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AUGUST 22-24 WORLD 2008 FESTIVAL OF ENDURANCE

Du 22 au 24 aout ce sera la 6e edition du Festival Mondial d'Endurance qui a reuni l'an dernier a Compiegne 23 nations et 200 cavaliers et chevaux.
From 22 to August 24 this will be the 6th edition of the World Endurance Festival which brought together last year in Compiegne 23 nations and 200 riders and horses.
L'equipe de Compiegne Endurance invite les cavaliers internationaux a venir juger de l'accueil, de l'organisation et du circuit au sein des forets domaniales.
The team Compiegne Endurance invites international riders coming to judge the reception, organization and circuit within the forests.
Nouveaute cette annee: il y aura, le meme jour (22 aout), deux championnats pour les Jeunes chevaux, courus sur deux courses differentes:
New this year: there will be the same day (August 22), two championships for Young horses, run on two different courses:
* une course en 4 boucles pour les 7 ans, sur 119 km
* a race in 4 loops for 7 years, from 119 km
* et une course en 5 boucles pour les 8 ans, sur 140 km.
* and a race to 5 laps for 8 years, about 140 km.
La troisieme epreuve, le 24 aout, reste le "Trophee des Equipes", une course originale d'ecuries ou de sponsors, unique en France.
The third test, August 24, remains the "Trophy Teams", a race original stables or sponsors, unique in France.

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FEI World Endurance Young Horses Championships
CEI** 7 years old horses - 22 August 2008

FEI World Endurance Young Horses Championships
CEI*** 8 years old horses World Championship
22 August 2008

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Images by Brigitte Huard

FEI World Endurance Young Horses Championships
CEI*** 140 km
24 August 2008

CEI*** 140 km Equipes Results

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Compiegne, France - under the rain but always with the same pleasure
by Leonard Liesens (www.endurance-belgium.com)

photos by Caroll Gatelier It is always the same pleasure to come back to Compiegne. First of all, it is not far from home - only 250km - not even 3 hours. Then there is the spirit of Compiegne, something special that one feels when returning to the venue. Everyone who counts in endurance in France comes to Compiegne, to compete with one or several horses, or just as a spectator or to help some friends. Walking the half mile from the stables of the racetrack to the Grand Stadium (where the start/finish and the vetgate and grooming area are located) takes sometimes more than one hour and you may not be in a hurry or having your partner waiting for you with a beer because it will be warm when you arrive... Every 10 meters, you will meet a friend, another rider that you rode with and didn't see for some months, an international friend that you didn't expect there, a vet, an organizer, a journalist, people that you know the face but don't remember the name and the list goes on...

OK, you pay 350 euros for the entry fee but for this price you get an entry to a World class competition, you receive 4 meals for the - all that you can eat and drink - gourmet cooking restaurant at the venue, one bottle of Champagne. Riders interesting in business will also get the unique opportunity to show your horse to buyers from the Gulf countries.

Compiegne in August is the World Championship of young horses. During the preceding editions of the events, horses of 7 and 8 years were mixed on the same race on the distance of 120km. This year, the organizer innovated by splitting the two categories in two different races: the 120km for the 7years and the 140km for the 8years. This was more fair for the 7years and also more respectful of the spirit of the French young horse program of waiting as much as possible before throwing young horses in heavy competitions.

Friday was the day of the young horses World Championship.

Sunday the 140km open - and team - competition will take place.

Let's concentrate on Friday... There were 57 starters on the 7 years and 48 on the 8 years representing 15 nations, including one rider from Argentina and four riders from Brazil. The 7 years started at 7AM, half an hour later than the 8 years who had to cover 140km.

The circuit hasn't been changed since the EC in 2005. A technical circuit with several challenging hills - three to four hills to climb on each loop - and good forest pads. But this time it was pouring with rain just half an hour after the start and it didn't stop for the whole day. It was like in Malaysi but with some 15 degrees less... Funny and frustrating enough, the rain stopped almost when I arrived. So it became more and more technical as the race was progressing. More rain means mud and slippery tracks. Some horses were better than others for coping with the footing, mine which is quite at the heavy side had more trouble to fly over the mud. But some did, like the first and second who were able to cover the last loop at more than 22kph. If you would see the state of the trail, you would better understand.

France dominated the 7 years race with 9 horses in the top ten; Vincent Dupont on board Nita Lotoise was the undisputable winner. Spanish horse Kat Flecha ridden by Alberti Sanchez finished 4th. We completed the race at 18place.

On the 8 year race, Sandrine Lance with Mediatik Larzac is the winner. Like in the 120km, 9 of the top ten horses were French.

On Saturday, there were several halter classes for endurance horses. Horses are judged according to criterias specially defined for the aptitude for endurance. The judges here do not concentrate on the type of the horses.

Tomorrow there will be a good eighty horses competing on the 140km team race.

Stay tuned...

Leonard Liesens www.endurance-belgium.com