Hi all,

I'm from Italy and I am connected to a friend who is in Dubai. He just called me and gave me the news about the first vet-check.

The bad news is that Cash is out - lame.

Val with Jedi is up front with many others.

They took 1:46' to get to the first check, but now the weather is getting hot! I'll keep you posted when I have more info! Lara

Well, they just left the second check...

The first to leave was Tarek Taher from Saudi Arabia followed very close by Valerie.

Then there is an Italian and fourth Sheick Mohammed with Nelson. The others are following within 10-20 minutes and the big group has already an hour or so.

To complete the second loop they took almost the same time as the first: that means they are riding as fast as 20 km/h (12-13 miles/h).

Ok, here I am with more news.

At the 3rd vet check the first 5 riders were: Valerie, Hassan (UAE?), 2 Japaneese (!) and Sheick Mohammed. After about 5 minutes arrived an Italian (Fiorucci) while the other Italian who started from 2nd vet check with the first riders slowed down a lot.

I don't know who left first and whether there was any pull.

All the riders slowed a little but still very fast (about 18 km/h - 11.5 miles/h). At the moment it seems that all horses are fine, but now they are leaving for the toughest part and the weather it's really hot yet a little windy.

Excuse me for the poor information I post you but it's all my friend can tell me; he is following the first group so he doesn't know where the other US/South Africans (etc.) riders are.

I'll be back soon

Lara

Wow, is getting closer!!!

Valerie was the first to enter the 4th vet-check followed by the Italian but he had to represent the horse for a second visit (he didn't met criteria) so he lost some minutes. Third was a Japaneese.

So, Val is the first to leave for the last loop. After this little group there's the Arabs group with Sheick Mohammed. I heard Wendy Merendini was about 10' after them at the last check but she hasn't got at the 4th yet.

The big group is very far... 2-3 hours!

More later...

Lara

Valerie left the first, followed by the Italian Fiorucci (only 30") and the Japaneese (4').

It's almost done, only 12 km to go!!!

Lara

Here we go!

First two riders:

1) Valerie Kanavy - High Winds Jedi
2) Fausto Fiorucci - Faris Jabar

They still have to pass the last vet check.

More info to follow...

CONGRATULATIONS USA!!!!

Lara

OK, it's official, both the first two horses passed the final check! No news at the moment for the others because they told me the final line is 1/2 mile distant from the vet-check.

I only know that Sheick Mohammed was stopped at the last check.

I guess the third horse was the Japaneese.

As soon as other riders finish, my friend will call me and give me more info. I don't have a clue about the team medals, I know the Italian who was second was individual and the team is very late, so Italy will not get any team medal - it was good to get an individual one!

More to follow...

Lara

I have the first six riders - the others have yet to come...

1 Valerie Kanavy + High Winds Jedi - USA
2 Fausto Fiorucci + Faris Jabar - ITALY
3 Daisuke Yasunaga + Natsu - JAPAN
4 Sheick Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum + Ratzia d'Alauze - UAE
5 Mohammed Ali Al Shafar + Abrock Theodore - UAE
6 Wendy Merendini + Fire Mt. Flikka - USA

Lara

More riders who completed...
7th Musallem Salem Al Amri + Cameo Zaire - UAE
8th Al=EC Mohammed Al Muhairi + Abjar Kadar - UAE
9th Christine Janzen + Tais - Canada

Now I go to feed my horses, I'm back in about an hour...

Lara

So far, I have no news, my friend had a problem with the car while he was trying to see how was going on with the other riders on the course. There were lot of problems with the computers which went down and they weren't able to keep the results updated. He is trying to go back to camp but then he will leave within short, he has a flight back home tonight! Hopefully Smartvision will give us the complete results on its Web Site soon.

I'm sorry for those who asked me about their riders from France, Canada and so on, I know nothing and I'm pretty curious too!

My friend will call me back before he leaves and he will tell me anything else he is able to get, and of course I will post you everything!

Also, Steph is due to write the ride report tonight - I hope she will not be too tired and keep us waiting and waiting till tomorrow...

For those who wonder who I am; I'm Lara Rigato, I'm Italian, I'm an endurance rider, I'm an old friend of Valerie Kanavy (actually we bought 3 horses from her in '93), I sometimes enjoy riding in the USA and my friend who is in Dubai is Sergio Tommasi and for those of you who were at the Cosequin Challenge, he is the one who was riding Brown 'R Timothy (Danielle's horse) - but he was pulled at the second vet check.

SO, I'm very happy for Val's result - she is my favourite! As for the Italian who was second... well, good for him, he got the silver.

Bye,

Lara

Hi all,

I don't know, maybe you have this info. I can't download any message= because there is a BIG message that blocks all my incoming mail. I just had one last call from my friend who is waiting for his flight...

It seems that Smartvision had huge problems with its computers during the whole ride and so they weren't able to show the results check by check as they promised.

It's unofficial, and only deduced by someone who calculated all the finishing times and so on, the team medals should be as follows:

1) France
2) New Zealand
3) Belgium

Now my job is done, I'll go back lurking on Ridecamp as soon as I fix the e-mail of my PC (hopefully tomorrow when I can call the server...) I'm just curious to read Steph story...

Good-bye everybody and thank you for supporting me the whole day: it was thrilling!!!

Lara