Terengganu Confirmed To Host WEC 2008 !

IT'S confirmed! Malaysia will get to host the 2008 World Endurance Championship after passing the final test set by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) in Lembah Bidong, Setiu, yesterday.

To qualify for the host job, at least 40 per cent of the foreign riders taking part in the Sultan's Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge at the Terengganu International Endurance Park, had to complete the 160km race.According to event manager Azrin Zuhdi, the foreign riders' completion rate was 67 per cent while the overall completion rate was 71 per cent, well above the international average of 46 per cent.

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Be entertained at the FEI 5-Star KL Grand Prix

Come November 23, Stadium Putra will be pulsating with activities centred on the FEI 5-Star KL Grand Prix – the world’s greatest horse show.

Visitors to the FEI 5-Star KL Grand Prix will experience the breathtaking and electrifying excitement of World Champions, Olympian gold medallists, World Cup Champions and the world’s No.1 rider and superstar horses in action.

The highlights of this year’s Grand Prix is the first ever FEI Nations Cup and the highly acclaimed FEI 5-Star KL Grand Prix where the winner walks away with a whopping RM350,000.00. Another exciting highlight is the Pony Club Mounted Games Challenge – watch the gutsy Pony Clubbers show off their skills on horseback while having fun winning points for their teams.

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All systems go for Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007

After months of planning, everything is ready to go for the Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007 from 9th to 11th November 2007 at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) in Lembah Bidong, Terengganu.

Forty-one riders from 14 participating countries including Argentina, Brazil, United States, Japan, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Portugal, Qatar, UAE, South Africa, Australia and Malaysia together with their horses have been in Terengganu for the past three weeks training and acclimatising themselves to our hot and humid weather, and also familiarising themselves with the race route covering a multitude of terrains where they will do seven loops to cover a distance of 160km.

“The Organising Committee, the technical staff and everyone involved in the Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007 has been working very hard to ensure that the event is successful. And I believe it will be, with all the preparation work that has put in to make this event happen,” said YBhg. Datuk Seri Dr. Salleh Mohd Nor, Vice Chairman of Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan, the Organiser of the event.

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SEA Games Polo Teams

Polo is being played in the South East Asian Games for the first time since 1983 in Singapore, when Malaysia won the gold medal.

This year's SEA Games tournament is a 4 to 6 goal tournament, meaning that all teams entered have to play off that handicap range. There are five teams entered for the SEA Games Polo: Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia. The format of play is on a league basis, with a the top two teams then meeting in finals to decide gold, silver and bronze medals.

All matches will be played at VR Sports Club in Samut Prakarn, near Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi airport.

Each country can register up to six players in their team. The four players for each match is declared the day before the matches.

Here the team list and players :

SEA Games Schedule

Want to know when all the action is happening at the SEA Games? Equestrian.Com.My has compiled a schedule of events, times and locations for you.








If you are going to watch the equestrian events, you'll want to stay in Pattaya as all the equestrian events are at Horseshoe Point. Only the cross-country phase of the Eventing will be held at Harald Link's Thailand Polo Club, which is just a few minutes drive from Horseshoe Point.

All the polo will be held in Bangkok at VR Sports Club. This is located in Samut Prakarn, near Bangkok's new Suvanabhumi airport.

You can download this file by clicking here.

SEA Games Polo - Draw

The official draw for Polo was held in Bangkok on Wednesday 17th November 2007. A total of 5 teams have entered.

The result of draw is as follows:


Round Robin
A - Thailand
B - Philippines
C - Indonesia
D - Malaysia
E - Singapore



Format: A round of league play where every team plays each other once – 4 league matches. Top two teams with best league record play in gold and silver match (final). 3rd & 4th placed team in league play in bronze medal match.

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Horse-riding to help stomp out unhealthy activities

KOTA BARU: Kelantan is one of the few states in the country with a horse-riding culture among the locals.

It is estimated that there are between 600 and 700 horses, mostly ponies and mixed-breeds, kept by owners in villages and towns.

The increasing popularity of horse riding in the state can partly be attributed to the hard work of cattle rearer-turned-horse breeder Adnan Derani, 48.

Adnan, who lives in Pasir Hor, a village near here, bought three ponies for RM1,500 in 1993 as a hobby.

His collection increased as he saw youths in the village were keen on riding. As they could not afford to buy horses, Adnan bought more and now owns 15 horses valued at RM100,000.

Adnan has also taken on the responsibility of training youths in not only riding but also horseball.

(Horseball is a game which began in France in the 1970s. It can be described as a cross between polo and basketball, with hoops hung at right angles to the ground. Players score points by throwing a ball through the hoops).

Training sessions were previously held in the evenings at a field near his house with up to 20 youths attending each session.

"I didn’t want them to loiter around and be dragged into immoral activities. They should do something beneficial during their spare time.

"They can pick up some skills through their involvement here and it might be useful to them later on," he said.

Adnan’s horseball team is one of only two in the country — the other being the Royal Malaysian Police — and has performed at many shows in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor, among others.

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Malaysia Open Polo Tournament 2007 : Thailand Polo Won Big Over Ranhill !

THAILAND Polo are in the final of the Malaysian Open Polo Tournament 2007 after another superb upset win at the Putrajaya Equestrian Park yesterday.

After an upset over USA Polo on Wednesday, the Thai team edged Jogo Polo 8-7 in a keenly contested semi-final yesterday.

Thailand drew first blood in the first chukka but it was Jogo who finished strong to take a 3-2 lead at the end of the period.

A three-goal burst from Carlos Pando in the second chukka, saw Thailand regain the lead but two goals from Jogo squared the match at 5-5.

Thailand added two more goals in the third chukka while Jogo could only bag one to make the score 7-6 going into the final chukka.

They beated Ranhill with the extravaganza goals, 10 - 5 in 4 chukkas. The best player of the match were passsed to Carlos Pando who also the highest goal. The prizes were given by the HRH Sultan Of Pahang, Sultan Ahmad Shah accompanied by the chairman of the organizer, Khairy Jamaluddin who played for his team, Jogo Polo.

Meanwhile, in the Merdeka Cup competition, USA defeated La Sarita 7-6 to move to final to meet BDRB Polo for the title.

FEI : World Endurance Championship 2008 in Terengganu, Malaysia.

The FEI World Endurance Championship 2008 will be held at Terengganu International Endurance Park in Setiu Terengganu, Malaysia.

Situated a few kilometers from the South China Sea, the venue will offer visitors and competitors the best of Malaysia's natural beauty and hospitality, as well as:

First class stabling and quarantine areas for horses
Excellent trails, groomed for a safe, yet challenging Endurance competition
Sheltered cooling and crewing stations and vetting area
Spectator-friendly viewing areas
Hospitality and refreshment centers

The course is designed to provide a safe yet challenging competition, taking riders along the stunning coast line, through palm plantations, along canal banks and through natural vegetation forests. A long and wide grassy stretch of track provides ample space for the start of the competition and egress from the venue, and for a safe finish line and entry back into the Endurance Park.

The 2007 Pre-Ride event will be held November 9-11 at the Terengganu International Endurance Park. Riders, veterinarians and officials will experience the venue and the course, with the goal of experiencing and understanding the unique challenges of Endurance competition in a tropical climate. And - the ultimate goal of optimizing conditions for a fair, safe, and smoothly run FEI World Endurance Championship 2008.


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From the Organizers of the 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship:

+ We will offer two-way air freight for horses to and from Malaysia from designated pick-up points.

+ We will provide return tickets for all qualified riders and two grooms per horse, one chef d’equipe and one veterinarian for the team.

+ We will provide accommodation, meals and transportation for all team officials, riders and grooms.

+ We will provide excellent facilities at Malaysia’s “Terengganu International Endurance Park” for both horses and participants.

+ We will organise a trial run in November 2007 – riders and horses from several countries will be invited.

+ Accommodation: We will provide hotel accommodation in Kuala Terengganu for all FEI officials, team officials and riders. Grooms and support staff will be accommodated in hotels near the Venue. More than one thousand rooms are currently available in Kuala Terengganu and the State Government is committed to having more hotels built and to be ready before October 2008.

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Polo: Ranhill shock favourites Royal Pahang

FAVOURITES Royal Pahang Polo are out of the Malaysian Open Polo Tournament final after a shocking semi-final loss to Ranhill at the Putrajaya Equestrian Park yesterday.

Ranhil were obviously not intimidated by their opponent’s awesome reputation and ran out 6-3 winners.

The teams were deadlocked 3-3 going into the fourth chukka before Ranhill pulled away in the last period.

Royal Pahang were left to rue their bad luck as they had several opportunities to score but their players left their shooting sights at home.

Ranhill will now meet either Thailand Polo or Jogo Polo in Sunday’s final while Royal Pahang will play in the third-fourth playoff for the Prime Minister’s Cup.

Meanwhile, BRDB Polo slammed Punjab Polo 12-1 in the race for the Merdeka Cup.

BRDB will face either USA Polo or La Sarita in the final.

President’s Bodyguard of India to perform at Malaysian Open Polo

If you are attending the Malaysian Open Polo Tournament this weekend, you are in for a real treat. The President’s Bodyguard of India is in Malaysia for a special performance at the Malaysian Open Polo Tournament. The commanding officer Colonel Ali Adil Mehmood has sent his Second-in-charge Lt Colonel Sanjay Bhatia, with a squad of four troopers, to Putrajaya to perform at the Malaysian Open Polo Tournament.

These skilled horsemen won’t be playing polo, though they are all adept at it. Instead the PBG will be doing a trick riding performance. Their spectacular performance will include a standing salute, hanky-picking and tent-pegging.

Their version of tent-pegging isn’t the messy cavalry charge we are used to seeing in Malaysia. The PBG have to be far more precise as they lance the pegs from between the legs of an assistant standing over the pegs. And they tent-peg with lances, rapiers and stilletos.

Putrajaya is an excellent performance ground for them as the polo grounds have an excellent grandstand to seat spectators comfortably. The field itself is in perfect condition. It is Malaysia’s Palermo.

The polo at the Malaysian Open is fantastic. The quality of the teams is very good, and all matches are very competitive. This is a tournament really for spectators to enjoy polo and be entertained.

This weekend the President’s Bodyguard will make one performance each day, at approximately 4:30 pm on Saturday and at about 5:00 pm on Sunday. Don’t miss it.

Malaysia confident of polo gold in Sea Games

KUANTAN: Malaysia is confident of delivering the polo gold medal at the Korat Sea Games in Thailand in December.

Malaysia won the gold when polo made its debut in 1983 but the sport was dropped from subsequent Sea Games.

"Being the defending champions, Malaysia is determined to win the polo gold in Thailand in December,” said team manager Ahmad Jamili in Kuantan.

"The only time polo was included as a Sea Games event was in 1983. After a lapse of 24 years, Malaysia is ready to makean impact again.”

”The team has a blend of young and experienced players who have been playing in the National Polo League. Most of them also competed in the recent Royal Pahang Polo Classic in Pekan.

”We are ready to deliver the gold. We are leaving nothing to chance. That is why we will be taking our own horses to the Games,” he added.

Besides Malaysia, hosts Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and the Phillipines will be competing, with the biggest challenge coming from the Phillipines.

The Malaysian Polo Association, said Ahmad, has shortlisted 10 players amongst who is the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, TengkuAbdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah who was a member of the gold-winning team in 1983

Ahmad said some of the players would be sent to Argentina on September 12 for greater exposure.

”They will be there for two months undergoing training and playing in some competitions. On their return, they will undergo centralised training in Pekan before the final squad of six is announced.”

The players are currently competing in the ongoing Malaysian Open Polo tournament at the Putra Jaya Equestrian Park.

The short-listed players: Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, Shaik Reismann, Rizal Ramli, Saladin Mazlan, Yudie Fazly,Tengku Shahril Tengku Sulaiman, Datuk Mahmud Moiz, Hayuddin Hamzah, Ali Mazlan, Zuhairi Kolfli.

Royal Kelantan Endurance Challenge 2007

The Kelantan Royal Endurance Ride 4, 2007 will be conducted as part of the overall celebration to commemorate the birthday of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Kelantan's. The Ride shall be organized by the State Government of Kelantan. It shall be held on Friday and Saturday, 7th – 8th September 2007 in the general area of Gunong, in the District of Bachok, in the State of Kelantan , Malaysia . The venue of the Ride (Gunong) is located about 20 km away from Kota Bharu, the State Capital of Kelantan. The Ride will culminate with a dinner and prize giving ceremony on 8th September 2007 .

The General Conditions of this Ride are organized in accordance with the FEI statutes. The Draft Schedule for the proposed Ride has been submitted to the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) for approval.

The Organizing Committee of the Ride has the honour to cordially extent an invitation to your Club to participate in the Ride.

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TERENGGANU EQUESTRIAN RESORT

A complex which features facilities for equestrian,indoor games and accomodation to be known as Terengganu Equestrian Resort (TER). The complex will have 116 stables. Apart from that, it would also provide training centre, polo field, a veterinary clinic
specially for treating horses and other facilities.

The Only World-Class Oceanside Equestrian Park & Resort In Malaysia.

Getting there?
From the town of Terengganu, head towards South to Marang or Kuantan by local bus or driving. After about 6-8 KM from the town center, you can see the Terengganu Equestrian Resort near the Mosque " Masjid Terapung " just beside the road at the left.




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Malaysian Open World Cup on Astro

Astro's Super Sport Channel (80) will air the Malaysian Open World Cup - South East Asian World Cup Qualifier #3 - on Saturday 1st Sept at 8:00 pm, with a repeat on 4th September at 12:20 pm.

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RSPC's Polo Package

"Let other's play at other things -
The king of games is still the game of kings"

Learn to play the world's oldest ball game at Malaysia's oldest and biggest polo club

Royal Selangor Polo ClubTo help develop the sport of polo in Malaysia, the Royal Selangor Polo Club has introduced a polo training programme that will offer the novice (even one who has never ridden a horse before) an opportunity to learn the game of polo.

The participant will receive practical and theoretical introductions on basic and polo riding, the techniques of hitting the ball with a mallet and the rules of polo.

Polo Team

Learn from Malaysia's best and most experienced players
Polo Club

* Edham Shaharuddin +4
* Shaik Reismann +2
* Shariffie Hamdi +1
* Peter Abisheganaden +1
* Ali Mazlan +1

Total Polo Package RM2,500

This all-inclusive course comprises:

* 24 personalised polo lesssons
* Use of Club owned ponies for polo lessons
* A Polo Clinic on theory and rules
* A Polo Test (practical and rules test)
* 3 weekdays chukkas worth RM450.00
* 1 weekend chukka worth RM225.00
* Temporary membership at RSPC for the duration of the course

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Malaysian Open Polo promises good polo and great excitement

The Malaysian Open Polo Tournament was launched today with a short ceremony at Bukit Kiara with a symbolic throwing-in of a ball.

This is the 3rd successive year of the Malaysian Open Polo tournament, and it is scheduled to coincide with Malaysia's 50th Anniversary Merdeka celebrations, and visit Malaysia Year 2007, therefore it was fitting that it was launched by YB Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansur, the Minister of Tourism.

Tengku Adnan called it a significant year, with 240 special events held throughout the year, including the Petronas Formula 1, Monsoon Cup, Malaysia AI Grand Prix, the Malaysia Motorcycle Cup Prix, Pulau Pinang International Dragon Boat Festival and the Sarawak Regatta and now the Malaysian Open Polo contributing to the sports tourism economy of Malaysia.

The High Commissioner of Pakistan Lt General Thair Qazi generously donated a huge polo trophy from the Shandur region that is famous for its polo. He highlighted that long relationship that Pakistan has had with Malaysia with their first High Commissioner, General Sher Ali Khan, who was a very active polo player in Malaysia in the 60's and 70's.

Malaysian Open President Khairy Jamaluddin accepted the trophy on behalf of the Tournament. Her also thanked the many sponsors who had come forward to support this tournament, especially Hong Leong Finance, Eurocopter and Astro.

The Malaysian Open Polo is the last big tournament of the polo season before the SEA Games in December. Eight teams are entered for this 8 to 10 goal international tournament. They are BRDB, Ranhill Polo, Punjab, Royal Pahang, Thailand Polo, USA Polo, La Sarita and Jogo Polo. Amongst the standout players to watch are USA World Cup Finalist Stevie Orthwein Jr (+4), Pakistan's World Cup stars Qublai Alam (+4) and Sattar Khan (+5) who play in the Punjab team, Argentinians Marcelo Caset (+6), Hector Monserrat (+3), Ginnes Bargalo (+6), Carlos Pando (+6) and local stars Shaik Reismann (+2), brothers Chevy (+3) and Joervy Beh (+3) Edham Shaharuddin (+4) and Huzaini Yunos (+5).

The tournament moves this year to Taman Equestrian Putrajaya to be part of Malaysia's 50th Merdeka celebrations. Play will start on Sunday 2nd September with the B Division playing their matches there.

The Malaysian Open Polo tournament proper begins on Tuesday 4th September with two matches. For the first time teams will play on an "open" basis, with no handicap advantages given. If matches are drawn after 4 chukkas, we will see a very exciting extra chukka played. Whichever ever team scores the golden goal in sudden-death wins the match.

Teams advance in this knock-out tournament to the Malaysian Open Final which will be held on Sunday 9th September.

The South East Asian World Cup League will also mark the 10th Anniversary of World Cups in Malaysia with a World Cup event at Putrajaya on Sunday 9th September.

Spectators will also be entertained by a spectacular trick riding and tent-pegging display by the President's Bodyguard troupe from India. They are being flown in to perform specially at the Malaysian Open Polo Tournament.

Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007 launched

There was a touch of pageantry fit for a King at the launch of the Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2007 as the organisers used a delightful little pageant to launch the event. It told the story of how the Sultan’s Cup Challenge had been conceived and the challenge made to the rest of the world. The call has truly gone out to all corners of the world to find the best endurance horse and rider. With the 2008 World Endurance Championships set to be held in Terengganu, the best in the world are taking up the challenge from this November. Participants from sixteen countries will take part in this CEI 3-Star ride over 160 km. The riders and their horses are expected from Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Qatar, UAE, USA and Malaysia. They will start to arrive in October and will have a month’s acclimatisation before the event on 9th to 11 November.

Twenty-five foreign participants and fifteen Malaysians are expected to take part in the 160 km event. The horses will arrive at KLIA on specially chartered and commercial flights and will be transported to Terengganu by the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The event serves as second trial for the FEI World Endurance Championships which will be held in November 2008. The FEI requires a completion rate of 40% at this event. The organisers realize that Malaysia is facing some international pressure to have the WEC2008 to be held in another country. Nevertheless they are confident of achieving the required completion rate to satisfy the FEI. With an average speed of just 10 km/h, they should be quite safe. The Sultan’s Cup in 2006, also over 160 km saw a completion rate of 57% of an entirely local field. Facilities are being upgraded at the Terengganu International Endurance Park (TIEP) including infrastructure for a full veterinary hospital with surgery facilities, under the direction of Dr Balakrishna Polanaidu. YBhg Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Nor, Vice-Chairman of Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan (YDSM) voiced a hope that “through our efforts to organise world class equestrian events like the Sultan’s Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge and the continued growing interest in the sport, we can ignite a love and interest in horses.”

The official launch was graced by Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah, who is the patron of the event.

His Majesty, already a World Class endurance rider who has already earned the first part of the required Certificate of Capability to compete in next year’s WEC, will be competing and hoping for another CoC finish. Other VIP guests who attended the event this morning were Yang Teramat Mulia Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra ibni Sultan Ismail Petra, who is the Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan and Y.A.B. Dato’ Seri Hj Idris Jusoh, Menteri Besar of Terengganu.