Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

The WEC - Malaysian riders		

Malaysia met one great challenge - it proved that it could host an  
exceptional World Championship event. The other major challenge was  
to qualify a field of riders to represent the country. FEI has  
previously allowed the host country to field a double squad if so  
desired, although 2008 would be the last year to do so. This meant  
that Malaysia could start 12 riders: 8 would be riding as  
individuals, 4 as part of the team.  At the time of the FEI's final  
decision to grant Malaysia the 2008 WEC, following the November 2007  
Sultan's Cup, there were no Malaysians qualified. The additional  
condition imposed on the event, was that riders must qualify with not  
just 1, but 2 successful sub 13:20 hour completions of a 160km ride  
on the same horse - one within 24 months of nominated entry (August  
21 2008), and another within 12 months. And by the time the FEI  
decided on Malaysia as host (November 2007), there effectively  
remained only 8 months for 16 riders to complete 2 160km rides on the  
same horse.

There were plenty of willing riders, but only a handful of 100 mile  
horses, and only a handful of 100 mile rides. They needed horses, and  
they needed sub 13:20 ride completions. They were going to have go  
outside the country for both the horses, and the rides.  This would  
require a coordinated effort, and would require funding. Under the  
auspices of the Malaysia National Sports Institute a committee was  
formed, a project was developed, and a goal of qualifying a field of  
Malaysian riders for the 2008 WEC was set.  Raja Mahmood Raja  
Hussein, a member of the Malaysia National Federation, and chair of  
the Endurance discipline spearheaded the effort under the direction  
of Dato Dr. Ramlan Abdul Aziz. Also part of the team were Dr. Bashir  
Ahmad (project veterinarian) and Mohamad Din Mat  (project manager).  
This team would eventually send riders to Uruguay, Chile, Argentina,  
USA, UAE and Australia, multiple times, to lease/purchase horses, and  
hopefully obtain 2 successful completions. Trip by trip, month by  
month, mile by mile... by June there were five riders that had  
qualified including His Majesty, Tuanku Mizan. Horses were purchased  
and imported, several more rides were scheduled in Malaysia for local  
horses and horses that had been imported earlier, and by the August  
21 deadline, 16 riders had fully qualified for the WEC! This is a  
fairly amazing accomplishment and I'm sure many of the adventures  
these travelers encountered will be told for years to come.

Malaysia has been on a very steep learning curve during the past  
several years. I doubt if there are many riders that have more than  
1000 miles of experience, and in this sport, experience is  
essential!  The travels that they made this summer exposed them to  
many different venues, and riders, and styles and every place they  
went they learned something. I was particularly impressed with Tuanku  
Mizan and the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable. They made several  
trips to Dubai and Abu Dhabi during the 'quest for qualification',  
and were able to watch the UAE stables in action  - fast efficient  
crewing, intense competition, HRH's, GPS, state of the art equipment.  
They watched and learned and brought a lot of what the observed back  
home with them. I rode with the RTES in Melaka this past spring and  
was amazed at their efficiency.  I have also been impressed, and  
moved, by Tuanku's concern for the horse. He is a good rider, and a  
compassionate horseman. His concern for and sensitivity to the horse  
is obvious and I have seen him pull out of events of his own accord,  
if the horse was not doing well. His ego and ambition are secondary  
to his concern for the horse. He has my utmost respect, and I think  
it is qualities such as this that make him such a loved and revered  
King.

I truly wish Malaysia had completed more riders at the WEC. With only  
2 out of 12 finishing there was a lot of disappointment. I felt like  
I knew every rider, they were my friends and I wished them well. And  
I was particularly hoping that Tuanku Mizan would finish. He finally  
opted to ride Ibrahim instead of Pharoah the Appaloosa which was  
having some back soreness. Ibrahim was the horse that he qualified  
with in UAE, a horse of Shk Mohamed al Maktoum's stable managed by  
Jauma Punti. A very good horse, fully capable of a solid completion.  
But for whatever reason the horse did not have a good day, they  
retired him at gate 5 - low gut sounds, and not eating well.

A tremendous effort on everybody's part, and plenty of reason to  
celebrate considering the massive scope of the event. And they are  
already planning for Kentucky, 2010!  Now they have more horses, more  
riders, more experience and that super drive to succeed that comes  
with an 'almost did it' experience. Pick yourself back up and try again.

more later-

Steph

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=