A 160km Endurance track stretches through picturesque countryside. Teams of horses and riders steadily progress through the course, stopping every 20 or 30km for a mandatory veterinary inspection and rest period.

The Endurance competition is the culmination of years of effort though. It’s also about love – for the horse, the partnership the rider forms with the horse, and the sport. André Vidiz is a second-generation Endurance competitor from a family steeped in the traditions of the sport and the thrill of adventure. He’s established his own name in international Endurance competitions though, representing Brazil in numerous events over the years and consistently appearing in the World rankings.

Through Endurance, athletes and horses explore a variety of terrains and locations while being tested by the course and its natural elements. Surmounting the challenges presented by the course – distance, weather, and other variables – makes crossing the finish line with a completion a sweet victory, no matter the standing amongst the other competitors.

André Vidiz with Mágico Endurance. Photo Cidinha Franzão

Vidiz started riding Endurance at age six – as the navigator for his father. The sport was new to Brazil, and his father began competing and loved the discipline.

“The courses were imposed speed without any marking on the track; you just received a map and had to find your way. It was very challenging to do so at the correct pace, so my father would take me with him for help. I used to search for the track, and he would control our rhythm,”Vidiz said.

Endurance competitions have evolved since then, and Vidiz has represented Brazil at events across the globe, from Bahrain to Italy, and many locations in between. His achievements include a third at the FEI Young Horse Endurance Championship in 2009 with Mágico Endurance and Team silver (and a ninth-place Individual finish) at the 2021 World Endurance Championships on Chambord Endurance.

Photo Santiago Faux

The sport remains part of the family too; with Vidiz riding his uncle, Leo Steinbruch’s horses, and his cousins Eli and Isabela are also riding. Endurance begins with selecting young horses, and carefully guiding their training and development, if they are inclined toward the sport.

“My family has an Endurance horse breeding farm (Haras Endurance), so at four years old we select which horses we will train,” Vidiz said. “As I rode almost all the stallions and mares in courses in the past, I already know what to expect from each one. From that point I focus on their temperament because that will make all the difference in the future.”

Training happens over a long time period, at slow paces, to fully develop the horse. Horses have individualised training schedules and will compete at local events to earn a certificate of capability long before heading to an international competition. Horses must love the sport of Endurance as much as their riders to be successful.

“I think the most important part is to build a solid career for the horse,” Vidiz said. “When you have an experienced and healthy horse, you can just do a lot of low intensity preparation and just a few canter sessions before the course and he will be ready for the competition.”

This strategy works, as is evidenced by the athlete’s continued success with his horses over multiple years. The long-game training approach means that horses and athletes are looking forward years in advance and carefully building their careers toward specific events. “I finally have my horses in Europe, so I'm looking forward to competing in the most important courses in France and in the FEI World Championship next year,” he said.

Europe hosts many FEI events throughout the year, allowing athletes and their horses to train and compete at the highest levels. The FEI World Championships were traditionally held every two years, but the 2022 event was postponed. It will now take place at the world-renowned Boudheib International Endurance Village in the UAE from February 20-26. While these scheduling changes present additional challenges in preparing horses, adaptability has always been a hallmark of this discipline.

Through it all, the horses remain the best part of the sport for the athletes. “For sure it's the relationship you build with your horse after spending the whole day together, overcoming all kinds of adversities. It's the feeling you get when you cross the finish line of a 160kms course knowing you and the horse formed a single being,” Vidiz concludes.

Words by Stacey Stearns