Congratulations to USA's Cheryl Van Deusen and JG General on a courageous performance in completing the FEI Endurance World Championships Butheeb 2022, where the pairing placed 40th amongst a huge international field. JG General was one of just two North American horses to complete the challenging 160km Abu Dhabi desert course. Photo by US Equestrian, Ahmad Wagdy

Congratulations to Alisija Zabavska, from Texas, riding for Lithuania, 8th in the world! "The words can not express the gratitude I have towards my last minute put together international crew (Netherlands, Germany, South Africa & USA), that Ghazi and I had a privilege to benefit from. They greatly contributed to our successful competition, that resulted with 8th place finish at the World Endurance Championships in Boutheeb, UAE."

Endurance Team Gold Medalist from Bahrain Tests Positive for Banned Steroid

HorseSport.com - Full Article

France set to become the next world champions if Bahrain’s stanozolol offence is confirmed, after last month’s title race in the UAE.

By: Pippa Cuckson | March 22, 2023

Bahrain appears set to lose its World Endurance Championships team gold medal to France, following a steroids positive by its 18th placed rider.

Hera Durances, ridden by Abdulrahman Mohammed Alzayed, tested positive to the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol and its metabolite 16-beta-hydroxystanozolol, following sampling during the championship last month at Butheeb in the UAE.

A positive from one horse does not automatically result in disqualification of the whole team at a FEI world championship. However, only three of Bahrain’s five riders completed so it has no drop scores to reinstate and can no longer deliver a result.

The rider and the horse’s trainer Muhammad Abbas Khalid have been provisionally suspended from March 20...

Read more here:
https://horsesport.com/horse-news/endurance-team-gold-medalist-tests-positive-banned-steroid/

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High five for Australia’s world endurance stars

Canadians met the heat across the world

Van Deusen Sole American Finisher At Rescheduled FEI World Endurance Championship

Bahrain Claims Dual Gold; Late Sprint Backfires for UAE

Revised Press Information from Clean Endurance

Bahrain claims gold in Team and Individual podiums at the FEI Endurance World Championship 2022 - Everythinghorseuk.co.uk

Bahrain wins double gold at FEI Endurance World Champs - Horsetalk.co.nz

Bahrain wins two golds at World Endurance Championships - UniIndia.com

UAE leaders, Bahrain's King attend lunch, celebrate endurance race win - KhaleejTimes.com

Clean Endurance hopes Butheeb success will begin to restore sport’s tactical riding tradition

26 February 2023

Clean Endurance is relieved that the 2022 FEI World Endurance Championships (WEC) in Butheeb, Abu Dhabi on February 25th did not result in as many welfare issues as feared. The 160 km long course was ridden at lower average loop speeds (around 21 kmph for the leaders) than recent major events at the same venue.

Clean Endurance is hopeful that the success of the Butheeb 2022 WEC will impact on the manner in which other Endurance competitions, in this region and elsewhere, will be conducted: the results of this event illustrate that it is possible to stage a compelling and tactical event, even on prepared desert tracks, without the hell-for-leather racing which is so damaging to horses and provides no strategic interest.

Prior to the WEC event the FEI warned athletes they must pace themselves carefully and it looks like this warning was heeded by the majority of participants. According to the FEI results there were no Serious or Catastrophic Injuries...

Read the rest here:
http://news.endurance.net/2023/02/clean-endurance-hopes-butheeb-success.html

World Champion!: Shaikh Nasser claims title at Abu Dhabi endurance race

GDNOnline.com - Full Article

26 February 2023

HIS Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian works and Royal Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa accomplished a major international achievement by winning the World Endurance Championship held yesterday at the Boudheib International Endurance Village, UAE, over a distance of 160km.

The event featured 126 riders, both men and women, representing 36 countries around the world.

Shaikh Nasser won the race in a time of 7 hours, 36 minutes and 39 seconds, ahead of UAE rider Salem Al Ketbi and Spain’s Ponte Jauimi.

Royal Endurance teammate Jaffar Mirza came fourth in 7:59:38.

This was the Bahraini star’s first win in the world championship, thus writing a new chapter in his glittering endurance career. The victory came just a few months after Shaikh Nasser’s victory in the FEI World Endurance Championship for eight-year-old horses in Spain...

Read more here:
https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1195418/WORLD-CHAMPION-Shaikh-Nasser-claims-title-at-Abu-Dhabi-endurance-race#

Bahrain claims gold in Team and Individual podiums at the FEI Endurance World Championship 2022

Inside.FEI.org

25 February 2023
Author: Zein Jardaneh

It was a great day all-around for Bahrain at the 18th FEI Endurance World Championship 2022 held in Butheeb (UAE) on Saturday, February 25 2023, as it claimed the top prize in both the individual and team podiums.

HH Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, with the horse Darco La Majorie, added senior world champion – individual and team - to his already successful equestrian record of achievements, only months after he claimed gold at the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses in Vic (ESP) in October. Khalifa, who shouted “We’re number one!” upon learning of his win, becomes a Senior World Champion for the first time in his storied career; he has participated in 19 Championships since 2004 and has successfully qualified in 14 of them. He won his first gold at the FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Horses in Bablona (HUN) in August 2012.

The Organising Committee and the Championship’s host, the United Arab Emirates Equestrian and Racing Federation, pulled out all the stops to set the stage for an outstanding championship in record time, with the well-being of horses and riders at the heart of all their endeavours. The 160 km track, which was run over six loops, is set against a stunning backdrop, and was prepared to the highest standards with world-class permanent infrastructures and facilities at the Butheeb International Endurance Village. Proper hydration and temperature control were optimised with multiple water points throughout the ride for the competitors to rehydrate.

All eyes were on the previous reigning champion, Salem Hamad Saeed Malhoof Al Kitbi from host nation UAE, with the horse Haleh, who came in second at Butheeb but had won gold at the last iteration of the FEI Endurance World Championship, held in Pisa (ITA) in 2021. “Haleh is a good horse, today was a very hard race (…). We are happy with the results,” Al Kitbi said.

In third place was Jaume Punti Dachs of Spain, with the horse Echo Falls, making this his fifth medal in Endurance World Championships. He is tied with Becky Hart (USA) and HH Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (UAE) for the athletes with the most medals in Endurance World Championships.

Reflecting the overall diversity of this year’s championship, the top ten athletes at the individual podium represented eight separate countries: Bahrain (two spots), UAE, Spain (two spots), Australia, Portugal, Lithuania, Oman and Kuwait. Taking the start were 117 combinations, with 36 nations represented, 23 teams, and 13 nations with individual riders, and a remarkably gender balanced field of participants with 60 female and 57 male athletes competing in Butheeb.

For the first time since the FEI Endurance World Championship was held in 1986, Team Bahrain captured gold, ending Team Spain’s reign as champions, following three successive titles since the World Championship in Caen (FRA) in 2014. Team France, which came in second, is moving up the ranks after being bronze medallists at the World Championship in Pisa (ITA) in 2021. Their 13th team medal, Team France holds the record for the most team medals in the history of the championship. With a total of 24 medals claimed at FEI Endurance World Championships, France is also the nation with the most medals overall.

With favoured teams UAE and Spain having horses and riders eliminated throughout the day, most notably Fares Ahmad Saeed Daafoos Amer Al Mansoori and Saeed Salem Atiq Khamis Al Muhairi from the UAE, who were disqualified from the top individual podium spots due to their horses failing the maximum heart rate parameter exam, Portugal ultimately captured Team bronze.

The last double gold at an FEI Endurance World Championship – for both team and individual podiums – was claimed by Spain and third-place winner Jaume Punti Dachs of Spain in Samorin (SVK) in 2016.

The full roster of countries that participated in the 18th FEI Endurance World Championship is: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, and Uruguay.

Full results here

Butheeb Ready to Welcome Endurance's Biggest Names

WEC: Endurance, the gender and age friendly horse sport

129 Athletes representing 37 Nations gear up for the ultimate prize in Endurance Riding

FEI.org

31 January 2023
Author: FEI Communications

With less than a month to go before the world’s best equine and human athletes gather in Butheeb (UAE) for the FEI Endurance World Championship 2022, the line-up has been confirmed with 129 combinations representing 37 nations ready to challenge for the 2022 individual and team world titles on Saturday 25 February 2023.

The 18th edition of the FEI Endurance World Championship, first held in 1986, boasts a remarkably gender balanced field of participants, with 63 female and 66 male athletes entered, and an equally impressive diversity in age range of the participants with 55 years separating youngest and first time World Championship competitor, 18-year-old Constanza Pacheco Diaz (ARG) from Canada’s 73-year old Robert Gielen, who will be taking part in his fourth World Championship!

With numbers reminiscent of pre-covid times, the Championship will see 24 teams compete for the team title, which the Spanish have held firmly within their grip since the World Championship in Caen (FRA) in 2014.

For Spain, a fourth consecutive title would set a new record in the sport, but they will face plenty of opposition from other teams vying the top spot, such as Brazil and France – silver and bronze medallists at the World Championship in Pisa (ITA) in 2021 - as well as other former medallists including the Netherlands, Switzerland, Bahrain, Qatar and host nation UAE, the only other country to boast three consecutive world titles, which they achieved from 2008 to 2012.

From an individual front, all eyes will also be on Spanish and Emirati riders, as they have dominated the field since 2006. Among them, there is Salem Hamad Saeed Al Kitbi (UAE), with his horse Haleh, who will be defending his World title here in Butheeb; Spain’s power couple Maria Alvarez Ponton and Jaume Punti Dachs who have three individual World titles between them; and, their compatriot Angel Soy Coll, who is current European Champion.

The Venue

A successful test event held in December 2022, following the allocation to Butheeb at the FEI General Assembly in November of that same year confirmed that all the systems and footing were on track for a successful World Championship in February.

With an open-house invitation to National Federations (NFs) and teams to experience first-hand the facilities on offer at the Butheeb International Endurance Village (BIEV), the Organising Committee provided a comprehensive overview of what they could expect at the upcoming Championship with the world-class permanent infrastructure featuring state-of-the-art veterinary facilities.

Alongside the 160 km track which will be run over 6 loops and has been prepared to the highest standard, proper hydration and temperature control have also been optimised with multiple water points throughout the ride for the competitors to rehydrate and cool off, serviced by many of the volunteers and staff that have dedicated their time and expertise to supporting the event.

In addition, the Organising Committee will also be implementing a number of actionable sustainable initiatives in a bid to set a new benchmark for future Endurance events and showcase UAE’s commitment to innovation in sustainable ecology in line with their pledge for carbon neutrality by 2050.

“We are excited to see so many athletes and nations confirmed for this important Championship”, said FEI President Ingmar De Vos.

“Sustainable thinking is absolutely key to event planning today, and I am delighted the World Championship in Butheeb has set its sights on becoming a point of reference for environmental sustainability at Endurance rides in the future.

“Thanks to the concerted efforts of the Organising Committee in Butheeb and the UAE Equestrian National Federation, we will have a fantastic backdrop for our sport with all the necessary infrastructures and requirements to ensure our athletes and our horses can perform at their very best, with safety and welfare a priority throughout.”

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The full roster of countries participating in the upcoming FEI Endurance World Championship are: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, and Uruguay.

For the full Master List with the FEI Endurance World Championship 2022 definite entries, click here.

Canada’s Robert Gielen to Ride in 4th World Championship

US Equestrian Announces Team for 2022 FEI Endurance World Championship

USEF.org

by US Equestrian Communications Department | Jan 18, 2023, 3:15 PM EST

Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the athlete/horse combinations that will represent the United States at the 2022 FEI Endurance World Championship, scheduled to take place February 25, 2023, at Butheeb, United Arab Emirates.

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

Marissa Bartmann (La Plata, N.M.) and RGS Rollo Ze Monarch, a 2010 Arabian gelding owned by Jessica DiCamillo

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

Jessica DiCamillo (Las Cruces, N.M.) and I Remember September, her own 2009 Half-Arabian gelding

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

Cheryl Van Deusen (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.) and JG General, her own 2012 Arabian gelding

The following combinations have been named as alternates to the U.S. Team for the 2022 FEI Endurance World Championship and are listed in ranked order:

Karen Binns-DiCamillo and Just Believe, a 2008 Arabian Mare owned by Jessica DiCamillo

Jessica DiCamillo and Just Believe, her own 2008 Arabian mare

Heather Davis (The Plains, Va.) and Shyrocco Rimbaud, her own 2006 Anglo Arabian gelding

Holly Corcoran (Stroudsburg, Pa.) and Lorienn, her own 2012 Arabian mare

Competition Information

The FEI Endurance World Championship will consist of a 160-kilometer ride at the Butheeb International Endurance Village in El Khatim, Abu Dhabi. The ride will start at 5:45 a.m. local time on February 25, 2023. Learn more about the competition here.