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The WEG 2010 ENDURANCE Course

                                              GO CANADA GO!  

FEI Vet. Inspection!  All six horses sailed through the exam, looking good!  

Our Team: Gail Jewell, Elroy Karius, Ruth Sturley, Bob Gielen  

Our Individual:  Yvette Vinton,   Our Alternate:  Terre O'Brennan  

Congratulations to all of you - how proud we are! 

Race Day is Sun 26th ------------------ Start time is 7:30 am (est)

 Following the Riders at WEG 2010

NEWS:

27 Sept 2010: HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was engaged on official state business and was regrettably unable to attend today’s individual Endurance medal ceremony at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™. The silver medal that His Highness won in yesterday’s 160-kilometre competition was collected on his behalf by UAE Chef de Mission, Saeed Al Tayer.

Sheikh Mohammed was riding as an individual and was not a member of the UAE team which won team gold in the Endurance competition.

Statement from Saeed Al Tayer, UAE Chef de Mission

“The UAE team is thrilled to have won the Endurance team gold medal at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and it was a huge honour for the four team members to be presented with their gold medals by HRH Princess Haya, the President of the FEI.

Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication, the team members did not attend the post-medal press conference and for that we apologise. We would have been honoured to speak to the media, but we were genuinely unaware that this was standard protocol.

Thanks to the FEI the sport of Endurance has been elevated enormously in the UAE and the proof of that is the gold medal that the team has won here in Kentucky. We have a special love for the State of Kentucky and think of it as a home from home.”

REPORTS:

Mon Sept 27th - The Day After - Just had my first glass of wine in days - and need a couple of hours sleep before the party tonight!   You probably already know all this below, technology being what it is!   

The Best Condition was awarded to a grey mare, Hanaba du Bois, ridden by the French rider Jean-Phillipe Frances, who came 4th in the competition - our pick at the trot-outs.  Five of the 10 showed for BC and all looked pretty amazing, considering the pace - including Nobby. 

At the Awards Ceremony it was really emotional to witness Marie and Nobby receive the Gold, and do the victory lap: truly amazing - she recently had a baby, and together they have won two consecutive World Endurance Championships!  As you know, the UAE won the Team Gold, and while SH Mohammed was not at the Ceremonies, both SHs Hamdan and Majid attended, with their horses, and a host of grooms.   CANADA's times and placings to follow....... 

UPDATE 22: Wooohooo !!!! The team placed SEVENTH !!!!!

UPDATE 21: Ruth is in. And passed!  Canada finished a team!  Awesome!  Great interview with Ruth - the (young!) turtle - and her Super Sport!  How proud we all are!  Have no idea where we placed - hopefully tomorrow morning I can find out!  I am the last in in the media booth - they're unplugging me!   

UPDATE 20: And passed!  Canada finished a team!  Awesome!  Great interview with Ruth - the (young!) turtle - and her Super Sport!  How proud we all are!  Have no idea where we placed - hopefully tomorrow morning I can find out!  I am the last in in the media booth - they're unplugging me!    Tomorrow................Daphne

UPDATE 19: Gail is in !!! And passed!  Looks great!  Congratulations!  More hugs and tears....

UPDATE 18: Unfortunately, Yvette was pulled at the exit exam, heading out on the 6th loop.  They really had a good day - very sad.
Gail is expected any minute - everyone at the finish line!

UPDATE 17: Looks like the teams are: Gold - UAE, Silver - France, Bronze - Germany  

Top Ten Individuals:   Gold - Maria Alvarez Ponton - Spain, Silver - SH. Mohd - UAE, Bronze - SH Hamdan - UAE, 4th - Jean Phillipe Frances - France, 5th - Faleh Nasser - Qatar, 6th - SH Majid - UAE, 7th - SH Rashid Dalmook - UAE, 8th - Sarah Chakil - France, 9th - Christian Petersen - Argentina, 10th - Virginie Atger - France  

Eliminations:   40 - so far:  7 Metabolics, 2 Underweight (!), 2 Rider Option, rest Lameness  

Think there are still 13 riders out on course........

UPDATE 16: Gail and Ruth should be in fairly soon - were about 30 minutes apart, Ruth riding with one of the Japanese team.  Yvette preparing to go for her exit exam right now, and then out on Loop 6.

UPDATE 15: Passed!  Top Canadian!  Hugs and tears all around!  Dessia, figure out Bob's time (approx.), please?

UPDATE 14: With a 7:30 a.m. start, for the winner, Maria Alvarez Ponton of Spain, the race lasted about 11 hours including the mandatory holding (rest) periods. Actual time on the course was 7 hours, 35 minutes, 44 seconds. Read More

UPDATE 13: Guess who's at the finish line?!  Carol Steiner!  Fractured ribs and all!  How great is that?

UPDATE 12: Great trot-out for Sport!  Bob expected in 10 minutes!

UPDATE 11: Gail through the vet; Ruth just coming in....40 minute hold....   Looks like the GPS tracking is done - or at least the screen behind me is blank!

UPDATE 10: Gail went through crew point on Loop 5 at 19.20 (now in!) and Ruth at 19.40.  Yvette's a bit behind..   Bob's a comin' - to the finish! 

UPDATE 9: Winning time - Haven't seen anything official but must be well under 8 hours!  I'm off to the timing tent to get some info..... Daphne

UPDATE 8: Gail just passed the crew point on Loop 5; Ruth hasn't gotten there yet; Yvette has now left on Loop 5, Bob about to leave on Loop 6!  GO CANADA GO!

UPDATE 7: SH Mohd's horse not wanting to trot -  looking pretty sore - but they did give him a completion!  SO - I think it's now official!

UPDATE 6: SH Mohd's horse still to be checked.......

UPDATE 5: Official!  Maria the Champion!  Again!  Sh. Mohammed second, and SH. Hamdan third (sorry - keep mixing up Majid and Hamdan - shoot the messenger!)..

UPDATE 4: The first riders are in, 1st Nobby, 2nd SH Mohd, 3rd SHMajid. ( MUST be fit to continue remember!)

UPDATE 3: Last time I looked: Nobby travelling - 32kph (20mph) - Heather 37kph (23.12mph) - Holy crap! 

UPDATE 2: Bob has passed his exit exam and is out on loop 5, expcted in at 7:20.  Ruth has arrived at Vet Gate 4.   Front-runners: Heather and SH Majid right behind Nobby, followed by SH Hamden and SH Mohd. - now at 10:37 riding time....

Nobby is travelling at 30kph (18.75 mph)+!!!!!!!  Heather a clear second at the moment

UPDATE 1: Looking SO good!  The front runners all out - ALL looking amazing!

LOOP 6 Map

UPDATE 3: Counting 21 - sadly Meg Sleeper (US) too.    Last loop is only 18kms, after a 40 minute hold.   Bob - in  at 16:58 - passed 17:00 - out at 17:59 after mandatory exit exam.  Gail in.....  

After 5 loops - top riders:   Mercedes - Spain (Nobby!) Reynolds - USA Sh Majid - UAE Frances - France SH Mohd - UAE SH Hamdan - UAE Faleh Nasser - Qatar SH Rashid - UAE   Teams - now UAE, Spain, and Great Britain

LOOP 5 Map

UPDATE 2: Bob will be in off 4 very soon.  Yvette's gone out on 4..........  Haven't heard from the outcheck but no news is good news...   Loop 5 getting very exciting -watching on the GPS thingee - France, US, UAE and Qatar.  They're expecting the winning rider to be in around 6:00 EST - mind you - there IS another loop to go after this.  The leaders are maintaining a blistering pace - around 20kph (12.5mph)....needless to say - they're NOT trotting.....

UPDATE 1: Gail and Ruth about to head out - Bob long gone!  Yvette has to do an exit exam before she goes. Loop 4 is 27.2 kms, followed by a 50 minute hold.   Updated Team standings after Loop Three:  UAE, Bahrain, and France.  (We don't have our team placings yet - they're issuing the results before ours are in the computer.)    Top riders:  Marie (Spain), SH. Hamdan, SH Majid, SH Rashid, Jean-Phillip Frances, SH Mohd, Heather Reynolds USA in 10th.

LOOP 4 Map

UPDATE 4: Bob, Gail and Ruth are through - in 40 minute hold.   Front runners coming in off Loop 4.....   Remember to check these - lots of photos and info.....   http://mauraleahy.blogspot.com/    (Maura Leahy, Assistant Team Chef) http://pmd823.blogspot.com/  (Trisha Dowling DVM, alternate squad member) www.kerrimcgregor.com and/or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kerrimcgregor  (Kerri McGregor is the Chef de Mission/Team Leader for the entire Canadian Equestrian Team (8 disciplines) at the WEG.)}

UPDATE 3: 15 eliminations that I know of - probably more, including two US team riders (Jan and Lindsay).   Think we have horses coming in.....

UPDATE 2: They're in!   Elroy, Gail, Bob and Yvette - crews at work - Gail, Elroy and Bob gone to vet check already.   Sheik Mo heading out.  He averaged 21 kph and had a presentation pulse of 52.

Update 1: Results at Gate Three:  Marie, Hamdan, Majid   Team Placing now: UAE, France, Bahrain   Expect things to change........   Our riders are out on course....  Loop 3 is 21.3 kms, and they will have a hold of 40 minutes between 3 and 4.  We have a pit crew spot on this loop too.   They have provided us (media, officials, riders, crew, volunteers) with wonderful food - thank goodness! 

LOOP 3 Map

UPDATE 9: SO - through Gate 2 (less than 10 seconds separate the top ten riders):   First - SH. Hamdan - average speed - 20.43 Second - Marie M A Ponton - 20.42 Third - SH Majid - 20.41 Fourth - Heather Reynolds - 20.20   (SH Mohd left Gate 2 in 14th - had to trot twice.)

UPDATE 8: Ruth, Elroy, Gail and Bob - Roxy giving the horses the once-over and they're off to the vets/trot lanes.   Ruth, Gail and Bob through - Apache had to trot twice - before the 'panel' of 3 FEI judges - unfortunately, looked slightly off - pulled.  SO sad.   Gail out at 13:29:15, Bob 13:20:28, Ruth 13:28:15.   See Yvette and Teese just coming in now. Leading group already into Gate 3!  Pretty fast pace they're keeping.   Yvette good to go - out at 13:43:09.

UPDATE 7: Yvette through second pitstop on Loop 2 - all good.   Our front 4 should be here soon.  Riders spreading out more now on the trail, especially on loop 3.

UPDATE 6: Pit Stop 2 on Loop 2 - 4 through - between 12:05 and 12:07 - Yvette coming...   Front runners going out now on loop 3, after a hold of 40 minutes

UPDATE 5: Our riders expected at #2 pit crew stop of the second loop any time - all looking good!   There are lots of spectators here at the vet gate which is awesome - cheering!  Great commentators, too, explaining everything at length.  

UPDATE 4: About 17 in the leading group - bucket brigades' break is over!   Yvette through the pitstop......

UPDATE 3: Last I heard all but Yvette were through the first pitcrew stop on Loop Two - on this long loop they have two pitstops.   Front runners include UAE, Spain, Germnay, France, Bahrain, USA - 10 or 12 riders, lead changing often.

UPDATE 2: After total three plus hours of ride time, SH Mohd and SH Hamdan still seem up in front, with Reynolds and Graham (USA) in the mix.  The web tracking is 'interesting' - looks like lots of 'cheating' (off trail!) going on, riders going backwards, etc. - don't now what it all really means!   

Our times:  

Bob -     Placing 78 - Arrival: 9:29:46, Vet in: 9:31:42, Pulse 52, Out time 10:00:00  Speed Av. 16.02km/hr ( 10.01m/hr) 

Elroy -   Placing 79 - Arrival: 9:29:52, Vet in: 9:34:02, Pulse 55, Out time 10:04:02  Speed Av. 15.72km/hr ( 9.82m/hr)   

Gail -     Placing 80 - Arrival: 9:29:56, Vet in: 9:34:13, Pulse 55, Out time 10:04:13  Speed Av. 15.70km/hr ( 9.81m/hr)   

Ruth -    Placing 84 - Arrival: 9:31:32, Vet in: 9:35:38, Pulse 53, Out time 10:05:38  Speed Av. 15.52km/hr ( 9.70m/hr)   

Yvette - Placing 90 - Arrival: 9:34:55, Vet in: 9:39:51, Pulse 62, Out time 10:09:51  Speed Av. 15.02km/hr ( 9.38m/hr)   

..................   Six horses were eliminated at Gate 1 - for lameness.

UPDATE 1: Only have our Top Three Team Rider times so far: 

• Bob - 2:01:42
• Elroy - 2:04:02
• Gail - 2:04:13

                   All our horses were out between 10:01 and 10:09 EST.

Loop 2 is 39.9 kms - we'll hear from the pitcrews on course as to how we're doing. Looks like Sheikh Mo is still in the lead out there!  We'll have the in and out times for our riders very soon.   Team results after Gate 1: UAE, USA, Bahrain, France, Argentina, Qatar, Brzil, Australia,Columbia, GBR, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Portugal, Guatemae, CANADA (17th) - UAE  (combined) time was 4:34 and ours - 6:09.  The day is young.......   Just ran into Jim Bryant (Jr) - veterinarian for the US Team - says all is good there too.  Also met Carl Fudge and his daughter Darcy - Carl is on our Breeds and Industry committee - and did those awesome pedigree analyses for our Team horses - on the website.   Sun is trying to come out - weather is great for the horses but we need a little warming up!

LOOP 2 Map

WEG Away crew at work Loop 2 Today

UPDATE 7: Somehow missed Ruth - all four through the check -Yvette going in now!  Yeah! Yvette through too!  They're riding smart and lookin' good!  SO exciting!

UPDATE 6: They're in!   Elroy, Gail, Bob and Yvette - crews at work - Gail, Elroy and Bob gone to vet check already.   Sheik Mo heading out.  He averaged 21 kph and had a presentation pulse of 52.

UPDATE 5: In first after  loop one vet check: UAE Second: Spain Third: UAE Fifth: USA (Reynolds)   Just saw Ruth Carlson running off to do something re: a Spain horse/rider - 'something' going on!  Am sure there's LOTS going on 'behind the scenes'!   Waiting on Canada - should be soon!

UPDATE 4: Into the gate - the cooling 'machine' goes to work.  Sheik Mo's horse doing the trot-out - groom  having hard time keeping up - horse has ears pinned and biting at him!  They only put water on the from end of this horse - others getting 'soaked' - pretty cold out here.   Lots of other riders coming in now - chaos!

UPDATE 3: 2 kms out - Sheikh Mo in front - 4 minutes to go!

UPDATE 2: Spain and the UAE at the front, with Urugruay, Columbia, Bahrain and the US in  the mix - 27kms.

UPDATE 1: Front runners fast approaching the vet gate, at 24 kms (cruisin'!):  include UAE, USA, Netherlands, Columbia, Germany,Sweden - bucket brigades getting ready!

4:48 am  Good (early!) morning, everyone!   They're off!  Gail, Elroy and Bob in mid-pack - little hot, but under control - then Yvette and Ruth at the back.  Ruth's horse has a thing about not going across the start line, but they did get it done!  100 horses/ridersstarted.....   The weather is perfect - expected to be about 70F, sun and cloud, and no rain is anticipated.  Yeah!  I'm in a good spot here at the satellite media center, right by the cooling area and the trot-out lanes.  

Our numbers are: 29 - Bob and Galaxy, 30 - Gail and Temptation, 31 - Elroy and Apache, 32 - Ruth and Sport, 33 - Yvette and Teese   

First loop is 32.5 km, followed by a hold of 30 minutes.

LOOP 1 Map 

COURSE MAP

Yvette and Teese - FEI Inspection