Does anyone know the Endurance riding World record, please?

kerilli

kerilli

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I'm trying to answer a question for someone. I found this, from 2002
"The Lipton Cup was won by Ali Mohammed Al Muhairi riding DS Kiwi. They
completed the 100km course in 4hrs 38m 42sec, with average speeds of 29km
and 26km in the first two legs, and an average of 27km for the final leg of
19km."
at http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/features/cj-2002uae-end-season.shtml
but then I found this:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/competitionnews/394/61042.html
where the winner averaged "an incredible 22.68 km per hour"

Can the first one possibly be correct? It seems amazingly fast. If so, is it still the record? What's the longest endurance race they run, please?
Guinness Book of Records doesn't seem to have it, and Google's failing me!
Thankyou!
 
The longest endurance races are run over courses of 160km or 100 miles in one day. This is the distance raced over at the World and European Championships.

Those speeds quoted for a 100km race (60 miles) are fast but achievable depending on the terrain and the ground/weather conditions on the day. The 22.68km was averaged over a 160km race - again very fast but not unusual for the UAE and Baharian riders especially. Terrain for those speeds is usually desert or dirt/sand tracks and quite flat. To achieve those speeds you basically have to canter hard for the entire 160kms. There are very very few endurance races in the UK where speeds like this are achievable. An example where fast speeds have been achieved in this country is at Euston Park this year where the winner of the 160km FEI race completed in 19.2kph and the 120km race ride was won with an average of 23.6kph. Euston Park is the fastest course in this country - run on the tracks of Thetford Forest in Norfolk.

Compare to the Tevis Cup which is the most famous endurance race in the USA. Again this is a 100 mile race ride but over extremely challenging terrain - very rocky, lots of steep climbs and descents. The average speeds for the winner of the Tevis are more like 11kph.

Whilst these endurance feats are impressive the sport is very different to how it started out. Back in the 1920's the Arab Horse Society ran it's own endurance tests. These involved covering a total distance of 300 miles - done over five days, with 60 miles covered on each consecutive day, with a compulsory weight carried of 13 stone.

It should be added that it's not the distance that causes wear and tear on the horses but speed. Many horses compete in the Tevis Cup year after year, well into their teens and often twenties. However horses that are raced at 20kph+ speeds regularly tend to have much shorter careers.
 
As has been stated, there are many distances for endurances races :- 100km, 120km 140km and 160km. The shorter the distance usually the faster the speed, also as stated her in the UAE the tracks are purposely made for the races, they are fairly flat and most of the front runners do the whole thing in canter. In Europe and America the races tend to be over country side, roads, through woods and mountains, so speeds are less due to the twists and turns, also they are, in my experience, not as well marked, so if you go too fast you could miss a marker and go off track. Which quite a few have in the past.

If you clarify what distance you are interested with, I can find out for you.

PM me if you want.
 
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