The sheik behind the port deal

Economists, international experts say the backlash is rooted in anxiety that the U.S. is losing its top spot in the global economy, not in fear of terrorism

By Susan Chandler and Stephen Franklin, Tribune staff reporters. Tribune reporters Ameet Sachdev, Thomas A. Corfman, Becky Yerak, James P. Miller and Mike Hughlett, and The Associated Press contribute
Published February 26, 2006


He is an acclaimed poet. He is a world-class equestrian who favors endurance racing. He is an ardent believer in economic development from a country with close U.S. ties, a man who has built amazing hotels, shopping centers and office towers, transforming his tiny city-state into an international finance center and playground for jet-setters.

With his existing investments in U.S. hotels, Sun Belt apartments and health-care facilities, Dubai ruler Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum doesn't seem like the kind of foreign investor who would create a political uproar on Capitol Hill. But a proposed $6.8 billion deal by a state-owned Dubai company to take over operations at six U.S. ports has done exactly that.

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12-member team for Qatar Open

"12-member team for Qatar Open Championship

A TWELVE-MEMBER Bahrain national endurance team will head for Doha today to take part in the 120-km Qatar Open Endurance Championship schedule for tomorrow at the Seleen Racecourse.

The Bahraini riders represent three stables - Royal Endurance Team, Ahmed Al Fateh and Al Asayel. The Royal Endurance Team riders are veteran Khalid Al Ruwaie, Mohammed Abdulaziz, Abdulsamad brothers Mohammed and Ahmed, Jaffer Mirza and Raed Mahmood.

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USA: Granite Chief Distance Horse of the Year

TBR Granite Chief+/ Earns Distance Horse of the Year Award
Arabian horse TBR Granite Chief+/ (CF Sorcerer x MI Princessa), owned by Karen Chaton of Gardnerville, NV, has earned the 2005 Arabian Horse Association (AHA) Distance Horse of the Year Award.

The 10-year-old gelding was the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) National Mileage Champion in 2004 with 2,135 miles and has captured that title again in 2005 with 2,245 miles. He has accumulated 4,835 lifetime miles to date and is the only Arabian horse in this century to cover more than 2,000 miles in a single ride season, which he did in both 2004 and 2005.
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US: AERC Anual Conference Coming

The American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC), the national governing body for endurance riding in the United States, will hold its annual convention in Texas for the first time in 2006. The two-day program of seminars, informational meetings and a free trade show is set for February 24-25 at the Crowne Plaza Riverwalk in San Antonio.

Leading experts in equine health care and endurance-related fields will be featured at several seminar sessions. Other highlights of the AERC's convention will include a trade show featuring vendors from across the country. Regional awards will be presented at an evening reception on February 23, and the convention will culminate with AERC's national awards on the evening of February 25.

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UAE: Nasser wins President?s Cup Endurance Ride

By Amith Passela
17 February 2006

ABU DHABI ? Twentyfour-year-old Dubai policeman Nasser Abdulla Mohammed Al Marzouqi claimed the President?s Cup on Kaysand Farrazah from defending champion Marzooq Salem Al Marri on Ro-Fabiola here at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba yesterday.

Nasser?s first ever victory in seven years was also the first President?s Cup in seven attempts for owner His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The 2001 winner of the coveted title Hassan bin Ali, on Moonlight Princess, finished third ahead of Majed Mohammed Salman Al Sabri, Salem Rashed bin Ghadayer and Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

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EnduranceNet Coverage

UAE: President's Cup Victory

Abu Dhabi: Dubai policeman Naser Abdulla Mohammad Al Marzouqi came up with a live replay of a dream he had the night before to score a superb win in the 160-km endurance ride yesterday and lift the HH The President Cup yesterday.

Riding Kaysand Farrazah, a 10-year-old grey gelding owned by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice- President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Al Marzouqi completed the 160-km ride on a dry and dusty afternoon to realise his dream and also register his first career win in seven years.

Yesterday's prestigious President Cup ride at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba had attracted a strong field and was attended by Shaikh Mohammad, Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, and Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry.

Al Marzouqi, who completed the ride in 7 hrs 16 mins and 29secs, was followed home by the defending champion Marzooq Salem Al Merri on RoFabiola and the 2001 winner Hassan Bin Ali on Moonlight Prince.

"The night before the ride I had a dream that I had a good chance of winning," said the 24-year old who had finished fourth, third and fourth in his last three starts.

"The field was very strong but I had a good start. Then as the ride progressed, my horse looked in top condition. Just before the final two loops of the six-stage race I knew I could win the Cup," said Al Marzouqi, who has been riding since 1999.

He and Kaysand Farrazah, a horse trained by former UAE champion Mubarak Khalifa Bin Shafya, were always in the lead pack starting off in fourth place after the first 34kms and the next 32 kms. The pair then made a move to move into the second position after the third stage of 30 kms.

Al Marzouqi then took the lead after the fourth loop and after that, just kept building on that to finally win well.

His speed on the final loop touched 27.32 kmph but that effort could not better last year's President's Cup best of 7:02.21 set by Al Merri and Ro-Fabiola, the pair who finished second.

"I tried my best but the winning horse was very good," said Al Merri, who however managed to overtake the second-placed Hassan Bin Ali and finish behind the winner. The nine-year-old Ro-Fabiola, however, earned the Best Conditioned Horse award to make Al Wathba Stables proud.

Among the favourites, only Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, the reigning European Open champion, managed to do well with a sixth place finish on Nashmi as the former world champions, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Valerie Kanavy and Danielle McGuinus, failed to make an impact.

While Shaikh Ahmad made an exit after the third stage, the mother and daughter pair of Valerie and Danielle were out after the fourth stage as both their horses went lame.

Shaikh Hazza Bin Sultan Al Nahyan on Hachim was also unfortunate when the rider withdrew after the fifth stage just before the final 16km loop.

Yesterday's ride was sponsored by Dubai Waterfront, National Bank of Dubai and Omega.

Results

1. Naser Abdulla Mohammad Al Marzouqi (Kaysand Farrazah) 7hrs 16mins 29 secs

2. Marzooq Salem Al Merri (Ro-Fabiola) 7:22.40

3. Hassan Bin Ali (Moonlight Prince) 7:28.27

4. Majid Mohammad Salman Al Sabri (Zakah Zahara) 7:31.37

5. Salem Rashid Bin Ghadayer (Dalton Du Capimont) 7:33.07

6. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum (Nashmi) (7:33.08)

7. Jaume Punti Dachs-Spain- (Elvis Hab) 8:13.46

8. Khalifa Bin Ghailata (El Estande) 8:24.35

9. Udo von Schauroth-Namibia- (Barges) 8:27.36

10. Monica Comas Molist-Spain- (Janik An Triskell) 8:43:27

http://www.endurance.net/international/2006PresidentsCup/

Three former world champions set for President?s Cup race

By Our Sports Reporter

14 February 2006



ABU DHABI ? The President?s Cup endurance race on Thursday has drawn three former world champions and the cream of the local talent here at the Emirates International Endurance Village at Al Wathba.


Lining up for a slice of a whopping one-and-a-half-million-dirham are two times former world champion Valerie Kanavy and her world champion daughter Daniela from the US, and UAE?s own Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the 2002 world champion.

?The President?s Cup is Abu Dhabi flagship endurance ride and we have a field that befits the occasion,? said Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, member of the organising committee, in a Press conference here at the Armed Forces Officers Club yesterday.

?Besides the strong local entries are some of the distinguished foreign riders from the US, Australia and Europe, to make this race truly international. The President?s Cup is always a fiercely contested race and we are looking forward for another absorbing contest,? he added.

The FEI-CEI 160-kilometre race jointly sponsored by Omega, National Bank of Dubai and Dubai Waterfront for a combined purse of Dh 2 million has already drawn nearly 100 entries from the leading stables around the Emirates and from abroad.

Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum spearheads the Dubai challenge with his younger brother and 2002 world champion Shaikh Ahmed, alongside Hassan bin Ali, winner in 2001.

Shaikh Hamdan was sixth in the inaugural race in 2000 and was runner up two years later behind Shareef Mohammed Abdulla Al Bloushi, who won the President?s Cup twice on the trot.

Abdulla Khamis Ali Saeed won the inaugural race for the Al Reef Stables won in 2000 and since then Al Wathba Stables has retained the trophy, won twice by Bloushi, and then Abdul Rahim Al Jenaibi and Marzooq Salem Al Marri. Colonel Hussain Mohammed Hussain, secretary general of the UAE Equestrian Federation, said event has grown in stature internationally.

?The President?s Cup is not only the most prestigious race in Abu Dhabi but the premier endurance event in the country. The competition obviously brings out the best of both, the rider and horse,? he said.

The sponsors? representatives Yousef Khoury of Omega, Ali Al Kaitoub of National Bank of Dubai and Ammar Sinan of Dubai Waterfront, endorsed their continued support for the sport.

The President?s Cup for Junior and Young riders run over 80 kilometres will be held in the following day at Boudthib Endurance Village

Prince Rides in Junior Young Rider Presidents Cup - UAE

Prince Abdul Hamid Mohammed Al Saleh, the son of Princess Alia Bint Hussein of Jordan, rode in the Sh Saeed bin Hamdan Qualifier. He now plans to ride in the Junior Young Riders Presidents Cup to be held at Boudthib on February 17th.

Prince Abdul received his pre ride training at Wrsan Farm by the invitation of HH Sh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister. The five day course conducted by Dr Marcello Grilo encompassed all aspects of endurance training. The essential factor of the course was the hands on experience that the young Prince under took.

The resident head farrier at Wrsan Lauret Deury assisted by Ferran Llagostera and Herve Gilles, demonstrated how the horse shoes were made and explained the different types of shoes. Prince Abdul guided by Lauret made a horse shoe which he proudly showed to Sh Sultan who kept a close eye on his progress. Another task he performed was rasping teeth assisted by Dr Marcello who gave a very detailed lectured on this subject. . Dr Navaldo explained the work of the veterinary clinic and introduced him to the equipment and explained the diagnostic x-rays.

Well before sunrise Prince Abdul joined race horse trainer Jaci Wickham to watch the horses exercise on the track. He was particularly impressed with Tronasonic who had just won two races within a week. Armed with a packet of polos they were soon best friends.

Wrsan's premier Arabian Stallion Monarch AH was the star of the swimming pool as he leapt in with great enthusiasm before the Prince helped swim one of the endurance horses. The Prince enjoyed an in depth conversation with the stud Manager Deidre Hyde ,one area in which the young Prince had abundant knowledge, as his mother Princess Alia is a leading breeder and top international judge of Arabian horses. Other aspects of the course covered feeding, stable management, and quarantine procedures .

Tevis rider's rhymes reflect joy of the trail

An equestrian for 75 years and part of the Tevis Cup since 1961, Dick Barsaleau has his poems on endurance riding, cowboys and horses in print, with proceeds benefiting the Robie Foundation. Photo by Ben Furtado/Auburn Journal


Proceeds from recently published book to benefit Robie Foundation

By: Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer
Sunday, February 5, 2006 11:12 PM PST

LOOMIS - Long known for his humorous poems about endurance riding, cowboys and other aspects of the equestrian experience, Tevis Cup 100-mile endurance ride veteran Dick Barsaleau had collected the best of what he calls his "rhymes and jingles" into book form.

Barsaleau, who turned 80 in August, is pleasantly surprised with the reception his book has received since it was published by Auburn Printers two weeks ago. More than 200 copies have been sold, mostly to equestrians. Orders are coming in from across the United States and Canada.

Barsaleau's poems range from odes to Auburn as endurance capital to several done in the French-Canadian patois.

"I call them rhymes and jingles instead of poems," Barsaleau said. "Poems formalize words and that can scare people."

"View From Riders Rest" pulls together 85 of Barsaleau's poems. Written over a 40-year period, many were kept in a dog-eared binder that the well-respected veterinarian and longtime Loomis resident would break out for readings when cowboy poets or horse lovers would get together.

Auburn Printers co-owner Merrill Kagan-Weston said she heard Barsaleau read at a Tevis Cup event and called him later to suggest that he put his poems together in book form.

Working with Barbara Jacinto of BJ Design, Kagan-Weston and Barsaleau published 1,000 copies of "View From Riders Rest," with the goal of donating all proceeds to the Wendell and Inez Robie Foundation. The foundation preserves trails and endurance riding history.

"I liked listening to Dick read and I enjoyed the book as well," Kagan-Weston said. "He's pretty entertaining."

On a recent visit to Barsaleau's rural Loomis home, with five endurance horses running free over his spacious "back 40," the author recounted his early experiences with Tevis Cup pioneer Wendell Robie and his own rich life around horses and riding.

Born in Massachusetts, Barsaleau was schooled in horsemanship by his father, a trick rider who taught his son to ride astride two horses at once, with separate reins.

"We put a lot of rosin on our sneakers," Barsaleau said.

His father was also a member of the U.S. Cavalry during the 1910s.

"I grew up hearing tales of chasing Pancho Villa on the American border," Barsaleau said. "They never caught up with him but they wore out a lot of horses trying."

A Marine in World War II, Barsaleau set out for Colorado after peace was declared, breaking horses, pitching hay and picking up a veterinary degree. While Parkinson's Disease has kept him from riding this past year, he can still touch a horse and that's good enough for riders to continue to ask advice from a horse doctor they fondly refer to as Doctor B.

Barsaleau was practicing in Visalia when he first got an invitation to judge the fitness of horses and riders at the Tevis Cup ride in 1961. Over the years, he's judged rides in 33 states, as well as Canada and Australia. The Tevis ride had been founded in 1955, with equestrians taking their horses along a mountain course from Squaw Valley to Auburn once used by settlers and gold seekers. Wendell Robie, a lumber company owner from Auburn, spurred the success of the ride in its early days and soon knew the straight-shooting ride judge well.

"I pulled him the first year - it made me infamous," Barsaleau said. "But he came up late and shook my hand - said 'You're right, he's lame.'"

In the 1960s, Barsaleau played a key role in establishing the standards that continue to be in place that protect the horse from overzealous riders.

"I have the dubious distinction of making the rules to eliminate the risks," Barsaleau said. "A lot of riders lost their cool, lost their sense of judgment and became competitive."

The Tevis Cup marked its 50th anniversary last year. Barsaleau continues to stay involved as governor emeritus of the Western States Trail Foundation. Beginning in 1964, Barsaleau was a rider in 16 Tevis Cup events, finishing 14 times on nine horses. His best finish was seventh in 1967. By 1978, he was able to join his friend, Wendell Robie, in the elite of endurance riding, having finished his 10th Tevis. At the time, he was the 10th rider to reach the 1,000-mile club. Now there are more than 50.

Barsaleau's poetry attests to his lifetime as horse owner, breeder, trainer and judge.

"I've been a student of horses for 75 years and I'm still learning," Barsaleau said.

Quilty to be world's biggest endurance ride

february 6, 2006

It's the toughest horse race in Australia and this year it will be the biggest event of its kind in the world. The punishing 160km-long classic, the Tom Quilty Gold Cup, to be held in Boonah, South East Queensland in June, is expected to attract a field of more than 350 riders from around the world. Together with their entourages, they're expected to swell the local population by 5000.

Competitors will fly in from the Middle East, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the USA and Europe to test themselves alongside the Aussies, who are ranked world-first with more international medals to their name than any other country.

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