Fast Fast Fast

Winning time was 7:20, for real. I didn't see the winning horse at the finish, but at the last vet gate he looked very good - strong, lively. Truly amazing. I look at the palaces and tree plantations and grand mosques and super-highways and think: this is the best that money can buy. Well, I think the same applies to their equine athletes. The UAE is able to purchase 'the best' and from this pool they can then determine 'the very best' and voila, you have a 7:20 100 mile winning time, with a horse that is most certainly fit to continue. Plus the best trainers, the best training facilities, the best veterinary care, the best farriers, etc, etc.

There was actually a pretty good showing by some off-continent riders as well. I think that Virginie Simon, 11th place, was the top off-continent horse/rider combo. Several of the other top finishing non-UAE riders rode UAE horses. It's an enormous challenge to ship a horse during the winter to a different continent, and ride a fast/flat race in summer temps.

It was very foggy at the start, and very dark. I had the great job of following Leonard on the course (dune hopping at it's best :) and decided that I'd let most of the rigs go before I joined the fray. It wasn't always clear where the horses were allowed, and where the rigs were allowed, and it was dark. So I tried to keep a set of tail-lights in sight and tried to follow them as best I could. I did eventually realize though, that the tail-lights I was following were most like just following the rig in front of them, and since the true locals were probably already miles down the road, this was a classic case of the blind leading the blind.... but it worked. mostly. The fog was thick, and hung around till almost 10:00, cool but very humid (water dripping off my hair). As the day dawned though and I could actually see where I was going, I began to notice several rigs stuck in the dunes in various positions. I think caution was a good call...

Leonard started after the pack, but set a good pace (around 18kph) and maintained it most of the day. His horse had incredible recoveries, he'd come in at a canter and within a minute or two would be in the 50's. But, at 120 km (around 75 miles) he was pulled for lameness. The vet clinice couldn't pinpoint the source of lameness, we're thinking it's probably foot related, but the ride was over. We had a chance to eat something, let Arazi eat and relax, then packed up and went back to the barn. Leo's son (8 yrs) had the classic line "all that, for that?" (in French).

None of the US riders finished. Heather's horse Master Mostion was eliminated at VG2 for lameness (cramp), Valerie's horse at VG3 - metabolic, and Alyx got sick and pulled herself. A little sad at the US camp...

I haven't really decided exactly how I feel about 'this' sport. It is so very different from our local rides - it is so intense, so fast fast fast, and without the challenges of varied terrain it is a very monotone event. Right now, the UAE is setting the standard for endurance. In terms of speed, training-conditioning, horse selection and competition. I believe they could run circles around most of us, in any terrain, any ride, because physiologically these horses are phenomenal... Because of this I find it fascinating, and awesome. But there is a high price to pay. For every success, there are 4 failures. The UAE can afford to buy and train more horses, but can we? Do we really want to play in this yard? The obvious answer is yes, because FEI is the elite - and our Federation - USEF- is dedicated to competing successfully at the International level. Endurance at the FEI level is generally acknowleged to be the ultimate competition in our sport, and there are always many who aspire to being the best at their endeavor. But, even though I would probably jump at the chance to compete over here, there's a persistent feeling that it is folly. To attain those speeds, one must start with a physiologically superior horse, and then train very very hard, always one training ride away from 'one too many' and ensuing soundness issues. I think it might be better just to go and enjoy the food...

Steph