archives
02/01/2003 - 03/01/200303/01/2003 - 04/01/2003
04/01/2003 - 05/01/2003
05/01/2003 - 06/01/2003
06/01/2003 - 07/01/2003
07/01/2003 - 08/01/2003
08/01/2003 - 09/01/2003
09/01/2003 - 10/01/2003
10/01/2003 - 11/01/2003
02/01/2004 - 03/01/2004
03/01/2004 - 04/01/2004
04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004
05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004
06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004
07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004
08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004
09/01/2004 - 10/01/2004
10/01/2004 - 11/01/2004
11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004
12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005
01/01/2005 - 02/01/2005
02/01/2005 - 03/01/2005
03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005
04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005
05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005
06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005
07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005
08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005
09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005
10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005
11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005
12/01/2005 - 01/01/2006
01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006
02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006
03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006
04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006
05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006
06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006
07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006
08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006
09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006
10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006
11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006
12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007
01/01/2007 - 02/01/2007
02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007
03/01/2007 - 04/01/2007
04/01/2007 - 05/01/2007
05/01/2007 - 06/01/2007
06/01/2007 - 07/01/2007
07/01/2007 - 08/01/2007
08/01/2007 - 09/01/2007
09/01/2007 - 10/01/2007
10/01/2007 - 11/01/2007
11/01/2007 - 12/01/2007
12/01/2007 - 01/01/2008
01/01/2008 - 02/01/2008
02/01/2008 - 03/01/2008
03/01/2008 - 04/01/2008
04/01/2008 - 05/01/2008
05/01/2008 - 06/01/2008
06/01/2008 - 07/01/2008
07/01/2008 - 08/01/2008
Australia: Riding to Victory
Add Your CommentsBlayney Chronicle
18/07/2008 10:24:00 AM
Dianne Luker (right) and Anabriar Khaboul cross the finish line in style after a grueling 160Dianne Luker truly beat the odds, battling night blindness and a last minute call up, to take out the 2008 Horseland NSW State Championship endurance ride on Anabriar Khaboul.
Anabriar Khaboul?s Wellington based owner and rider, Peter Cooper, was recovering from heart surgery and thus unable to compete in the grueling 160 kilometre event and called upon Luker to ride in his stead, a choice that proved successful.
Luker had ridden Anabriar Khaboul previously and was on the horse, ready for the 2am start at Manilla, north of Tamworth, along with the race?s 85 other entrants.
?I had ridden the horse earlier in its career but it is 10 times the horse it was then,? Luker said.
?He?s just an awesome horse.?
It wasn?t easy going for Luker either, as the experienced endurance rider suffers from night blindness.
It made the early start in the race difficult.
?Friends of mine are aware of my poor night vision and there is always someone to stay with me during the dark,? Luker said.
The horse was a favourite going into the race and didn?t disappoint, with Luker crossing the finish line holding hands with Stuart Hitchcock to signify that the race finished in a tie in a time of 10 hours and nine minutes.
Hitchcock, on the horse Farras, had caught up at the end of the fourth stage and the two riders agreed to finish in equal first, with Luker winning the lightweight division and Hitchcock the heavyweight.
Both horses were deemed the fittest in their divisions by the vet panel.
Luker said it was not unusual for two horses to tie the race because the motto for endurance racing is ?to complete is to win?.
?The ride organisers did not want a gallop finish, as it could be dangerous and a bit rude to ask a horse to do that after he had taken a person 160 kilometres,? Luker said.
Endurance riding involves five stages over 160 kilometres with a one hour rest and vet check betweens stages.
[More ...]
