"To Finish Is To Win", has been the motto of all endurance riders throughout the years and brought to the USA Endurance Team, the Gold Medals and the title Champions of Europe.
August 1, the European Continental Open Championships were held in Marloffstein, Germany. The USA entered 4 riders, all as team members, and won the Gold Medal in team competition. The team consisted of Sun Walt/Mike Marino (9th), BayMar/Tom Sites (16th), Miss Lexa/Viki Varley (NF), Cher Habu/Jeannie Waldron (8th). The experience of some of the horses and riders was limited, but these horses were solid finishers. Also, there were no "bullets". A very good group for team competition.
Historically, there has only been 1 International Ride in which 3 teams finished 3 horses. The scoring for team results is the time of the 1st 3 horses ahead of all teams finishing less than 3. It was determined prior to the ride that the team would ride conservatively, concentrating on completition rather than placing.
The race began at 5 AM with a mass start in darkness and for the first 88 Km, the pace was the same for all USA ridrs at 8.3 mph. The lead horses were about 1 hour ahead, leading team horses about 45 minutes ahead. At this point in team competition, Great Britian held a 67 minute lead, France 55 minutes, Spain was about 11 and Belguim was 90 minutes behind.
The reflection in thought of a past event can never fully encompass the full spectacle of the actual extravanganza.
Reliving a moment of time like the recent European Championship in Marloffstein, West Germany, is something hard to explain unless you can imagine the biggest grin and good time of your life, and you wake up the next day and the grin's still there.
Dancing on the tables at the Bavarian Beer Fest in Marloffstein will rate as one of the all time adventures of my life. It was like a cemented face of laughter was implanted into my persona. This was a good time. I mean, they played trombones with their toes!
For the first time International or National FEI competitor who hasn't gone thru the travail of getting a FEI passport, becoming an International Amateur, getting the proper innoculations, blood tests, Coggins test within 30 days, making sure you were a member of the proper organizations ( AERC and AHSA) all at a frantic express mail pace, the rest was a piece of cake. My friends- the cake, as well as the air was very, very good.
Hearing your National Anthem played for- of all reasons!- the fact you were a consistant mediocre finisher who adhered to the credo "to finish is to win", was and is a most humbling experience i will never forget.
Jet lag lugged us into their rainy camp on a lazy Sunday afternoon before the next Saturday's
ride. Immediately, we were met with courtesy and helpful assistance from Florian Smithaus, and his Father, Hans. Experienced of the Trail, they led us to the barn and fields to show us the facilities available for the horses, who were to arrive the next day. We were the vanguard- Larry, Michael and myself.
by Lee Wittle, 1987
"To Finish Is To Win", has been the motto of all endurance riders throughout the years and brought to the USA Endurance Team, the Gold Medals and the title Champions of Europe.
August 1, the European Continental Open Championships were held in Marloffstein, Germany. The USA entered 4 riders, all as team members, and won the Gold Medal in team competition. The team consisted of Sun Walt/Mike Marino (9th), BayMar/Tom Sites (16th), Miss Lexa/Viki Varley (NF), Cher Habu/Jeannie Waldron (8th). The experience of some of the horses and riders was limited, but these horses were solid finishers. Also, there were no "bullets". A very good group for team competition.
Historically, there has only been 1 International Ride in which 3 teams finished 3 horses. The scoring for team results is the time of the 1st 3 horses ahead of all teams finishing less than 3. It was determined prior to the ride that the team would ride conservatively, concentrating on completition rather than placing.
The race began at 5 AM with a mass start in darkness and for the first 88 Km, the pace was the same for all USA ridrs at 8.3 mph. The lead horses were about 1 hour ahead, leading team horses about 45 minutes ahead. At this point in team competition, Great Britian held a 67 minute lead, France 55 minutes, Spain was about 11 and Belguim was 90 minutes behind.
Also by this point Miss Lexa had developed some stomach irregularities and slowed down. Tom Sites decided to slow his pace as well. Mike and Jeannie continued at their present pace and rode with Val Long and Jane McGuiness of Great Britian.
Coming into this 88Km stop, France, Great Britian, Spain, and USA had 4 Team Riders in competition. Leaving the stop, France and Belguim had 3, Spain had 1, Great Britian and USA had 4.
At 127 Km. the horses were spread over a greater time distance. The lead rider was 90 minutes ahead. The lead team riders were only 17 minutes ahead of Mike and Jeannie but were up to 3 hours apart. Arriving at this stop the team positions were unchanged, but several horses did not leave. The Team for Great Britian left w/ a 74 minute lead, Belguim was 90 minutes behind USA. Already the "Motto" was begininning to show itself, France Spain, Sweden, Austria, and Germany were down to 2 team competitors.
At this stop USA lost Miss Lexa. She had barely passed her pulse parameter of 64, at the 30 minute point of a 60 minute hold. The Veterinarians were however using the '
"Rigdeway Trot" for data gathering purposes and Miss Lexa elevated to 68 and Viki decided to pull and avoid any possible damage to Lexa in the upcoming mountains and unaccessible trail.
Arriving at 144Km., the team standings were unchanged. This was a Gate/10 minute hold. USA came through clean although spread over 83 minutes. Great Britian lost a second team member, leaving only USA and Belguim with 3 team members. Could we keep all 3 til Sunday morning?
At the finish line, Gaston Mercier/Mao (8) of France won the Individual Gold with a riding time of 12 hours, 12 minutes. Liz Finney/Show Girl (14)of Great Britian won the Individual Silver with a riding time of 12 hours 14 minutes. And in a race for the Bronze, Bernhard Dorsiepen/Drago (18) of Germany beat Denis Pesci/Krempolis (10) of France by 36 seconds in a riding time of 12 hours 17 minutes.
Thruout the entire stay in Marloffstein we were accorded warm, friendly, open hospitality. We saw old friends and met many new ones. It would be nice to go back again.
As with all International FEI Endurance events, the final Vet Check is the morning after. We took care to rest the horses without allowing them to stiffen up. The early morning came with all horses being walked vigorously by crews and riders alike. As we watched all the horses, it became obvious they were in great shape. No doubt the soft footing contributed to the lack of lameness, although the mud had been a concern for muscle pulls. However, all the horses looked better than most had in Rome.
The examinations were done in the horses stall with the veterinarians coming to the horses. This worked very well and avoided a lot of standing arround for everyone. The Trot Out was held outside the barn, in a very orderly and terse fashion. If any additional horses were to be pulled, this would be the time.
The horses were trotted in order of finish. On the cobblestones surrounding the stable they were walked up to the 12 Veterinarian
Judges and presented. They were then jogged down and back about 40 yards each way. The stable lined one side, riders, crew and spectators lined the other side.
One by one the horses passed. They really looked great. One horse was voted on. It did not unanimously pass all the judges. The vote was 10 pass, 2 pull. The USA finished 8,9 and 16. As these horses approached the trot out the thought that was on my mind and I'm sure the minds of many others, "Will all the American horses pass, and the Team Standings remain unchanged?" Will the Champions of Europe not be European?
Sun Walt and Cher Habu passed unaimously. More horses were trotted. Another vote, 8 pass, 4 pull. Now it was time for BayMar. As Larry commented, "I've felt pressure before, but this is unbelievable!" BayMar was jogged.
A little swing to the gate but he "looked good enough to go on". It was not a unanimious pass, so a vote had to be taken. First Judge, No , Second Judge "Can we see him trot again? Head Vet, Not allowed, all horses are judged in the exact same manner. Make your decisions on what you saw."
Begin the vote again. No, No, Yes, Yes, No, Yes, No-At this point my thought was "Gees, I've lost count, what is the vote?."
Seven pass, five pull. BayMar passed.
Throughout the ride each rider had a crew. Jeannie Waldron had her friend Sue Riggs and her husband Robin who also served as Team Veterinarian. Mike Marino had friends Melody Booth-Coull and Paul Ronio. Jeff Benjamin who was touring Europe joined his crew also. Viki had her husband Marky and her sister Athele Evans who came in from Hong Kong to help. Tom Sites had his son Michael and friend Larry Lewis from Kansas whom he'd known from the Great American Horse Race
We were also greatly helped by Mike Robinson and Jeff Cunduff both stationed in Germany with the Army who formed one crew. Mike has returned from Germany four times to compete in the Old Dominion Run. Curtis Hyatt, an American living in Germany and three of his friends, Ellen Reindl, Elke Leinsinger, and Peter Baunann formed 2 other crews. With the help of everyone, Mike Marino's comment, "We were covered like a blanket", was certainly true.
The Awards Ceremony went well, with the USA receiving their Gold Medals, Top Ten Finishers receiving trophies and the Team receiving the German Sterling Silver Plate. The ceremonies were followed by another great party of Bavarian keg beer, song and dance, dancing on the tables, singing German songs with all the riders intermingling.
1. Gaston Mercier France 20.22.54
2. Liz Finney Great Britain 20.24.53
3. Bernhard Dornsiepen Germany 20.27.16
4. Denis Pesce France 20.27.52
5. Magali Chambaud France 20.58.08
6. Dieter Hannes Germany 22.22.07
7. Val Long Great Britian 22.25.37
8. Jeannie Waldron USA 22.25.47
9. Mike Marino USA 22.25.48
10. Paul Bencze Switzerland 22.46.03
11. Joan Allen Great Britian 23.48.08
12. Idalina Graca Portugal 23.48.08
13. Pablo Amando las Heras Spain 00.07.45
14. Leon Feraille Belguim 00.39.06
15. Regine Middeldorf Germany 00.55.41
16. Tom Sites USA 01.28.33
17. Klemens Petersilka Austria 02.57.50
18. Tove Johansson Sweden 02.59.33
19. Jean Luc Marchal Belgium 03.01.15
20.Corinna Wahring Germany 03.01.15
21. Louise Hermelin Sweden 03.01.42
22. Michele Luxen Belgium 04.55.36
Individual Medals
Gold Gaston Mercier France
Silver Liz Finney Great Britian
Bronze Bernard Dornsiepen Germany
Team Medals
Gold USA Champions of Europe
Silver Belgium European Champions
Bronze France
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