National ride offers final chance to qualify for world championships

THE countdown is on for this year’s Equestrian Australia Endurance Championships on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Taking part: Jamie Green from Hawthorne, Brisbane, will compete in the FEI 2* 120km event on Cameo Mazquerade. Picture: Sarah Sullivan Photography

THE countdown is on for the 2016 Equestrian Australia Endurance Championships on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

The field of 97 riders at the event, which starts at midnight, includes ten hoping to secure a place at the World Championships in Slovakia this year.

“It’s the final opportunity for the ten riders currently on the shortlist to represent Australia at the 2016 World Endurance Championships to impress the selection panel,” ride organiser Matt Semple said.

“Six of those riders — Jennifer Annetts (NSW), Benjamin Hudson (NSW), Sasha Laws-King (Qld), Kristie Taprell (Vic), Alexandra Toft (Qld) and Penny Toft (Qld) — will be hoping to secure their place in the team which heads to Slovakia in September.”

The ride is the first to be held at the new purpose-built ride base in Imbil, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland west of Noosa.

Ride base: The new facility at Sterling Crossing Endurance, Imbil.

“We have riders travelling from across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and even one travelling from Osaka in Japan to compete in the internationally accredited event, Mr Semple said.

“The inaugural event at the ride base is accredited by the Fédération Equestre Internationale and will see competitors battle it out for the national title over distances of 82, 120 and 160 kilometres.”

The equestrian sport has a long history having started in the early 1900s as a military test for cavalry mounts.

Today the controlled long-distance rides see competitors cover large distances across diverse terrain with the winning rider and horse being the ones to cross the finish line first, having passed a number of veterinary checks along the way, including after the finish, to ensure the horse is fit and in a good condition.