UAE and Spain Take Endurance Golds

22 May 2021
Words by Stacey Stearns
Images by Chris Taniere

Salem Hamad Saeed Al Kitbi is the new World champion...

United Arab Emirates riders showed a strong performance in the FEI Endurance World Championship™ at the San Rossore Estate in Pisa, Italy, winning the Individual gold and silver medals.

Salem Hamad Saeed Al Kitbi riding Haleh is the Endurance World champion and Individual gold medal winner. Mansour Saeed Mohd Al Faresi riding Birmann Aya won silver.

Al Kitbi and Al Faresi worked together and applied pressure to Omar Blanco Rodrigo and For Ferro of Spain, who led for most of the day, on the final loop. The UAE riders established a gap between themselves and the remaining pack, as the battle for the final standings in the top 10 and the team medals evolved in the final loop.

Boni Viada de Vivero of Chile on AS Embrujo rode a strategic race to capture the bronze in an emotional and fantastic finish.

AS Embrujo and de Vivero moved up progressively throughout the day, in a textbook performance earning the first medal for Chile in an FEI Endurance World Championship™. They moved from 19th place early in the day to the bronze position using clever riding and tactics.

Spain led the team standings throughout the day, with steady pressure from Brazil. Angel Soy Coll on Warrens Hill Chayze came from behind to finish fourth. Omar Blanco Rodrigo on For Ferro finished sixth. Maria Ponton Alvaraz guided Mandany into 15th. Brazil rode consistently all day as a team, finishing in 8th, 9th, and 10th to earn the silver medal. France finished in the bronze position...

Read more at: https://www.fei.org/stories/sport/endurance/uae-and-spain-take-endurance-golds

UAE’s Salem Hamad Saeed Malhoof Al Kitbi and Haleh Win World Endurance Championship

The UAE finished 1-2 at the World Endurance Championship in Pisa, Italy today. In a ride time of 7:24.24 for the 160-km race, Al Kitbi finished just ahead of his teammate Mansour Saeed Mohammed Al Faresi aboard Birmann Aya.

Chile’s Boni Viada de Vivero finished third aboard AS Embrujo, some 7 minutes behind the winner.

Rounding out the top ten were:

4th - Spain’s Angel Soy Coll and Warrens Hill Chayze
5th - Portugal’s Rui Lanternas and Alvantava
6th - Spain’s Omar Blanco Rodrigo and For Ferro
7th - Uruguay’s Vanessa Peyronel and AR Trueno
8th - Brazil’s Felipe De Azevedo Morgulis and Saiph SBV
9th - Brazil’s Andre Vidiz and Chamboro Endurance
10th - Brazil’s Renato Salvador and Uzes Trio

Former World Endurance Champion Jaume Punti Dachs of Spain was eliminated after loop 5 aboard JM Bucefala. Former World Endurance Champion Maria Alvarez Ponton (Jaume’s wife) finished 15th aboard Mandany.

26 finished the race out of 74 starters.

USA Team withdraws from FEI Endurance World Championship in Pisa (ITA)

21 May 2021 Author: FEI

The United States of America has withdrawn its full team of horses from the FEI Endurance World Championship in Pisa (ITA) after one of its horses, stabled offsite, developed a fever.

The USA Team Veterinarian informed the President of the Veterinary Treatment Commission in Pisa on Thursday 20 May that they had a febrile horse. Subsequently, results from a blood test indicated a viral infection. The USA team immediately put in place additional biosecurity measures to prevent any possible transmission of disease.

Following consultation with the FEI and the President of the Veterinary Commission, the USA decided today to proactively withdraw the entire team, as their horses had all travelled and been stabled together over the past two weeks.

The horses, which arrived in Pisa several days ago, have been stabled 2kms outside the venue. A risk assessment conducted by the FEI Veterinary Department and the Veterinary Commission established that there was a negligible risk of transmission to any other horses taking part in the World Championship. The USA Athletes and team staff discussed the protocol measures directly with the FEI Veterinary Director as part of the decision making process.

“I commend the USA Team veterinarian, the USA Chef d’Equipe and the Athletes for their professionalism and proactivity in addressing this difficult situation, which resulted in the USEF decision to withdraw the team from the Endurance World Championship”, said FEI Veterinary Director Göran Akerström.

“This is a really unfortunate situation for the U.S. Team and I understand their bitter disappointment, but this decision was necessary and is completely in line with the biosecurity measures and rules we have in place to avoid the spread of infectious disease.

“The welfare of our horses must be put above any sporting goals and ambitions, and today the USA Team have done just that. It’s the right thing to do - and the only thing to do - for the safety of all the horses competing at the Event. We will continue to monitor all the participating horses closely to ensure a biosecure and successful championship for all the participating nations and athletes.”

The five USA Athlete/Horse combinations withdrawn from the Championship are:

Karen BINNS-DICAMILLO / RGS RAGNAR ZE MONARCH
Holly CORCORAN / POETE
Jessica DICAMILLO / JUST BELIEVE
Jeremy REYNOLDS / TREASURED MOMENTS
Cheryl VAN DEUSEN / HOOVER THE MOVER

A total of 31 nations will line up for the start of the FEI Endurance World Championship on Saturday 22 May, 12 of which will be battling for the team medals.

Meet My Endurance Horses: RGS Just Believe

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

RGS Just Believe, aka “Rose”
13-year-old Arabian mare
By Justify X Beaukay Bey, by NV Beau Bey
Owned by Jessica DiCamillo Torres

RGS Just Believe became part of Jessica Torres’ herd when she decided to help out a friend in Southern New Mexico that needed to re-home her.
 “When I saw her for the first time I knew she’d be great in the sport of Endurance with those long legs and great attitude to impress,” Jessica says. “She’s always willing to give all she can and  present herself with the WOW factor.”

The mare was broke when Jessica got her near the end of 2015, and came with a dressage background, so Jessica took to retraining her and focusing on Endurance. 

One thing the DiCamillos do with all their Endurance horses is work cattle with them on their ranch. Rose wasn’t impressed with the cows at first, but she soon got over that. “She was like, ‘Oh, ok. You want me to race over here and get that thing? All right!”

Read the rest here

Meet My Endurance Horses: Poete and Poetrie

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

Poete
14-year-old Arabian gelding
By Bandjo de Falgas X Poetikka, by Statistic
Bred by Asgard Arabians

24 of 28 AERC starts, 1855 miles in 9 seasons
8 of 9 AERC 100s

Poetrie
10-year-old Arabian mare
By Syndicat X Poetikka, by Statistic
Bred by Asgard Arabians

22 of 25 AERC starts, 1200 miles in 4 seasons
4 of 5 AERC 100s

Both owned by Holly Corcoran

Holly tells the story of how she got Poete and Poetrie.

“Both Poete and Poetrie were bred by the Sayvetz family at Asgard Arabians in West Virginia. They are purebred Arabians and are both out of the Statistic daughter Poetikka.

“I took on Poete at 4 years old as a training prospect in cooperation with Asgard but as I started work with him, I just fell in love with him as a horse, not to mention his amazing, awesome athletic ability. So instead of working with Asgard to sell him, I acquired him.

“I always knew he had great potential and he is just so fun (and sometimes difficult) to ride and he has proven me right.

“Knowing how much I loved Poete and admired his abilities, when his ¾ sister was available, I purchased Poetrie as a 4-year-old. Initially she was really tough and quite reactive, but given time and training, she has turned out to be an awesome horse.
“Poete and Poetrie are both athletic and capable. They can both be quite strong willed, and I find it best not to argue with them but to re-direct.

Read the rest here

Meet My Endurance Horse: Treasured Moments

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

Treasured Moments
11-year-old Arabian mare
DA Adios X Hidden Treasure, by RD Five Star
bred by CreRun Farm
owned by Heather & Jeremy Reynolds
ridden by Jeremy Reynolds


1550 AERC miles
3 Tevis Cup starts/finishes
2017 Haggin Cup winner

Treasured Moments could have been a top racehorse but for the year she was born. “She was really fast on the track but was in the stable that had the top three mares that year and she was number 3,” says Heather Reynolds.

Jeremy had shod her on the track as a late 2-year-old and fell in love with her. Since the mare was #3, the Reynolds were able to buy her as a 3-year-old. Racing’s loss, Endurance’s gain...

Read the rest here

Meet My Endurance Horse: RGS Ragnar Ze Monarch

by Merri Melde-Endurance.net

RGS Ragnar Ze Monarch
12-year-old Arabian gelding
by Aransas HF X One More Tyme EW, by Wojslaw
owned by Karen Binns-DiCamillo

900 AERC miles

As a 5-year-old, Ragnar was lanky and barely broke when Karen Binns-DiCamillo first saw him at Dan Woods’ place in Texas; but it was the look in his eye that grabbed her. “He was just like, ‘Here I am.’ When you look at a lot of horses and have been around them all your life, those few that look at you like, ‘I’ll do whatever you want me to do’ - he was one of them,” Karen says.

Karen’s set a goal several years ago of riding in the World Endurance Championships, and Ragnar would become the one to take her there. “A friend of mine, JT Jones, was breaking and training him. He took about a year before he let me have my horse back. I didn’t want him if he wasn’t going to quite behave for me to get on safely. He is a handful and a strong horse. And the first time I rode him, I was like, ‘Now I know why you kept the horse! It wasn’t because he wasn’t broke; it was because he’s so much fun to ride!’”

Read the rest here

US Equestrian Announces Team for the 2021 Longines FEI Endurance World Championship

USEF.org

by U.S. Equestrian Communications Department | Apr 8, 2021, 3:30 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the athlete/horse combinations that will represent the United States at the 2021 Longines FEI Endurance World Championship, scheduled to take place May 21-22 at San Rossore, Pisa, Italy.

The following combinations will represent the U.S. Endurance Team and are listed in alphabetical order:

Karen Binns-DiCamillo (Las Cruces, N.M.) and RGS Ragnar Ze Monarch, her own 2009 Arabian gelding

Holly Corcoran (Stroudsburg, Pa.) and Poete, her own 2007 Arabian gelding

Jeremy Reynolds (Dunnellon, Fla.) and Treasured Moments, a 2010 Arabian mare owned by Heather Reynolds

Cheryl Van Deusen (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) and Hoover the Mover, her own 2004 Arabian gelding

Hanna Weightman (Shamong, N.J.) and Poetrie, a 2011 Arabian mare owned by Holly Corcoran

The following combinations have been named as alternates to the U.S. Team for the 2021 Longines FEI Endurance World Championship and are listed in ranked order:

Holly Corcoran (Stroudsburg, Pa.) and Poetrie, her own 2011 Arabian mare

Jessica DiCamillo (Las Cruces, N.M.) and her own Just Believe, a 2008 Arabian mare

Marissa Bartmann (Greeley, Colo.) and RGS Rollo Ze Monarch, a 2011 Arabian gelding owned by Jessica DiCamillo

Competition Information

The Longines FEI Endurance World Championship will consist of a 160-kilometer ride on a closed course at the San Rossore Estate within the Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli Park in Pisa, Italy. The ride will start at 7:00 a.m. local time on May 22, 2021.

More at https://www.usef.org/media/press-releases/us-equestrian-announces-team-for-2021

Italy: FEI Technical meeting in San Rossore for World Endurance Championship

28 April 2021 – A FEI technical meeting was held today at San Rossore racecourse, in Pisa, in view of the Longines FEI Endurance World Championship 2021.

The meeting was attended by the event director of the World Championship, Irishman Brian Colin Dunn, Franco Pitti, assistant to the FEI technical delegate Sharon Du Plessis, Mimmo Fratini, race track setter, Wolfgand Schindle of Sport Traxx, a company dealing with race track tracking via GPS, Andrea Miglio, TV director of the event, Luca Ferretti, building manager and Claire Barone, responsible for the management of the COVID protocol.

During the meeting, the reconnaissance and GPS survey of the race track took place, all the procedures for the arrival of the horses and the subsequent stabling were discussed, as well as the verification of the Field of Play and all the facilities for the horses and riders who will take part in the race on May 22.

Today’s meeting was also an opportunity to share with all those present the programme for the days of the World Championship, from the moment the delegations from the 35 participating countries arrive in San Rossore and enter the venue, to ensure maximum health safety, in compliance with the regulations in force to fight the spreading of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the perfect success of the event.

Entries from 35 countries for world endurance champs

April 24, 2021
Horsetalk.co.nz

Nominations for the 2021 Longines FEI Endurance World Championships in San Rossore, Italy, have closed with riders from 35 nations declaring their intention to compete.

Iraq will also field a national team for the first time.

The San Rossore venue, the historic home of racing in Italy, previously hosted the FEI European Endurance Championship for Junior and Young Riders in San Rossore in 2018 and, in 2019, the FEI World Endurance Championship for Junior and Young Riders and the FEI World Endurance Championship for Young Horses...

Read more here:
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2021/04/24/entries-35-countries-world-endurance-champs/