Great Britain: I'm a Long Distance Horse Rider

CBBC News

Press Packer Hannah, nine, loves horse riding and takes part in really long races.

Here's her report.

"I have had my New Forest pony, Maisy, for two years but I only started taking part in long races - called endurance riding - a year ago.

This year a big race was held in Milton Keynes city centre and we rode round the parks and bridleways in the city. We even had to ride under a roller coaster and past the concrete cows.

Endurance riding

Endurance riding is when you ride for long distances. I rode 20km, and the most you can do is 37km!

It's not as easy as just going as fast as you can. In my class you are aiming to do the whole course at an average of 10km per hour.

My Mum helps me measure places on the map and we work out the time it should take us to get there at 10km.

When you get back, vets take your ponies' heart rate. If it's over 64 beats per minute you fail the ride! Both the heart rate and speed are used to work out your points.

Any one can do it

Pony Club Endurance is open to any member over the age of eight who has a pony.

Any pony that is ridden a couple of times a week for about an hour can do the shorter rides with no trouble at all. No special equipment is needed.

We've done rides all over the place and camped at some of them which is great fun.

On the longer courses the riders and the ponies have to be cooled down with water so Mum and my brother meet us on the way round making it something everyone joins in with.

New friends

I have made lots of new friends doing endurance and not just in Pony Club. In July we are doing a ride in Windsor right in the Queen's back garden!

Heading off into the countryside on a fast hack having to read a map is really good fun and I would really like lots more children to come and have a go!"

Hannah, 9, London


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Endurer local, organiser global

HyppoBlog - À cheval sur l'info.

En matière d’endurance équestre il existe deux sortes de courses. Les petites et les grosses. Pourtant, quelle que soit leur taille, ces épreuves, au-delà de leurs sandwichs au jambon de pays, ont un point commun : l’amateurisme de leur organisation, toujours assurée par des associations aux attributs forcément non lucratifs dont les budgets dépendent de fonds publics plus ou moins locaux (commune, département, région, ministères) et plus ou moins localement spécifiques (CDC, FFE, FEI). Mais en creusant un peu cette lumineuse interprétation du marché de la compétition, une troisième catégorie apparaît aujourd’hui, à la frontière de l’économie et du sport, reconnaissable à une approche professionnelle de l’événement. L’Assisi Endurance Lifestyle, championnat d’Europe 2009 organisé à Assises en Italie comme son nom l’indique, en représente une sorte de fer de lance. Organisée par Havas Sport, fleuron français (et européen) de l’entertainment sportif, l’épreuve s’intègre à tel point dans un dispositif « politique » global qu’il en devient difficile de savoir qui, de la poule ou de l’œuf, s’en trouve à l’origine. En effet, l’événement dépasse à ce point le sport que la course ne couvre qu’une seule des onze journées annoncées (du 17 au 27 septembre) dans le dossier de presse. Un dossier de presse de 42 pages qui à lui seul en dit long sur la volonté de la ville organisatrice. L’endurance, « discipline née aux USA dès la fin des années 40 » « en pleine expansion », y est rapidement présentée au début, et beaucoup en annexe. Le cœur de l’événement se trouve ailleurs – un « forum économique » avec les pays du Golfe Persique, un « colloque culture et religion » entre « voix d’Orient et d’Occident », et toute une série de festivités très éclectiques (une table ronde « Hippothérapie », un symposium vétérinaire, un « Grand Gala de l’Endurance », mais également quelques spectacles à « l’Hospitality Village » et un « Poker Texas Hold’em/Burraco »). Rien sur le jour précis de la course…

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New Zealand: Sophie a natural in the saddle

Moruya.yourguide.com.au

BY JOSH GIDNEY
25/03/2009

Benandarah endurance rider Sophie Counsell has plenty of good form on her side as she prepares for the NSW State Enduro Championships in the Boyne and Benendarah State Forests on July 19.

For more local news and photos grab a copy of the Bay Post or Moruya Examiner.

The 15-year-old St Peter’s Anglican College student was the fourth-placed junior rider in the pointscore for the 2008 Enduro Series and first of all the South Coast riders.

She was the first placed junior rider with the best managed horse at the South Coast Championships at Nowra, where she and her horse covered 100km.

Endurance rides involve minimum distances of 80km over difficult bushy terrain such as goat trails and fire trails.

Counsell will compete in the NSW State Championships at Oberon next weekend

As her successes show, Counsell is a natural on a horse, and recently completed her three trick riding course under instructor Heath Harris, who trained riders for films such as the Man From Snowy River and Phar Lap.

In this she has learnt to preform such manoeuvres such as riding while hanging under the horse.

New Zealand: Trail Riding Club looking for volunteers for national champs

Times-age.co.nz

25.03.2009

The Wairarapa Endurance and Competitive Trail Riding Club are looking for volunteer workers to help with the running of the national championships at Whareama over Easter weekend.

A late decision to host the event after other North Island clubs declined has left the Wairarapa club little time to find the number of people required to assist with organisation.

But spokesperson Jenny Champion is hoping a committee meeting at the Masterton Cosmopolitan Club starting at 7.30pm next Tuesday evening will solve their problems in that respect.

"We are inviting anybody who can help out to come along and we'd like to think we'll get enough support to do the trick," she said.

"There are all sorts of jobs to be done over the three days so we won't be turning anybody down."

Champion is expecting about 150 riders from all over the country to participate in the national championships which will see competitions held over distances of 160km, 120km, 104km, 80km and 40km between April 10 and 12.

And she herself will be centre stage as she looks to defend the 160km title she won at Kurow last year and, before that, at Hawerden in 2006.

On both occasions Champion, from Eketahuna was aboard her now 14-year-old mare Freckles and the partnership will continue at Whareama.

While "more than happy" with Freckles' current fitness and mindset Champion is, however, aware that a hat-trick of national titles won't happen unless she is 100 per cent on the day, and even then the expected high quality of the opposition could see her relegated to a minor placing.

"You can taken nothing for granted over 160kms, everything can be fine when you start off and then turn to custard" she said.

"It's very much down to the day, you can never be too confident".

Champion does believe though that the Whareama course, which will mainly be flat in nature and will involve up to seven different farming properties, will suit Freckles because she is small in size and therefore light on her feet. "She handles the hills OK but the flat is more her go," she said.

Start time for the 160km event is 1am and the participants will be guided through the darkness by fluorescent markers and they will also be aided by the wearing by head lamps.

Champion is not the only Wairarapa rider expected to fare prominently over the 160kms with her partner Shane Dougan, Sheree Brown and Deirdre Bartlett all having good prospects as well.

Great Britain: Pony Club Endurance

Horsemart.co.uk

The Pony Club launched Endurance riding, as an official Pony Club discipline, on March 22nd in Milton Keynes Campbell Park courtesy of the Milton Keynes Parks Trust. The Park, along with some lovely weather, proved a perfect setting with its mix open countryside and special features; although the concrete cows proved slightly less popular with some of the equines in attendance!

The competition had a full entry of over 50 competitors, with Pony Club Members taking part in four, 10, 23, 27 and 37km Endurance rides running throughout the day. The launch was kindly run and hosted by the local Whaddon Chase Pony Club Branch, who ran a seamless competition with some special touches that included a very artistic cake to celebrate both The Pony Clubs 80th Anniversary and the Endurance launch.

Pony Club Endurance is generously supported by new sponsor Carr & Day & Martin and Nicola Slater, Technical Advisor for Carr & Day & Martin, was on hand throughout the day supplying riders with goody bags and the winners with some very smart polo shirts too!

Cherry Michell, Chairman of The Pony Club, was delighted with the launch and commented that “Coming here today has only cemented my feeling that Endurance being a part of The Pony Club is the right decision. We have riders and ponies of all abilities, having a brilliant time and getting out in the countryside, which can only be a good thing”.

It is planned that Pony Club Endurance events will be run around the country in 2009, culminating in the Pony Club Endurance Championship on September 20th at The College EC, Bedfordshire.
For further details about Pony Club Endurance, or Pony Club Tests, activities and Membership see the website www.pcuk.org or contact 02476 698300

Great Britain: The Pony Club Endurance Enjoys Fantastic Launch

Horsemart.co.uk

23 March 2009

The Pony Club launched Endurance riding, as an official Pony Club discipline, on March 22nd in Milton Keynes Campbell Park courtesy of the Milton Keynes Parks Trust. The Park, along with some lovely weather, proved a perfect setting with its mix open countryside and special features; although the concrete cows proved slightly less popular with some of the equines in attendance!

The competition had a full entry of over 50 competitors, with Pony Club Members taking part in four, 10, 23, 27 and 37km Endurance rides running throughout the day. The launch was kindly run and hosted by the local Whaddon Chase Pony Club Branch, who ran a seamless competition with some special touches that included a very artistic cake to celebrate both The Pony Clubs 80th Anniversary and the Endurance launch.

Pony Club Endurance is generously supported by new sponsor Carr & Day & Martin and Nicola Slater, Technical Advisor for Carr & Day & Martin, was on hand throughout the day supplying riders with goody bags and the winners with some very smart polo shirts too!

Cherry Michell, Chairman of The Pony Club, was delighted with the launch and commented that “Coming here today has only cemented my feeling that Endurance being a part of The Pony Club is the right decision. We have riders and ponies of all abilities, having a brilliant time and getting out in the countryside, which can only be a good thing”.

It is planned that Pony Club Endurance events will be run around the country in 2009, culminating in the Pony Club Endurance Championship on September 20th at The College EC, Bedfordshire.

For further details about Pony Club Endurance, or Pony Club Tests, activities and Membership see the website www.pcuk.org or contact 02476 698300

Archéologie de l’endurance

HyppoBlog
À cheval sur l'info.
Archéologie de l’endurance

Je me souviens avant c’était pas pareil… Sauf en équitation. Je viens de recevoir, d’un camarade nouvellement archiviste, une série d’articles de 1928, ma grand-mère suçait son pouce, relatant la seconde édition du Raid Paris-La Baule. Le paléolithique de la CEI***. Mais à l’époque de cette préhistoire-là, les hommes, tous militaires, et pas une femme dans l’armée, ressemblaient étrangement aux cavaliers d’aujourd’hui – pantalon Stud One en moins. Pour bien ressentir les similitudes troublantes entre nos ancêtres à particule et nous-mêmes, je me suis amusé (à vrai dire j’ai transpiré mais je préfère oublier) à reconstituer la course, mais surtout à mettre en lumière les points communs de l’endurance moderne avec ces temps de ténèbres où l’on montait en costume-cravache. C’est parti pour les morceaux choisis.

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