Playing horse whisperer- the 2nd Bayanbulak Swan Lake Equestrian Endurance Ra

<p>Equestrian endurance racing is a sport that tests the mental and physical limits of both rider and horse. Alexis Hooi gets a taste of this deep in the heart of Xinjiang.</p><p>Packs of horses break through the morning mist on the horizon, as local grooms nearby slap on saddles and tighten bridles on their prized geldings and mares. The rising sun lights up the deep-blue sky above and slowly dissipates the dew on the surrounding yurts, decorated with ethnic Mongolian tapestry. I am in Bayanbulak, one of the country's largest and most beautiful grasslands in the Beyinguoleng Mongolian autonomous prefecture of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. But my heart pounds louder than the horses running about me and enjoying the breathtaking scenery is the last thing on my mind.</p><p>Instead, I am focused on making it through the 2nd Bayanbulak Swan Lake Equestrian Endurance Race being held in Xinjiang's Hejing county.</p><p>When the local authorities organized the area's first equestrian endurance race last year, at least six horses out of the more than 100 that took part dropped dead from exhaustion.</p><p>Riders had to cover more than 150 km in less than a day on local Mongolian horses famous for their strength and stamina.</p><p>But this year, competition organizers promise a different approach: The race goes global and has to adhere to international competition standards as set out by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports or FEI, the worldwide governing body for the sport.</p><p>This means the welfare of the horses in the race will be given top priority.</p><p>Ho Nai Yue, president of the Asian Equestrian Federation, commends the move.</p><p>"This will raise the profile of the sport in the country," Ho tells China Daily in a telephone interview.</p><p>More than 100 competitors from home and abroad take part in the Bayanbulak race this year. In line with FEI standards, they have to cover 80 km on their horses in four stages in the daylong race. A total prize money of 556,000 yuan ($82,000) is up for grabs, with trophies in various categories ranging from "best individual time" and "best team" to "best female rider" and "best condition horse".</p><p>I enter the race representing my country, Singapore. But for an amateur rider such as myself, the competition is even more challenging because my horse is assigned to me by lot. There is little time for us to accustom ourselves to each other, a crucial factor in an activity that requires full understanding between a rider and his horse.</p><p>As whips and spurs are also prohibited to prevent the horses from being abused, I have to rely even more on the basics of riding to control my mount.</p><p>FEI standards also demand compulsory rest and watering points as well as veterinary checks for the horses between the competition stages. Vets can stop lame or injured horses from continuing the race. To ensure that the animals are adequately rested and not driven to exhaustion, competitors who lead horses into the vet checkpoints with pulse rates higher than 64 beats a minute are disqualified.</p><p>Few activities can match the adrenalin rush that comes from being atop a horse at the starting gates of an equestrian race. Competitors begin to jostle for good positions at the front even before the flag-off.</p><p>I am advised to spot expert riders and try keeping pace with them during the first few legs of the race. Many others have the same idea and we all storm off during the first 16-km stretch.</p><p>In a country where equestrian sport is experiencing a resurgence, endurance racing is considered its most popular event.</p><p>"Adopting international standards for equestrian endurance racing marks a major shift that rides on the growing popularity of the sport," says Wutzala, press officer of the China Equestrian Association and chief editor of its website.</p><p>Competitor Cao Hua, who arrived at Bayanbulak with fellow riders from Chongqing, says: "I've only started horse riding about half a year ago, but I'm hooked.</p><p>"I didn't expect the horses to be this good. It's also a great chance to admire the beauty of Bayanbulak."</p><p>Cao was one of the participants who went on to complete the race.</p><p>Azhati Tuerxun, head of Xinjiang's sports bureau and chairman of its equestrian association, says the race this year is more than just about winning.</p><p>"This area is rich in horse culture and nature. We hope more people are able to appreciate these through the race," he says.</p><p>Other than its pristine prairies, Bayanbulak is also famous for its Swan Lake, a more than 300 square-meter-large water body. It is the country's sole wild swan reserve and one of largest of its kind in the world.</p><p>But after more than three hours into the race, I am in no mood to enjoy the scenery. I am already more winded than my horse under a scorching afternoon sun. My unconditioned limbs grow numb and weigh down on my horse, which displays its Mongolian pedigree by settling into a steady gait.</p><p>That is when I realize that rhythm reigns supreme in an endurance competition. Many riders who drove their horses to the lead during the initial legs of the race do not make it through the subsequent vet checks, because they do not have sufficient time to bring down the heart rates of their steeds to the required 64 beats per minute.</p><p>As such, only those who pace their horses along the route and ensure that the beasts are not driven to injury or exhaustion complete the route.</p><p>A local horseman comes in first at a little over three hours.</p><p>About three hours later, I also walk my horse comfortably past the finish line - to join just 54 other riders who make it through.</p><p>But the biggest winners are the horses. Thanks to the consideration given to their well-being this time, none of them collapse during the event.</p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p><span lang="EN-US" style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">The race is held at Bayanbulak, one of the country's largest and most beautiful grasslands.&nbsp;[Photos By Wutzala / For <country-region wst="on"></country-region><country-region></country-region><country-region></country-region><country-region></country-region><place wst="on"></place><place></place><place></place><place></place>China<place></place><place></place><place></place><place></place><country-region></country-region><country-region></country-region><country-region></country-region><country-region></country-region> Daily]</span></p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p><span lang="EN-US" style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">The writer gets the horse ready for the next leg of the endurance race.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"></span><br/>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p><span lang="EN-US" style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">An official of the endurance race marks a horse before it is assigned to a competitor.</span></p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p><span lang="EN-US" style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Local ethnic Mongolians support their competitors in the endurance race.&nbsp;</span></p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p><span lang="EN-US" style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">A local competitor clocks in his time for one of the race segments.</span></p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p>A veterinarian measures the heart rate of a horse as part of race requirements.</p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p>Bayanbulak is rich in horse culture.</p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p>Competitors ready near the starting line.</p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p>Local horsemen prepare for the race.</p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p>The endurance race opens with ethnic ceremonies.</p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p>The writer represents his country, Singapore, in the race.</p><p>

[原创]Playing horse whisperer

</p><p>Local herdsmen showcase the prowess of their horses on the Bayanbulak grasslands in Xinjiang.</p><p><br/></p><br/><br/>

h4v6sY

Very good, thanks for sharing.

h4v6sY

<p>WOW!&nbsp; IT'S GREAT FUN.</p><p></p>

h4v6sY

<p><font color="#2b2bd5" size="4">Enjoy it very much! Thanks Alexi and Angeline!</font></p>

h4v6sY