Bahrain: Shaikh Khalid makes strong comeback

SHAIKH Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa's horse Kheopsy Du Pilat was awarded 'Best Condition' trophy after Bahrain Dukeries Ride held at Thoresby Park near Nottingham, in the UK.

Having finished third in the main race which was over 160km, the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation first vice-president made a strong comeback to international competitions and came close towards taking the title.

Shaikh Khalid was congratulated on this award by Breef president and captain of the team Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa who came second overall in this challenging FEI race which was a qualifier for this year's World Championship to be held in Malaysia in November.

Shaikh Khalid expressed delight for taking part in this annual championship which was their first of many races as part of their training camp in Europe to prepare for the World Championship.

The 160km race, sponsored by the Bahrain Royal Stables, consisted of six stages, starting with 40km for the first stage, 30km for the second and third besides 20km for the fourth, fifth and sixth stages.

The event also featured other distances including a 120km race which was won by Bahraini rider Ahmed Abdulla after a fierce battle with top riders from the UAE, UK and Europe.

The other Bahrainis who took part in the race were Shaikh Talal, the Bahrain Athletics Association president, Yousif Taher, Jaffer Mirza and Abdulrahman Al Saad who were either eliminated or had to quit during the race stages.

Gulf Daily News