Endurance News
The 2007 season started off very slowly for all of us at Pearl Island Arabians due to the unexpected arrival of "Harry" and "George" our twin colt foals. Harry the smaller of the twins had to be bottle fed so we had two months of sleepless nights making up bottles of foal milk courtesy of Dodson and Horrell who generously provided Harry with "milk vouchers". Against the odds both twins have survived and all being well we have plans to ride the twins in Endurance in future. Harry (Shuwaiman Al Saghir) and George (Shuwaiman Al Kebir) are full brothers to Shuwaiman Al Bahrain and half brothers to Al Reeh Janoob.
Despite being bleary eyed from lack of sleep we managed to get a couple of Pleasure Rides under our belt. Jenny came along and rode Shuwaiman Al Bahrain (now known on the circuit as Big Al) in the Forest of Dean; it was sunny so she enjoyed that one! On another occasion she rode Janoob and wanted to know where the Pleasure was in riding in the pouring rain....I think she spent too long riding in the desert!
Having got the boys reasonably fit in Pleasure and Fun rides their first Graded ride was at the Berkshire Downs and I took Al Reeh Janoob to do 42kms on the Saturday and Shuwaiman Al Bahrain to do 42kms on the Sunday, thankfully the weather was kind to us on both days! Both horses completed safe and sound. As Big Al and Janoob were now Advanced Endurance horses we decided it might be fun to enter a race ride. We chose Cirencester for the boys first 50 Mile ER (80km).
For this venture we needed advice from someone with experience so I got on the phone to Lesley Dunn and asked for her help, which she gave willingly. I also needed a second rider and as Al Reeh Janoob is the son of Lesley's superb race and endurance stallion Chatanz I thought she might enjoy taking him round. Thankfully Lesley said she would ride him.
We upped the training at the gallops and having to hack 6 miles to get to the nearest hills for some hill work the two boys were looking fit and I hoped they were ready to have a go at their first 50 miler! We set off for Cirencester at some ridiculous hour of the morning. Sleep wise we were running on empty fuel tanks as three of our mares had decided to foal a couple of days before the ride! We got to Cirencester in plenty of time to find Lesley already there raring to get started. The boys passed the vet with my vet jokingly asking me if Shuwaiman Al Bahrain was still alive as his pulse was 32; after his 50 miles he finished on a pulse of 46.
We tacked up and set off, the going was pretty bad, really slippy, Al Reeh Janoob gets very worried when he slips and will steady his pace to look after both himself and rider. We came in after the first loop and vetted within a few minutes, gave the boys some dinner, tacked them both up again and back out on the circuit. The boys were both still in good form. Back in and presented to the vet within four minutes, more food and tack back on.
The two stallions were getting a bit confused by this point, unused to being saddled up and fed then ridden, tack off, tack on etc.etc. but still went willingly and good naturedly out to do the last loop. Having completed the 50 miles they came back in and both passed the final vet checks, we were thrilled and so pleased with their efforts. Our placings were 14th and 15th.
A lot of venues were cancelled due to Foot and Mouth and others were cancelled because of the appaling weather. Half of our county (Herefordshire) and the next (Gloucestershire) were under water during July.
The boys then went to Ludlow to do graded rides. Shuwaiman Al Bahrain got a Grade 1 for his 50km starting and finishing on a pulse of 36. Big Al gained the advantage over Janoob who had completed his 50 kms on a Grade 3 the day before. The advantage being that poor Janoob got lost due to some tampering with the route markers hence he did a few extra miles which brought down his speeds. Amanda was wise to the route the next day and so Big Al completed at a faster speed not having done the detour and extra mileage! Both boys got around safe and sound. They were entered for the Race ride at Barbury Castle but that was cancelled so we entered the Three Rivers and that was cancelled.
We kept the two stallions ticking over for the Red Dragon. On the Friday Al Reeh Janoob and I did a 50km Graded as my crew was limited due to the bottle feeding of "Harry" and I didn't have a rider for Janoob to compete in the 50 mile ER on the Sunday. Janoob thoroughly enjoyed himself the sun shone and we had a lovely time on the hills; it also gave me chance to see what the going was like for Shuwaiman Al Bahrain as he was to be at The Red Dragon on Sunday to do the 80km Little Dragon. Al Reeh Janoob got around with a Grade 2.
On the Saturday Big Al vetted with a very lowish pulse yet again of 36 and was put back in his stable ready for Sunday. Jenny and I had decided to stay close by to Big Al and sleep in the back of the horse lorry which was alright until it started to rain at 3am...real Welsh rain! It rattled on the roof of the lorry, it sounded as though we were parked under Niagra Falls! We nodded off back to sleep but in my excitment I had set the alarm clock an hour too early so at 4 am we were both wide awake yet again. Jenny had jumped up and put the kettle on for tea before we realised that it was still very early. Giving up on the idea of any sleep we had a very early start that Sunday morning. We fed Big Al and tacked him up soon it was time to jump on and join up with the other horses and race Riders, it was barely light.
This time I didn't have Lesley and it was only my second race ride!!!!! HELP! It was fine I didn't have to worry Shuwaiman Al Bahrain looked after me. The going again was wet and slippy but Big Al cantered along beautifully and did all I asked of him. When we stopped for the first vet gate I knew I was in the bunch way out the back but we made up time at the vet gates because Shuwaiman Al Bahrain just switches off. Fantastic we passed the vet gave the boy his dinner of dates and carrots tacked him up and set off up the hill. When we got to the top the rain was like pins being stabbed in to your face but Shuwaiman Al Bahrain put his head down and kept going. Apart from the rain the ride was lovely and we were soon back at the vet gate, passed again with flying colours, more dinner and dates and then tacked up and headed for home with a pit stop for a quick drink on the way courtesy of Gaby and Jenny.
I think Shuwaiman Al Bahrain must have a homing device as he was like a steam train on the way back. As we came down the steep hill at the end of the ride I could see a couple of green bibs (race riders!!) so ignoring everything Lesley had wisely told me about coming home steadily Big Al and I headed to catch them up passing them just before the finishing line. Shuwaiman Al Bahrain passed the vetting sound with a pulse of 44. The vet asked how he was bred and had been surprised to note half way through the vetting that he was a stallion, Big Al had done his usual 'switch off' and relax. We weren't in the top ten but we got round and completed which was our aim and Shuwaiman Al Bahrain was awarded the Best Presented Rosette for the horse completing the race in the "Best Condition".
We had planned for our young Bahraini stallion Shuwaiman Al Rais (full brother to Shuwaiman Al Bahrain) to go out and do several rides during 2007 but with the flooding and Foot and Mouth all the rides we had entered him in were cancelled. BUT we did manage to get him to the Tintern ride. At his first vetting, always an exciting event, Rais's pulse was 37. We got around with no problems (except for getting lost!) and Shuwaiman Al Rais vetted out sound on a pulse of 40 thus getting a Grade 1 first time out. I was thrilled as he is a personal favourite of mine.
I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone that helped me though the 2007 season they were: LESLEY DUNN, GABY FRANKLIN, MARIE, MY HUSBAND WILLIAM, MY MUM JEAN (for staying at home and feeding "Harry") and most of all my mother-in-law JENNY. And of course the people out on the course who gave me water when my crew was limited. Thank You!! A big thank you too to everyone who give their time to organise the rides.
BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE FOR THE 2008 SEASON
Amanda May
Jenny & Tony Lees, Mill Farm, Preston-on-Wye, Herefordshire, UK, HR2 9JU
Phone: 01981 500225