Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

March 13, Argentine Arabian Horse Society Endurance Ride
Pinamar, Argentina

Today I rode a 45 km Endurance ride in Argentina! For this week and
next, I am the guest of Miguel Pavlovksy. Miguel is a medical doctor,
a hematologist, in Buenos Aires. He and his wife Celina own and
operate a large estancia in the pampas, south of Buenos Aires. The
estancia produces agricultural products (corn, soy, sunflower), cattle
and sheep, and is most famous for its Arabian horse breeding
program. Haras San Andres del Moro is the home of truly exceptional
performance (track, driving and endurance) Arabian and Arabian cross
horses. With over 30 mares and several foundation stallions, the Haras
is very productive. The ?Moro? horses are beautiful, with size and
substance. One of the foundation stallions ?Fugativo? who has sired
most of the ?Moro? endurance horses has also performed well in
dressage, jumping and driving. His strength and versatility are
typical of his offspring as well, with good minds and a very willing
work ethic.


Needless to say I am in heaven! I arrived 3 days ago and was met at
the airport by Celina and daughter Maya and have been treated like
royalty since my arrival! My hosts are  are very gracious, and have a
wonderful humor and zest for life. Their home is in a large complex, a
country club type neighborhood that was developed from the original
location of an old Irish school establishment. There are many private
homes, as well as a golf course and a stable. Miguel keeps his working
horses here and rides them during the week and on weekends when he is
not at the estancia (he is still a full-time doctor). On holidays or
for endurance rides he transports the horses to his estancia, or to
the stable near Pinamar.


We stayed the first night at the house, Miguel arrived home late, we
had a late (9pm ­ typical dinner time in Argentina) dinner, packed the
truck and left VERY early (3:30)the next morning for the
estancia. Miguel had arranged to transport the horses to Pinamar
separately. Miguel was to attend an agricultural meeting at the
estancia of Claudia Calaballo. Claudia?s grandfather was a German
immigrant who built his fortune in Argentina through hard work and
enterprise, and Claudia inherited one of the original land holdings,
'Las Cortaderas? (which is the Argentine word for pampas
grass).

Her estancia is one of the largest (over 3,000 hectares) and best
operated farms in the region, producing cattle, horses, and
agricultural products on the highly productive pampas land of central
Argentina. Her operation is a model for many, employing the most
modern techniques of farming. This meeting was a monthly gathering of
a cooperative of estancia owners and managers in the area. They spent
the day learning about the operations of this particular farm through
presentations and a tour, and then share their knowledge and discuss
current trends and methods.


Claudia is also an enthusiast of breeding (cattle and horses) with an
absolute passion for horse breeding. She has carefully cultivated her
lines of Arabian horses, mostly Egyptian and Crabbet breeding, and has
recently purchased an Arabian stallion from France, a Persik son, with
hopes to strengthen her endurance performance lines. She is very
motivated to promote the performance horses and the sport of Endurance
in Argentina.

Claudia used to organize many of the early Endurance rides at her
estancia, through the country and along the beach on her estancia. The
early rides (1970?s) were 40km marathons, with no veterinary
checks. Far different from the current sport which is run using FEI
rules and regulations.

While the morning meeting was taking place (in Spanish, which I was
not able to follow well enough) I took a short walk through the
grounds, and was given a tour by Claudia?s Gaucho foreman. His English
was worse than my Spanish, but we managed to communicate and he showed
me the many pastures of mares and stallions ­ all similar to Miguel?s
in their size and substance. The Arabians that I?ve seen here in
Argentina are very very nice. They seem to be typically 15 to 15.1 hh
and are very substantial ­ good bone and feet, deep heart girth, big
hip ­ the type of endurance horse that most of us are looking for.

Claudia?s horses were no exception, very nice horses. After the
meetings, tour, and barbeque we headed back to Miguel?s estancia. His
son, Andres (the Haras namesake) and wife Lucila (Luli) prepared us
dinner. Andi and Luli and their three young children also live on
Miguel?s estancia.


The next morning Miguel was to meet with his architect (he and Celina
are having a new house built next to the old one, which they will give
to their oldest son Miguel). Luli showed me around during the morning
and took me on a fun ride through the estancia. Everything here is so
green, so much grass. It?s also very flat.

There are many lagoons, and it is near the ocean so birds are
abundant. There are groves of Eucalyptus and cottonwood, other
hardwoods, and some pines. All of the trees in this area were
introduced by the settlers - originally the pampas was only
grassland. It?s amazing to see the pampas grass growing
everywhere. It?s very tall and since it is late summer here, the
flowers are huge and white. They have already lost their seeds so the
heads are light and sway with the breeze.


Miguel and I left in the afternoon (with his 4 yr old grand daughter
Mora) for Pinamar. The saddles and gear were loaded in the truck, and
all of the horses were already at the Pinamar stable. Nine of his
horses would ride in this AAHS ride, doing distances of 40km, 80km,
and 120 km. (LD, 50 and 75). Miguel?s foreman, Hugo Mendez, would ride
- along with his son Hugito and daughter Ana Lia. Hugo?s family is
Gaucho, and Hugo still rides with the traditional gaucho saddle and
braided leather headstall. Miguel?s son Andi would ride the short
trail ride with his two sons Marco and Mateo. Three others would ride
as well on Moro horses.


We arrived at the stable and saddled the two horses that we would ride
(Mora Austria and Mora Fogoza) for a ride along the beach, to test
tack and give the horses a little exercise. It was a lovely ride! The
sun set while we were on the beach, the water was choppy with an
offshore wind, but the air and breeze were warm. My horse, Mora
Fogoza, is an 8 yr old mare, which has done both endurance and driving
with Miguel. A very nice, very smooth and strong mare! She would be a
wonderful ride. We arrived back at dark and made final preparations
for the next day. After a late (typical) dinner at a restaurant in
Pinamar, Miguel dropped me at a hotel and Miguel, Celina, Andi and
children, went to stay at their friend?s cabin a short distance away.


Miguel was using this 40km as a training ride for his mare, Mora
Austria, which he will ride next week at the FEI competition. Next
week will be a Federation ride, and also the pre-ride for the 2005 Pan
American Championship. There will also be nine Moro horses at the
Federation ride, and he will have one of Celina?s mares (an Arab
cross) for me to ride in the 80km ride. Miguel and Luli will both ride
the 160 km ride, as preparation and demonstration for the 2004 WEC to
be held in Dubai. Both horses and riders are already qualified, but
will be demonstrating in order to be part of the Argentine team
selection.

We woke up very early and drove to the stable. Since his horses are
stabled close (10km) to the ride site, we would ride them over, and
had to leave the stable at 6:30 in order to arrive and be prepared to
start at 7:30. Another early morning, warm air, and a beautiful
sunrise as we rode to the ride.  The first 10km had some deep sand, as
we rode through the dunes. The horses were willing but very well
behaved, it was a nice start. There were some VERY fast (crazy)
riders, only having 40km to go, some galloped most of the
ride. Miguel?s plan was to have a moderate paced, relaxed ride, so as
not to tire his mare for the big event next week. It was lovely.


At 10km we arrived at the beach and for the next 15km I was in
absolute heaven. We trotted and galloped along the water, sometimes in
the sand, sometimes along the tidal pools, a warm breeze coming from
the ocean. The water was silver from the morning sun and the light
clouds. I grew up along the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia, so this felt
like a dream from my childhood ­ the same warm breeze, the same
smells. Only this time the sun is in the north, not the south! A very
strange thing to think about! Thousands of miles south, so far
south that 'south? is north!


After the miles along the beach we re-traced our path through the
dunes and arrived for a short vet check. The pulse parameter was 56, a
good idea considering the speeds that these riders do on the short
rides. There was a group of people to help untack and cool the horses
and we vetted through, for a 20 minute hold.

Celina is the ride 'boss? ­ keeping track of all the riders, the
cards, and the times to go out. She is very efficient. When I told her
how impressed I was at the job she was doing she smiled and said "well
mostly I spend my time 'enduring? Miguel" ­ something about a
strong-minded woman and a competitive husband that makes one imagine
that sparks might fly during the heat of competition!

Miguel is a superb horseman, very accomplished and serious about
achieving excellence, and has been at the highest International level
in competitive driving. He is currently the high-point rider in
Argentina, and appears to be well on his way to the top in Endurance
as well as driving.

We had a nice rest, the horses ate well, and then we left for the last
10km loop. The clouds were building and it was misting a little rain,
Miguel said "no problem, it will just be a little shower".

Well it did rain, a nice warm rain, but we got soaked during the last
loop. We rode through the outskirts of Pinamar (a rather large beach
resort town) winding down sandy roads through the dwellings of some of
the poorer people. Happy children waved to us, dogs barked and
followed, and we had nice last loop. Argentina is just emerging from a
serious depression, the peso had a drastic devaluation in 2001, and
the economy pretty much collapsed. Many middle class Argentineans were
suddenly out of work, and the level of poverty and unemployment is
still very high in this country.

Tonight there will be an awards banquet, meanwhile I?m sitting happily
at the computer in my hotel room, remembering the past three days
here, still amazed that I am in Argentina!! The PAC pre-ride is next
weekend, I have heard that there are three other Americans coming, but
I?m not sure exactly who. I believe Valerie Kanavy, Bev Gray and Cia
Reis. I?ll probably learn more this week, and will try to post more as
I get more information.

Hasta luego!

Steph


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