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Re: [RC] Japan: an amazing rider - Dyane Smith

That's a great story, Steph, and a powerful endorsement of the best that FEI
has to offer (JMO).  I envy you your experiences.

Dyane Smith

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephanie Teeter" <stephteeter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 12:35 AM
Subject: [RC] Japan: an amazing rider


Last night I drove from the Endurance City back to the Jazira hotel - 20
miles of single lane road, dark, the back-road to Abu Dhabi. Didn't see a
single car. Not even a lone camel. Just a few communications towers and a
lot of sand and emptiness. This is an amazing country - Leaving a 5* hotel
which resembles a centiuries old desert fortress, driving a single lane road
full of potholes, drifting sand, not a soul in sight - to arrive 30 minutes
later to a huge polo/racing complex with a resort hotel plopped down in the
middle. A land of contrasts. The road (path) from the Endurance City to the
gulf coast takes a turn about half way and parallels a large wall which
surrounds the Maha Forest - a 100km square man-made forest - a microclimate,
another project of these indomitable people - whose ambitions are not bound
by costs, but who are accutely aware that some day the oil will run out, and
this is their opportunity to build a nation cabable of sustaining itself by
means other than petroleum. I feel a great deal of admiration and re
spect for them on this account. To arise from bedouin tribespeople, and
achieve such a level of technology and modernization in only a 40 year
span - this required great vision. The UAE is not the only nation with huge
oil reserves, but this nation is fairly unique and progressive in the manner
that it has used this gift to build a future. The death of their King last
month was a big blow to the nation, he was revered and will be missed. Now
it's up to the next generation to carry on with the vision.

So - the story of the Japanese rider, hopefully I'll get most of the
details right:

Seiichi Hasume is a successful businessman in Japan - owner of a
publishing company with offices in Japan and the US. In 2002 he watched a
show (National Geographic) on the Tevis. After seeing the show he decided
that this was something he wanted to do. He had never ridden a horse before,
knew nothing about horses, much less Endurance, but - no matter. I don't
know the exact sequence of events, but after watching the show, he purchase
SMR Fayette do Cameo from Potato Richardson (they were Tevis winners and
Haggin Cup recipients).  Hasume hooked up with Hal and Anne Hall in order to
learn about Endurance, and train him and his horse. ONE YEAR later, he rode
and finished his first Tevis! This was in 2003. Prior to 2002 he had never
even been on a horse...  He rode Tevis again in 2004. His goal is now to
receive 10 Tevis completions, in sequence - 2003 to 2013. Why not!

Hasume also set his sights on International Endurance. He decided he would
try to ride for Japan in the 2004 WEC, so began plans for this also. he came
to Oreana in October for the Owyhee 100 FEI ride - it would be his first FEI
event, and his one and only chance at qualifying for the WEC. Hasume and
Cameo finished in the top ten, and Cameo received High Vet Score. Success!
Next stop, Dubai.

Hasume is here now with his wife Harumi, and his employee/groom Kiyataka
Yaguchi. Yaguchi also knew nothing of horses, but was a trusted employee in
Hasume's business, so of course he would quickly learn whatever was
necessary. Seiichi and Harumi currently own three 'ranches' in Japan where
they have Arabian horses. They recently purchased two more horses from the
US (Flight Leader Farm in Texas) - I think he is now an addicted Endurance
Rider!  We had a nice dinner with them - Eduardo, Mercedes, Seiich, Harumi,
Kiyataka and moi. Very pleasant. Eduardo and Mercedes have invited them to
Argentina for the Pan Americans in April. Who knows!!

There are two other riders here from Japan - Ms. Kanako Hayashi with a
horse from Darolyn Butler - DJB Wersus, and Mitsuko Masui with a French
horse - Fax de Sky. Hayashi and Hasume are stabled in the US quarantine barn
since their horses shipped from the US. Masui is in the European barn since
her horse shipped from France - so they will see each other on race day!

What a crazy sport - in my little rental car, traversing the dark desert
of the Arabian gulf - pondering life (there was nothing else to look at) -
wondering - how else would you find this mix of people - riders - dining
together in a 5* hotel/resort/museum constructed in the middle of the desert
over a 5 month period - the same riders from Japan, Argentina, USA who rode
in the Owyhee desert only a few months ago, and will possibly  ride together
again on the atlantic coast of Argentina. How else could you find such a mix
of competitors - riding on the same course - businessmen from Japan, royalty
from UAE, veterinarians and grooms from Argentina, dentists from Italy, etc.
etc - its a very unique collection of humans!

All thanks to the horses -

Steph

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Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

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Replies
[RC] Japan: an amazing rider, Stephanie Teeter