Handicapper here before the ERA was formed."
"Very straightforward in his approach, Moorthy maintained a high standard and applied the rules uniformly. He always used to tell me 'Rules are like a bible for us'. We will miss him and his helpful nature," Aziz said.
Esmaeel Mohammad, who trained the UAE endurance horses when they won the first European Open team gold in 1999 and has chalked out many medal-winning horses for the UAE riders said, "Vijay has done a lot for endurance in the UAE and most UAE riders and trainers will miss him. He laid great emphasis in regulating the sport."
Former FEI Endurance Chief Dr Hallvard Sommerseth, who is now Head of Veterinary dept at the EEF, said, "I dad the privilege of traveling to many countries with Vijay, apart from officiating in the local endurance championships. An endurance expert of international repute, Vijay Moorthy was very fair, gracious, polite and friendly in his judgments and he never worked as a 'policeman.'"
"The Emirates Equestrian Federation he called his home. He will be dearly missed," the Norwegian said.
Dr. Surendra Babu Bobby, Veterinarian doctor at the Dubai Equine Hospital said, "I know Vijay as a little humble man who joined the Bangalore Turf Club in 1984. We came closer after we started working together in the UAE. His acumen, dedication and sacrifice for the development of endurance sport have no parallels and I salute him for that. A man of great principles, he practiced what he preached."
By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
Published: 00:00 October 6, 2010
Abu Dhabi: Endurance sport suffered a major loss when Vijay Moorthy, the former Head of Endurance and currently the Technical Advisor at the Emirates Equestrian Federation, passed away in Pune, India on Tuesday morning.
The 61-year-old Moorthy, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about a year ago, breathed his last at a Pune hospital after a multiple-organ failure, according to his daughter Vijaya Moorthy.
He was buried on Tuesday afternoon, leaving behind his wife Phalguni, son Raja Moorthy and daughter Vijaya.
Moorthy, who first joined the then UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation as a Handicapper for thoroughbred horses, later became the head of Racing Department before he took a keen interest in endurance and went on to head the Endurance Department at the UAE Federation.
He was one of the pillars of endurance sport both in the UAE and in the world and officiated at major international endurance rides. Vijay was one of the members of the FEI (World Equestrian Federation) Task Force set up in January 2009 to formulate endurance rules and regulations.
Aziz Sheikh, Endurance Chief at the Federation, who has been working with Moorthy since 1986, said, "We were together in Bombay/Pune until 1992 and he came first here in November 92 and brought me here in April 93. Ever since we have worked together and he was the first Handicapper here before the ERA was formed."
"Very straightforward in his approach, Moorthy maintained a high standard and applied the rules uniformly. He always used to tell me 'Rules are like a bible for us'. We will miss him and his helpful nature," Aziz said.
Esmaeel Mohammad, who trained the UAE endurance horses when they won the first European Open team gold in 1999 and has chalked out many medal-winning horses for the UAE riders said, "Vijay has done a lot for endurance in the UAE and most UAE riders and trainers will miss him. He laid great emphasis in regulating the sport."
Former FEI Endurance Chief Dr Hallvard Sommerseth, who is now Head of Veterinary dept at the EEF, said, "I dad the privilege of traveling to many countries with Vijay, apart from officiating in the local endurance championships. An endurance expert of international repute, Vijay Moorthy was very fair, gracious, polite and friendly in his judgments and he never worked as a 'policeman.'"
"The Emirates Equestrian Federation he called his home. He will be dearly missed," the Norwegian said.
Dr. Surendra Babu Bobby, Veterinarian doctor at the Dubai Equine Hospital said, "I know Vijay as a little humble man who joined the Bangalore Turf Club in 1984. We came closer after we started working together in the UAE. His acumen, dedication and sacrifice for the development of endurance sport have no parallels and I salute him for that. A man of great principles, he practiced what he preached."
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Horsewoman rides 600 miles in Mongolia
Orange County Register
BY DAVID WHITING
COLUMNIST
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
photo: Kathy Swigart of Orange Park Acres gets ready to take her horse Windy for a ride. Swigert was chosen to compete in the 2010 Mongol Derby last August. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
There are times when we take a deep breath, leap over the precipice that marks the end of our comfort zone and discover we can fly.
In many respects, Kat Swigart embodies the bold men and women who built Orange County astride thousand-pound animals that could carry them from San Clemente to La Habra in a single day.
In short, Swigart is a self-described horse person.
But you might call her a horse whisperer. She doesn't just ride, teach riding and care for horses. This woman who chucked her MBA and a Wall Street career tackles the tough horse stuff too.
She transforms untamed beasts into animals that stand stock still when you tighten a saddle beneath their belly and climb aboard.
But as talented a horse whisperer as Swigart is, nothing prepared her for looking out the plane window at the vast steppe below and seeing for the first time the quest on which she was about to embark.
Riding 600 miles, on horse, across Mongolia.
•••
Swigart and I ride through Santiago Oaks Regional Park. I'm on a big boy named Jackson, a powerful animal with the loyal disposition of the Lone Ranger's horse, Silver.
Swigart is working. She rides one of her four horses, a frisky pony named Windy. As she rides, she clutches a short green rope tethered to a larger horse that she is exercising for its busy owner.
This means Swigart is riding with one hand – a significant thing considering what happens next.
We break into a trot. Then a canter. Soon, we're going about 15 mph, slow in a car but not so slow when you are seated five feet above the ground bouncing along over hilly terrain.
"You only have as much control as the horse lets you have," Swigart reminds me. "The horse is in control."
Like, I get that.
I resist reaching for a leather strap at the front of the English saddle. But I grab it with my left hand and hold the reins in my right, doing my best to avoid bouncing down on Jackson's up or up on Jackson's down.
Swigart canters with the grace of a dancer. Horse and human move in harmony. It's the kind of moment when someone is so good at what they do, you think, "Hey, that's easy."
And it is – when you've chosen to live your passion.
•••
The connection between horses and Orange County goes back half a millennium, to the Spanish conquistadores. It continued through the rancho and ranch periods when men with names such as Jose Yorba and, later, James Irvine hired cowboys to run huge herds of cattle.
How many horses today in Orange County? Swigart estimates at least 5,000.
For some, horse people are difficult to fathom. But, fortunately, Swigart, of Fullerton, is as adept with analogies as she is with riding.
If you're a dog or cat person, you share a similar gene with horse people. If you're a motorcycle-loving dog person you're even closer to being a horse person.
Part of the appeal for many is the majesty and power of the animal, Swigart explains. Imagine something so strong it can easily carry its 1,000-pound weight – plus a human adult and saddle. Now imagine that something bounding uphill with you on top.
Exciting? You bet.
Jackson waits at the bottom of a steep rocky trail. Swigart and horses move up. With a twitch and a nod, Jackson signals he's ready. With a little more give on the reins, so do I. Jackson surges.
Massive shoulder and haunch muscles click into action. The pure power is something I've not felt since climbing on a Harley. And this is bigger. Much bigger.
But the real magic of riding is the bond with a living, breathing mammal. Riding is a partnership; you may be smarter, but the horse is stronger.
Swigart started riding bareback as a kid on neighbors' horses. She was 25 when she bought her first horse, her current stallion's father. He was untrained, "unbroken" in horse-speak.
Soon, Swigart discovered she had a gift for breaking horses. And it reached deeper into her soul than corporate finance. These days, she cares for up to 10 horses a day and averages 30 hours a week in the saddle.
She's had her nose broken and her feet stomped. She's been pushed against walls; bitten, flipped.
But that's nothing compared to what happened in Mongolia, where riding is more than a livelihood — it's a way of life.
•••
As the plane drops out of the clouds, Swigart sees nothing but grassland and a few dirt roads.
"That's what I'm going to be riding across," she tells herself. "Boy, that is a big empty place."
And she's right. Mongolia, which shares a border with northern China, is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. Mongolia has 100,000 fewer people than Orange County, but they are spread out over about 600 times more land.
Swigart has signed up for something called the Mongol Derby. It is an endurance race over nine days that requires riders to navigate their way from yurt to yurt over land they've never seen – with endless plains and few distinct markings.
They will ride a breed of horses that has changed little since the days of Genghis Khan.
And the horse whisperers for such beasts? Mongolian nomads, who are considered some of the finest riders on the planet.
Swigart, however, was a Boy Scouts of America Explorer, (yes, Scouts!), and has ridden 100-mile endurance races that meant 22 hours in the saddle. She knows her way around a GPS unit.
Her stirrup leathers break after a few days. She fixes it. A horse falls, her with it. Her metal water bottle is crushed. But her helmet saves her skull. A fellow rider gets lost overnight. But Swigart stays on course, her spirit in flight.
"There's nothing better than galloping across an open field," she tells me.
She doesn't win, but she doesn't come in last either. When you hurl yourself over the precipice in Mongolia, finish times don't matter.
The only thing that matters is discovering you can fly.
On a horse with wings.
full article at http://www.ocregister.com/articles/horse-269075-swigart-riding.html
BY DAVID WHITING
COLUMNIST
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
photo: Kathy Swigart of Orange Park Acres gets ready to take her horse Windy for a ride. Swigert was chosen to compete in the 2010 Mongol Derby last August. PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERThere are times when we take a deep breath, leap over the precipice that marks the end of our comfort zone and discover we can fly.
In many respects, Kat Swigart embodies the bold men and women who built Orange County astride thousand-pound animals that could carry them from San Clemente to La Habra in a single day.
In short, Swigart is a self-described horse person.
But you might call her a horse whisperer. She doesn't just ride, teach riding and care for horses. This woman who chucked her MBA and a Wall Street career tackles the tough horse stuff too.
She transforms untamed beasts into animals that stand stock still when you tighten a saddle beneath their belly and climb aboard.
But as talented a horse whisperer as Swigart is, nothing prepared her for looking out the plane window at the vast steppe below and seeing for the first time the quest on which she was about to embark.
Riding 600 miles, on horse, across Mongolia.
•••
Swigart and I ride through Santiago Oaks Regional Park. I'm on a big boy named Jackson, a powerful animal with the loyal disposition of the Lone Ranger's horse, Silver.
Swigart is working. She rides one of her four horses, a frisky pony named Windy. As she rides, she clutches a short green rope tethered to a larger horse that she is exercising for its busy owner.
This means Swigart is riding with one hand – a significant thing considering what happens next.
We break into a trot. Then a canter. Soon, we're going about 15 mph, slow in a car but not so slow when you are seated five feet above the ground bouncing along over hilly terrain.
"You only have as much control as the horse lets you have," Swigart reminds me. "The horse is in control."
Like, I get that.
I resist reaching for a leather strap at the front of the English saddle. But I grab it with my left hand and hold the reins in my right, doing my best to avoid bouncing down on Jackson's up or up on Jackson's down.
Swigart canters with the grace of a dancer. Horse and human move in harmony. It's the kind of moment when someone is so good at what they do, you think, "Hey, that's easy."
And it is – when you've chosen to live your passion.
•••
The connection between horses and Orange County goes back half a millennium, to the Spanish conquistadores. It continued through the rancho and ranch periods when men with names such as Jose Yorba and, later, James Irvine hired cowboys to run huge herds of cattle.
How many horses today in Orange County? Swigart estimates at least 5,000.
For some, horse people are difficult to fathom. But, fortunately, Swigart, of Fullerton, is as adept with analogies as she is with riding.
If you're a dog or cat person, you share a similar gene with horse people. If you're a motorcycle-loving dog person you're even closer to being a horse person.
Part of the appeal for many is the majesty and power of the animal, Swigart explains. Imagine something so strong it can easily carry its 1,000-pound weight – plus a human adult and saddle. Now imagine that something bounding uphill with you on top.
Exciting? You bet.
Jackson waits at the bottom of a steep rocky trail. Swigart and horses move up. With a twitch and a nod, Jackson signals he's ready. With a little more give on the reins, so do I. Jackson surges.
Massive shoulder and haunch muscles click into action. The pure power is something I've not felt since climbing on a Harley. And this is bigger. Much bigger.
But the real magic of riding is the bond with a living, breathing mammal. Riding is a partnership; you may be smarter, but the horse is stronger.
Swigart started riding bareback as a kid on neighbors' horses. She was 25 when she bought her first horse, her current stallion's father. He was untrained, "unbroken" in horse-speak.
Soon, Swigart discovered she had a gift for breaking horses. And it reached deeper into her soul than corporate finance. These days, she cares for up to 10 horses a day and averages 30 hours a week in the saddle.
She's had her nose broken and her feet stomped. She's been pushed against walls; bitten, flipped.
But that's nothing compared to what happened in Mongolia, where riding is more than a livelihood — it's a way of life.
•••
As the plane drops out of the clouds, Swigart sees nothing but grassland and a few dirt roads.
"That's what I'm going to be riding across," she tells herself. "Boy, that is a big empty place."
And she's right. Mongolia, which shares a border with northern China, is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. Mongolia has 100,000 fewer people than Orange County, but they are spread out over about 600 times more land.
Swigart has signed up for something called the Mongol Derby. It is an endurance race over nine days that requires riders to navigate their way from yurt to yurt over land they've never seen – with endless plains and few distinct markings.
They will ride a breed of horses that has changed little since the days of Genghis Khan.
And the horse whisperers for such beasts? Mongolian nomads, who are considered some of the finest riders on the planet.
Swigart, however, was a Boy Scouts of America Explorer, (yes, Scouts!), and has ridden 100-mile endurance races that meant 22 hours in the saddle. She knows her way around a GPS unit.
Her stirrup leathers break after a few days. She fixes it. A horse falls, her with it. Her metal water bottle is crushed. But her helmet saves her skull. A fellow rider gets lost overnight. But Swigart stays on course, her spirit in flight.
"There's nothing better than galloping across an open field," she tells me.
She doesn't win, but she doesn't come in last either. When you hurl yourself over the precipice in Mongolia, finish times don't matter.
The only thing that matters is discovering you can fly.
On a horse with wings.
full article at http://www.ocregister.com/articles/horse-269075-swigart-riding.html
Thursday, September 23, 2010
WEC Aussie Endurance Rider Penny Toft takes time out to talk to us...
Equestrian.cyberhorse.com.au - Full Article
Written by Kelly Bauer | Friday, 24 September 2010 03:37
Penny toft has horses in her blood, coming from an equestrian family she started out making a name for herself in the show ring. Having won many champion hack & pony, in harness and ridden classes aswell as winning Horse of the Year titles, Penny decided to make the switch to endurance.
This change of direction proved hugely successful and Penny is well known among the best endurance riders Internationally.
In 2001 Penny was third at the WA Tom Quilty, in 2002 she was a member of the bronze medal winning team at WEG in Jerez. In 2003 at the Tom Quilty in NSW she was 3rd and in 2004 she competed in the Tevis Cup USA for a 17th place overall. Penny has competed and in and won many Gold, silver, and bronze medals at World Championships.
Penny will be riding Don, a seasoned Part Arabian Endurance Horse. He is bay,14 years and over the last 5 years has been succesfully completing 160km rides with Penny. He competed in the World Endurance Championships in Malaysia for an overall 18th place. Penny says „Don is in his prime and has never been better“.
I was lucky enough to catch up with Penny while she is based at the amazing Kentucky Equine Research faciltiy and she shared some of her thoughts with us…
When did you arrive in the US?
1st September.
Where have you and Don been based since arriving?
We have been extremely priveleged to have been based at theKentucky Equine Research Farm in Versailles. We have had the use of the Farms fascilities including Walker, Treadmill, paddocks and convenient trails. The Horses have settled in well to their routine and it will be hard to move on to the Horse Park later this week. My Husband, Peter and Daughter (Groom), Alexandra are staying on the Farm with DON.
Read more here:
http://equestrian.cyberhorse.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7701:aussie-endurance-rider-penny-toft-takes-time-out-to-talk-to-us&catid=29:general-weg
Hunterdon residents bound for World Equestrian Games in Kentucky
NJ.com - Full Article
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Lillian Shupe/Hunterdon County Democrat
Some Hunterdon residents are headed down to Kentucky for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Some will be there to watch, some compete and others will be working behind the scenes.
The games get underway with opening ceremonies on Saturday. It is the first time the Games have been held on American soil and the first time all eight world championships will be held together.
Kingwood Township resident Meg Sleeper will compete in endurance riding which will start on Sunday morning.
An Endurance Ride is a competition testing the speed and the endurance ability of the horse. To be successful, the competitor must have knowledge of pace and efficient and safe use of his horse across country. The competition is against the clock over a distance of 100 miles with at least five stops for veterinarians to check the horses’ fitness to continue. The competitor who finishes the ride in the shortest time wins.
Last fall Sleeper was on the team that won a test event at the same location as the Games. Sleeper finished sixth overall in the event...
Read more here:
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2010/09/hunterdon_residents_bound_for.html
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Lillian Shupe/Hunterdon County Democrat
Some Hunterdon residents are headed down to Kentucky for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG). Some will be there to watch, some compete and others will be working behind the scenes.
The games get underway with opening ceremonies on Saturday. It is the first time the Games have been held on American soil and the first time all eight world championships will be held together.
Kingwood Township resident Meg Sleeper will compete in endurance riding which will start on Sunday morning.
An Endurance Ride is a competition testing the speed and the endurance ability of the horse. To be successful, the competitor must have knowledge of pace and efficient and safe use of his horse across country. The competition is against the clock over a distance of 100 miles with at least five stops for veterinarians to check the horses’ fitness to continue. The competitor who finishes the ride in the shortest time wins.
Last fall Sleeper was on the team that won a test event at the same location as the Games. Sleeper finished sixth overall in the event...
Read more here:
http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2010/09/hunterdon_residents_bound_for.html
New Zealand: World quest for Higgins combo
Stuff.co.nz - Full Article
By DIANA DOBSON - Nelson
Last updated 13:04 24/09/2010
Representing New Zealand is becoming a bit of a family affair in the Higgins household.
This time it isn't shooter Phillip wearing the silver fern. Instead, it is wife Alison's turn to do the nation proud.
On Sunday, she and their horse Twynham El Omar will line up in the 160km endurance race at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.
The Nelson-based combination will be one of three Kiwi combos on the starting line.
But it was Phillip who started Omar, breaking him in and riding him for the first three years.
As a shooter, Phillip represented New Zealand at both world championship and world cup level. These days, he's happier grooming for his wife in her bid for glory.
Omar is the third of the late Leo Nisbett's horses to represent New Zealand at world championship level. In the hands of Alison, he won the 2010 100-mile South Island Championship.
She's got no qualms about the world games race she faces this week, but says that starting line will be something else.
"We're used to 1am starts, when everyone is calm – we'll be in a pack with 130 or so others. It's going to be tough."
It's not the first time she has been chosen to represent New Zealand. In 2008, she and Omar got the nod for the World Endurance Championships in Malaysia but turned it down over worries about heat and humidity...
Read more here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/sport/4164584/World-quest-for-Higgins-combo
By DIANA DOBSON - Nelson
Last updated 13:04 24/09/2010
Representing New Zealand is becoming a bit of a family affair in the Higgins household.
This time it isn't shooter Phillip wearing the silver fern. Instead, it is wife Alison's turn to do the nation proud.
On Sunday, she and their horse Twynham El Omar will line up in the 160km endurance race at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.
The Nelson-based combination will be one of three Kiwi combos on the starting line.
But it was Phillip who started Omar, breaking him in and riding him for the first three years.
As a shooter, Phillip represented New Zealand at both world championship and world cup level. These days, he's happier grooming for his wife in her bid for glory.
Omar is the third of the late Leo Nisbett's horses to represent New Zealand at world championship level. In the hands of Alison, he won the 2010 100-mile South Island Championship.
She's got no qualms about the world games race she faces this week, but says that starting line will be something else.
"We're used to 1am starts, when everyone is calm – we'll be in a pack with 130 or so others. It's going to be tough."
It's not the first time she has been chosen to represent New Zealand. In 2008, she and Omar got the nod for the World Endurance Championships in Malaysia but turned it down over worries about heat and humidity...
Read more here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/sport/4164584/World-quest-for-Higgins-combo
New Zealand: WEGwatch – Tuesday 21 September 2010
NZEquestrian.org.nz - Full Article
22/09/2010 4:27:53 p.m.
It is a cacophony of sight and sound at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington...and the Kiwis are right in the midst of it.
There are accents, languages, signs, flags, vehicles and more as thousands gear up for the World Equestrian Games which get underway on Sunday (25th September). Everyone has a smile on their face and welcoming words. The Kiwis are coming in from all over.
The endurance crews are settled on a farm not far from the Park and will head in to the Games stables over the next day of two. The horses all travelled well and are getting used to their new world. Equine physio Nikki Lourie spent several hours with the endurance horses yesterday and is back out there again this morning.
The endurance riders are settled in a comfy RV right at the farm and the rest of the them are sleeping marae-style in a nearby farm house.
They've become kings and queens of Wallmart, and able to spot a bargain from a mile off. A nearby cowboy boot store has a new appreciation for all things New Zealand after nearly all of them bought at least one pair of boots this week.
And they're pretty sharp at identifying the local wildlife too, with coyotes, skunks, fire flies, raccoons and more all regulars in their patch.
Eventer Clarke Johnstone travelled out with the Aussies and the UK based eventers are set to arrive later this afternoon. Watching the enormous silver trucks – each of which have to carry at least 12 horses – roll in and out of the park is something else. They're so shiny they could be used as mirrors and in a convoy look most impressive.
Showjumper Katie McVean and Dunstan Delphi have made themselves quite at home in a somewhat mobile barn right at the equestrian park. The rest of the showjumping team arrive next week.
The NZ support team have been busy making sure all the important details are seen to – like decorating the stables and ensuring there are cold drinks on hand for riders and grooms...among plenty of other things...
Read more here:
http://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/Article.aspx?id=4345&Mode=1
22/09/2010 4:27:53 p.m.
It is a cacophony of sight and sound at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington...and the Kiwis are right in the midst of it.
There are accents, languages, signs, flags, vehicles and more as thousands gear up for the World Equestrian Games which get underway on Sunday (25th September). Everyone has a smile on their face and welcoming words. The Kiwis are coming in from all over.
The endurance crews are settled on a farm not far from the Park and will head in to the Games stables over the next day of two. The horses all travelled well and are getting used to their new world. Equine physio Nikki Lourie spent several hours with the endurance horses yesterday and is back out there again this morning.
The endurance riders are settled in a comfy RV right at the farm and the rest of the them are sleeping marae-style in a nearby farm house.
They've become kings and queens of Wallmart, and able to spot a bargain from a mile off. A nearby cowboy boot store has a new appreciation for all things New Zealand after nearly all of them bought at least one pair of boots this week.
And they're pretty sharp at identifying the local wildlife too, with coyotes, skunks, fire flies, raccoons and more all regulars in their patch.
Eventer Clarke Johnstone travelled out with the Aussies and the UK based eventers are set to arrive later this afternoon. Watching the enormous silver trucks – each of which have to carry at least 12 horses – roll in and out of the park is something else. They're so shiny they could be used as mirrors and in a convoy look most impressive.
Showjumper Katie McVean and Dunstan Delphi have made themselves quite at home in a somewhat mobile barn right at the equestrian park. The rest of the showjumping team arrive next week.
The NZ support team have been busy making sure all the important details are seen to – like decorating the stables and ensuring there are cold drinks on hand for riders and grooms...among plenty of other things...
Read more here:
http://www.nzequestrian.org.nz/Article.aspx?id=4345&Mode=1
Nearby farms are part of WEG endurance course
Dailyme.com - Full Article
LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, KY. | MARK MALONEY | Wed, Sep 22, 2010
Sept. 22--Imagine hosting a party on scale so grand you'll need to ask a neighbor to open his yard for your party.
And another neighbor, and another and ... .
That's what it's been like for Emmett Ross.
Endurance discipline manager for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Ross has led the way in cobbling together a 100-mile course over 24 pieces of private property for Sunday's endurance competition.
The endurance race -- essentially a long-distance race in which the rider must pace the horse so that it remains fit to finish -- will begin and end at the Kentucky Horse Park, but it is the one WEG competition whose course will extend beyond the park.
Originally, 65 landowners gave permission to use their property. That proved to be a bit much logistically, so Ross "just drove around all the time" and came up with a more precise route. Still, it's the largest course on private land to be used in a World Championship, according to Ross.
"It's a pretty neat trail," he said. "The big thing is the relationships I've had with the landowners and farm owners..."
Read more here:
http://dailyme.com/story/2010092100004784/nearby-farms-part-weg-endurance.html
LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER, KY. | MARK MALONEY | Wed, Sep 22, 2010
Sept. 22--Imagine hosting a party on scale so grand you'll need to ask a neighbor to open his yard for your party.
And another neighbor, and another and ... .
That's what it's been like for Emmett Ross.
Endurance discipline manager for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Ross has led the way in cobbling together a 100-mile course over 24 pieces of private property for Sunday's endurance competition.
The endurance race -- essentially a long-distance race in which the rider must pace the horse so that it remains fit to finish -- will begin and end at the Kentucky Horse Park, but it is the one WEG competition whose course will extend beyond the park.
Originally, 65 landowners gave permission to use their property. That proved to be a bit much logistically, so Ross "just drove around all the time" and came up with a more precise route. Still, it's the largest course on private land to be used in a World Championship, according to Ross.
"It's a pretty neat trail," he said. "The big thing is the relationships I've had with the landowners and farm owners..."
Read more here:
http://dailyme.com/story/2010092100004784/nearby-farms-part-weg-endurance.html
Canada: Endurance Alternate Injured
Monday September 20 2010
Canadian endurance rider Carol Steiner was injured when her horse Jumpin' Jax bucked her off in a training ride. She sustained several broken ribs, a possible broken collarbone and punctured lung. It was thought that the horse tangled with some yellow jackets. Carol and Jax were second alternates for the Canadian Endurance Team. Carol remains in the hospital in Lexington recovering from her injuries.
Canadian endurance rider Carol Steiner was injured when her horse Jumpin' Jax bucked her off in a training ride. She sustained several broken ribs, a possible broken collarbone and punctured lung. It was thought that the horse tangled with some yellow jackets. Carol and Jax were second alternates for the Canadian Endurance Team. Carol remains in the hospital in Lexington recovering from her injuries.
Shaker Village the 21st - Heather Reynolds
Reynoldsracing.us - Full Article
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Sorry, I have not had internet until now. We had to move out of the hotel for the second time right before they decided who would make the team so I have not written since.
Our team which you have probably heard by now is:
Ellen Rapp on Berjo Smoke
Meg Sleeper on Syrocco Harmony
Jan Worthington on Golden Lightening
Heather Reynolds on Ssamiam
Our individual is:
Lindsay Graham on Monk
Alternate:
Deborah Reich on DJB Juniper
We were all on pins and needles to hear who would make it. After our final trot out for the selectors we were all relieved because at that point we had done all we could and it was now up to the committees to decide.
We were waiting from about 10 am until 4:30 pm. A long day to say the least. Then when they did announce the team they did so in alphabetical order and started with Ellen Rapp so poor Lindsay thought she had not been selected, then they announced the individual after that. She was overwhelmed...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/view/318/shaker_village_the_21st
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Sorry, I have not had internet until now. We had to move out of the hotel for the second time right before they decided who would make the team so I have not written since.
Our team which you have probably heard by now is:
Ellen Rapp on Berjo Smoke
Meg Sleeper on Syrocco Harmony
Jan Worthington on Golden Lightening
Heather Reynolds on Ssamiam
Our individual is:
Lindsay Graham on Monk
Alternate:
Deborah Reich on DJB Juniper
We were all on pins and needles to hear who would make it. After our final trot out for the selectors we were all relieved because at that point we had done all we could and it was now up to the committees to decide.
We were waiting from about 10 am until 4:30 pm. A long day to say the least. Then when they did announce the team they did so in alphabetical order and started with Ellen Rapp so poor Lindsay thought she had not been selected, then they announced the individual after that. She was overwhelmed...
Read more here:
http://www.reynoldsracing.us/heathers_blog/view/318/shaker_village_the_21st
Blittersdorf is alternate for U.S. Endurance team
Burlingtonfreepress.com - Full Article
Jeffersonville woman training for World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky
By Mike Donoghue, Free Press Staff Writer • Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Melody Blittersdorf is hoping to take the horse ride of her life.
The Jeffersonville woman is representing the United States on the Endurance team at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Endurance is a 100-mile horse race with at least five mandatory stops along the way for veterinarians to check the horses to ensure they can continue, Blittersdorf said in a recent interview.
“I’m the only one from Vermont in any of eight disciplines and the only one from New England in the Endurance,” she said. The competition also includes Dressage, Driving, Eventing, Jumping, Para Dressage, Reining and Vaulting.
The international games are held every four years and this marks the first time they are in America, Blittersdorf said.
The list of Endurance riders on the U.S. team was recently cut to five finalists, but Blittersdorf was named as an alternate and could still move up, according to her husband, Jeff Blittersdorf.
He said his wife is still hoping for a chance to perform at the games, which run from Saturday until Oct. 10 and will be aired on national television — NBC-TV — over three weekends...
Read more here:
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100921/SPORTS/100920045/Blittersdorf-is-alternate-for-U.S.-Endurance-team
Jeffersonville woman training for World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky
By Mike Donoghue, Free Press Staff Writer • Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Melody Blittersdorf is hoping to take the horse ride of her life.
The Jeffersonville woman is representing the United States on the Endurance team at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Endurance is a 100-mile horse race with at least five mandatory stops along the way for veterinarians to check the horses to ensure they can continue, Blittersdorf said in a recent interview.
“I’m the only one from Vermont in any of eight disciplines and the only one from New England in the Endurance,” she said. The competition also includes Dressage, Driving, Eventing, Jumping, Para Dressage, Reining and Vaulting.
The international games are held every four years and this marks the first time they are in America, Blittersdorf said.
The list of Endurance riders on the U.S. team was recently cut to five finalists, but Blittersdorf was named as an alternate and could still move up, according to her husband, Jeff Blittersdorf.
He said his wife is still hoping for a chance to perform at the games, which run from Saturday until Oct. 10 and will be aired on national television — NBC-TV — over three weekends...
Read more here:
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100921/SPORTS/100920045/Blittersdorf-is-alternate-for-U.S.-Endurance-team
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Equine Therapy For Special Children Impresses Tuanku Mizan
Bernama.com.my - Full Article
From Sharifah Nur Shahrizad Syed Mohamed Sharer
HINCHINBROOKE (QUEBEC), Sept 20 (Bernama) -- Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin visited a therapeutic riding centre here Sunday and came away impressed with the equine therapy programme for special children and disabled people.
His Majesty spent about two hours at the Lucky Harvest Therapeutic Riding Center where he was briefed by the coordinator and instructor, Debbie Wilson, and chatted with several participants of the programme.
Located about an hour's drive from Montreal, Lucky Harvest Therapeutic Riding Center is the first equine therapy centre to have received an accreditation certificate.
The Lucky Harvest Project was established in December 1990 with the primary aim of providing therapy, rehabilitation and enjoyment to children, youths, and adults with physical, intellectual, emotional and/or developmental disabilities.
The focus of the programme is similar to that of the Sultan Mizan Royal Foundation which assists disabled people, particularly in health care.
Tuanku Mizan, who is chairman of the foundation and an avid endurance horse rider, is on a "special task" visit to Canada in conjunction with the "Brain Gain Malaysia" programme, of which the foundation is a grant recipient...
Read more here:
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=528860
From Sharifah Nur Shahrizad Syed Mohamed Sharer
HINCHINBROOKE (QUEBEC), Sept 20 (Bernama) -- Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin visited a therapeutic riding centre here Sunday and came away impressed with the equine therapy programme for special children and disabled people.
His Majesty spent about two hours at the Lucky Harvest Therapeutic Riding Center where he was briefed by the coordinator and instructor, Debbie Wilson, and chatted with several participants of the programme.
Located about an hour's drive from Montreal, Lucky Harvest Therapeutic Riding Center is the first equine therapy centre to have received an accreditation certificate.
The Lucky Harvest Project was established in December 1990 with the primary aim of providing therapy, rehabilitation and enjoyment to children, youths, and adults with physical, intellectual, emotional and/or developmental disabilities.
The focus of the programme is similar to that of the Sultan Mizan Royal Foundation which assists disabled people, particularly in health care.
Tuanku Mizan, who is chairman of the foundation and an avid endurance horse rider, is on a "special task" visit to Canada in conjunction with the "Brain Gain Malaysia" programme, of which the foundation is a grant recipient...
Read more here:
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=528860
Close Contact with the World Equestrian Games
Racehorsetoshowhorse.blogspot.com - Full Story and pictures
Sunday, September 19, 2010
First of all, I have to tell you how awesome my husband is...
He bought me a ticket to the Dressage Finals on October 1st so I can watch my idols ride. I am so excited!! I know I'll be tired because I'll be coming back from an 11 day road trip for work and going straight from the airport to the arena but I don't care! Matt has a photo credential (we could only get one) so he'll be there too.
Also, my husband received a call from his cousin who lives in California. Turns out that his step daughter was selected to ride on the U.S. Endurance Team!! Matt and I know very little about endurance riding except that it's one of the FEI competitions at WEG.
We are learning quickly! The riders compete in a 100 mile race that will have several vet checks. The winner of the race is the rider who crosses the finish line first AND the horse recovers as "fit to continue" the fastest in the vet check. Wikipedia has a great explanation (considerably better and more concise than what I could write) of the competition - Click Here to Read.
Matt contacted his cousin's step-daughter and we met up with the team at an undisclosed location near the Kentucky Horse Park. They were training at this farm.
Without further ado, let me introduce to you the U.S. Endurance Team!
Read more here, and pictures:
http://racehorsetoshowhorse.blogspot.com/2010/09/close-contact-with-world-equestrian.html
Sunday, September 19, 2010
First of all, I have to tell you how awesome my husband is...
He bought me a ticket to the Dressage Finals on October 1st so I can watch my idols ride. I am so excited!! I know I'll be tired because I'll be coming back from an 11 day road trip for work and going straight from the airport to the arena but I don't care! Matt has a photo credential (we could only get one) so he'll be there too.
Also, my husband received a call from his cousin who lives in California. Turns out that his step daughter was selected to ride on the U.S. Endurance Team!! Matt and I know very little about endurance riding except that it's one of the FEI competitions at WEG.
We are learning quickly! The riders compete in a 100 mile race that will have several vet checks. The winner of the race is the rider who crosses the finish line first AND the horse recovers as "fit to continue" the fastest in the vet check. Wikipedia has a great explanation (considerably better and more concise than what I could write) of the competition - Click Here to Read.
Matt contacted his cousin's step-daughter and we met up with the team at an undisclosed location near the Kentucky Horse Park. They were training at this farm.
Without further ado, let me introduce to you the U.S. Endurance Team!
Read more here, and pictures:
http://racehorsetoshowhorse.blogspot.com/2010/09/close-contact-with-world-equestrian.html
200 Wins, Celebration and Reflection
Global Endurance Training Center
The 200th endurance win of Christoph at last weekends Las Cienegas 100 mile ride was certainly a landmark and world record. No other rider has ever crossed that threshold. It was reached on Stars Aflame, competing in her third season now. Last year she was highest finishing USA horse at the Kentucky Cup. This year, she was among the final 25 horses selected for a spot on the USA Endurance Team for the WEG. She ended up not being selected, which allowed her to return to the AERC competitions for the remainder of the year. This was her first 100 mile win. Christoph was glad for being able to work with her in partnership during this race.
Focus, constant learning, commitment and dedication to the sport certainly paid off for Global Endurance Training Center with this accomplishment. This is a time to not only celebrate and bask a little in the sunshine, but also to give Thanks to our horses and their willingness to work with us in partnership. Without their commitment, eagerness and spirit, we would not have achieved these goals.
We are lucky to have such a great family of performance horses at GETC. Christoph has roughly 400 completions. Half of them, 50% are first place finishes. During the endurance careers of Christoph and Dian, GETC horses have accumulated over 135 BCs. (Christoph and Dian have over 100 combined BCs alone). If you think about it, of roughly 700 completions of our horses, there is a 20% chance of a Global Endurance horse receiving BC.
Kevin Myers, Marketing Director of EasyCare, Inc, interviewed Christoph yesterday. His Press release can be viewed at EasyCare's Blog: http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/easycare.
EasyCare has been instrumental in the success of Christoph, Dian and all the GETC riders. The new EasyCare Glue-on boots and Gloves are helping our horses tremendously in their performance. Many times we have written about the ease of application, the light weight of the boots, their sole protection. These new boots are unprecedented in the hoof care market. Nothing will ever be the same from here on out. Hoof protection companies have to step up to the plate. The bar has been raised substantially by EasyCare.
read more at http://globalendurance.typepad.com/global-endurance-blog/2010/09/celebration-and-reflection.html
Focus, constant learning, commitment and dedication to the sport certainly paid off for Global Endurance Training Center with this accomplishment. This is a time to not only celebrate and bask a little in the sunshine, but also to give Thanks to our horses and their willingness to work with us in partnership. Without their commitment, eagerness and spirit, we would not have achieved these goals.
We are lucky to have such a great family of performance horses at GETC. Christoph has roughly 400 completions. Half of them, 50% are first place finishes. During the endurance careers of Christoph and Dian, GETC horses have accumulated over 135 BCs. (Christoph and Dian have over 100 combined BCs alone). If you think about it, of roughly 700 completions of our horses, there is a 20% chance of a Global Endurance horse receiving BC.
Kevin Myers, Marketing Director of EasyCare, Inc, interviewed Christoph yesterday. His Press release can be viewed at EasyCare's Blog: http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/easycare.
EasyCare has been instrumental in the success of Christoph, Dian and all the GETC riders. The new EasyCare Glue-on boots and Gloves are helping our horses tremendously in their performance. Many times we have written about the ease of application, the light weight of the boots, their sole protection. These new boots are unprecedented in the hoof care market. Nothing will ever be the same from here on out. Hoof protection companies have to step up to the plate. The bar has been raised substantially by EasyCare.
read more at http://globalendurance.typepad.com/global-endurance-blog/2010/09/celebration-and-reflection.html
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Christoph Schork's World Record
Kevin Myers, Easycare Inc, September 20
Christoph Schork is the world record holder for the number of first place finishes at endurance events. Christoph won his 200th race on Saturday, September 18, 2010, at the Las Cienega 100 mile event. More than 25% of those wins were achieved since December 2008 using Easyboot Glue-Ons.
Christoph boasts an astonishing 92% completion rate across more than 21,000 competition miles with more than 80 Best Condition awards and beats the next most-winning rider by more than 50 wins.
Born in Germany in 1953, Christoph was raised on a dairy farm and rode his first horse at the age of three as part of the annual town parade. Each year the horses in the parade would wind their way through town to a spring in the woods where the Catholic Priest would bless the horses before the riders set off into the countryside to ride. What an image.
To say that Christoph is competitive would be an understatement. Growing up as a gymnast from the age of six, he also took up running, track and field (3,000 – 5,000 meters), cross country skiing, triathlon, archery, biathlon, rowing, mountain bike racing and downhill ski racing. He also participated in other extreme sports such rock climbing, white-water kayaking and mountaineering. He has climbed to the 24,590-foot summit of Peak Somoni (formerly Peak Communism) in the Pamir mountains in northwest Tajikistan.
His interest in horses has never waned. He competed in some dressage as a juvenile: he enjoyed the discipline, the precision, being one with the horse and the need to pay attention to detail. But he did not particularly like to be confined – something he says he dislikes to this day. Even when he was competing as a gymnast, he was envious of his friends who were cross-country running because they were outdoors.
Christoph was in his 30s when he first heard about endurance riding through Ride & Tie events in the Salt Lake City area. He particularly enjoyed working in partnership with the horse: the combination of riding and running.
His first endurance race was in 1986 as a non-AERC member. His first official recorded start was in 1988 with a horse named Dahn Hallany. “My knowledge of horses was very limited back then. I knew a little bit about breeding, but Bob and Arlene Morris were of great help as early mentors.” He still keeps in touch with them today. “You should take time to learn,” he says, “because if you don’t learn, you stay stagnant which is akin to going backwards.”
read full article at http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/easycare/0/0/christoph-schork-attains-his-200th-career-win
WEG: Nearby farms are part of WEG endurance course
By Mark Maloney - mmaloney@herald-leader.com
Imagine hosting a party on scale so grand you'll need to ask a neighbor to open his yard for your party.
And another neighbor, and another and ...
That's what it's been like for Emmett Ross.
Endurance discipline manager for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Ross has led the way in cobbling together a 100-mile course over 24 pieces of private property for Sunday's endurance competition.
The endurance race—essentially a long-distance race in which the rider must pace the horse so that it remains fit to finish—will begin and finish at the Kentucky Horse Park, but it is the one WEG competition whose course will extend beyond the park.
Originally, 65 land owners gave permission to use their property. That proved to be a bit much logistically, so Ross "just drove around all the time" and came up with a more precise route. Still, it's the largest course on private land to be used in a World Championship, according to Ross.
"It's a pretty neat trail," he said. "The big thing is the relationships I've had with the land owners and farm owners."
Ross, who came from Cat Spring, Texas, in June 2008 to begin his task, has been working full-time on the course for the last year. He also played executive roles with the equestrian events at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
He says Horse Park neighbors have been quick to lend a hand.
"There were two or three that were like this at first," Ross said, ruffling his face in a dubious frown. "But they have become our biggest supporters."
The course extends over Thoroughbred and sport horse farms, as well as corn, soybean, tobacco and beef cattle farms.
It includes 18 road crossings (where police will assist in keeping the road clear) and 15 water crossings, including one at the mouth of Russell Cave.
Tobias Incollingo, farm manager of Castleton Lyons, said the farm's late owner, Tony Ryan, was an enthusiastic supporter of the Games from the beginning. Ryan died in 2007.
"It was relatively easy," he said of their participation. "We mowed the grass a little lower and we had to add a few gates so the horses could get through the pastures," Incollingo said.
The endurance horses will come up the farm's main driveway, then continue on the west side of the farm along Mount Horeb Pike as part of one of the loops. The Castleton Lyons horses will have to be brought in from those fields as the riders go through.
"We like to be involved in local events," said Incollingo, who said the farm was not paid for their participation, but did receive some tickets to the horse park.
Caves and water crossings
While the competitors, officials, managers and emergency vehicles will have access to the endurance course farms during Sunday's race, spectators and rider's assistants do not. (Some land owners will host private parties, which will enable invited guests to glimpse the race.)
Spectators will be able to see the competitors at the Horse Park, where horses will stop for vet checks after completing each of six loops.
If you're thinking of scouting for a spot to park alongside a road to watch the competition, don't. No parking is allowed.
The course footing is listed as 80 percent grass trails and pastures, three miles of paved road segments, two miles of gravel roads, and some dirt trails.
"I think we'll have fun with all that grass — 80 percent," said Eoné Willemse, a 22-year-old South African woman who will be riding the Arab-Saddlebred-cross Shamwari. "All the water crossings will be fun as well."
The terrain is rolling, with several steep but short climbs.
"They've been very helpful," said Chad Needham, who is part of Ross's crew in preparing the course. "They have some beautiful places and they've allowed us to pass through."
Needham, a former Bryan Station and Transylvania University soccer standout, spent Saturday inspecting the second and longest loop of the course, which covers about 25 miles.
Included on that loop is the Russell Cave water crossing on Mt. Brilliant Farm. That portion of the course also passes alongside Man-O-War's Barn, where the horse of the same name once lived.
The second-loop turnaround — and farthest point from the Horse Park on the course — is where only the marble columns of the original Elmendorf Farm mansion have survived.
Ross said he designed the course that way because the mansion's owner, James Ben Ali Haggin, was involved in one of the earliest endurance races in California.
A slow Kentucky Derby
Sunday's race is scheduled to start at 7:00 a.m. Some competitors will not finish until after dark, so 3,000 glow sticks will be used to mark the course. The cutoff time to finish the course, 11:08 p.m., requires riders to cover an average of 8.2 mph; the winner likely will clock about 12 mph.
"It's like running 80 Kentucky Derbies at one-third the speed," Ross said, "but in one day."
According to Ross, no World Championships endurance event has had more than 40 percent of the field complete the test. He's hoping for 50 percent here.
The compulsory stops for vets to check the horses' fitness and ability to continue take place at the Horse Park upon completion of each loop. A fit horse that is also able to demonstrate quick recovery gives the rider a distinct advantage, reducing the time spent in the inspection area.
Jan Worthington, at 70 the oldest member of the U.S. team, placed third in a rain-hampered 75-mile test event here last year. Her horse, a 10-year-old Arabian named Golden Lightning, was named Best Conditioned.
"He did good in the mud. ... But he's a pretty good horse in the heat, too," Worthington said. "So he should do better than the average horse if we make it. He has pretty fast recoveries, and that's a big advantage, and I have a good crew.
"He's got huge nostrils, which the Arabian breed is known for," she said. "His are particularly big."
Herald-Leader staff reporter Linda B. Blackford contributed to this report.
Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/21/1444882/nearby-farms-are-part-of-weg-endurance.html#ixzz10Cv2Bgsu
Imagine hosting a party on scale so grand you'll need to ask a neighbor to open his yard for your party.
And another neighbor, and another and ...
That's what it's been like for Emmett Ross.
Endurance discipline manager for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Ross has led the way in cobbling together a 100-mile course over 24 pieces of private property for Sunday's endurance competition.
The endurance race—essentially a long-distance race in which the rider must pace the horse so that it remains fit to finish—will begin and finish at the Kentucky Horse Park, but it is the one WEG competition whose course will extend beyond the park.
Originally, 65 land owners gave permission to use their property. That proved to be a bit much logistically, so Ross "just drove around all the time" and came up with a more precise route. Still, it's the largest course on private land to be used in a World Championship, according to Ross.
"It's a pretty neat trail," he said. "The big thing is the relationships I've had with the land owners and farm owners."
Ross, who came from Cat Spring, Texas, in June 2008 to begin his task, has been working full-time on the course for the last year. He also played executive roles with the equestrian events at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
He says Horse Park neighbors have been quick to lend a hand.
"There were two or three that were like this at first," Ross said, ruffling his face in a dubious frown. "But they have become our biggest supporters."
The course extends over Thoroughbred and sport horse farms, as well as corn, soybean, tobacco and beef cattle farms.
It includes 18 road crossings (where police will assist in keeping the road clear) and 15 water crossings, including one at the mouth of Russell Cave.
Tobias Incollingo, farm manager of Castleton Lyons, said the farm's late owner, Tony Ryan, was an enthusiastic supporter of the Games from the beginning. Ryan died in 2007.
"It was relatively easy," he said of their participation. "We mowed the grass a little lower and we had to add a few gates so the horses could get through the pastures," Incollingo said.
The endurance horses will come up the farm's main driveway, then continue on the west side of the farm along Mount Horeb Pike as part of one of the loops. The Castleton Lyons horses will have to be brought in from those fields as the riders go through.
"We like to be involved in local events," said Incollingo, who said the farm was not paid for their participation, but did receive some tickets to the horse park.
Caves and water crossings
While the competitors, officials, managers and emergency vehicles will have access to the endurance course farms during Sunday's race, spectators and rider's assistants do not. (Some land owners will host private parties, which will enable invited guests to glimpse the race.)
Spectators will be able to see the competitors at the Horse Park, where horses will stop for vet checks after completing each of six loops.
If you're thinking of scouting for a spot to park alongside a road to watch the competition, don't. No parking is allowed.
The course footing is listed as 80 percent grass trails and pastures, three miles of paved road segments, two miles of gravel roads, and some dirt trails.
"I think we'll have fun with all that grass — 80 percent," said Eoné Willemse, a 22-year-old South African woman who will be riding the Arab-Saddlebred-cross Shamwari. "All the water crossings will be fun as well."
The terrain is rolling, with several steep but short climbs.
"They've been very helpful," said Chad Needham, who is part of Ross's crew in preparing the course. "They have some beautiful places and they've allowed us to pass through."
Needham, a former Bryan Station and Transylvania University soccer standout, spent Saturday inspecting the second and longest loop of the course, which covers about 25 miles.
Included on that loop is the Russell Cave water crossing on Mt. Brilliant Farm. That portion of the course also passes alongside Man-O-War's Barn, where the horse of the same name once lived.
The second-loop turnaround — and farthest point from the Horse Park on the course — is where only the marble columns of the original Elmendorf Farm mansion have survived.
Ross said he designed the course that way because the mansion's owner, James Ben Ali Haggin, was involved in one of the earliest endurance races in California.
A slow Kentucky Derby
Sunday's race is scheduled to start at 7:00 a.m. Some competitors will not finish until after dark, so 3,000 glow sticks will be used to mark the course. The cutoff time to finish the course, 11:08 p.m., requires riders to cover an average of 8.2 mph; the winner likely will clock about 12 mph.
"It's like running 80 Kentucky Derbies at one-third the speed," Ross said, "but in one day."
According to Ross, no World Championships endurance event has had more than 40 percent of the field complete the test. He's hoping for 50 percent here.
The compulsory stops for vets to check the horses' fitness and ability to continue take place at the Horse Park upon completion of each loop. A fit horse that is also able to demonstrate quick recovery gives the rider a distinct advantage, reducing the time spent in the inspection area.
Jan Worthington, at 70 the oldest member of the U.S. team, placed third in a rain-hampered 75-mile test event here last year. Her horse, a 10-year-old Arabian named Golden Lightning, was named Best Conditioned.
"He did good in the mud. ... But he's a pretty good horse in the heat, too," Worthington said. "So he should do better than the average horse if we make it. He has pretty fast recoveries, and that's a big advantage, and I have a good crew.
"He's got huge nostrils, which the Arabian breed is known for," she said. "His are particularly big."
Herald-Leader staff reporter Linda B. Blackford contributed to this report.
Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/21/1444882/nearby-farms-are-part-of-weg-endurance.html#ixzz10Cv2Bgsu
France: Change on the French Endurance Team
The rumour running around yesterday has been confirmed by an announcement, in the usual laconic style of the FFE, that the French team has had to withdraw Bénédicte Santisteva and Djour de Bozouls. Raison because of concerns about the horse'e health.... They will be replaced by Cécile Miletto-Mosti and Easy Fontnoire... a crack rider with an exceptional horse. As a result it's possible that national selector Jean-Louis Leclerc, will review his strategy… In effect, with the replacement of the 12 year-old Djour by the 8 year-old Easy, the team now has three 8 year-old horses - and 8 is the ideal age, according to M. Leclerc, to run a 160k. Consequently there are now 3, not 2, horses who could run for the individual title: Virginie Atger on Azim du Florival, Cécile Miletto-Mosti with Easy Fontnoire, and Sarah Chakil with Sakalia. But given that the latter is still a youngster, the situation seems most advantageous for the two others, two riders with similar experience on two horses of undoubtable ability. M. Leclerc will have to pick one or the other...
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Frequently asked questions about the Games
Kentucky.com - Full Article
September 19 2010
What is the FEI, who leads it and what do they do? The Fédération Equestre Internationale (International Equestrian Federation, but it's in French because that's the traditional language of the Olympic Games), is the worldwide authority for all international events in dressage, para-equestrian dressage, jumping, eventing, driving, para-equestrian driving, endurance, vaulting and reining. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the FEI works with the national federations of each member country to regulate and govern equestrian disciplines. FEI's current president is Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, who is sometimes seen at the Keeneland sales with her husband, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Where have previous Games been held, and where will they be in the future? The first World Games were in 1990 in Stockholm, Sweden. Following that, the Games were held every four years in the following locations:
1994: The Hague, Netherlands
1998: Rome, Italy
2002: Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
2006: Aachen, Germany
2010: Lexington (the first time in the United States)
In 2014, the Games will be in Normandy, France.
How much public money will be spent on the Games? About $107 million will have been spent directly on projects associated with the Games, such as new facilities at the Kentucky Horse Park and road projects. Another $151 million has been spent on projects that may have already been planned, but were put on a faster timetable because of the Games.
Read more here:
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/19/1428979/frequently-asked-questions-about.html
September 19 2010
What is the FEI, who leads it and what do they do? The Fédération Equestre Internationale (International Equestrian Federation, but it's in French because that's the traditional language of the Olympic Games), is the worldwide authority for all international events in dressage, para-equestrian dressage, jumping, eventing, driving, para-equestrian driving, endurance, vaulting and reining. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the FEI works with the national federations of each member country to regulate and govern equestrian disciplines. FEI's current president is Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, who is sometimes seen at the Keeneland sales with her husband, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Where have previous Games been held, and where will they be in the future? The first World Games were in 1990 in Stockholm, Sweden. Following that, the Games were held every four years in the following locations:
1994: The Hague, Netherlands
1998: Rome, Italy
2002: Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
2006: Aachen, Germany
2010: Lexington (the first time in the United States)
In 2014, the Games will be in Normandy, France.
How much public money will be spent on the Games? About $107 million will have been spent directly on projects associated with the Games, such as new facilities at the Kentucky Horse Park and road projects. Another $151 million has been spent on projects that may have already been planned, but were put on a faster timetable because of the Games.
Read more here:
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/19/1428979/frequently-asked-questions-about.html
World Equestrian Games has plenty of fans, just not necessarily in Louisville
Courier-journal.com - Full Article
By Matt Frassica • mfrassica@courier-journal.com • September 19, 2010
When Louisvillians think about horses, the Twin Spires, mint juleps and exactas spring immediately to mind.
Dressage and reining? Not so much.
That might explain the mixed response locally to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington. Kentucky will host the world championships for eight equestrian sports over 16 days beginning September 25.
Related
The World Equestrian Games, the Olympics of horse sports, has never before been held outside Europe. When they open at the Kentucky Horse Park next Saturday, the Games promise to burnish the state's reputation as the horse capital of the world.
The Games are expected to draw 300,000 visitors, with an economic impact estimated at $167 million, according to a University of Louisville economist.
But while the star athletes of sports like driving and dressage are celebrities in Europe, they're not as well recognized in Kentucky, where the focus of most horse enthusiasts is on racing. The Games do not include racing around a track — or betting.
They do include dressage - a form of competitive horse training, which has nothing to do with Todd Pletcher vs. Bob Baffert...
Read more here:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100919/WEG/309190037
By Matt Frassica • mfrassica@courier-journal.com • September 19, 2010
When Louisvillians think about horses, the Twin Spires, mint juleps and exactas spring immediately to mind.
Dressage and reining? Not so much.
That might explain the mixed response locally to the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington. Kentucky will host the world championships for eight equestrian sports over 16 days beginning September 25.
Related
The World Equestrian Games, the Olympics of horse sports, has never before been held outside Europe. When they open at the Kentucky Horse Park next Saturday, the Games promise to burnish the state's reputation as the horse capital of the world.
The Games are expected to draw 300,000 visitors, with an economic impact estimated at $167 million, according to a University of Louisville economist.
But while the star athletes of sports like driving and dressage are celebrities in Europe, they're not as well recognized in Kentucky, where the focus of most horse enthusiasts is on racing. The Games do not include racing around a track — or betting.
They do include dressage - a form of competitive horse training, which has nothing to do with Todd Pletcher vs. Bob Baffert...
Read more here:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100919/WEG/309190037
Horse Power: Some area businesses set to cash in on World Equestrian Games
AMNews.com - Full Article
By TODD KLEFFMAN
tkleffman@amnews.com
September 18, 2010
When the news first broke about four years ago that Lexington had been chosen to host the 2010 World Equestrian Games, there were high hopes the international horsey set would be running unbridled all through the area with money falling out of their saddlebags.
Back then, even folks as distant from the Kentucky Horse Park as Liberty were anticipating a pay day by stabling horses at the Ag/Expo Center.
But now, with games only a week away, such galloping expectations have been reined in by reality. A stubbornly slow economy and reports of sluggish ticket sales and motel bookings have shrunken the real sphere of influence the Games will have more tightly around the Lexington area.
More than half a million people are expected to attend the Games and will have an estimated economic impact of more than $150 million.
Some of that wealth will be spread in these parts. One business, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, has already profited handsomely. The U.S. Endurance Team — 10 horse-and-rider teams, their grooms, team officials and other hangers on — have spent nearly three weeks at Shakertown prepping for the Games...
Read more here:
http://www.amnews.com/stories/2010/09/18/loc.852893.sto
By TODD KLEFFMAN
tkleffman@amnews.com
September 18, 2010
When the news first broke about four years ago that Lexington had been chosen to host the 2010 World Equestrian Games, there were high hopes the international horsey set would be running unbridled all through the area with money falling out of their saddlebags.
Back then, even folks as distant from the Kentucky Horse Park as Liberty were anticipating a pay day by stabling horses at the Ag/Expo Center.
But now, with games only a week away, such galloping expectations have been reined in by reality. A stubbornly slow economy and reports of sluggish ticket sales and motel bookings have shrunken the real sphere of influence the Games will have more tightly around the Lexington area.
More than half a million people are expected to attend the Games and will have an estimated economic impact of more than $150 million.
Some of that wealth will be spread in these parts. One business, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, has already profited handsomely. The U.S. Endurance Team — 10 horse-and-rider teams, their grooms, team officials and other hangers on — have spent nearly three weeks at Shakertown prepping for the Games...
Read more here:
http://www.amnews.com/stories/2010/09/18/loc.852893.sto
Davidson Legacy Will Be Part of the WEG at Kentucky Horse Park
NJ.com - Full Story
September 18 2010
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger
ON THE RAIL:
McLain Ward, who will be the cornerstone of the U.S. show jumping team at WEG with his two-time Olympic team gold medal mount, Sapphire, got a good warm-up for the Games when he won the Pfizer Animal Health $1 Million Grand Prix last Sunday at the HITS show in Saugerties, N.Y.
The grand prix, the richest ever, had a tough course by Olympic designer Steve Stephens that enabled only two in the field of 43 to qualify for the jump-off. Charlie Jayne had a rail down with Athena while Sapphire, as usual, went clear to take the title, worth $350,000.
Meg Sleeper of Frenchtown yesterday was named to the U.S. endurance team for the WEG. A veterinarian who finished 21st in the last WEG, Sleeper will be aboard her 8-year-old Arabian, Syrocco Harmony.
In an e-mail, Sleeper talked about the training camp where the horses are based while revving up for the WEG.
"Pretty frequently, we have people just stop by who have seen the sign “Shaker Village- home of the 2010 USA Endurance Squad” on the road. They want to see the horses and learn about endurance,, so it seems to be good PR and they have lots of questions about the sport. I checked my weight with tack today and I am pretty good;only one-half pound under the minimum. I think I can deal with that by drinking a lot before weighing in, but Dave (her husband) is going to bring a gel pad from a good friend just in case I need the extra weight.
"We are trying to prepare the horses for the UAE (United Arab Emirates) tactics of galloping by screaming to unsettle the other horses (which isn't that hard with a mass start of 160 horses anyway). So we practiced riding in a large circle with two people peeling off and cantering in the opposite direction (passing as close to the oncoming horses as possible and yelling at the top of our lungs as we did it). Then we repeated it while traveling in the same direction, which is more intimidating for the horses (having a screaming horse and rider passing you at the hand gallop).
"We looked like fools and the horses must have known it was just tactical maneuvering. At least they all stayed fairly calm..."
Read more here:
http://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/index.ssf/2010/09/davidson_legacy_will_be_part_o.html
September 18 2010
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger
ON THE RAIL:
McLain Ward, who will be the cornerstone of the U.S. show jumping team at WEG with his two-time Olympic team gold medal mount, Sapphire, got a good warm-up for the Games when he won the Pfizer Animal Health $1 Million Grand Prix last Sunday at the HITS show in Saugerties, N.Y.
The grand prix, the richest ever, had a tough course by Olympic designer Steve Stephens that enabled only two in the field of 43 to qualify for the jump-off. Charlie Jayne had a rail down with Athena while Sapphire, as usual, went clear to take the title, worth $350,000.
Meg Sleeper of Frenchtown yesterday was named to the U.S. endurance team for the WEG. A veterinarian who finished 21st in the last WEG, Sleeper will be aboard her 8-year-old Arabian, Syrocco Harmony.
In an e-mail, Sleeper talked about the training camp where the horses are based while revving up for the WEG.
"Pretty frequently, we have people just stop by who have seen the sign “Shaker Village- home of the 2010 USA Endurance Squad” on the road. They want to see the horses and learn about endurance,, so it seems to be good PR and they have lots of questions about the sport. I checked my weight with tack today and I am pretty good;only one-half pound under the minimum. I think I can deal with that by drinking a lot before weighing in, but Dave (her husband) is going to bring a gel pad from a good friend just in case I need the extra weight.
"We are trying to prepare the horses for the UAE (United Arab Emirates) tactics of galloping by screaming to unsettle the other horses (which isn't that hard with a mass start of 160 horses anyway). So we practiced riding in a large circle with two people peeling off and cantering in the opposite direction (passing as close to the oncoming horses as possible and yelling at the top of our lungs as we did it). Then we repeated it while traveling in the same direction, which is more intimidating for the horses (having a screaming horse and rider passing you at the hand gallop).
"We looked like fools and the horses must have known it was just tactical maneuvering. At least they all stayed fairly calm..."
Read more here:
http://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/index.ssf/2010/09/davidson_legacy_will_be_part_o.html
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Chile: Bad Luck for the WEC Team
WEG: Arrivals As The Blog Turns By Ruthie Harbison - Professionalridersorganization.blogspot.com - Full Article
September 18 2010
There has already been heartbreak in the barn for Pedro Pablo from Chile. His endurance horse got his foot caught in its haynet the very first night it was stabled here at the park and fell down and was injured. Luckily the horse will recover, but what terrible luck. All the other riders from the other disciplines have been very sympathetic to his situation as everyone who competes understands that kind of heartbreak with the horses. Unfortunately Chile only sent three endurance horses so now they no longer have a team. Pedro has been a real trooper about it and says he needs a halter with 'shit happens' written on the side of it.
Read more here:
http://professionalridersorganization.blogspot.com/2010/09/weg-arrivals-as-blog-turns-by-ruthie.html
September 18 2010
There has already been heartbreak in the barn for Pedro Pablo from Chile. His endurance horse got his foot caught in its haynet the very first night it was stabled here at the park and fell down and was injured. Luckily the horse will recover, but what terrible luck. All the other riders from the other disciplines have been very sympathetic to his situation as everyone who competes understands that kind of heartbreak with the horses. Unfortunately Chile only sent three endurance horses so now they no longer have a team. Pedro has been a real trooper about it and says he needs a halter with 'shit happens' written on the side of it.
Read more here:
http://professionalridersorganization.blogspot.com/2010/09/weg-arrivals-as-blog-turns-by-ruthie.html
Spain: Path of the WEC Horses
El Raid Blog
Camino de los Mundiales de los caballos de Raid
Seguimos con las peripecias de nuestros caballos de Raid, camino de los Mundiales.
Esta es la nota de la RFHE.
"Tras la llegada el pasado jueves a la cuarantena que se lleva a cabo en Cincinnati de los caballos españoles; este viernes por la tarde - noche ha comenzado la llegada escalonada de los deportistas, técnicos, acompañantes y asistencias de Raid, Reining y Doma Clásica.
Todos ellos, con sus respectivos Jefes de Equipo, fueron llegando desde Atlanta y Nueva York a la ciudad de Lexington, siendo recogidos por los vehículos oficiales y trasladados: al hotel de concentración unos, y a la residencia de las asistencias otros.
Los miembros del Equipo de Doma se desplazaron desde Alemania, donde han llevado a cabo bajo la dirección de Jean Bemelmans, la última parte de su preparación para los Juegos.
Los representantes en las disciplinas de Raid y Reining lo hicieron desde Barcelona, en cuyas proximidades quedaron concentrados para llevar a cabo las sesiones finales de entrenamiento antes de cruzar el charco.
En lo que se refiere a los caballos, y a la espera de la confirmación de la organización, se espera para esta tarde de sábado la entrada de los mismos en el Kentucky Horse Park, donde llegarán con el fin de quedar instalados en sus cuadras y el comienzar sus sesiones de preparación.
Su estancia en la zona de cuarentena según los veterinarios de los equipos, ha sido buena en general, si bien el calor y lo limitado del espacio aconsejan la salida cuanto antes hacia Lexington.
En otro orden de cosas podemos resaltar que ha tenido lugar la primera reunión de la organización con los Jefes de Misión, de la que cabe destacar como conclusiones más importantes que el Kentucky Horse Park no estará a pleno rendimiento hasta el día 22 de Septiembre, así como que quedan todavía procedimientos por definir por parte de la organización".
***
Path of the World Raid horses
We follow the adventures of our horses Raid, way of the World.
This is the note of the RFHE.
"After arriving on Thursday to quarantine is carried out in Cincinnati of Spanish horses, this Friday afternoon - evening has begun phased arrival of athletes, technicians, companions and assists Raid, Reining and Dressage .
All of them, with their respective team leaders were coming from Atlanta and New York to the city of Lexington, being collected by government vehicles and transported: the demonstration, hotel, residence and assists others.
The Dressage Team members traveled from Germany where they have conducted under the direction of Jean Bemelmans, the last part of his preparation for the Games.
The representatives in the disciplines of Reining Raid and did so from Barcelona, were concentrated in the vicinity to carry out the final sessions of training before crossing the pond.
In regard to horses, and pending confirmation of the organization, is expected this Saturday afternoon of the same entry in the Kentucky Horse Park, where you'll to be installed on their blocks and begins his preparation sessions.
His stay in the quarantine zone by the veterinary teams, has been generally good, although the heat and limited space output advise as soon as possible to Lexington.
In another vein we note that took place the first meeting of the organization with the Heads of Mission, which include as major findings that the Kentucky Horse Park will not be at full capacity until the day September 22 and and that there are still procedures to be defined by the organization."
Camino de los Mundiales de los caballos de Raid
Seguimos con las peripecias de nuestros caballos de Raid, camino de los Mundiales.
Esta es la nota de la RFHE.
"Tras la llegada el pasado jueves a la cuarantena que se lleva a cabo en Cincinnati de los caballos españoles; este viernes por la tarde - noche ha comenzado la llegada escalonada de los deportistas, técnicos, acompañantes y asistencias de Raid, Reining y Doma Clásica.
Todos ellos, con sus respectivos Jefes de Equipo, fueron llegando desde Atlanta y Nueva York a la ciudad de Lexington, siendo recogidos por los vehículos oficiales y trasladados: al hotel de concentración unos, y a la residencia de las asistencias otros.
Los miembros del Equipo de Doma se desplazaron desde Alemania, donde han llevado a cabo bajo la dirección de Jean Bemelmans, la última parte de su preparación para los Juegos.
Los representantes en las disciplinas de Raid y Reining lo hicieron desde Barcelona, en cuyas proximidades quedaron concentrados para llevar a cabo las sesiones finales de entrenamiento antes de cruzar el charco.
En lo que se refiere a los caballos, y a la espera de la confirmación de la organización, se espera para esta tarde de sábado la entrada de los mismos en el Kentucky Horse Park, donde llegarán con el fin de quedar instalados en sus cuadras y el comienzar sus sesiones de preparación.
Su estancia en la zona de cuarentena según los veterinarios de los equipos, ha sido buena en general, si bien el calor y lo limitado del espacio aconsejan la salida cuanto antes hacia Lexington.
En otro orden de cosas podemos resaltar que ha tenido lugar la primera reunión de la organización con los Jefes de Misión, de la que cabe destacar como conclusiones más importantes que el Kentucky Horse Park no estará a pleno rendimiento hasta el día 22 de Septiembre, así como que quedan todavía procedimientos por definir por parte de la organización".
***
Path of the World Raid horses
We follow the adventures of our horses Raid, way of the World.
This is the note of the RFHE.
"After arriving on Thursday to quarantine is carried out in Cincinnati of Spanish horses, this Friday afternoon - evening has begun phased arrival of athletes, technicians, companions and assists Raid, Reining and Dressage .
All of them, with their respective team leaders were coming from Atlanta and New York to the city of Lexington, being collected by government vehicles and transported: the demonstration, hotel, residence and assists others.
The Dressage Team members traveled from Germany where they have conducted under the direction of Jean Bemelmans, the last part of his preparation for the Games.
The representatives in the disciplines of Reining Raid and did so from Barcelona, were concentrated in the vicinity to carry out the final sessions of training before crossing the pond.
In regard to horses, and pending confirmation of the organization, is expected this Saturday afternoon of the same entry in the Kentucky Horse Park, where you'll to be installed on their blocks and begins his preparation sessions.
His stay in the quarantine zone by the veterinary teams, has been generally good, although the heat and limited space output advise as soon as possible to Lexington.
In another vein we note that took place the first meeting of the organization with the Heads of Mission, which include as major findings that the Kentucky Horse Park will not be at full capacity until the day September 22 and and that there are still procedures to be defined by the organization."
WEG for Monk - Monk's Blog
FEIRedhorse blog - Full Story
Sad to say, but the only reason that MONK made the WEG team was
because Jeremy Reynolds pulled his beloved Smitty. If you knew what
the selectors knew you would have to make the same call. You want
your "suspect horse" to be the individual rider and not in the 4 horse
team. I think the only reason he would be "suspect" was his pull in
Danville. MONK has never had any lameness issues until he traveled on
that coarse, where he obviously found a hole with his name on it. I
have lots to say about Danville, but will leave that for another time.
I think under other circumstances I would of pulled my horse and gone
home, but the lure of being on the WEG USA team was too strong and
I/we succumbed to the pressure. I abandoned what I knew was best for
my horse. But I was not the only one, not that that is any
consolation...
Read more here:
http://feiredhorse.blogspot.com/2010/09/weg-for-monk.html
Sad to say, but the only reason that MONK made the WEG team was
because Jeremy Reynolds pulled his beloved Smitty. If you knew what
the selectors knew you would have to make the same call. You want
your "suspect horse" to be the individual rider and not in the 4 horse
team. I think the only reason he would be "suspect" was his pull in
Danville. MONK has never had any lameness issues until he traveled on
that coarse, where he obviously found a hole with his name on it. I
have lots to say about Danville, but will leave that for another time.
I think under other circumstances I would of pulled my horse and gone
home, but the lure of being on the WEG USA team was too strong and
I/we succumbed to the pressure. I abandoned what I knew was best for
my horse. But I was not the only one, not that that is any
consolation...
Read more here:
http://feiredhorse.blogspot.com/2010/09/weg-for-monk.html
Pre-Shaker Villager - Monk's Blog
FEIRedhorse
blog - Full Story
Friday September 17 2010
This is a post that I wrote some time ago, but did not feel it was appropriate to post until now. I will finish the post at the end so you know what happened....
Pre Shaker Village
Not widely known but MONK was in fact pulled at Danville. He had completed the 17 and 24 mile loop when he came up off on the left front at the Vet check. Well, needless to say our hearts sank to the bottom depths of our chests. The head vet told Lindsay that the FAT lady had not sung yet, so to just wait and see what happens.
MONK had been standing at the trailer for over 3 hours. He had been iced and his legs were in wraps with poultice. Becky Hart and a couple of Vets showed up at our trailer and wanted MONK to trot out, so we did. They trotted him out a couple of times, all of which looked perfect to me and others, who were standing around. He was pronounced significantly better, (I think that means not lame)..
Needless to say we were very happy and surprised that he was selected to go to Shaker. I was asked prior to the selection if I would be willing to have a full lameness exam done on MONK, to which I agreed.
As soon as I got to Lexington I got a call from Dr. Duncan Peters from Hagyard vet clinic. We made an appointment for him to see MONK at their clinic, which is right across the street from Lexington Horse Park.
A couple of days prior to the appointment MONK showed up with a large 6" scrape on his left rear butt cheek where he probably skidded out on the wet grass. I was not too concerned as I was pretty sure that there was no lameness to be found.
Dr. Peters did all the standard lameness exam stuff, trotting out,
circling and a flexion exam, which I am not too fond of.. MONK showed
sings on his left rear, (where he had fallen) of taking a few bad
steps after the flexion test. We were sent home with some Bute and
said he would call for a re check the next week...
Read more here:
http://feiredhorse.blogspot.com/2010/09/pre-shaker-village.html
blog - Full Story
Friday September 17 2010
This is a post that I wrote some time ago, but did not feel it was appropriate to post until now. I will finish the post at the end so you know what happened....
Pre Shaker Village
Not widely known but MONK was in fact pulled at Danville. He had completed the 17 and 24 mile loop when he came up off on the left front at the Vet check. Well, needless to say our hearts sank to the bottom depths of our chests. The head vet told Lindsay that the FAT lady had not sung yet, so to just wait and see what happens.
MONK had been standing at the trailer for over 3 hours. He had been iced and his legs were in wraps with poultice. Becky Hart and a couple of Vets showed up at our trailer and wanted MONK to trot out, so we did. They trotted him out a couple of times, all of which looked perfect to me and others, who were standing around. He was pronounced significantly better, (I think that means not lame)..
Needless to say we were very happy and surprised that he was selected to go to Shaker. I was asked prior to the selection if I would be willing to have a full lameness exam done on MONK, to which I agreed.
As soon as I got to Lexington I got a call from Dr. Duncan Peters from Hagyard vet clinic. We made an appointment for him to see MONK at their clinic, which is right across the street from Lexington Horse Park.
A couple of days prior to the appointment MONK showed up with a large 6" scrape on his left rear butt cheek where he probably skidded out on the wet grass. I was not too concerned as I was pretty sure that there was no lameness to be found.
Dr. Peters did all the standard lameness exam stuff, trotting out,
circling and a flexion exam, which I am not too fond of.. MONK showed
sings on his left rear, (where he had fallen) of taking a few bad
steps after the flexion test. We were sent home with some Bute and
said he would call for a re check the next week...
Read more here:
http://feiredhorse.blogspot.com/2010/09/pre-shaker-village.html
Worthington, 70, on U.S. endurance team
Courier-journal.com - Full Article
By Jennie Rees • jrees@courier-journal.com • September 17, 2010
HARRODSBURG, Ky. — Seventy-year-old Jan Worthington made the five-woman team that will compete for the United States in endurance at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park, team coach Becky Hart said Friday evening at Shaker Village.
Worthington will be the oldest U.S. competitor in any of the eight disciplines at the Games, which run Sept. 25-Oct. 10, and likely will be the oldest for any country. The 100-mile endurance competition is Sept.26.
“Experience, old age and treachery, remember?” Worthington joked.
“I hope I break your record,” said 33-year-old team member Heather Reynolds...
Read more here:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100917/SPORTS08/309170104
By Jennie Rees • jrees@courier-journal.com • September 17, 2010
HARRODSBURG, Ky. — Seventy-year-old Jan Worthington made the five-woman team that will compete for the United States in endurance at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park, team coach Becky Hart said Friday evening at Shaker Village.
Worthington will be the oldest U.S. competitor in any of the eight disciplines at the Games, which run Sept. 25-Oct. 10, and likely will be the oldest for any country. The 100-mile endurance competition is Sept.26.
“Experience, old age and treachery, remember?” Worthington joked.
“I hope I break your record,” said 33-year-old team member Heather Reynolds...
Read more here:
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100917/SPORTS08/309170104
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