News and Notes from the Field
Pamela Burton will be providing on-site coverage of the La Baule event starting on Thursday 6 May (with a bit of jet lag possibly:) We will provide background and news as it is available.
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Pamela Burton
May 8
 The press conference acceptance speech was translated from Italian into French, and then by me into English. This may account for any liberties taken with the conversation, but the gist of the information is intact. Diana Origgi said her ride went very well, and even though it was the first 160 km for both she and her horse, they were both experienced at smaller rides and well prepared. Italian Chef d’equipe, Sergio Tommasi, said that he had not placed Diana on the Team, as neither she nor her horse had as yet completed a 160 km ride. This did leave her with the opportunity to compete a bit harder. When the 3rd team member was eliminated early in the ride, he gave her 26 yr old sister, Angela, the go-ahead to ride more competitively as well.
Officially, there were 37 horse/rider combinations on the starter list from 8 countries. Four countries fielded teams - France, Italy, Portugal, and Belgium. Ride Results | Detailed Ride Results
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Pamela Burton
May 7
The fast train (TVG) sped me from Paris to Nantes in 2 smooth hours, while the landscape changed from urban Paris to the growing center of France. The sky was so filled with puffy clouds, it looked as if we were inside a giant popcorn popper. The large view windows of the train car revealed brilliant colors of new green wheat, rain-boot yellow safflower and white Charolais cattle. At Nantes, I changed to the local train to La Baule.
Though sunny today, it is still cool here on the Atlantic Coast of France, with a stiff breeze. If the weather is like this tomorrow, the day of the ride, it should make for excellent riding conditions.
The resort town of La Baule has the air of a grand dame from another era. The ride tomorrow begins in front of the Hotel Barrière, a grand hotel in the old style, more like old Long Island then new Miami Beach. It is about 4 km from the Equestrian Center, and is surrounded by old Brittany style homes, many with the wood beams that were the style when they were built several centuries ago, and used mostly by people who live here only during their weekends and vacations.
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Premier riders from 12 nations including Australia, Britain, Belgium,
France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, and the UAE are expected to
arrive for the May 8 Super League endurance ride at La Baule, France.
The endurance venue, which begins at 8:30 AM beach-side in this lovely
Atlantic Coastal town, will travel inland through 6 stages and several
small villages before returning to the beach for the before-dark
expected finale. Sixty riders are expected at this years ride, twice
the amount of entrants in 2003, the 1st CEIO at La Baule.
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Winner of the 1st La Baule, CEIO in 2003, Sh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum of the UAE has been a consistent top finisher in European and Middle Eastern endurance rides since he began competition in 1999. Now 23, he was just 19 when he rode to 7th place at the WEC in Compiegne, France, in 2000 on DIANGO, one of two UAE riders to finish in the top 10 in that event. His 2003 Competition Record includes:
The UAE, with 3 riders in the top 10 World Rankings, will have competition from the French, who will send some of their best riders including Anita David, Sunny Demedy, Jean-Philippe Frances, Emilie Lambert, Barbara Lissarague, Cecile Milleto and Virginie Simon.
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Persik, who stood in France from 1975 until 2001, is considered by many to be one of the best producers of endurance horses, able to pass his numerous good qualities to his famous get. These include endurance greats, Kid, Loustik, Makonia, Tex, Outlaw Persik, Varoussa, Dynamik, SyIène of Drômme, Melfenik, and Krempolis, to name a few.
Persik was imported from the Russian racing stud, Piaygiorsk, at Tiersk, by Jean Cougul along with two mares. In 1972, equestrian tourism was on the rise in the south of France, and riders and park rangers needed horses. According to historians, the stallion Persik, was a stand-out. The 15.3 h, grey was from the Skowronek line, with Nasseen on the paternal side and Arax on the maternal side. Dikarka, great-grandmother to Persik, is the mother of famous Padron in the USA.
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