HP Endurance Manager Ursula Keenan and HP Endurance Squad member Ashley Cole are heading to the FEI Endurance World Championships test event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where you can be sure they’ll be gathering as much info as possible.  Ashley has secured a ride for the CEI2* 120km while Ursula will be there to look through chef d’equipe eyes.  

Ashley Cole & HP Endurance Manager Ursula Keenan. File Photo.

The test event is being held in Al Ula, 1000km northwest of Riyadh, where next year’s World Championships will be hosted. The terrain is as stunning as it is challenging. “It will be great to get a rider’s perspective on what is guaranteed to be a very testing track,” says Ursula. “I will be focused on logistics and exploring the easiest route for our horses’ welfare and preparation for the event.”  All national federations have been invited to the test event but it is unclear how many will be fielding riders. “It will be vital to tap into experienced people’s information too, as it will help New Zealand build a strong team and plan for the main event next year,” says Ursula.

New Zealand Endurance aims to have a team of five at the 2026 World Championships with the goal of a team completion – just the top three times count. There are already four combinations qualified for the Championships – two offshore and two in New Zealand. This week’s test event will be run over the course they hope to use for the Championships. The 160km CEI 3* will be six loops, with both the CEI1* and 2* four loops, with horses inspected between each to ensure they are healthy enough to continue.

Ashley is currently based in Dubai with all her focus on making the team for the Championships. She’s rapt to be competing at the test event. “I think it is critical to get a look at the track and feel the different terrain,” says Ashley. “Being on a horse and understanding what is underneath it is key. This will be key for our campaign for the Worlds.”

Her training in Dubai has been invaluable. “It’s been great training here because you get a real feel for the different texture of sand and depth, but to be able to go to Al Ula is amazing. I feel very blessed to get a horse that looks nice for a completion. It’s great to spend some time with the chef too.”

The test event is being run at exactly the same time of year as next year’s Championships, giving attendees a real feel for what the temperatures will likely be –between 15-29 degrees Celsius. Weather in the Middle East is generally consistent from year to year. “This will all make us so much more effective at the Championships.” Ashley says it is all the little things that add up to make a big impact on a team’s campaign. “It’s those 1% things,” she says. That included what kinds of shoes the horse will need, and learning the local etiquette which Ashley says is also very important. “This will be another opportunity to talk to other riders who have ridden the track many times.”

Ashley says she is grateful to be riding through the stunning valleys and rock formations for the test event. “It is going to be the type of scenery that will make your jaw drop to the floor – I want to be able to experience that beauty and soak it all in so that during the actual Championships I will just be focused on my job, my horse and may team rather than gawking around going, ‘wow, wow, wow’.”

Ashley Cole out competing. File Photo.

She’s “super excited” to be flying the New Zealand flag at the test event. “It sends shivers up my spine just thinking about it! I feel incredibly proud.” She knows it will be a tough test event, given she’s on a horse she barely knows, but she’s hopeful she can gather as much information as possible for herself and the rest of team to ensure make a real difference come 2026.

By Diana Dobson – HP Media Liaison
Photos supplied
28th November 2025