Although this year’s championship participants were favored by good weather and easy tracks, no records were broken.
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“This year’s competition stood out for increasing competition in the endurance riding category. Not only is the number of participants growing, but also their average speed on the track. It is also possible to attract new riders with disabilities in the category.
This is just another proof that endurance riding is the most accessible equestrian sport discipline for people who want to try this field but are not sure if it suits their abilities. Everyone can find themselves here by properly choosing the distance and horse,” said the championship organizer, chairwoman of the Lithuanian Equestrian Federation’s endurance riding committee, Ugnė Zalieckienė.
The adult category champion title and the “Crunch” trophy were won by the Arabian horse Milord with rider Amelija Oliškevičiūtė, representing the Šiauliai Young Naturalists Center stable. The trainer is the rider’s mother, Jūratė Repšienė.
The youth category Lithuanian endurance riding champions and winners of the “Trona Equestrian” trophy were the duo from Trakai, representing the equestrian club “Naujadvario žirgai” – Ūla Paužolytė with Samsara VH. The trainer is Ugnė Zalieckienė.
The amateur category title and the beautiful Žemaitukai Horse Breeders Association trophy went to Ana Lišikovska with Bagis. This duo came from Vilnius, trainer – Ugnė Zalieckienė.
The Lithuanian endurance riding carriage driving champions were Vidas Kūlokas with Žemaitukai breed horses Palšys and Tulupis. The crew assistant is Zenonas Juščinskas, trainer – Neringa Kūlokaitė. The prize for the champions was provided by representatives of the riding goods store “Trott.lt”.
In the riders with disabilities category, the winner and recipient of the Lithuanian Equestrian Federation trophy was Karina Bulkevičiūtė with Sniegena. The duo came from Druskininkai, trainer – Agnė Žūkaitė.
Other duos competed in the “Dzūkija Cup” competitions – distances from 5 to 80 km.
The 5 km category is intended for the youngest riders and their family members and is held without competition – all finishers are declared winners, and this year they were: four-year-old Vėjūnas Zalieckas with Alhaja, seven-year-old Elzė Balčiūnaitė with Mr. Mayday ox, and eight-year-old Kamilė Butkutė with Žiburys.
The biggest battle was for the 16 km distance trophy established by UAB “Bodekslitas,” which after a fierce fight went to Marina Augustinavičienė with the horse Sniegena (equestrian club “Dzūkijos žirgai”).
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The “UAB Ruvera” trophy went to Dovilė Jacunskaitė with Favoritas, who completed the 16 km carriage driving, assistant – Olivija Leščinskaitė.
The trophy established by the riding goods store “Pasažas” went to the equestrian club “Naujadvario žirgai” located in the Trakai district: Rusnė Elzbergaitė with the Anglo-Arab horse Alhaja successfully completed the 30 km distance and won here.
The social movement “On the Way with the Wind” trophy went to Širvintos. The duo consisting of the Thoroughbred mare Pivonija with rider Juna Žinytė successfully completed the 40 km distance and won it.
The 80 km distance “Žemaitukų slėnis” trophy went to guests from France, Ewa Faivre with the Anglo-Arab horse Jallisa De L‘uriere AA.
About endurance riding
The essence of endurance riding is to test the horse’s speed and endurance and to challenge the rider’s orientation and ability to sense their horse’s capabilities. Therefore, priority is given not to winning but to the horse’s well-being.
Horses are carefully checked by veterinarians before the start to ensure they are healthy and feeling well. Duos starting the chosen distance must complete it at a set pace and within a certain time interval. After finishing, the horse’s condition is checked again: pulse, muscle tone, dehydration, intestinal function, capillary refill rate, and overall condition, assessing whether the horse has leg pain or altered movements.
The better the condition assessment, the more points the participant receives, which means that sometimes victory can be determined by a horse’s pulse being a few beats per minute slower. A duo whose horse’s condition objectively worsens after the distance is disqualified.
This is not only one of the most natural equestrian sport disciplines for the horse’s nature but also the most accessible for horse lovers – amateurs who do not aim for Olympic heights but want to test their abilities. There are no age or physical restrictions to start this sport, and special events are held for families, where the youngest riders compete accompanied by relatives, as well as events for riders with disabilities.
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