On Wednesday, October 14th, the day of the Kentucky Cup Test Event for Endurance, it began to rain just before 7:00 AM and it rained hard and continuously for the rest of the day. The bad weather caused the 160 km event to be shortened to 120km for the safety of horses and riders.

FEI CEI*** 160 km

1. Danielle McGunigal, Gold Raven, Arabian (USA)
2. Ellyn Rapp, Berjo Smokey, Arabian (USA)
3. Janice Ann Worthington, Golden Lightening, Arabian (USA)

Editor's Note: These quotes are thanks to Jamie Saults, the Supervisor of the Press Center. Many, many thanks Jamie!)

Danielle McGunigal (USA) 1996 Endurance World Champion and daughter of Valerie Kanavy (Two-time Endurance World Champion 1994 & 1998)

Danielle: (shortly after getting off course) "I’m exhausted. My horse is sick of the mud, sick of everything. She’s just really sour and that makes me grumpy.
(She was glad they shortened race) "It was only getting worse. Some of the parts of the trail that we have to go over, we’d already done, so it was like this (ankle deep mud outside their tent). They get sick of the slip and the slide. She’s hungry. It’s tough.

((Then it flashes that her horse’s pulse was 41, and she was much happier).

"Anytime the mud got a little sloppy, she wanted to walk. It’s like they have ADD. She didn’t want to focus, wanted to look around.
((asked about her attitude change when she saw the 41)) The fact that her heart was 41 tells me she wasn’t tired like she was telling me. She was just sour. Mentally she didn’t leave anything out on the course, but physically she might have. If they’re really tired, their pulses will hang above 60.

((Was this as challenging as you've ever been in?)) This was plenty challenging with the mud and the weather. You have to combine all factors. This was hard. This was really hard.

(- said she was disappointed race was shortened and no individidual champion because she needed the COC for completing 100 miles. ) "But the reality is, that was really wise. In our sport we tend to think of the horse first. So they shortened it for the horse’s safety, so how do you complain about that?

((She thinks they’re getting the Team Gold, her team is USA’s East Coast team))

FEI CEI** 120 km
1. HE Sheikh Majid bin Mohd Al Maktoum, Kangoo d'Araabel, Arabian (UAE)
2. Ahmed Salem Ali Sultan Al Sabousi, Bess Ess-ob, Arabian (UAE)
3. Yahya Sugayer Kanoon Al Ajjtabi, Medjerda, Arabian (UAE)

Editor's Note: These quotes are thanks to Jamie Saults, the Supervisor of the Press Center. Many, many thanks Jamie!)

HE Sheikh Majid bin Mohd Al Maktoum:

"Given the weather today, the course was amazing. But the weather made it very difficult.

(Asked if he’ll be back next year?) "Of course.

(Hardest part of ride?) "There wasn’t any hard part, other than the ground being a bit slippery. Other than that, it was excellent. There wasn’t anything wrong or bad.

(What is it you love about endurance?) "This is not the only sport we do. We do lots of sports. But this is a sport that we most love. It’s our
history. Horses are our history. I also like it because we get to travel all over the world to ride."

Editor's Note: The bad weather made it impossible to take any pictures. Let us hope that the same will not hold true for the Fair Hill CCI*** and CCI**, though the forecast is not good.


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Endurance Riders will Periodically Block Roads Near Horse Park

Herald-Leader Staff Report

Kentucky Cup Endurance Test Event

Drivers on Ironworks Pike, Newtown Pike, Mount Horeb and Huffman Mill can expect to make stops throughout Wednesday, October 14, for riders in the Kentucky Cup Endurance test event for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.