UAE: Endurance races are an experience like no other

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Many reasons why long-distance riding events can enthuse the whole community

By Leslie Wilson Jr, Racing & Special Features Writer
Published: 14:58 December 6, 2012

While the UAE flat racing season is briskly moving through the gears, it’s encouraging to see that the endurance calendar is also flowing into a pattern with a regular series of rides.

I guess if you love horse-related sports, you can’t but be attracted to the sport that has charmed almost every aspiring horseman and woman.

But have you ever wondered what makes these long, arduous rides on horseback so appealing?

It is something that people ask me all the time, and I’m afraid it’s a question that I have never been able to answer well enough. It’s not that I myself am not convinced of the sport’s merits, as endurance riding is not something to be taken lightly — it requires meticulous and demanding preparation and dedication.

The thing I like about the sport is that it is infectious and can be a lot of fun. Every time a ride takes place, you can feel the buzz and the whole endurance site become a hub of activity. Everybody gets involved — the trainers, helpers, officials, medics. It’s like a community thing and something that you don’t really see in other sports. The emotions that flow from one individual to another are quite amazing...

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