Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

On Jan 31, 2008, at 5:28 AM, D'Arcy Demianoff-Thompson wrote:
> I was amazed with the pace the riders continued down the course  
> while hydrating their horses.

As you all know, I'm not a horse guy, but I did have the opportunity  
yesterday to listen to an extended conversation between Steph and  
Juma Punti, seen here finishing with a bronze at the European  
Championship,

http://www.enduranceeurope.net/international/2007EuropeanChampionship/ 
Gallery/Fin09/pages/PECH018.html

He made a few comments (well actually many many comments:) that bear  
repeating. 1) every # counts when you are moving at the 30km/hr  
speed. Even the blow-back from pouring water on the horse effects the  
overall time as does the efficiency of the water hand-off. He also  
mentioned that he rides differently (both here in the UAE.vs.Europe  
and when he's going 20km/hr.vs.30km/hr) He sits deeper and a little  
further back at speed, he's moving the center of gravity back a bit;  
and the race-track conditions here (in the UAE) allow him to focus on  
speed rather than any (well not too many:) thoughts of reacting to  
balance changes b/c of course irregularities.

Racing on these tracks and and these speeds IS a different thing than  
the endurance I do fur sure. And it's a different sport than most in  
the world try to do. I'd try a ride here, but I'm afraid that,  
although there are plenty of people willing to trade me a ride (see  
http://www.endurance.net/wee/ :) that I would a) be somewhat of an  
embarrassment to the them (and their horse!) as I'm not used to  
cantering for that extended period of time and b) I'd be a liability  
to their horse - see a:(

but it IS a learning experience watching it happen from the inside.  
These horses are being trained to do the speed. There are 4 endurance  
tracks in the UAE - they are not trails. They are groomed daily (and  
they have REALLY nice water trucks - MAN trucks!!!) I'm sitting here  
in front of the office at Shieka Madiya's barn - She has 15 horses in  
training. The barn next door has 70 in training. and there are 5 more  
facilities of similar size within a few miles. There are 100 horses  
out training at any given time during the day. Grace Ramsey is here  
helping Madiya. She tells me she has a video of the first endurance  
race held here (1993 I think she said) - it was 18 miles. The sport  
here has come a long ways indeed.

the Not.A.Horse.guy

jt
(p.s. a footnote - I hear the track at the Dubai endurance village is  
being allowed to go back to nature a bit - that the track-like  
conditions (and raw speed) may not be the "ultimate challenge"  
forever. Also, as a counterpoint, that the "conditions for this week- 
end's 120km Dubia World Challenge are conducive to a world record  
pace. Only the strong survive!!)



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