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FEI World Endurance Championship for Juniors & Young Riders 2011
FEI.org
STAR PERFORMANCE FROM STIRLING AS URUGUAY TAKES TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL GOLD by Louise Parkes
Martin Stirling was the star turn at the 2011 FEI World Endurance Championship for Juniors and Young Riders in Abu Dhabi over the weekend when the 15-year-old schoolboy led Uruguay to Team and Individual glory.
The French stood in silver medal position on the team podium ahead of the Australians who took bronze, and it was Australia's Allix Jones who was runner-up for the Individual title. Firming up the dominant position of the Uruguayan squad at this biennial event, Oriana Ricca claimed Individual bronze while team-mate, Maria Pereira, took the Best Condition Award after finishing individually seventh with Mi Jade.
It was a surprise result all round, with high expectations that riders from the United Arab Emirates would feature prominently. The UAE's Hussain Ali Al Marzouqi steered his horse, Sergai, to win the last FEI World Endurance Champion for Juniors and Young Riders held in Hungary in 2009, while Ahmad Ali Al Sabri and Alizee de Marjolaine claimed the Open category gold at the European Junior and Young Rider Endurance Championships in 2010.
It did seem that the title might well be in the UAE's grasp once again on Saturday, as Sheikh Khalifa Bin Mohammad Al Hamad led throughout the third and fourth stages and looked the one to beat. But, despite a three-minute lead going into the final 16kms loop, he and his horse, Ultimo, dropped to fifth at the end of the day.
SPECTACULAR ACHIEVEMENT
For Stirling, who was accompanied by his parents, two brothers and his baby sister, and by Magdalena Odriozola who owns his winning ride, Vendaval, it was a spectacular achievement.
"I was confident" he said afterwards. "I wasn't far behind the leading horse in the second-last loop and my horse was in good shape when I went into the last 16kms."
A total of 28 nations were represented at the event - Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Namibia, The Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, South Africa, Uruguay, the USA, and the host country, the UAE. Teams were mainly comprised of four riders, with the scores of the best three taken into account.
Competitors arrived early last week and the opening ceremony took place at the Emirates Palace on Wednesday evening. The next day they took a trip to the Desert Safari Dinner, and on Friday horses underwent the pre-ride veterinary examination. The 120km race was run over five loops of 33kms, 27kms, 24kms, 20kms and 16kms.
CONSIDERABLY MORE DIFFICULT
The action, staged by Adec, kicked off at 6.30 on Saturday morning at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, and the course proved considerably more difficult than many had anticipated.
"The track was certainly challenging", said Ian Williams, FEI Director of Non-Olympic Sports who attended the event. "It included relatively flat going, but also a lot of sand dunes and local forestation - some sections were quite demanding. It was a real desert ride, with horses going from level terrain into deep sand in the dunes, so it called for clever riding and good technique from all the competitors" he explained.
The completion rate of over 60% was impressive, as was the average speed of 22.581kph achieved by Stirling's horse Vendeval, who was a polo pony in a former life, and who looked as happy as his young rider as they crossed the line after 120kms of tough sport in a total riding time of 5 hours, 18 minutes and 51 seconds.
Individual silver medallist Allix Jones was less than a minute behind with Castlebar Moonlight whose average speed was 22.567kph. And it was a moment to savour for the horse's owner, Margaret "Meg" Wade, one of the great heroines of equestrian sport who won the FEI's "Against All Odds" Award, but missed out on the presentation at the 2011 General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro last month when her flight to Brazil was cancelled. Meg's extraordinary recovery and return to the saddle after the multiple champion suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fall two years ago has been nothing short of inspirational.
Bronze medallist, Oriana Ricca, completed the course with Hunter Toro in five hours, 35 minutes and 25 seconds and at an average speed of 21.466kph, fractionally faster than Argentina's Manuela Basombrio and Tio Langa.
TEAMS
The Uruguayan team victory was a convincing one, when Stirling, Ricca, Pereira and Juan Pablo Viana (Larkeena Del) completed with a total time of 16 hours, 35 minutes and 53 seconds, almost a full hour ahead of the French silver medal-winning side that included Nina Lissarrague (Al Jaime De), Lea Vogler (Al Abjar), Julien Lafaure (Petra Cabirat) and Lisa Riou (Favela), whose average speed was 20.538kph as opposed to the winners' 21.707kph.
Australia's bronze medal finish was all-the-more impressive for the fact that this was only a three-strong side - Jones joined by Brooke Warner (Kunama Safira) and Alexandra Toft (High Society Te) to complete in 18 hours 14 minutes and at an average speed of 19.964kph.
Talking afterwards about the test they had faced, the champions from Uruguay explained that their plan was always to work as a team and to concentrate on taking a team medal, so the individual success was a major bonus. "We were not expecting to finish first and third individually!" they said.
The French declared themselves pleased with team silver. "We prepared our horses for the desert and the sand, but we didn't expect that the course would be so difficult", they said. The Australians declared it "a great course", and agreed that it had been a strong test. "We thought it would be flat, and not very technical, but actually it turned out to be very challenging. We thoroughly enjoyed it, it was a great competition!" they enthused.
The result may well have changed the face of international Endurance riding, with the next generation of senior riders from the South American countries very much to the fore as they claimed five of the top eight places in the Individual rankings - Ecuador's Rafaela Darquea steering Tequila into eighth place.
And Martin Stirling is certainly a name to remember. He rode with maturity well beyond his years, and only showed his emotion as he crossed the winning line with tears in his eyes and a big smile on his horse's face. "To win the Team and Individual gold was really fantastic!" said the delighted young man who enjoyed the ride of his life.
Results:
Team: GOLD - URUGUAY 21.7078, Vendeval (Martin Stirling), Hunter Toro (Oriana Ricca), Mi Jade (Maria Pereira), Larkeena Del (Juan Pablo Viana); SILVER - FRANCE 20.5383, Al Jaime De (Nina Lissarrague), Al Abjar (Lea Vogler), Petra Cabirat (Julien Lafaure), Favela (Lisa Riou); BRONZE - AUSTRALIA 19.9644, Castlebar Moonlight (Allix Jones), Kunama Safira (Warner Brooke), High Society Te (Alexandra Toft).
Individual: GOLD – Vendeval (Martin Stirling) URU 22.581; SILVER - Castlebar Moonlight (Allix Jones) AUS 22.567; BRONZE - Hunter Toro (Oriana Ricca) URU 21.466.
Team USA Places Fourth at FEI Junior and Young Rider World Endurance Championship in Abu Dhabi
RELEASE: December 11, 2011
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: USEF Communications Department
Lexington, KY - The U.S. finished fourth among 19 teams Saturday in Abu Dhabi, UAE, at the FEI Junior and Young Rider World Endurance Championship despite an uphill battle that included an injured horse at the first inspection.
"What an exhilarating team effort and realistically an unexpected result - but privately hoped for," said Chef d'Equipe Emmett Ross.
Unexpected, in part, because Natalie Muzzio's horse Khalil Asam was not able to ship, resulting in the loss of Team member Steven Hay. Then, at the first inspection on Friday, Kyle Gibbon's horse, Misu Koran, owned by Stephen Rojek, presented with a sore shoulder and was not able to start. There are five vet checks throughout the race to check the horse's soundness and metabolic capacity in order to be allowed to continue.
The three remaining Team members - 16-year-old Kelsey Russell (Willison, FL) on Gold Raven, 17-year-old Mary Kathryn Clark (Eatonton, GA) aboard Cheryl Van Deusen's DA Al Capone, and 18-year-old Kelsey Kimbler (Aberdeen, SD) on Kirsten Kimbler's Cody Canuck - would all need to finish the course to post a team score and rank as a team (aggregate total time of three riders score as a team).
All three U.S. Young Riders did just that, with Russell and Valerie Kanavy's Gold Raven, a 10-year-old Arabian mare, finishing sixth individually in 5 hours, 37 minutes.
"Before the race I reminded our youngsters that they had never raced as fast as they were going to be asked to, or under so much pressure," Ross said.
The 120km race was represented by 76 riders between the ages of 14-21 from 29 countries. The course included deep sand for 12km out of the first 33km on the first loop - a concern for the U.S. Team, Ross said, "because of the lack of experience of our riders in sand."
"But everyone here - riders, mentors, families, crew, and staff were positive throughout," Ross said. "As Chef I had to try to have the riders understand that their task had many levels of responsibility for the team to accomplish a respectable team result - finish well with each horse giving it's all."
Ross said that result did not materialize until the last loop. "And actually not until the last portion of the last loop," he said. "The USA team result started with a 13th-place position for the first loop, and each loop improving two to three positions. I felt that our only chance to even finish a team well was to stick to a very closely monitored effort. Several of us who had worked here often saw how many strong looking and leading visiting horses simply crash on latter loops. We adopted the monitored plan and changed the goal for the horse/ rider combination after each loop."
Kimbler and Clark were separated after the first loop by about 10 minutes, but starting with the third loop, Kimbler and Cody Canuck, a 14-year-old Arabian gelding, caught up to Clark and DA Al Capone, a 16-year-old Arabian gelding.
"They essentially rode together the rest of way with Al and MK providing some last-loop energy to Cody and Kelsey who were tiring somewhat," Ross said. "In fact, these two team members and their wonderful horses did each loop slightly faster than the previous, as planned, except for the third loop which virtually knocked all horses down somewhat off their previous pace or closing pace."
The U.S. Team horses are doing well and will head home on Tuesday.
"It is a remarkable accomplishment for the Young Riders," said Vonita Bowers, director of endurance and reining at the United States Equestrian Federation, which for the first time sent a full team and support staff to Championship. "Many thanks to Emmett Ross, (Team Vet) Dr. Dwight Hooton, and all of the Young Riders crew and supporters."
All the credit should go to my horse, Stirling says
Gulfnews.com - Full Article
By M. Satya Narayan, Chief Sports Reporter
Published: 00:00 December 11, 2011
Abu Dhabi: It still had not sunk in for the Uruguayan teenager, who kept playing with his two-year-old sister even as journalists threw questions at the new junior world endurance champion.
Martin Stirling, 15, scored a huge win for his country with gold in the individual event, and also made a big contribution to the team's victory.
"My horse Vendaval is a great horse and all credit goes to him," said Stirling, whose parents along with his two brothers and sister were all there to celebrate with him.
"I have come second on Vendaval in the junior championship in Uruguay but to win here in the UAE is good.
"In the final loop I just concentrated on my horse and towards the end the Australian rider gave me a hard challenge."
Stirling's win was the second for Uruguay in the Junior World Championship, their earlier victory coming in the 2006 event in Argentina.
'Great experience'
"We had prepared well as a team and I am happy for the other riders who helped us win the team gold also," he said, adding that he was bowled over by the facilities at the Emirates International Endurance Village...
Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/all-the-credit-should-go-to-my-horse-stirling-says-1.948503
Uruguay excel in World Endurance Championship
Gulftoday.aeFrom Our Abu Dhabi Bureau || December 11, 2011
ABU DHABI: Uruguay excelled in the Federation Equestrian Internationale (FEI) 120 kms World Endurance Championship for Young Riders and Juniors (JYR) held at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, on Saturday.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai as well as Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs attended the ride.
Uruguay’s teenager Martin Stirling riding nine-year-old gelding Vendaval and Oriana Ricca astride Hunter Toro secured the first and third place respectively.
Allix Jones secured the second place and the Australian was riding on Castlebar Moonlight.
The fourth place went to Manuela Basombrio of Argentina, who was on riding Tio Langa.
UAE’s Sheikh Khalifa Bin Mohammed Al Hamed astride Ultimo settled for the fifth place
Uruguay’s Pereira Maria on Mi Jade and Vivana Juan Pablo on Larkeena Del secured the seventh and 19th place respectively.
Stirling effort for Uruguay to win world endurance gold
WAM photo Thenational.ae - Full Article
Amith PasselaDec 10, 2011
AL WATHBA // Martin Stirling gave his family, who had made the long trip to the UAE, two reasons to celebrate yesterday with victory in the FEI World Endurance Championship for Young Riders and Juniors.
The 15 year old from Uruguay rode Vendaval to win the 120-kilometre race, and then helped the South Americans take the team gold at the Emirates International Endurance Village.
The biennial championship drew 79 riders from 29 countries and 48 completed the race, which was run over five loops of 33km, 27km, 24km, 20km and 16km.
Stirling guided the nine-year-old bay gelding to victory ahead of Australia's Allix Jones on Castlebar Moonlight. Oriana Ricca, his Uruguayan team member, took bronze on Hunter Toro.
"It was a very fast-run race," said Stirling. "The weather was nice and cool but the track was difficult, particularly the first three loops with some sharp climbs and downhill trail, and some deep sandy areas to negotiate.
"Having come out of the toughest stages, I was confident. I wasn't far off behind the first horse in the second last loop. My horse was in good shape when I went into the last 16km and then went all out.
"To win was a great achievement and to win the team gold as well was really fantastic ... To win the world junior title in the UAE is my biggest and most memorable."
Stirling's parents, his two brothers and baby sister travelled with him along with Magdalena Odriozola, the owner of Vendaval.
"Martin's my neighbour," said Odriozola. "It's just four horses we have and train in the farm. Vendaval was a birthday gift to me. Martin used to ride the horses and today he rode a great race to win...
Read more here:
http://www.thenational.ae/sport/horse-racing/stirling-effort-for-uruguay-to-win-world-endurance-gold
Stirling leads Uruguayan double to Latin Delight in championship
Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News
Gulfnews.com - Full Article
By M. Satya Narayan, Chief Sports Reporter
Published: 00:06 December 11, 2011
UAE left heartbroken as Khalifa loses lead to finish in fifth spot
Abu Dhabi: Fifteen-year-old schoolboy Martin Stirling led a ‘Latin Delight' as riders from South America turned in a dominant display to stun favourites UAE in the World Junior and Young Riders Endurance Championship here yesterday.
Stirling won the individual gold and led his Uruguay team to gold to complete a perfect double while team mate Oriana Ricca finished third, Argentina's Manuela Basombrio was fourth, Uruguayan Maria Pereira seventh and Rafaela Darquea from Ecuador next to him to complete a memorable championship for Latin America.
It was heartbreak for the UAE's Shaikh Khalifa Bin Mohammad Al Hamad, who led in the third and fourth stage but his horse Ultimo, despite a three-minute lead going out into the final loop of 16kms, could only manage a fifth place.
Stirling, on Vendaval, did well to first overtake the UAE rider and from then on keep his nine-year-old bay gelding in front despite a late challenge from Australian Allix Jones.
Stirling's team mate Ricca finished third on Hunter Toro and with Maria Pereira in seventh the Uruguayans added the team gold to the individual gold.
With 77 riders from 29 countries starting at 6.30am in the five-loop race, the UAE riders looked to be in good positions midway through the 120km event. But after Ali Ganem Al Merri's exit in the second loop, Mohammad Saeed Al Faresi also went the same way in the third loop.
Strange ride
But Shaikh Khalifa and Khalifa Ganem Mohammad Al Merri on Little Joe Fox looked in contention for a medal until the final 16kms. While Al Merri's horse went lame before starting out on the final stage, Shaikh Khalifa said his horse behaved otherwise in the final loop. "It was a very strange ride for us and a very difficult one. I had a good chance but my horse was not up to it in the final loop," he said...
Read more here:
http://gulfnews.com/sport/horse-racing/stirling-leads-uruguayan-double-to-latin-delight-in-championship-1.948502
Youngsters ready for desert test
Gulfnews.com
FEI Junior and Young Rider World Endurance Championship starts in Al Wathba tomorrow
By M. Satya Narayan, Chief Sports Reporter
Published: 00:00 December 9, 2011
Abu Dhabi: After a few excursions and Wednesday night's gala welcome party, riders from around the world now have to prepare for a severe desert test at the FEI Junior and Young Rider World Endurance Championship tomorrow.
More than 75 riders from 29 countries will be battling it out for individual as well as team medals in the 120km event, which will be held at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.
Event director Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi told a press conference here yesterday that all FEI officials, both technical and veterinary, had arrived and the stage was set for the UAE's third staging of the event after 1998 and 2005.
Taleb Daher Al Muhairi, Secretary-General of Emirates Equestrian Federation, said: "The UAE will be looking to win this event as we are the defending champions in the individual event.
"Our four riders have prepared well and we are hoping for another good performance to maintain our status as a leading endurance nation."
Fahad Ali, representing the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: "This is another world championship that Abu Dhabi will be staging.
"In fact we have three world events this weekend in three different disciplines and this augurs well for the future of Abu Dhabi as a sporting destination."
The young riders, aged between 16 and 21, will tackle five different loops, including the demanding ‘Tora Bora' hilly section.
Difficult part
Foreign Technical Delegate Derek Liebenberg said: "Normally in the open rides the ‘Tora Bora' is part of the penultimate loop, but Saturday's field will tackle that in the second loop itself.
"This will get the young riders to negotiate the difficult part and then go for some pace on the final two loops.
"Another important feature of this year's championship is that the rider and horse had to qualify together in one ride.
"Earlier riders used to just come and sit on horses that have qualified separately. While this has reduced the number of entrants, it has also enhanced the quality of the event.
"Climate-wise the riders from Europe and the West will not face many challenges, but the desert terrain will be a new challenge, though most of them have trained in such terrain before coming here."
Teams will be represented by four riders, the three best times counting.
Countries
The countries represented are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Namibia, The Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Slovakia, Sweden, South Africa, Uruguay and hosts UAE.