Die begin van ’n nuwe jaar – 2009 lê braak voor ons, met talle geleenthede vir uithouritruiters om te presteer. Van die opbou van ’n nuwe perd tot die wen van die Drie-Nasies, Fauresmith of Walvis – elkeen het sy eie mikpunte waarna hy streef. Aan almal, baie sterkte, en mag julle wense waar word!

In this edition we look at one of the greatest horses ever to participate in endurance, Al-Borak Bianca – the only horse to win Fauresmith four times, of which three times were in successive years. A true "once-in-a-lifetime" horse!

We also have a report from Ranald Vise on his experiences riding his horse barefoot. Ranald is one of the pioneers in this field in South Africa. During 2008 Ranald and Arkab Zigzag won best conditioned horse awards, and also were the first combination with a barefoot horse to be included in the short list, not only for a union team (Northern Gauteng), but also for the Erasa team at Fauresmith. He was not selected for the team, but has shown that it is possible!

The World Endurance Championships took place in Malaysia recently. A total of 126 riders started the ride, of whom 48 riders finished, battling tropical rainstorms and high humidity on the way. The ride was won by a Spanish rider, Mercedes Maria Alvarez Ponton, on a pure-bred French Arabian, Nobby. This was the tenth time (of twelve) that this ride was won by a woman. More information on this event is available at www.endurance.net.

Die SA Distance Rider wil graag meer insette van ruiters publiseer. Komaan, trek die pen (of rekenaar) nader en skryf. Jy sal sien dat dit glad nie moeilik is nie – mens moet net aan die gang kom!

Geniet elke oomblik saam met jou perd, en as ek vir Nico Hayward mag aanhaal: "Wees trots op jou perd se voorkoms en pas hom mooi op!"

Paul van Dam
Redakteur