• 6.16-6.21: Endurance in Kanas, Xinjiang, CEI* (80km one day). Grassland and Mountain
• 7.9-7.11: Eudurance in Bayinbuluke Swan Lake, CEI* (80km one day), Xinjiang. Grassland and Mountain and Wetland
• 7.15-7.18: Eudurance in Zhaosu, CEI* (80km one day), Xinjiang. Grassland
• 7.31-8.1: the 2nd Chinese International Endurance in Xilingol in Inner Mongolia. CEI* (80km, one day).Grassland.
• 8.28-29: the First International Equestrian Invitational Tournament-international Endurance in Yinchuan China. CEI*( 80km, one day).Grassland,dessert,the Great Wall

FEI* 50 mile Endurance Race in Xin Jiang province, China
Notes & comments from Sue:

This is the third event to be held since the inauguration a year ago, and the second one to be FEI endorsed, as a one star event. There will be more coming up soon!

Riders are welcome from any country, but there is a limit to numbers. Visitors will be given a local horse, (already in training for the race) to ride, drawn by lottery.

For this event, there will be a three day "pre-test" ride, to get to know your horse and prepare, each day riding between 25 and 45 km, with the proviso that it mustn't be done in under eight or nine hours. The fourth day is a day of rest, and the event culminates on the fifth day with the 80k race.

Accomodation, (homestay with local Tuvan people, and one night in a yurt) food, transport at the event, entertainment is all provided with the package, and VERY reasonably priced, compared to the commercial horse treks offered locally.

The ride is taking place in the Kanas Natural Reserve, http://www.globaltimes.cn/www/english/truexinjiang/tourism/scenes/2009-07/445413.html an alpine environment in the Altai Mountains, on the borders of Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia, in the very northern most corner of China's Xin-jiang Province, an area renowned for it's natural beauty and rich mix of cultures. We'll be riding around the Kanas Lake, through areas of the reserve that are normally closed to equestrian access.

Ride starts on the 16th of June, and registration is closed. But there'll be another one coming up soon in some other area!

Sue Addenbrooke

About Endurance in China

The Chinese government and Chinese Equestrian Association has decided to promote the sport of Endurance in China. They hope that the sport will become popular in China and eventually become a major centre for endurance competition. They also hope that the local horses wil become competitive on a worldwide scale.

The Chinese are hoping that with training and experience, including bringing foreign competitors to Chinese endurance events, that they can become competitive in the International sport of Endurance.

The country has vast areas of beautiful countryside, perfect for Endurance. They also have huge numbers of horses on government farms, left over from army and other uses. Endurance might be a good use for these horses that are renowned for their hardiness and speed over long distance. They've been bred from the horses Ghengis Kahn left behind.

This is the third event to be held since the inauguration a year ago, and the second one to be FEI endorsed, as a one star event. There will be more coming up soon!

A report on endurance perfomance of local horses after the first endurance race last year.

...more

some race photos from 2009