Tag Archives: Endurance Ch. for Young Horses

Championships, Endurance Riding, FEI, FEI

UAE Takes Gold and Spain Completes Podium

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Gold medalist Saif Ahmed Al Mozroui (centre) was joined on the podium by Spain’s silver medalist Alex Luque Moral (left) and bronze medalist Jordi Pons Serra, with (front) Manuel Bandeira De Mello, FEI Director, Endurance. (Alessandra Giorgio/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 28 September 2015 – The 120km FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses 2015 at Valeggio Sul Mincio (ITA) saw the UAE’s Saif Ahmed Al Mozroui take individual gold and Spain’s Alex Luque Moral and Jordi Pons Serra return home with individual silver and bronze respectively last weekend.

These Championships for seven year old horses were first held during Valeggio Sul Mincio’s annual Italia Endurance Festival in 2013.

The four-loop course wound its way through the rolling countryside typical of the province of Verona, onto the shores of Lake Garda and into the stunning public park Parco Giardino Sigurta.

The event attracted a field of 73 combinations from across Europe as well as the UAE, Turkey and Kuwait. The competitors left the venue at 7am on Saturday morning and tackled the first loop of 38km. Consistency and quick presentation times were to prove influential throughout the day and vet gate 1 was no exception. A small group had made headway in the first section, comprising mainly representatives from the UAE but including Annelie Erikssen (SWE) and Luque Moral. Presentation times of under two minutes allowed Al Mazroui, Saif Salem Al Farasi (UAE) and Erikssen to continue their lead on to loop 2.

The second loop was slightly shorter at 33km, but proved too much for Erikssen on Penelope Del Ma, and the pair retired at the second vet gate. A slow presentation time from Al Farasi resulted in him slipping behind Luque Moral with his mare Surena MB, but only by eight seconds. Luque Mural, just back from winning team gold and narrowly missing out on an individual medal at the FEI European Endurance Championships in Slovakia just two weeks ago, was out to better his fourth place and come home with individual honours this time.

Al Mazroui left on the third 26.5km loop with a 3.5 minute lead and put in the fastest loop of the day, extending his lead by another two minutes at the final vet gate. This last check before the final loop was a real game changer for so many, with no less than 16 combinations having their chances dashed and being judged not fit to continue at this tantalisingly close stage.

While it looked like it would be an exceedingly tight last loop between Al Farasi and Moral, as both left within 10 seconds of one another, Al Farasi cruised home over the final 22.5kph with the Portuguese-bred grey Arabian gelding Descardo.

Moral was nevertheless ecstatic to secure his second FEI Championship medal within two weeks. Ten minutes later, bronze was snapped up by compatriot Pons Serra and his grey mare Cata de Montfluq, after they had worked their way up the leaderboard from seventh at the first vet gate.

Facts & Figures

Tactical riding and good horse management was key on this technical course, which saw 40% of the athletes complete from nine nations including Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and the UAE.

The top ten horses were of all bred in Europe, with half of these bred in France.

Spain held its head high yet again at these Championships, taking home two of the three medals on offer, after securing team and individual gold at the FEI European Endurance Championships 2015 in Slovakia just two weeks ago.

All eyes are now on the upcoming FEI Endurance World Championships for Seniors in Ruse (BUL) on 2-4 October and the FEI Endurance World Championships for Juniors & Young Riders in Santo Domingo (CHI) on 23-24 October.

Full results www.enduranceonline.it.

By Berry Pattison

FEI Media Contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 787 506 145

Shannon Gibbons
Manager Press Relations
shannon.gibbons@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 46

Championships, Competitions, Endurance Riding, FEI

UAE Wins FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses

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Winners of the FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses 2014 held in Slovakia. The UAE’s Mansour Saeed Mohd Al Faresi (centre) took gold, ahead of silver medallist Jean Philippe Frances (left) and bronze medallist Aurelie Cambe (right), both from France. (Photo: Gilly Wheeler/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 29 September 2014 – The FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses 2014, held in Slovakia for the first time, boasted one of the highest completion rates for a seven-year-old horse Endurance competition on a day of extraordinary sport. From a total of 44 combinations, 20 successfully finished the challenging ride, with the UAE’s Mansour Saeed Mohd Al Faresi securing gold with Tiswan Fageole, completing the course in a time of 05:47:29. French riders filled second, third and fourth places.

Breaking with tradition, this event saw a change from the unusual format, with a linear route for three legs and then two final loops on the 120-kilometre track, which included steep, stony going over the initial stages and fast straights in the closing stages.

Athletes from 15 nations – Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Spain, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden and the UAE – crossed the start line at 08.00 on Saturday morning.

The horses had been stabled in the small town of Pezinok, nestled in the foothills of the Little Carpathians mountain nature reserve. This stunning backdrop was to provide the tough and tricky going of the 27-kilometre first loop. Towards the end of this loop horses and riders had a descent of around 500 metres in the space of just a couple of kilometres, dropping them straight into the first vet gate. Nearly all the horses arrived together at this control and the vast majority of them had vetted in within 15 minutes.

The steep terrain of the initial loop was in stark contrast to the rest of the track, which featured endless flat going alongside the River Danube. The second loop was the shortest (21 kilometres) and saw horses and riders make their way down to the second Vet Gate located just on the outskirts of the industrial heartland of the Slovakian capital, Bratislava. Whilst this loop saw the field spread out a little, the competition was still tight with many combinations in contention. Two nations dominated, however, with the UAE and France holding nine of the top 10 positions.

The third loop brought the linear section of the ride to a close at the Elements Resort venue in Samorin, located around 15 kilometres southeast of Bratislava. This purpose-built equestrian facility acted as the static base for Vet Gates 3 and 4 and the Finish. The venue stretches out across nearly 100 hectares and is in the finishing stages of becoming one of the largest sporting facilities in Europe. Upon arrival at Vet Gate 3, both crews and officials were able to relax a little, knowing the logistical challenges of handling such a route had slightly lessened.

At the end of the third loop, the horse and rider combinations had completed a total of 73 kilometres and, whilst the field had started to spread out, it remained both the UAE and France who dominated the top 10.

Mansour Saeed Al Faresi (UAE) and Tiswan Fageole held strong out in front, with a 16-second advantage heading out on to the penultimate loop, but with seven horses within three minutes of the leaders, it was far from over. Jean Philippe Frances (FRA) was in fourth place and his grey gelding Tinka La Majorie was looking strong.

The fourth loop of 25 kilometres was to prove influential in the final standings and saw the highest percentage of non-completions from the relatively small start list. The field had also spread out dramatically and now only three horses remained within touching distance. Al Faresi (UAE) had dropped to second position some two minutes behind compatriot Sheikh Hamed Dalmook Al Maktoum aboard Normandy, who was competing in his first European FEI event. A further 20 seconds behind was Jean Philippe Frances (FRA) with Tinka La Majorie, who had a considerable four-minute advantage over fourth placed Aurelie Cambe (FRA) with Tismael de Vayrols.

The finish asked quite a question of these young horses as, upon arrival at the venue, they had to make just over one complete circuit of the brand new race track before re-crossing the finish line for the final time. Despite the challenge, the horses looked in great shape and willingly made that extra effort for their riders, resulting in a great spectacle for the viewing public.

First on to the race track was Al Maktoum (UAE) and, with a comfortable lead over the next horse, he was able to just take a steady lap of the track and ease his horse home. Al Faresi (UAE) crossed the line second followed by Frances (FRA). But this was not to be the final line-up as Al Maktoum’s horse Normandy was vetted out lame at the final vetting, leaving the gold medal around the neck of his compatriot Al Faresi (UAE) who had led for so much of the day. Frances (FRA) secured silver ahead of teammate Aurelie Cambe (FRA) who took bronze.

It was a 1-2 for French breeding at the 2014 edition of this Young Horse Championship with both first and second placed horses being by the great stallion Naswan. The winning horse Tiswan Fageole completed his first CEI1* in November 2013 and has subsequently completed a further two events, most recently finishing second in the CEIJY1* at Uddel (NED) with Al Faresi.

The top six horses took part in the medal ceremony and were a credit to their riders, trainers and crew. All of the horses looked fresh and well and it was hard to believe the distance they had covered earlier in the day. But it was to be sixth placed Tahar du Barthas who stole the show. After putting in the fastest final loop of the day, this seven-year-old stallion took the highly sought after Best Condition prize. Gaining seven places on the last loop, the grey horse looked in incredible form as he was trotted out to enthusiastic applause from the appreciative crowd, bringing to a close the 2014 edition of the FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses.

Final Results:

Gold:
Mansour Saeed Mohd Al Faresi (UAE) with Tiswan Fageole (Naswan x Fatale de Biar), 05:47:29/20.893kph

Silver:
Jean Philippe Frances (FRA) with Tinka La Majorie (Naswan x Tinga), 05:50:31/20.712kph

Bronze:
Aurelie Cambe (FRA) with Tismael De Vayrols (Ismael D’Aubanel x Island Salamanda), 05:54:40/20.470kph

Best Conditioned Horse:
Tahar du Barthas (Djin Lotois x Kamchatka) ridden by Vincent Gaudriot (FRA), 06:03:34/19.969kph

By Berry Pattison

FEI Media Contacts:

Grania Willis
Director Media Relations
Grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Denise Devillaire
Manager Press Relations
Denise.devillaire@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 57

Championships, Endurance Riding, FEI, FEI

France and Spain Take Top Honours at Young Horses Championships in Italy

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(L to R) silver medallist Silvia Yebra Altimiras (ESP), gold medallist Aurelien Rocchia (FRA) and bronze medallist Laurent Mosti (FRA). (Photo: Gilly Wheeler/FEI).

French rider Aurelien Rocchia aboard Secret de Mon Coeur scooped individual gold, ahead of Spain’s Silvia Yebra Altimiras with Espoir de Bozouls, and Laurent Mosti (FRA) took bronze on Doria de Jansavis at the FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses in Italy last weekend.

On Saturday 28th September, 67 horses crossed the start line at 6.30am to contest this Championships where just individual honours were at stake. It was a strong field, with representatives from 13 nations. Home nation Italy fielded the largest number of starters with 22 rider and horse combinations, with France – fresh with medal success following their team gold at the FEI Open European Endurance Championships just two weeks ago – not far behind with 18 starters. They were joined by 27 combinations from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Oman, Slovakia, Sweden and the UAE.

The competition venue was based in Valeggio Sul Mincio, a small Italian commune in the region of Vaneto, approximately 120km west of Venice. The course was 120km long, made up of 3 loops, one of which was repeated making 4 loops in total.

Right from the start, the front runners set a hard pace over the initial 40km loop, but as the day panned out, it became apparent that those athletes opting for a slightly steadier cruising speed would come out on top. The leaders covered the initial loop at just over 20kph and the top five at this first vet gate had representatives from the UAE, France, Italy and Spain. The second loop was much shorter, measuring just 22.5km, and the speed remained consistent into vet gate 2. With the top 15 athletes within 20 minutes of the leader it was very much an open race at this stage.

Loop 3 proved to be the biggest challenge of the day. Here, the distance stepped up to 35km and it became apparent that those combinations travelling at the higher speeds were starting to feel the tough questions posed by this deceiving track. In total, 16 horses were judged unfit to continue at this final vet gate, allowing those that had saved enough petrol in the tank to really come into their own. The leading rider out on to the last loop of just 22.5km, a repeat of the earlier loop 2, had an advantage of just over 19 minutes ahead of 2nd placed Endurance great Laurent Mosti (FRA) onboard the impressive grey mare Doria de Jansavis. However, with 7 combinations leaving within 5 minutes of Mosti to cover the final stages, the competition was fierce.

In the end, the UAE’s Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohammed al Hamed stopped his horse during the final loop allowing those initially trailing by nearly 20 minutes to take the lead. French rider Aurelien Rocchia with his gelding Secret de Mon Coeur put in a storming final loop to take gold in a thrilling sprint finish alongside Spaniard Silvia Yebra Altimiras riding the French bred chestnut gelding Espoir de Bozouls. Mosti took bronze, crossing the line just 2 seconds behind but his mare was later awarded the prestigious Best Condition accolade.

Fourth place went to another French rider, Emilie Lambert. Her striking mare Birmany Font Noire was one of the quickest presenting horses all day, averaging just 1 minute 49 seconds at each vet gate. Fifth place saw another sprint finish, this time between Sweden’s Maria Hagman Eriksson, French rider Lauriane Recoules and Ali Hassan Al Farsi of Oman. The bay gelding Al Tayar ridden by Hagman Eriksson won the sprint and in doing so secured Sweden’s best finish at a Championship for many years.

In all, over 50% of the participants completed successfully with nearly all Federations entered having a successful completion. Ian Williams, FEI Director for Endurance, was exceedingly pleased with the Championships. “This testing event posed many a question of these young horses and it was those that were brought gradually through the field, stepping up in the placings as the day progressed, that were able to show their true class in the end,” he explained. “What an exciting future Endurance has with young horses of such calibre.”

Final Results

Gold: Aurelien Rocchia (FRA) with Secret de Mon Coeur (06:10:37, 19.427kph)
Silver: Silvia Yebra Altimiras (ESP) with Espoir de Bozouls (06:10:38, 19.426kph)
Bronze: Laurent Mosti (FRA) with Doria de Jansavis (06:10:40, 19.424kph)

Full results: www.endurance-timing.net.

By Anna Williams

FEI Media Contacts:

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Media Relations
Email: malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 133

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Endurance Riding, Events, FEI, FEI

FEI World Endurance Championships For Young Horses 2011, Compiegne (FRA)

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BAHRAIN AND UAE TAKE YOUNG ENDURANCE HORSE TITLES by Louise Parkes

Salman Isa Al Radhi from Bahrain steered Persepolia Larzac to win the 8 Year Old title at the FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses 2011. Photo: FEI/Gilly Wheeler.

Lausanne (SUI), 22 August 2011 – Horse and rider combinations from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates claimed the titles at the FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses which took place at Compiegne in France last Friday. Over testing courses, and in intense heat, it was Bahrain’s Salman Isa Al Radhi and Persepolia Larzac who returned the quickest time in the 8 Year Old division, while the UAE’s Shames Sd Sn Al Marri produced a strong ride with Qatar La Majorie to win the 7 Year Old competition.

Endurance riding only developed into a competitive sport in the 1950s and arrived in Europe during the following decade. In 1982 it became an FEI-approved discipline, and gradually the number of events increased. In 1998 the World Championships were staged in the United Arab Emirates, with competitors from 47 Federations taking part, and this proved the catalyst for an explosion of growth in participation over the following years.

This year’s FEI World Championships for Young Endurance Horses attracted competitors from 20 countries – Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Great Britian, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay.

8 Year Olds
Of the 27 starters in the 8 Year Old Championship, a total of 14 were representing France, but the host nation had to settle for silver medal position when Bahrain’s Al Radhi completed the 160 km course with an average speed of 19.442 kmh. Al Radhi, who only joined the Royal Endurance Team of Bahrain in 2011, was delighted with the performance of his mare Persepolia Larzac.  “From the third loop I could feel her speed.  I rode her in a 160km race in Germany this year and came fifth, but this is my first time in Compiegne,” he explained.

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