Malaysia: Agong Launches First Endurance Club In Penang

Enduranceridingforum.com

June 25 2011

GEORGE TOWN, June 25 (Bernama) -- Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Saturday declared open the Al-Khamsa Endurance Club in Taman Perbandaran Pulau Pinang here.

The King arrived at the club about 9.10am before heading to a ribbon-cutting ceremony and touring the stable.

He was accompanied by Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the president of the club, A. Mutalib Ismail.

Tuanku Mizan spent about an hour touring the stable and watching a horse show before proceeding to join Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah for a Penang Hill trip.

Also on the train ride for a picturesque view of George Town and its surrounding area from the hill top were Abdul Rahman, his wife Toh Puan Majimor Shariff, and Lim and his wife, Betty Chew Gek Cheng.

Later, the Yang Dipertua Negeri hosted lunch for the royal couple at Seri Mutiara before the King and Queen departed to Terengganu at about 4.20pm.

The Al-Khamsa, the first endurance club in the state, was built recently on about 0.8-hectare of land and the stable can house up to 30 horses.

Mutalib said he had spent over RM600,000 to build the club which currently housed 18 Arabian horses from Australia, Russia and Poland.

"I thank His Majesty for launching the club and I hope it will be a stepping stone for Penang to produce its first endurance rider for the Malaysia Games," he told reporters after the launching ceremony.

He said previously, the state had no representative in the endurance racing competition at the Games while the other states had.

"Our main objective is to produce endurance riders and hopefully within the next two years, we will be able to train a few riders for the competition."

Mutalib said the club would be in full operation within the next two weeks and the public, especially children, were welcomed to join.

-- BERNAMA