UAE: Private Stables Ride

www.endurance.net/international/UAE/2026CrownPrinceofDubaiEnduranceFestival

March 31 2026

Consistency key to a stunning win for Al Marri and SM Private Stables

Consistency in sport is pivotal and Fatma Jassem Al Marri turned up a shining example of it when ensuring a facile victory for SM Private Stables in the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival’s Private Stables competition.

The 120 km event witnessed Al Marri make consistent leaps up the leaderboard on the back of Celebryta to bring herself to within striking distance, and then crank up the heat aboard her 12-year-old to win rather comfortably ahead of the rest of her rivals.

Al Marri and Celebryta completed the four-loop ride in four hours 14 minutes and 50 seconds (4:14:50), recording an average speed of 28.25 kph over the 120 km distance.

Finishing second, 32 seconds in arrears, were Ebraheim Ali Sabeel and Farzibus Cabirat, representing MAB Stables, who were timed at 4:15:22, while a distant third were SS Private Stables pair of Suhail Ali Al Ghailani and SW Kulmaalif, who were clocked at 4:19:12.

The Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival is held in honour of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

The ride began with Abdulla Abdulaziz Al Tawash and Full Options Niellans (SS Endurance Stables) seizing the initiative at the end of the first loop spanning 40 kms, with Al Marri and her mount placed 16th. The latter began her ascent during the second loop spanning 35 kms, and climbed up five spots to reach 11th even as Al Tawash ceded the advantage to his SS Endurance Stables teammate Saif Juma Al Beljafla, who rode JM Jadjmili.

Al Marri made further progress during the third loop running over 25 kms and yanked herself up five spots to reach sixth going into the final loop. At the same time, Beljafla held on to his spot at the top of the summit. Going into the final loop over 20 kms, Al Marri was 5 min 37 sec behind leader Beljafla and knew she had to go full throttle to have a chance of winning.

And Al Marri pushed hard during the course of the final phase, revving her mount and sending Celebryta flying at a pace that was nearly 8 kph quicker than the previous loop.

The end result was simply stunning as Al Marri and Celebryta ran home victorious with 32 seconds separating them from their second placed Emirati compatriots Ebraheim.

Ahmed Rashid Al Kaabi, General Manager of Dubai Equestrian Club, presented the winners with their trophies.

The Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival comprises four rides and began on 23 March with the 120 km Ladies Ride won by ABH Stables’ Sara Hasan Ahmed on Wayward. The festival resumed after a bout of inclement weather with the Al Yamamah Cup for Mares on 30 March, an event won narrowly by M7 Endurance Stables after Hamdan Ahmad Al Mansoori’s success in the saddle aboard SW Jashfiya AA 50.

The Festival continues with the 120 km Private Stables Ride tomorrow followed by the main event, the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup on Wednesday, 1 April.

UAE: Yamamah Cup for Mares

www.endurance.net/international/UAE/2026CrownPrinceofDubaiEnduranceFestival

March 30 2026

Al Mansoori and SW Jashfiya AA 50 hold their nerve to win Al Yamamah Cup

The 2026 Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival resumed at Dubai International Endurance City in Seeh Al Salam on Monday with M7 Endurance Stables recording a narrow victory in the Al Yamamah Cup for Mares courtesy of a textbook perfect ride by Hamdan Ahmad Al Mansoori aboard SW Jashfiya AA 50.

The Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival is held in honour of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

Al Mansoori and his 10-year-old mount went through the motions with absolute calm to claim one of the biggest prizes of their career after completing the ride in four hours 18 minutes and 18 seconds (4:18:18), having posted an average speed of 27.87 kph. The pair were fifth going into the fourth and final loop of the 120 km ride - the farthest they had dropped from the lead - but having calculated precisely when to strike, Al Mansoori and his mount launched a perfectly timed fight to overhaul their rivals and win by three seconds. Finishing second were F3 Stables pair of Rashed Mohamed Al Mehairi and Beduina Christiana, who were timed at 4:18:21.

Rounding off the podium was another pair from M7 Endurance Stables - Fares Ahmad Al Mansoori and his partner SW Jorka, who were a further second behind at 4:18:22. Hamdan and his mount SW Jashfiya AA 50 began the day posting the second best time during the first loop over 40 kms and were three seconds behind Alazem Stables pair of Hamad Mohammed Al Shamsi and Beduina Caroline. And while Al Shamsi and his partner managed to hold on to the lead over the second loop spanning 35 kms, Hamdan and SW Jashfiya AA 50 dropped two spots as they planned forward with tactics that would serve them well during the second half of the race.

The third loop over 25 kms witnessed a change of guard at the summit with Hamdan’s teammates Saif Juma Beljafla and Explosive De Venelles unseating Al Shamsi and Beduina Caroline.

Hamdan had dropped a further spot during the third loop and was placed fifth going into the final loop spanning 20 kms. He was staring at a 40 second deficit, but he knew SW Jashfiya AA 50 had plenty of fuel left and was not going to be the one running on fumes during the sprint phase of the event.

And so it was that after Hamdan asked for an effort, his mount obliged with a kick that eventually took the pair three seconds clear of the rest and to a nervous but well- deserved victory.

Al Mehairi did well to finish second. Having started the day in 12th, he moved up to 10th and then eighth before working harder to settle for silver. It was a rather up and down affair for third placed Al Mansoori, who began the day at fourth, climbed up to third and then dropped six places to ninth before returning to take third on the podium. Ahmed Rashid Al Kaabi, General Manager of Dubai Equestrian Club, presented the winners with their trophies.

The Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Festival comprises four rides and began on 23 March with the 120 km Ladies Ride won by ABH Stables’ Sara Hasan Ahmed on Wayward.

The Festival continues with the 120 km Private Stables Ride tomorrow followed by the main event, the Dubai Crown Prince Endurance Cup on Wednesday, 1 April.

Wales: Man versus Horse Race in Llanwrtyd Wells secures sponsor

CountyTimes.co.uk - Full Article

23 March 2026
By Josh Price

One of Wales’ quirkiest endurance events has secured a new headline sponsor for its 45th year.

Cambrian Training Company and its sister business Trailhead Fine Foods, a leading Welsh work-based learning provider and snack manufacturer, will back the iconic Man versus Horse Race in Llanwrtyd Wells for its 45th running on Saturday, June 13.

The 22-mile race will see runners and horse riders compete across tarmac roads, farm and forestry tracks, open moorland, bridleways, and rivers, climbing up to 4,000ft.

This year introduces a brand new course and GPS tracking...

Read more here:
https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/25960218.man-versus-horse-race-llanwrtyd-wells-secures-sponsor/

‘A bond like no other’: farewell to horse Dilmun who represented Britain and completed extraordinary feats

HorseAndHound.co.uk - Full Article

Eleanor Jones
22 March, 2026 17:52

The owner and rider of a horse who twice represented Britain and completed extraordinary feats of endurance has paid tribute to his character and their bond after his death aged 27.

Annie Joppe’s Arab Dilmun, with whom she contested the 2009 European Championships and 2014 World Equestrian Games (WEG), had spent a happy retirement with Annie, being pampered, loved and bossing the yard until the end.

“He was a star,” Annie told H&H.

But Annie nearly did not buy Dilmun at all; she said she first saw him advertised as a five-year-old, thought he looked good and went to see him.

“I went to try him, agreed to buy him and had the most terrible journey,” she said. “He wouldn’t load, it was awful, so he went back as I’d only had him on trial.

“Then, a year later, a friend of mine said ‘I’ve got this horse for sale’ and it turned out to be him. It was quite freaky really; I didn’t know she’d bought him.”

Annie said natural horsemanship techniques helped Dilmun learn to load happily, and “after that, he was brilliant”...

Read more here:
https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/endurance/farewell-dilmun-annie-joppe-918978

Endurance in Sardinia: the 2026 season kicks off in Abbasanta

CavalloMagazine.it - Full Story

The 2026 endurance season in Sardinia kicked off at Tanca Regia: 42 starters, women's victories in Cen B, and young horses and promising newcomers taking the lead.

17 March 2026

The 2026 Endurance season has started at the Asvi facilities in Tanca Regia in Abbasanta with the 1st stage of the Asvi Young Horses Circuit , 1st stage of the Sardinian Championship.

A total of 42 participants took part in the event organized by the Agency for the Development and Promotion of Horse Racing (ASVI), which invests €9 in prize money for each race in the Young Horses Trophy. The day was supported by the Italian Equestrian Federation (FISE).

To impose itself in the Cen B, the category on the longest distance (81 km) was Maria Giovanna Mulas on Anglo-Arab Erula Lady AA.

Behind his back Marica Anna Marras su She of the Ma who won the Best Condition both in the Asvi and Fise classifications, that is, the classification that takes into account the horse's best physical condition at the end of the race...

Read more here:
https://www.cavallomagazine.it/en/sport-equestri/endurance-sardegna-abbasanta-stagione-2026-asvi-tanca-regia

Endurance GB Announces New International Selection and Squad Support Team

March 14 2026

Endurance GB has announced a series of appointments to its International team, strengthening the selection and operational structure that supports British riders competing at championship level.

The new team brings together decades of experience across endurance riding, international competition, horse management and event organisation, helping to ensure that Great Britain continues to develop strong horse and rider combinations capable of competing on the world stage.

The appointments include two Team Selectors, a combined Selector and Logistics Manager, and a new Administrative Squad Support role to assist with the organisation and coordination of international campaigns.

What is endurance riding?

Endurance riding is a long-distance equestrian discipline that tests the fitness, partnership and management of horse and rider. Competitions range from introductory rides of around 16km through to international championship distances of up to 160km in a single day. Horses undergo regular veterinary inspections throughout the event to ensure their welfare and fitness to continue, making horse care and careful preparation central to the sport.

Endurance GB is the National Governing Body for endurance riding in Great Britain, supporting riders from grassroots participation through to international competition.

Strengthening the international programme

The newly appointed team will work alongside the wider squad management structure to monitor performances, support riders progressing through the levels and assist in the selection of horse and rider combinations to represent Great Britain at international championships.

Lauren Hirst – Team Selector and Logistics Manager

Lauren Hirst joins the International team as both a Team Selector and Logistics Manager, bringing with her extensive experience as a rider, organiser and equine transport professional.

Based in Suffolk, Lauren has been involved in endurance riding for nearly two decades and has competed internationally, including representing Great Britain at the Young Rider World Championships. Alongside riding, she has crewed at national and international level and is also a ride organiser of the Lavenham endurance event.

Professionally, Lauren works as UK Shipping Manager for Peden Bloodstock Ltd, coordinating the international transport of horses and grooms around the world.

Her role within Endurance GB will combine monitoring horse and rider combinations for selection with overseeing the complex logistics involved in transporting British teams to international competitions.

Jill Badcock – Team Selector

Joining the selection panel is Jill Badcock, one of Britain’s most experienced endurance riders, with more than forty years in the sport.

Based in Cornwall, Jill represented Great Britain internationally aboard the Arabian gelding Egyptian Khalifa, completing the renowned 160km Golden Horseshoe ride nine times and achieving both European individual and team championship success. Her extensive experience as an international competitor gives her valuable insight into the preparation and partnership required for horses and riders aiming to compete at championship level.

Olwen Bryer – Team Selector

Also appointed as a Team Selector is Olwen Bryer, who brings broad experience across many aspects of endurance. Olwen first became involved in the sport as a child growing up in South Africa and has since ridden, crewed and volunteered in endurance across three continents at both national and FEI level.

Her varied experience — including serving on the Endurance GB International Committee and working within the organisation’s office — provides a well-rounded perspective when assessing horse and rider partnerships progressing towards international competition.

Tanza Dryden – Administrative Squad Support

Supporting the team behind the scenes is Tanza Dryden, who joins the programme in a new Administrative Squad Support role. Based in County Durham, Tanza has long been involved in the endurance community, first discovering the sport as a child through family connections and spending many years crewing at rides.

Her role will provide additional support to the International team across planning, communications and administration, helping ensure that riders and management teams are fully supported when preparing for training events and championships.

Supporting Britain’s endurance athletes

Endurance GB Development Director Esther Groen welcomed the appointments, highlighting the importance of experience and collaboration within the international programme.

“International endurance is built on strong partnerships — not only between horse and rider, but also between the many people working behind the scenes to support them. This team brings together enormous experience from across the sport, and I’m excited to see the positive impact they will have on developing and supporting our riders as they progress towards championship level.”

Together, the team will help guide the development of Britain’s international endurance programme, identifying promising horse and rider combinations and ensuring they are supported as they progress towards championship opportunities.

With riders across the country competing at national and FEI level, Endurance GB hopes the strengthened team will play an important role in building the next generation of international endurance athletes.

Australia: Hoofbeats around the world

Pam Karner sets out on a leg of the 2022 Gaucho Derby in Patagonia. Photo: Sarah Farnsworth.

NoosaToday.com.au - Full Article

09/03/2026
Erle Levey

At one point Pam Karner was lying on the ground, crying to herself in pain.

Her horse was above her. That was when she realised the need to dig deep.

You do endurance riding for a sense of knowing … knowing that you can complete this ride as an individual and as a team, with other riders and with your horse.

It’s knowing that you have the knowledge, training and resilience needed at the time.

The question is: Are you ready to step up? Do have the built-in resilience?

With endurance horse riding it’s just a matter of digging deep enough and finding it.

It’s true grit – a matter of belief in yourself, your horse and the world around you.

From Bellingen on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales and now in her early 70s, Pam Karner has completed the most extreme horse rides in the world.

These have included the Mongol Derby in Asia and the Gaucho Derby in South America.

Pam is in Africa at the moment, participating in another exciting endurance ride – through the Maasai Mara of Kenya’s highlands...

Read more here:
https://noosatoday.com.au/news/09-03-2026/hoofbeats-around-the-world/

FEI provisionally suspends Sheikh Nasser al-Khalifa after the positive anti-doping of his Freesia de Lap mare

Chaccoinfo.com - Full Article

March 5, 2026
•Translated from Spanish•

The FEI has provisionally suspended Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad al-Khalifa, double endurance world champion in 2023 and 2024, after the positive for a banned substance detected in his mane Freesia de Lap. The control, carried out after a 160-kilometre race in Dubai on January 30, revealed the presence of atenolol, a beta-blocker included in the list of substances banned in competition. The suspension, automatic in these cases, has been in effect since March 2.

The positive for Lap’s Freesia came after the binomial’s victory at Dubai’s 3* CIS, where the eleven-year-old Anglo-Arab mare, trained by Muhammad Abbas Khalid, completed the test at an average speed of 20.85 km/h and with particularly fast heart recovery times. Atenolol, used in veterinary medicine to treat arrhythmias and other heart pathologies, can reduce the heart rate of the horse, a decisive parameter in the veterinary controls of the discipline. In the same competition, another Bahraini team horse, Divine du Vialaret, also tested positive for the same substance.

According to the anti-doping regulations of the FEI, a positive for prohibited substances implies the immediate suspension of both the horse and the rider until a hearing before the FEI Court. If the infringement is confirmed, the penalties can reach up to two years of suspension for a first offense, in addition to financial fines. The binomial is equally disqualified from the test in question. Sanctions can be reduced if the athlete demonstrates the absence of negligence or manages to trace the origin of the contamination by solid evidence. For the moment, neither Sheikh Nasser nor his coach have announced whether they will request the analysis of sample B.

Bahraini endurance had already faced recent sanctions. In 2023, the national team lost the gold medal won at the Bou Thib World Cups due to the steroid positive for Héra Durances, mounted by Abdoulrahmane Mohammed al-Zayed. Following the decision of the FEI Tribunal, the title passed into the hands of the French team. This new case once again places Bahrain’s team at the center of the controversy and opens a period of uncertainty for one of the most influential riders on the international circuit.

FEI Table of suspensions updated 3 March 2026 is here:
https://inside.fei.org/system/files/Table%20of%20Suspensions%20-%2003%2003%2026.pdf

Australia: Pink Ride tackles cancer

Charlotte Irwin and Cameo Pascale. Photo: Sarah Sullivan Photography.

NoosaToday.com.au - Full Article

07/03/2026
Erle Levey

It’s a long and at times lonely journey but the Bony Mountain Pink Ride is always ready to be part of the fight against breast cancer.

Showing the impact the Warwick Trail and Endurance Riders Club has been making over the past decade, the endurance horse ride this year attracted a record field of horses and riders for the two-day event at the Bony Mountain Recreation Reserve.

This was an indication of the significance of the ride – also the popularity due to its novel nature in which riders have dressed not only themselves but their horses in pink.

Honouring the fact that cancer sufferers and survivors are not alone, riders travelled for up to seven and eight hours to attend the event – from northern New South Wales to the South Burnett.

There were six rides over the weekend and 191 nominations.

The queue of horses lining up for the Temperature, Pulse and Respiration (TPR) checks was a sight to be seen.

But it wasn’t just the number of people supporting this event, it was their vibrancy and commitment to the cause...

Read more here:
https://noosatoday.com.au/news/07-03-2026/pink-ride-tackles-cancer/

Gaucho Derby 2026 – Race Day 10 – Cheese Graters. Party Shirts.

Equestrianists.com - Full Story

Stevie Delahunt
28th February 2026

Welcome back to the final day of the Gaucho Derby! So let’s get right into it! The Gaucho Grannies galloped gleefully in today with NBR in tow and these three stole our hearts and the show and a joint 33rd place to boot.

Not to be outdone on a dramatic finish, GHE with fellow riders ODU and ACA made sure one transpired. Upon the relief of crossing the line GHE collapsed off of his horse onto the ground having crunched some ribs previously underneath his horse. He can’t laugh or hug or, well, breathe easily but he secures the joint 36th place well within the ten day time limit with a finish with his mates around noon today. 6 hours to spare! Now if only he had some spare ribs...

Read the rest here:
https://equestrianists.com/updates/gaucho-derby-2026-race-day-10-cheese-graters-party-shirts/

Malaysia: EAM banks on endurance 'horse power' to deliver SEA Games glory

Equestrian Association of Malaysia (EAM) honorary secretary Datuk Major (Rtd) Yap Mou Soon (Left), seen here with president Mohamad Din Mat, said that the Association is expecting national riders to win at least six gold medals at the Malaysia SEA Games next year.

NST.com.my - Full Article

By Fadhli Ishak
March 3, 2026

KUALA LUMPUR: The Equestrian Association of Malaysia (EAM) is expecting national riders to win at least six gold medals at the Malaysia SEA Games next year.

EAM honorary secretary Datuk Major (Rtd) Yap Mou Soon believes this is a realistic goal as they are planning to include endurance riding events to the Malaysia SEA Games programme.

This comes as no surprise as Malaysia has world-class riders in the discipline.

"The equestrian squad has always brought home medals when competing abroad and we hope to do the same when we compete on home soil next year," said Mou Soon today (Feb 3).

"Our key performance indicator (KPI) for the Malaysia SEA Games is to win six gold medals for the country.

"Our strategy is to add events in which we are strong in, most notably the endurance riding events...

Read more here:
https://www.nst.com.my/sports/others/2026/03/1388992/eam-banks-endurance-horse-power-deliver-sea-games-glory