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Feature Endurance racing: a marathon for horse and rider If the Melbourne Cup is an equine sprint, the Tom Quilty is the equivalent of a marathon. Ophelia Keys writes on one of Australian’s fastest growing horse sports. The endurance race In 1966 two friends, RM Williams and Tom Quilty, wondered if Australian horses and riders were as tough as they used to be. Quilty decided to put up 1000 pounds to run a hundred mile race. Around twenty riders took part. Today, hundreds of horses and riders depart at chilly midnight to race over 160 km of the Australian countryside. Many riders will come in, tired and sore, at the very end of the allowed 24 hours. The winners will complete the event in around ten hours. Endurance riding is popular throughout the world, but Australia is particularly strong in the sport. Endurance competitions are held regularly around the country. Australia’s love of endurance riding may have something to do with the beautiful and challenging terrain all around us. Recreational horse-riding in general remains popular. It is estimated that there are over a million horses in Australia today. While many of us may have experienced the unexpected challenges of a trail ride through the bush, few are aware of the toughness required to complete an organised endurance race. To finish is to win Today the welfare of the horse is the top priority for riders, whether they’re competing in a 40 km training ride or the 400 km of the famous NSW Shahzada event. Endurance races attract extremely committed and competitive riders, but as Ahmed bin Humaid told a writer for Saudi Aramco World, ‘The last thing you want to do is harm your horse.’ Events in Australia are organised under the auspices of the Australian Endurance Rider’s Association (AERA) and checks on the welfare of the horse are built into competitions. The President of the Victorian wing of AERA, Beverley Mason, says “horse welfare is ensured by the veterinary staff who assess the horse prior to, during and at the completion of the competition”. ‘Vet gates’ are set up at regular intervals throughout the course and horses must be cleared to continue at each stage. Horses showing signs of exhaustion or injury are removed from the competition. ‘To finish is to win’ is the catchcry for endurance competitors around the world. Like many gruelling sports, endurance racing is typified by a spirit of mutual support. Young rider, Sasha Laws-King, took part in the Endurance Championships for Juniors /Young Riders in Italy, 2003. Sasha had been advised by vets to take the course slowly after her horse showed signs of fatigue. She told the Equestrian Federation of Australia about the experience of finishing last, accompanied by the veterinarians and checkpoint crews (who were going home for the night). “It was such an experience coming across the finish line, with a car behind you, and two motorbikes on either side of you with people cheering! I was so thrilled that I vetted through and I could hear the cheers of the Bahrain team from somewhere in the dark,” she said. Careful Management Due to the rigorous standards of competition, professional riders must become expert at managing the health of their horses. Preparation begins months before the competition. The horse begins its training over short distances which are gradually increased in the lead-up to competition. Despite the name ‘endurance race’, riders travel at varying speeds according to terrain, weather conditions, and the fitness of their horses. Much of the course will be covered at a walk or a comfortable jogging trot. Riders take every opportunity to provide their horses with water, electrolytes and energy food. Rivers offer an opportunity to let horses drink and to cool tired legs. Competitors often walk beside their horses, especially over steep or rocky terrain. At the recent World Equestrian Games Australia’s Penny Toft walked the last 13 km to assist her horse through muddy conditions. Desert horses As the AHSA website says, “you don’t have to have an Arabian to compete, but you will have to pass one if you want to win!” There are good reasons for this. The Arabian horse was bred by Bedouin tribes over many centuries. Difficult desert conditions shaped the physique of the Arabian, resulting in a small, tough and energetic horse, able to travel long distances. Linda Tanian spoke to ABC Sporstfactor about competing with Arabians: ‘There are very few horses with that same capacity to work, and there's nothing better than sitting on a horse that is thundering down the road, it might be dark, and you mightn't know where you're going, but you feel totally secure, because [you’re] in the hands of this horse who just knows where he's going ...’ International acclaim for Australian horses and riders Australian horses are also achieving recognition overseas. Many Australian studs have continued to breed for toughness rather than ribbons in the show ring (although the Arabian is known for combining hardiness and beauty). This focus has paid off with Australian bred endurance Arabians now being regularly exported back to their country of origin. This year the international respect for Australian Arabians was reflected in the Tom Quilty winner. UAE rider Abdullah Khamis Ali Saheed rode to victory on the Australian bred and trained Tora Blar-Zay. Who can take part? Endurance competitions are open to men and women, young and old alike. The oldest competitor at the World Equestrian Games was 60 years old. Children often ride in local competitions and there are dedicated international events for young riders. In Victoria novice riders and horses must take part in shorter training rides (over 40 km) before competing in longer events. Beverley Mason explains, ‘the novice rider must successfully complete 240 km at any time and in any riding section to become a qualified endurance rider.’ Riders make up only a part of those involved in endurance events. Volunteers play a central part in the organization and running of rides. Families are often involved as each horse and rider combination requires a dedicated support team. If you’d like to find out more about endurance rides in Australia, please go to the AERA website listed below. LINKS
Dmitry Peshkov is one of many famous long distances riders. In 1889 he rode his horse Seriy over 9,000 km from Siberia to St. Petersburg, carrying a message to the Csar. While horses are no longer the transport of choice for urgent messages, long distance riders still set out on amazing journeys in search of adventure. In 1984 French riders Pascale Franconie and Jean-Claude Cazade returned from a 21,070 km ride. They had ridden their Arab stallions, Merindian and Mzwina, from France to Saudi Arabia and back again. Along the way they were caught in dust storms, held up at gunpoint, and received into the homes of strangers. Extracts from Pascale Franconie’s travel diaries can be found at
Specialised equipment Bridles for endurance horses are designed to be quickly and safely removed while out on the trail (see diagram). In this example, the detachable red section of this bridle allows the bit in the horse’s mouth to be removed easily. Experienced riders may also ride with a bitless bridle. Thoroughbred racehorses wear extremely small, lightweight saddles, designed for the jockey to sit forward, out of the saddle. Endurance horses tend to wear larger saddles, designed to spread the weight of the rider comfortably over the horse’s back. Heart rate monitors (attached to the saddle) keep riders up to date on their horse’s level of exertion.
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