LONG-DISTANCE EXPERTS: Shelagh Bunn and Natalie Drummond with their endurance horses.

EIGHT years ago Shelagh Bunn was having an unenviable problem with her Arab gelding.

Although he had a good jump, Flying Colours was reluctant to turn or stop and riding was becoming increasingly hazardous.

"We went back to basics and he still kept acting like a loony. But I didn't want to give up on him," said Bunn.

It was then that the 37-year-old Southampton horsewoman discovered endurance riding - and she has never loooked back.

Flying Colours - like many full and part bred Arabs - excelled. Sadly, he has since been put down after an unrelated illness. But Bunn has been top of the British endurance riding scene ever since.

Along with her 28-year-old neice, Natalie Drummond and their four Arab horses, Bunn has had ongoing success, culminating this year in short listing for the British intermediate team to ride an 80-mile endurance test against other nations in France.

Three of Bunn's horses have been flagged up for the event in July. They are the Arab chestnut gelding Phylka and the Arab grey mares Asmaa Bint Al Shamsa and Princess Kassandra.

Princess Kassandra and Phylka became gold standard endurance horses last year when Phylka was one of only ten horses to finish the notoriously gruelling Golden Horseshoe on Exmoor. Princess Kassandra takes part in the Exmoor event this year and is expected to make a great impact Asmaa achieved gold standrad in 1996. A year later she was placed fourth in her first ever race ride. She entered the British team selection list following success in a 60-mile race ride at Cirencester against a host of international competitors.

Endurance riding is the fastest growing equine sport and it is pushing for Olympic recognition. Bunn and Drummond and their team of Arab horses are more than likely to bring international success to Britain.

Their punishing schedule is proof that they mean business. "The horses always come first in endurance riding, with an absolute emphasis on the horse's fitness before, during and after events. "Our training is careful, with four weeks of walking, four weeks of trotting and a month of cantering at intervals to build the horses up. Whatever distance we are looking at doing in an event, we try to do ten miles longer in daily training," explained Bunn.

"But the Golden Horseshoe at Exmoor was a shock to the system. We had done all our training on the forest and we just weren't used to the hills. Now we go on special trips to Exmoor to practice that hill work."

Bunn also has to keep fit. She swims twice a week at Oaklands in Southampton. "To be successful you must have a really good partnership with your horse so that you know when to push on and when to rest.

"Your back-up crew is also vital. You need support all the way," she said.

Bunn and Drummond, who keep their horses in Romsey, will be at the Golden Horseshoe from this Saturday until Tuesday of next week. May 15 to May 18.

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