October 07

 Stuhr, close to Bremen Germany, mid october

   Danagul far in front at the 120 km ride

The weather was fantastic, though cold, even during the day temperatures did not climb higher than 10 ° C. We have been there with Danagul and Ganesh.  "Blondie" did the 120 km on saturday and Ganesh 80 the day after on sunday.

Danagul was supposed to win, she was more than half an hour ahead of the rest of the competitors. Unfortunately Peter got lost during loop 2 (30-60 km) somewhere. In a first step  he was allowed to do the next one.....here he had to ride 3 !!! times a part of that loop...he was still in front and at the end of the theoretical 90 km which have been much more in fact he got disqualified because of this having lost his way in the second loop. Incredible.

Anyway after this Peter did just slow down the following day. Ganesh was 4th on the 80 km ride and herewith we finish the 2007 season. 

September 07

 100 mile rides are pretty rare at present. There  is non on the FEI calendar. Fortunatelly there was a CEN*** in Germany.

first check after 15 km                                                          here with Peter Baumann who did ride 80km, the only loop where Ganesh had company

Everything was perfect, the organisation, the weather, the terrain.......

but....the organizator did postpone the start from 5 to 5.30, which means riding a longer time in the dark in the evening. Another specific german habit.....vetchecks each 15 (yes!!!) km, which takes also precious time and takes the horses out of the rhythm and last but not least the signs were not to be seen in nighttime. So Peter (and me), who didn't want to take the risk to get lost in the forest finished at 140 km*, in the daylight around 2 hours before second, who only did 120 km.

 checking rate before  vet at 120 km                                                                                    hoping not to get lost in the dark
 

* another specific (nice) german rule that you can finish your race at each vet, provided your horse is fit to continue 

August 07

Successful comeback for Peter in endurance competition 

 3rd place CEN*** 120 km for Ganesh & Peter van Kasteren

After having cancelled our participation at the CEI*** in Kreuth, we decided to go to east Germany (Stuck, Durch die Griese Gegend) in order to compete on a national endurance competition, as the season is already pretty advanced and that there aren't that many CEI being held any more all over Europe.

In fact, this is the first time Ganesh was competing this year. (I already said below so far 7!! events have been cancelled in Belgium.) This time we had changed I was the groom and Peter the rider. The weather was just lovely, so we really all enjoyed the weekend.

As we have been togetehr with a danish competitor the only foreigners and that we were successful with such an exotic as horse as an Akhal-Teke we got interviewed from the radio station. 

 5 meters to finish  

July 07

Though other regions of Europe are suffering from too much heat, in our part of western Europe we only have rain, rain, rain. So the mood to ride and train is around zero.

Nevertheless did we decide to start in Libramont, which is a competition held at around 20 minutes from our farm, so really next door.

A disaster……Wet, cold, muddy….Everything but fun.

We (Danagul and me) had entered the 110 km ride CEI**, and came to km 70 where we got pulled. From 13 riders only 3 made it to finish line….without us.

                                        

 June 07

 April 2007

Finally!!! After this horrible winter week in march just before the startup of the endurance season in Belgium we dedided not to start in Helchteren as we couldn't train at all, as temperatures were around zero degrees.

All the more were we deelighted to finally start.This weekend we were almost in summer, 30 °C. Heartrateds have therefoe been lowered to 60.

Unfortunatelly many riders got lost but the terrain was so wonderful and anyway this ride was just supposed to get Myr fit to continue, nothing more.......

 Myr did give the start this year with the CEI** at Fischerhude in Germany. 

during the ride	vet control

Start

CEI*** 164 km French Championship in France, Saint Galmier

The only Akhal-teke competing in this Championship was Ganesh. Over 80 participants,among them of course the french  elite. It was Ganesh's first 100 miles. She did her job very well. 

Conditions nevertheless were very harsh. 42 ° C, almost no forest to cool down, so most of the under the burning sun, a muddy heavy weather ,as thunderstorm was in the air and quite a hilly track.

 To put it short she did it up to 145 km.

A pity as there was only one lope to go to get a ticket for WEG Aachen, but the horses soundness comes first. She had 68 at the recheck. Though we got the vet 's ok, we didn't take the start of the last lope, not to take any risks.

And anyway it was her very first 100 miles, so watch out about her future performances.

 

 

 

getting started at 4.45 am..........    durning the race at around 130 km
Etalle CEN** 93 km A competition held only 30 km from our home. Apparently it was a though ride, only from 9 riders only 3 finished, two from the belgian team and Michèle with Myr.Though Myr is already 16 years old he still loves to run and does it pefectly.
Haccourt CEN* 76km We almost had an accident on our way to go the competition. Due to that incident we only started 15 minutes (mass start) after all the other, but tsill finished 3rd
MELLET CEN *63 km On the  second competition we were not so lucky regarding the weather. The start was given under more or less heavy rain. The second lope the wind was clsoe to being stormy. Though we hadn't been passed by anybody and that we under normal conditions were firts,w e were downgraded because of a judges mistake to being second...... Anyway, just let it be 2nd on the 63 km ride
	Ganesh in Mellet Ganesh started her season with 50 km. Cindy did ride her and they made also a 5th place
	HELCHTEREN  First competition in 2006 was held in Helchteren, not far from the dutch border in Flandria. The whole week the weather forecast did foresee heavy rain. Luckily we didn't get wet during the whole day.  Blondie was supposed to start, but just a 50 km course just to put her in exercise again. The course was in a military terrain, marvellous. Only sand tracks. We finished 2nd

Season 2005
	Good start for Ganesh
	while I was in Turkmenistan she made 10th place out of 27 in Hour , Belgium on a distance of 56 km On second ride of the season she made 3rd place again at 56 km So watch out for more news of our endurance horses
MYR with Michèle winning at a national competition in Belgium on medium level (66 km)
	He recovered extraordinay quickly and though there are so few Akhal-Tekes they show their love to run wherever they show up in an endurance competition.
	SUGUN with Peter 3rd place at 84 km in Germany in 1998