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Here's the story that should have gone out, with corrections and missing
data:
(I'm realizing that every place I travel to I leave a few brain cells
behind...)

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 thousands of miles and many years 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 Raalte from Scales Mounds, Indiana, learned
Endurance riding from Grace Ramsey and Jan Stevens, neighbors and long-time
Endurance riders. 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 has been riding for the past 7 years.

Heather, Jennifer and Ashley completed the event just after 2pm, with ride
times of 5:52, 6:18:21 and 6:18:24. 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 3:47:22, 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!


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