Endurance race of princely proportions

LONGREACH rider and trainer Yvonne Strand will be more than happy to make the finish line next weekend when she and mount Sharuq enter the annual Tom Quilty Cup in Boonah.

Known as a sport of sheiks and princes, Strand will be lining up with some of the sports richest competitors as part of a Western Queensland team in the 160 kilometre race, testing not only the rider’s endurance, but the horse’s as well.

Considered one of the greatest and most challenging equestrian events in the world, over 350 entrants will take to the starting posts at midnight in an effort to complete the course in under 24 hours.

At the end of each of the five legs of the race, the mounts are fully checked over by a vet.

Along with assessment of the horse’s physical condition, heart rates must also be low before riders are allowed to continue on the endurance ride which covers a mixture of tough terrain.

Six years ago Strand’s horse Sardica was vetted out after pulling up lame.

The rider has since been working night and day planning to make sure Sharuq, from the Lindsay Park Stud, doesn’t suffer the same fate.

"I promised myself I would be back this year.

"I have been preparing this horse for three years; we have done hundreds of miles.

"Finding hills here has been a problem but we have been going out the 60km to Ilfracombe and back.
"It’s not so much the climbing up, it’s the climbing down. Finding a continual gradient is the problem."

One of the fastest growing equine sports in the world, riding in an endurance contest is only half the battle for Strand.

"We will be out there against some of the best in the world from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

"I have even heard there is going to be an Indian prince there.

"There is a 24-hour time limit on finishing and I am going to just be happy to finish before worrying where we end up in the field.

"In 2000 I couldn’t even remember the fourth leg I was so exhausted.

"It is going to take a lot of willpower to just finish."