Endurance

For the first time, the U.S. Equestrian Federation will field a full team for the FEI Junior and Young Rider World Endurance Championships on Dec. 10 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The following riders were chosen:

John Crandall III rode Heraldic to an individual silver medal at the Pan American Endurance Championships in Santo Domingo, Chile, on Oct. 21 by completing the 120-kilometer course in 6:03:38 behind Uruguay’s Bernardo Algorta on Cacique (5:59:27).  Algorta also won best conditioned.

Valerie Kanavy was right behind Crandall aboard Spectacular Gold, riding to an individual bronze medal on a time of 6:05:47. Deborah Reich rounded out the U.S. team score on Pandor for a combined time of 19:05:19 and a U.S. silver medal behind Uruguay and ahead of Chile.

The U.S. Equestrian Federation has confirmed its search for applicants to fill the position of Endurance chef d’equipe. The job’s contract will be issued for the 2011-2014 quadrennial, with the option of a possible extension.

The USEF has appointed a committee of seven to define the chef d’equipe job description and identify the most-qualified candidate. The USEF Endurance High Performance Committee as well as the USEF High Performance Working Group and the USEF Executive Committee will review the recommended individual.

Members of the search committee are:

Endurance
 
The first American CEI of 2011 took place at the Dupuis Equestrian Center near Indiantown, Florida January 28-29.  The event featured two days of Endurance competition.
 

Lexington, Ky.—Sept. 27

Seven weeks ago, Spanish rider Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton was giving birth to her first child, but yesterday, Sept. 26, she was back in the saddle and back at the top of her game at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Alvarez Ponton crossed the finish line first aboard Nobby, the 15-year-old bay Arabian with whom she won the 2009 Endurance World Championship (Italy) and the 2008 World Championship (Malaysia). The pair’s final time was 7:35:44.

Lexington, Ky.—Sept. 26

Seven weeks ago, Spanish rider Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton was giving birth to her first child, but today, Sept. 26, she was back in the saddle and back at the top of her game at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Alvarez Ponton crossed the finish line first aboard Nobby, the 15-year-old bay Arabian with whom she won the 2009 Endurance World Championship (Italy) and the 2008 World Championship (Malaysia). The pair’s final time was 7:35:44.

When I was at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships last week, I was driving through downtown Lexington, Ky., and found myself brimming with excitement about the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Not only were there totally beautiful horse statues everywhere, but we drove under a countdown clock to the Games!

After a potentially career-ending injury, John Crandell’s mount is back at the top of his game.

“He’s a freak of nature,” John Crandell III said of Heraldic after winning his sixth and Heraldic’s second Old Dominion 100 on June 12 in Orkney Springs, Va. “He’s not the easiest personality in the world to get along with, but physically, athletically, he’s a freak of nature. That’s the best way to describe him. He’s just athletic in every way you can imagine.”

The World Endurance Festival in Compiègne, France, hosted the CEIO*** 100-mile race on Friday.

Rain prior to the competition provided an excellent preparation for the soft, sandy tracks, generating perfect going for the 62 riders who set out on the world famous course. Weather on the day could not have been better with a dry day and sunny skies. A top temperature of just 66 degrees Farenheit proved to be ideal for the horses and riders and was reflected in the competitive speeds and high completion rate of more than 60 percent.

And this year he hopes that will include a trip to Kentucky for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

At the end of 2009, Steve Rojek had accumulated more than 42,000 miles in distance riding competitions, 19,000 of those miles at endurance rides. That’s the equivalent of twice around the world, and indeed he’s competed in Ireland, France, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Uruguay and just about anywhere there is a ride in North America.