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For the second year in a row Saint Galmier was hosting the French National Endurance Championships. In addition to the Bahrain International Trophy 119 km on Thursday, the St Galmier International Cup (Championship of France) 164 km on Saturday, and the CEN* 89 km ride on Sunday, there would also be the Attelage (Driving) Endurance Nationals and the "Championnat de Franc Modeles et Allures Chevaux Pur Sang Arabe" - French National Halter show - going on at the same time in an arena in the infield. A big, busy weekend for horses and riders and drivers and crews and all the many volunteers who worked from morning to night each day!
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Lights are on at the Hippodrome de St Galmier by 4:15 AM. Horses are getting tacked, pens for the vet checks are getting set up on the grass, claims are being staked in the crew area with buckets and barrels of water. All loops are out and back into the venue (basecamp), winding over trails and roads through the French countryside. There are 6 loops of 35 km, 30 km, 20 km, 29 km, 30 km, 20km (2 of the loops are repeated), with 40 minute holds at the first 4 vet gates, 50 minutes at the 5th with a compulsory re-examination, and the pulse has to be 64 within 30 minutes of finishing. All riders carry a minimum of 75 kg.
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The beautiful town of St Galmier played host to the FEI CEI 3* 164km and French National Championships last Saturday. The weather forecast had promised a hot weekend, and they were absolutely correct. The international field of fifty four riders from ten nations had to endure temperatures of up to 40 degrees combined with a tough track resulting in a true test of endurance. The competition truly highlighted the highs and lows that endurance has to offer.
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The route was over 6 loops, the longest of which was 35km and was tackled first. The start and finish of each loop was along the race course at the central vet gate within the hippodrome of St Galmier.
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Celine Schart on King Farhoz de Paute
Image by Merri Melde
Celine Schwart on King Farhoz de Paute achieved the Championship of France on Saturday at the St. Galmier course. They held a steady pace with a group of 8 riders through the day. The final phase of the race saw a speed of greater than 23 km/hr as the 2006 Champion Jack Begaud on Kheopsy du Pilat pushed hard. Verginie Atger on Kaena and Jean Luc Riou on Lasco du Prat both pushed hard to catch the front runners, competing the 6th phase in 24.51 and 24.76 km/hr respectively, but fell a bit short. a 1 second differential between Begaud and Atger, followed by Riou 10 seconds later decided 2,3,4 in this 164km endurance race!
Detailed and overall results of the 54 starters (with 29 competions) from 10 countries maybe found below.
The CEI** 129km race has completed. There were 80 starters in the event, with 56 placements at the finish and 24 eliminated during the course of the event. Enora Boulenger, riding Idais Tobiha surged at the to pass Celine Schwartz on Hevenroz de Paulte and finish first. Schwartz and Isabelle Boyor on Djalba du Barraly had ridden a close race during the first 3 phases of the race, running 1 and 2 for the first 90km.
The race ran the yellow (30km) and green (29km) loops each two times. These phases will also be used during the upcoming 160km National Championship event.
CEI** 120km Results
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