News Talk
Endurance race at Fauresmith─── 15:16 Thu, 09 Jul 2015
Sabrina Dean
Horses and riders are still streaming over the finish line as they complete the gruelling Fauresmith 200 National Endurance Championship ride. OFM News' agri editor Sabrina Dean is at the event and filed this report.
Emotions are running high as exhausted horses and riders cross the finish line on the third and final day of a 201km ride through rugged, tough mountainous terrain
On completion of the course, horses must first pass a compulsory vet inspection before riders can lay claim to having completed the landmark endurance ride.
First over the line was junior rider Nico Meyer Le Roux who, despite taking a fall with his horse Stenco B'Nita on the final turn is still believed to have possibly broken the course record.
Second and third over the linewere light weight riders Jackie Joubert and Susan Fouche.
Heavyweight rider GJ Janse van Rensburg was the fourth rider home, followed by standard weight rider Fransisca Strydom.
Race coordinator Charmaine Nickisson says international support was also great this years, with individual riders from France, Italy, Russia, New Zealand, Australia and the UK competing on borrowed horses.
The oldest rider, Oom Amie de Wet, has also crossed the line safely and if his horse clears the vet check this will be his 34th Fauresmith, with a career distance of more than 26 000km.
Photo: Sabrina Dean
Sabrina dean reporting from Fauresmith :
