Malaysia: The King rides into second place

NST.com.my - Full Article

2010/06/28
Zainuddin Muhammad
nstsport@nst.com.my

YANG di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin led Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable (RTES) Team One to second place in the Malaysia-Thailand Endurance Trophy tournament at Terengganu International Endurance Park in Lembah Bidong, Setiu, yesterday.

The King, astride 12-year-old gelding Jakim Murphy, completed the 80km race in 5:04:41s, while his son Tengku Muhammad Ismail, the Regent of Terengganu, crossed the finish line on eight-year-old gelding RTES Smith in 4:56:15s. Two other team members -- Tengku Seri Temenggong Tengku Baharuddin Sultan Mahmud and Nor Nadia Badrul Hisham -- clocked 4:56:14s and 4:56:20s respectively to make it a one-two finish in the team event for RTES. RTES Team Two, comprising Pailin Sungkit, Rai Mundo, Mohd Bulkhari Rozali and Jeffree Zainuddin, accumulated the fastest total riding time of 17:05:52s to emerge champions for the second time after winning the first edition in Pattaya in March. In the individual category, Tengku Mahkota Kelantan (TMK) team's Rostam Mohd Nor and Mohd Azizie Ismail shone in the 80km endurance challenge. Rostam, riding 10-year-old gelding Janor Kappa, claimed top spot after completing the race in 3:56:20s while runner-up Mohd Azizie, astride nine-year-old gelding Texas, was three minutes and 14 seconds slower in completing all four loops. Terengganu's endurance star Abdul Rahman Muhammad, who won gold in the recent Malaysia Games, could only manage third place for State of Terengganu Endurance Team (STET) on his 14-year-old gelding, Idefix A'Auradelle. Fifty-three riders took part in the 80km category but only 37 completed the race.