Bahrain: Endurance team championship set

Gulf-daily-news.com

January 06, 2012

THE Breef Endurance Ride Team Championship, is scheduled for tomorrow at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir.

Organised by the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef), the ride is the third event in the 2011/12 season and will feature a team competition.

It will feature two rides, the first of which is the main ride and will cover 120km. An 80km qualifier will also take place on the sidelines of the main event.

Tomorrow's rides will be held under the patronage of federation president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

The 120km ride, which begins at 6am, is open for horses aged six and above, with a minimum weight of 75kg and a maximum heat rate of 64 beats per minute, while minimum speed should be 12km per hour.

It's been divided into five stages - 30km each for the first and second, 20km for the third, 20km for the fourth and 20km for the fifth.

In the 80km event, due to commence at 6.15am, the organisers approved three stages. The first stage is over 30km, to be followed by another 30km for the second, while the third and final stage will cover 20km distance.

Riders should be at least 14 years old to participate. The maximum heat rate is 64bmp with a minimum allowed is 70kg and also 12km minimum speed average required.

The veterinary examination for both rides are scheduled for today from 3pm to 5pm at the veterinary area in the village.

The awarding ceremony will be held at 1.30pm on a purpose-built stage at the village, where the top three teams will be honoured.

Following this weekend's ride, the federation will continue preparations for His Majesty the King's Cup ride, the main event of the endurance season, that will take place on February 4.

It will be followed by the Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa Ride on February 18. The Breef Championship will then take place on March 2.

The following event on the Breef calendar will be His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Cup night ride on April 6, while the End of the Season Ride will be held on April 5.