Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

February 10, 2007 United Arab Emirates

A courageous and determined young Sheikha from UAE, a Texas Cowboy, and four
young women riders made history for USEF Endurance at the H.H. The
President's Cup for Junior and Young Riders. In the predawn light at Bou
Thib Endurance Village, United Arab Emirates, Jennifer Stevens, Heather
Stevens, Brittany Dial and Ashlee Lynn Van Raalte set out to challenge the
60 mile course with a field of 50 other Junior and Young riders from around
the world. The young women set their horses to gentle canter as the sky
lightened, and stayed well back, away from the highly competitive field;
their goal was to complete the course, and to represent the USA well at this
important International event. A tight support crew guided by Chef d'Equipe
Mark 'Cowboy' Dial and Sheikha Madiya bint Hasher Mana Al Maktoum ensured
their success. Sheikha Madiya's Get Tuff or Die Al Maktoum Stable provided
three of the four horses that the young women rode. The fourth horse was
owned by Ali Saeed Abdulla Hawas Al Ameri and trained by Fazza Endurance
Team. Three of the four USA ridden horses completed the course, a tremendous
acheivement representing 17% of the entire field of finishing riders.

This was the 3rd running of the President's Cup for Junior and Young Riders,
an event which is gaining world wide stature and popularity. The event is
organized with the patronage of HH Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.  Bou Thib
Endurance Village and Al Wrsan Endurance Team, prominent players in UAE
Endurance,are key to the event's success. The event is an International
invitational competition. The Organizing Committee , chaired by H.E. Mohamed
S. Al Neyadi, invited Junior and Young Riders from around the world to
compete in the event on UAE horses. The young riders are provided with
accomodation at Bou Thib Endurance Village. The horses are owned by various
stables and individuals, and each horse comes with a skilled support team.
It is an opportunity for these kids to see another part of the world, meet
new friends, and use their years of experience to guide a foreign horse
around a challenging foriegn course.

Despite their young ages, the young USA riders represented a combined
experience of xmiles and xyears of Endurance competition. Jennifer Stevens,
from Ashland, Montana, was a member of the 2006 USA Training Squad, and one
of the short list of riders selected for the 2006 WEC in Aachen. She also
rode for the USA in the 2006 Presidents Cup for seniors. For younger sister
Heather Stevens, this was a first experience at riding overseas. Ashlee Van.
from xx, learned Endurance riding from fellow Iowans Grace Ramsey and Jan
Stevens. They taught her the sport, and provided her with horses and riding
opportunity through her years of gathering experience. This was also her
first opportunity to compete over seas. Brittany Dial, daughter of Chef d'
Equipe Mark Dial started the sport under the guidance of Mark and Darolyn
Butler Dial, competing in the USA for the past x years.

Heather, Jennifer and Ashley completed the HH. Pr j/ry at 2:40 in the
afternoon, with ride times of x, x and x. Brittany's horse was eliminated
for lamenss early in the event, but she spent the remainder of the day
crewing for her team. The girls maintained a gentle working canter with
their horses throughout the day. In the UAE Endurance is fast paced and the
horses are trained to peak fitness. In order to compete, it is necessary to
maintain a fast steady speed throughout the day. There is abundant water on
the trail, with frequent check points and thousands of cases of bottled
water to pour over the horses as they pass through the check points. At the
veterinary holds the crewing is aggressive, with copious amounts of water
used to cool the horses as they come in off the trail. The veterinarians are
strict, and maintain a careful watch over the field of horses. As the speed
increases, so does the risk to the horse, and there is no leniancy when
deciding which horses are healthy and handing the competition adequately,
considered 'fit to continue'.  Out of the starting field of 54 riders, only
17 met the highest veterinary standards to complete the course. The USA
ridden horses were well off of the winning pace of 3:57?, but they finished
in a respectable time, in good health and with bright attitudes, and this
itself is a wonderful accomplishment - reflecting the wise race strategy set
by the Chef d'Equipe ,and reflecting the peak fitness of the horses and the
smart crew support provide by the Sheikha's Get Tuff or Die Endurance team!

Steph

p.s. I'm working at the Bab Al Shams hotel, one of the few places in the
country with free wireless internet! I'm staying at Madiya's villa for now
(just down the road from Bab Al Shams and Dubai Endurance City, will move
over to the Mafraq Hotel Feb 14, to share a room with Brazilian friend and
reporter Cidinha Franzao. will post more news and updates as I can.

photos from this ride are at
http://www.endurancenet/international/uae/pCupYR/  (I'm sending them over as
I can, if you go to look and they're not there yet - try again soon!)


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