Great Britain: All abilities and ages hit road for endurance event

Thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk - Full Article

Thursday, April 01, 2010

T HE Wadebridge endurance ride is the longest running ride in the South West, having taken place every year since the 1970s.

It is always the first competitive ride of the season and for many endurance riders, it is the start of the 'serious' stuff.

With its mixture of roadwork, forestry and tracks, it also makes a good ride for young horses or riders doing 32km (20 miles) for the first time. The steady roadwork to checkpoint one, particularly the long hill up to Burlawn, takes the edge off the excited horses before they reach the faster tracks in the forestry.

This part of the route is then followed by a mixture of lanes and tracks, before the long uphill stretch back to the Royal Cornwall Showground. This brings the horses back to the finish and the final vetting at a sensible pace.

One rider who was giving her four- year-old Arab stallion, Silver Zaanif, his very first outing, was Jemma Jackson, from St John near Torpoint.

"He is a pleasure to ride, interested in everything but so laid back," she said. "We had a fabulous ride.

"Everything at the venue was so peaceful and mellow, and all the other riders and the officials were friendly and welcoming.

"We shall definitely come again although I am only getting him out and about occasionally this year, he's too young to do much and I intend to bring him on slowly."

Silver Zaanif, who is 100 per cent Crabbet bred (traditional line of English breeding), is expecting his first foal later this month, out of a bay Crabbet mare imported from Australia, called Palma Benay.

The main sponsor for the Wadebridge ride was Sweet Meadow Horse Feeds, who donated a prize for the Best Conditioned horse in each class, as judged by the veterinary team at the final vetting. Equus Health gave prizes for the Best Turned Out horses and riders. Donations were collected for Shelter Box, who gave a display of the contents of the boxes sent out to disasters worldwide.

In the 64km class, Rachael Sargent and Drummer won the Best Turned out prize and Michael Stone and MC Lorenzo won the Best Conditioned prize. In the 50km class, Julia Wolfendale and Eluard were the Best Turned Out and Frances Webster's Jesta was the Best Conditioned horse. In the Novice 50km class Carolyn Thomas with Meneth Crystal Rose won both awards.

In the 32km class, Dee Hall with Firefly Imp, was the Best Turned Out and Kazaway ridden by Jane James was the Best Conditioned. In the 32km novice Class, Katie Came-Johnson and Pompei won the Best Turned Out prize for the second year running and Ginny Gidley's Desert Kudoss was the Best Conditioned.

The Best Shod Horse of the day was Ally McBeal, ridden by Tamsin Swiddles, who won a prize for their farrier.

The next competitive ride in the South West will be Blue Chip St Meubred's on Sunday, April 25.

Before this, there are three short training rides, the Fal Valley Clay Ride, Ladock and the Broadbury Ride. For details and entry forms visit www.endurancegbsouthwest.co.uk.