Malaysia - Edaran Endurance Classic 2006

Malaysia is one country that is now in full swing - full involvement with the public, with the goverment, with the royalty - this country is determined. Here's my story, Edaran Classic 2006-

I understood that the sport was important to Malaysia, and that the commitment of Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin to promoting the sport was significant, but was still amazed to learn that 8 months later, the FEI had accepted Malaysia's bid to host the 2008 World Endurance Championship. A very ambitious undertaking, but in keeping with the ability of this small nation to achieve large things.

When Edaran invited me once more to attend the Edaran Classic, ride in the competition and provide Endurance Net coverage, there was no hesitation at all - yes! I will be there! I felt a little more prepared this time, a little more certain of what to expect. They would provide a horse for me, but probably just to ride in the non-FEI 80km or 40km distance. All of the serious riders and high level horses were being focused on qualifying for the Asian Endurance Championship, part of the Asian Equestrian Games, to be held in Doha, Qatar, December 2007. A very important event, and a chance for Malaysian riders to compete at the International level, outside of Malaysia.

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, May 4 - after 27 hours of travelling from New Orleans, where I had been visiting family. Dr. Nik picked me up at the airport and as typical, was full of enthusiasm and questions and stories. He's a great enthusiast of Endurance, I truly believe that part of the advancement Malaysia has seen with Endurance is due to Dr. Niks unshakeable optimism and passion for the sport. He is also willing to go beyond the normal protocols - to aim a little higher, and to convince others to do so as well. We talked of the sport in general, new rules and rumblings within the FEI, the use of illegal drugs in the sport (as a cardiologist he understands the mechanisms - and threat to the horse - of the performance enhancing drugs - beta blockers, EPO). He took me on a little driving tour on the way into KL - past his small barn, where he keeps his horses and does his training, and through the amazing Putrajaya - the newly constructed administrative center (city) of Malaysa. Very modern, very artistically designed, aimed at reducing the congestion in Kuala Lumpur and providing a network of offices and administrative centers. A palace-like Presidential building, and massive Mosque (Malaysia is primarily Muslim) dominate the mini-city. The architecture is a harmonious blend of the traditional and the modern. This is Malaysia - they seem to have achieved the leap into the modern world, without sacrifing their art, culture and history.

I met up with Leonard Liesens at the hotel. My good friend from Belgium, competitive and adventurous Endurance rider, with whom I have shared so many adventures - Tevis, Dubai WEC 1998, Outlaw Trail multiday ride, President's Cup in Abu Dhabi, Pan American Championships in USA and Argentina... the list goes on. We have both watched the sport grow during the past 15 years, and have stayed involved at every level - from competitor to journalist . Leo was offered the opportunity to come and ride at the Edaran Classic 2006 - and I encouraged him to do so - even for a short ride, the experience of being here was not to be missed! Leo and his partner Carol and I joined Dr. Nik for dinner after a short rest. Traditional Malaysian food, a bit of Thai, Indonesian, spice and coconut - wonderful!

We did a little bit of tourist shopping the next day, some traditional Malaysian crafts and art, and shopping at the Central Market - an indoor/outdoor pavillion loaded with small shops selling Malaysian items, and imports from other Asian ports. My favorite type of shopping! Little items, sometimes exotic, sometimes bizarre, always interesting and of unique ethnic flavor. After lunch and a short rest we were taken out to Ar-Raudah, the Equestrian center where the ride would be held. Edaran had provided us with drivers - Azri Ghani - a friendly and very knowlegable employee of Edaran was my driver and guide - an endless source of information - great company. He was a very special guide - and new friend. And Ardi - a student on leave from college, who applied for the job with Edaran so that he could meet the foreign guests (us) and learn a little more about other parts of the world. Ardi was delightful and very charming. On our last night in KL (after the ride) he took Leo and Carol and I to his parent's Thai restaurant. The restaurant was situated a few blocks from the KLCC (where the magnificent KL towers - at one time the tallest buildings in the world - are located). Off the main road, down a quiet alley, a traditional Thai/Malay restaurant - not fancy, but well known for its excellent food and special dishes. It was delightful! Ardi's mother treated us like family (a Muslim woman with 9 children, maybe everybody is family to her!) bringing her favorite dishes, and explaining their preparation. Plus she was happy to tell us a little more about the Malay people - culture and history. A special dinner - simple and sweet.

The traffic in the KL area can be bad - it took a while to get out to Ar-Raudah, but there was plenty to look at and talk about on the way. The scooters here just amaze me. While the cars are inching along, stopping and starting, thousands of little scooters - mopeds - are darting in and out of traffic, squeezing between cars, zipping in front of one, behind the other, missing the bumpers with their wheels by inches, it made me nervous to watch them! And they all drive with their shirts worn backwards - arms through the sleeves - buttons or zippers open to the back - avoiding the billowing wind, a little extra protection.

At Ar-Raudah we were greeted by the stable and facility manager, Encik Asbanizam, who took us to meet our horses. Two mares had been shipped over from Sabah (the island of Borneo) one month before, to prepare for the ride. The mares had been cared for and trained during their stay at Ar-Raudah so that we could participate in the ride. Not enough time to prepare them for the CEI*** 120 event, but fit and healthy and perfectly prepared so that we could participate in the 80km or 40km event. The care was evident, and the opportunity to ride was greatly appreciated! We saddled the mares and rode them in the arena - just fine. Kind, and willing - I really liked my little gray mare 'Famous' - she had a plain head, not particularly elegant, but a good body type for Endurance, and a kind eye.

Just as we finished riding, the sky opened up and it RAINED - warm, tropical downpour. When it rains here it really rains. It was unusual for it to be so wet this time of the year - the rainy season was technically over, but this year the rains had gone on much longer - so much rain! We sat in the small pavillion by the arena for a bit, and then were taken up to the club house pavillion for 'High Tea'. Invitation by YBhg Dato' Bistamam Ramli, Managing Director of Edaran Digital Systems Berhad, we were greeted by the Organizing Committee, Tansri Tajuddin and his wife. Guests and media, sharing tea and light food. Very nice, very Malaysian (and just a bit British).

Back to Kuala Lumpur, Leo and Carol and I went out for dinner later in the evening, a Thai restaurant at the KLCC (towers) center - a huge shopping center, very modern, very chic. And very tired.... I hadn't had a good night's sleep yet, it's a challenge to adjust to the time change, 12 hours different - day in USA, night in Malaysia.

Friday morning we relaxed at the hotel, I took the opportunity to work some, download some pictures, get caught up on several days of Endurance Net email and correspondence. Dr. Nik had scheduled an informal Endurance forum for the afternoon - a chance to talk about the sport from a technical and International perspective, and learn a bit about the special challenges of Endurance in the tropics. Veterinarian Dr. Basheer Ahmad (Deputy Dean, School of Veterinary Science) would speak on this topic. Leo had prepared a power point presentation on Endurance - preparation, training, and the 'state' of the sport - with special emphasis on current training and competition methods. I was to speak on pacing and competition strategy.

We arrived at the clubhouse and found that the 'informal' forum had suddenly become very formal! Sultan Mizan had decided to attend, as well as the Tansri Tajuddin and his special guests Prince Rashid Safar Bin Shaba'an Al-Haji and Mr. Ikbal Abbasi from Qatar, and also Al Jazeera sports network! I found it absolutely thrilling that Al Jazeera was attending. This is an important network in the Middle East and Asia, and they are producing a news piece on Endurance in Asia (the Gulf states - UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, etc are technically part of the Asian continent). They planned to cover the important Endurance events, conduct interviews, etc to promote the sport, and in particular promote the Asian Equestrian Games, including the Asian Endurance Championship, to be held in Doha, Qatar - December 2007. Qatar was actually the first Arab country to do Endurance - starting with marathons and Camel/Horse competitions in the late 1980's. Prince Rashid was a participant in the early Endurance events, and later during the closing ceremony dinner, we discovered that Dr. Bobby Surendra Babu (Foreign Veterinary Delegate for the ride) had also been involved in these early Endurance races - what coincidence that Prince Rashid and Dr. Bobby to find themselves together again, 17 years later, at an International Endurance event in Malaysia. The circle of this sport constantly astounds me...

Sultan Mizan arrived, seated in the center of the room, yellow carpet and chair for Royalty, an ardent and enthusiastic promoter of the sport of Endurance, and a man revered by the Malaysian people. Dr. Basheer spoke on the issues of heat and electrolyte loss, the same principles in every part of the world - the importance of pacing, slowing the speed, water intake - some basic physiological information. Leonard gave an excellent presentation - the audience was attentive and could easily follow his talk, he did a great job. Fortunately for me (feeling rather jet-lagged and unprepared to give a talk to this audience) we ran out of time, and I was spared! A few questions from the group, some comments from Paul Brown the Australian trainer working for the Royal Stables, and then we were done! Leo and I had been asked to interview with Al Jazeera, but the technician thought it was too dark, the light would not be good, and we decided to to wait until the following day, or after the race.

I had also hoped to interview Sultan Mizan and his staff, ask questions about the 2008 WEC venue, preparations, horses in training, plans for attending the 2006 WEC in Aachen, etc. - but we ran out of time. I spoke with Sultan's secretary and veterinarian for a while, making tentative plans to travel to Terengganu for a day after the Edaran event, to see the stables, and as much of the venue as had been constructed - but after some discussion they decided that it would be too rushed, the Sultan had to travel to France and wouldn't be there, and we should just come back later - for the CEI*** 160km in Terengganu, in early August. Ok then! Perfect.

After the forum, we went back to the hotel, Leo and Carol were going out again, shopping, and I crashed in the hotel. soooo tired! One good night's sleep was what I needed.

Ride day (or more specifically the day of ride night).

(contrary to the 'part 1' story that I just posted, we didn't go back to the hotel after the forum - this was the night of the ride. the challenges of travel, time change, day becoming night, - I didn't quite get the sequence of events right!~)

So - after the forum, we had dinner, a chance to rest a little (I snoozed in the front of Azri's car for an hour), get dressed and get ready for the ride. The 120km Flag Off was at 10pm, we were able to watch the starters, not quite enough light for my little camera, but it was fun to watch them trot down the flag lined starting zone, and disappear into the dark. At 11:30 pm we started preparing our horses - the stable grooms brought them down, we saddled, hooked up the lights, and got ready to go.

The horses were quiet (a little sleepy maybe) and the two mares seemed content to be with each other (travellers from Sabah). There were about 25 starters on the 80km, a nice small group - not too much confusion. The start was reasonable, no reason to rush off with a long night ahead - the Malaysians have learned to pace - they really do understand the importance of a steady ride.

It was sprinkling a little as we left - I was thinking 'how nice' , this will keep us cool. Then it started raining harder, then as we entered the palm forest, the lightning flashed, and it really started raining. I don't think I've ever experienced rain like this before, we were drenched immediately, warm rain - coming down in sheets. The sound of the rain was incredible. With limited visibility, the noise seemed even louder. I was grinning though, this was definitely a new experience! The horses didn't seem to mind, and it must have felt good to them to stay cool.

The trail wound through the forest roads, up and down and around, and it kept raining... for the first two hours it rained, rained hard, rained and rained! I remember wondering the day before if it ever flooded here - when the rain comes down so hard and so fast, where does all the water go? We were about 1 hour into the ride, dropping down on the other side of the palm plantation to cross the creek and head into the country side. Several of us were riding together, headlamps bouncing light off the trees, off the rain, casting a glow on the trail. With the heavy rain visibilty was poor - but the horses kept trotting, kept pulling.

As we dropped into the creek crossing we could no longer see the road or the trail - it was a lake by now, warm water, fast moving - the sound was incredible. We could still see the trail signs to follow - but the horses were almost chest deep in water - splashing, at a walk. I remember seeing the horses in front of me stay to the right of the trail sign, and leading my mare to the left of the trail sign thinking - this looks like it might be higher ground - and then my mare disappeared out from under me. We must have stepped off the road into the creek - the water was up to my waist (still over the saddle) and Famous was thrashing, lunging forward, trying to find some footing. Somehow I managed to stay with her, grabbing some mane when she re-appeared, grabbing the pommel, searching for the saddle with my knees, no time to think, just try to stay with her, the headlamp lighting her mane and ears. She lunged back up to higher ground and somehow I stayed with her. When she finally go to solid ground I managed to settle back into the sadde - eventually found the stirrups (one had twisted around, took some work to get it aligned again) - and away we go. Wow - these are the moments that keep us alive - adrenalin, time slows down - only the moment demanding all of our senses. I suppose these are the moments that keep the 'extreme sports' junkies coming back for more.

Well, I don't think I was any wetter than before- I had already become drenched - so a deep breath and on we go.

Two more hours on the trail, still raining. We rode through small farms, smelling and hearing the animals - goats, water buffalos - dogs barking - but seeing very little except parts of the trail, and the rider in front illuminated by the headlamp. The sounds were vivid - we passed along a lake next to a quarry - deep voiced frogs - sounding like tubas - coming out of the dark. Onto pavement and a village street. There were several checkpoints - lights and humans taking numbers and giving great comfort! The trail was marked extremely well - colored arrows everywhere, and gas lamps attached to the trees - beautiful beacons of light - and the trail organizers had actually gone out and put little lids over the lamps, to keep the rain from dousing the lights.

Some things are beyond the control of the ride organizer - and the weather - can make all the difference in the world. Under the direction of Encik Mohamed Din bin Mat and Insp. Mat Fuad bin Yusof, course designer and coordinator, the trail had been groomed, raked, level, prepared to perfection - the directional signs, the gas lamps, everything was perfect... and then it rained beyond anybody's imagination. The trail turned to river and mud, an already challenging course became terribly difficult - the hills turned to slippery mud, and the visibility was greatly reduced. I felt so bad for them - as a ride organizer I know how discouraging it can be when all of the work and care and preparation gets spoiled by circumstances out of our control!

I can only say that the ride organizers did a magnificent job - first class in every way.

At one of the last checkpoints we stopped to let the horses drink, and take a breath. The rain was just a light drizzle now, after 2 1/2 hours of very tense riding, we needed a little break. Famous's interference boots were slipped and slopped down around her feet, soggy and muddy - but I sort of put them back where they belonged. The horses drank a little, and seemed to appreciate the break. They felt hot to the touch - the night air was fairly cool, but there was no air to offer evaporative cooling. just wet. We sloshed back into the saddles and headed to camp - another 5 kilometers to go.

Both Leo and I were thinking that we'd stop after this loop (35 kilometers). The horses were not that fit, and had worked hard on the trail - Famous felt a little off when we trotted on the pavement, she had probably had enough. We got back to the vet check - wet and soggy vets and officials - and vetted through. Both mares passed, but we decided to stop anyway. More tough trail, these horses had given us a great ride, - they'd done enough.

It was a short, but unforgettable ride!

I watched the finish of the 80km ride - 3 riders racing down the stretch - racing for first - whooping and hollering. The first finisher was eliminated at the trot-out - a slight bob of the head. The trotting lane was pavement, nothing went by undetected on this surface. One very sad rider, followed by a jubilant winner. Our sport.

Finally I couldn't keep my eyes open, and fell asleep on the couch by the treatment barn. Only 2 horses required treatment - a tie-up early in the 120km ride, and one horse was simply tired and dehydrated - nothing serious, mostly precautionary treatment. The Malaysians ride with caution - their early attempts at the sport quickly taught them that you can not race the horses the way they do in temperate climates. Pacing, strategy, steady progress- careful monitoring of the horse.

Ardi woke me up and offered to take me back to the hotel. As we were driving out we followed one of the 40km riders (the young woman I had seen at the tack store at the KL Equestrian Center) - a tiny muslim woman on a great big gray thoroughbred - both looking good. We also caught up with Shamsudin Ronin on the amazing mare Malin. He was on his last loop, Malin was trotting along spritely, she moves like a feather, barely seeming to touch the ground. They were the only riders left in the 120km event. Dr. Nik and Jogo had been eliminated at the last loop - Jogo was sound, but tired - and he opted not to go back out. There was another chance to qualify for the Asian Games next month - next time.

A hot shower at the hotel (felt a lot like being out on the trail!) and to bed, tired, time for an hour of sleep and then get dressed and back out to Ar-Raudah for the closing ceremony! (endurance..)

Steph