Dubai: Endurance City hosts weekend rides

Gulfnews.com

Region's best riders to compete in final round of Giants Endurance Challenge

Staff Report
February 26, 2010



Dubai: This will be a busy weekend for endurance riders with two rides scheduled to be held at Dubai International Endurance City (DIEC).

The ECN 90km Endurance Ride for Ladies will take place Friday, and will run over four loops.

Tomorrow, some of the best riders in the UAE will compete in the final round of the Giants Endurance Challenge, a CEI three star ride over 160km. It is the third and final round in the challenge which started in Abu Dhabi, then continued in Bahrain.

Throughout this challenge, the participants have been accumulating points, as the rider and horse with the most will be the overall winner. This ride has a reputation of attracting the region's best, and is restricted to riders whose body weight is 75kgs without a saddle. The ride will consists of six loops: red, blue, yellow, green, pink and white and the first inspection will take place today from 3pm to 5pm.

General Manager of the Dubai Equestrian Club, Ali Mousa Al Khamiri said: "We are very grateful to Abu Dhabi and Bahrain to give us the honour of hosting the final round of the Giants Endurance Challenge here at Dubai International Endurance City, and we would like to thank Abu Dhabi and Bahrain for their participation. We also expect this ride to be a very tough one due to the higher FEI Rating and the longer distance."

"We are truly grateful to His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who has been a key role in supporting all equestrian sports and Endurance in particular through the years.