On the lonesome trail

Along with the Tour de France, the Dublin Marathon and religious pilgrims to Croagh Patrick, long-distance horse-riding outranks most activities in terms of slow torture. An up-and-coming pursuit in Ireland, it is also called "pleasure riding" by competitors in next week's Wicklow Hills Equestrian Endurance Festival, which starts on Monday. The festival comprises a series of horse-related competitions, among them the eagerly anticipated feature event, the Al Maktoum Endurance Cup. This is not, as the racing associations of the sponsor, his excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai, might suggest, a quick sprint over six furlongs. Participants in the feature event will ride across 200 km of Wicklow terrain over two days, covering about 100 km each day as fast as they can. On Wednesday, July 22nd, they will saddle up at 7 a.m. in Donard village. Their route will take them across the Glen of Imaal, in west Wicklow. Roughly 50 per cent might be eliminated, some faltering within the first few hours.

At the end of this 200 km rainbow there is no pot nor prize-money. Prizes in kind will be awarded to competitors, but the highlight for most riders will simply be passing the veterinary inspection after the two-day race. For even as the winning steed sweats and staggers across the finish line, it must be deemed fit enough to be capable of covering a further 25 miles. "I enjoy it," says Jane Stanley, Derbyshire endurance champion two years running, fifth in the recent 90km event at Newmarket in June, and one of the brave entries for the feature race. Having competed in England for more than 10 years, she moved to Ireland where she competes as often as she can, riding the larger races about once a month. Jane will ride her Arab horse, Shariqu, for next week's event.

Rivals include entries from Dubai, France, Denmark, Britain and New Zealand. Also riding for Ireland are Mary Korn and Helen McFarland, who was the only finisher in the Wicklow Hills 100-mile FEI competition in 1997.

Sheikh Hamdan's brother, Sheikh Mohammed and his son competed in last year's Wicklow Hills Festival, and a strong Maktoum presence is again anticipated for this year's event. (Due to security considerations, their participation will not be confirmed until the last moment.)

Also competing will be Barbara Elwell, who won the British Open Championship in 1996 and 1997 with Nippa, the most successful endurance horse in Britain to date, and Charles Spence, who has represented Ireland in Scotland, Britain, France and Italy. Competitors are hoping for typical July weather. "A bit overcast, breezy and cool" is what's wanted, says Jane. "One of the biggest problems on the route is dehydration. It's vital to get the horse to drink, especially if the weather is warm and he's sweating a lot. If they dehydrate a bit on the first day there's a real risk the following day. But you can't explain that to the horse."

In the heat of the competition, some horses get too giddy to eat or drink properly. With regulatory veterinary checks on the route, it's important to slow down every now and again, so there are obligatory walking stretches during the competition. "The horse really fires up after we pass the first veterinary trailer," Jane says, "he knows exactly what's going on."

Each rider has a back-up crew to attend to the essentials at specific points during the competition. This support can comprise anything from two-person teams to four crewing-vehicles of four, depending on the horse's pampering requirements. "It gets manic," Jane says. "The crew needs to be fitter than the riders. There's one to drive and one to navigate, dodging through the crowds. Often the rider will stay on the move while helpers run alongside for perhaps half a mile throwing water on the horse. Other riders will grab a slosh bottle and simply carry on."

In addition, many riders carry a sponge on a string to take advantage of river crossings along the route. If there's time at the crewing points, horses may be given electrolytes.

Apart from dehydration, lameness is the most frequent cause of elimination in endurance riding. "It's when my horse goes down a hole I do wonder - `What are you doing this for?' " Jane admits.

The sport is becoming increasingly serious. Representations are being made for endurance riding to become an Olympic sport while crews from RTE Nationwide and Channel 4 will be following the riders and their helpers over the two days.

Equestrian endurance evolved from when the horse was a working animal on the Pony Express in the US. The modern sport is run under very strict rules and continues to grow, attracting more competitors each year. Next week's Al Maktoum Cup is a qualifier for the World Championships next December.