A total of 147 horse-and-rider combinations from 38 countries - Argentina, Australia, Austria, Algeria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, USA - lined out for the Longines FEI Endurance World Championships, the 14 running of this Championships, which took place over a 160km course divided into six loops.
The star-studded field included Spain’s Maria Alvarez Ponton who was attempting to match the record set by America’s Becky Hart, winner of three world titles in succession in 1988, 1990 and 1992 riding the great RO Grand Sultan.
Alvarez Ponton already had two World and two European titles under her belt, partnering the brilliant Nobby whose ability to cope with an incredible variety of terrain has made the 17 year old horse something of a legend in his own lifetime.
The championship was held at Euston Park, the 10,500 acre estate consisting of landscaped gardens, parkland, ancient broadleaf woodland and agricultural farmland surrounding Euston Hall, the Palladian historic home to the Dukes of Grafton since 1666. The venue had first staged an Endurance event in 2005.
The course, which crossed into the surrounding farmland, proved tough and testing, with a variety of terrain from forest tracks to grassland and sand.
Competitors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) claimed team gold and all three individual medals. HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum steered Madji du Pont to take the individual title ahead of fellow-countryman HE Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum who rode Yamamah into silver medal position, while Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri and Vendaval claimed individual bronze.
When the combined scores of Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Rashid were added to those of HE Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum who finished sixth with Kangoo D’Aurabelle, the UAE also claimed team gold as they finished a full two hours ahead of the silver medallists from France. Oman took team bronze, while the USA slotted into fourth place ahead of Belgium in fifth.
In the final analysis the super-charged 148cms veteran Nobby, ridden by Maria Alvarez Ponton of Spain, had to settle for fourth place, just nudged out of bronze medal spot by Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri and Vendaval, who were competing as individuals for the UAE. But for many, Nobby had already penned his name into the history books as the greatest Endurance horse of all time.
There was a dramatic conclusion to the event when a powerful thunderstorm struck in the early evening. The top 52 individuals and top four teams had already finished and the medals had been decided, but some of the slower competitors had still not started out on the sixth and final loop. The inclement weather meant that there were concerns for the health and safety of horses, riders and everyone else involved due to the thunder, fork-lightning and torrential rain that suddenly descended. As a result, the distance was reduced to allow those combinations still on the latter stages of the course to finish at vet gate five and to be classified according to timings on the shortened distance.
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