Qatar: International Season Begins for Al Shaqab Endurance Team

Al Khalediah Festival Cup Endurance Challenge Scheduled for Tues, Jan. 27

26/01/09, Doha, Qatar – The Al Shaqab Endurance Team, member of the Qatar Foundation, will begin its international season in the Al Khalediah Festival Cup Endurance Challenge, Tuesday, January 27, Tebrak, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The event marks the first international competition for the Al Shaqab team since representing Qatar to a dramatic silver medal finish in the 2008 World Endurance Championship held in Malaysia.

Al Shaqab entered a team of six riders that will be headed by: Owaida Al Hajeri, general supervisor; Hadi Nasser Al Ramzani, manager and trainer; and Jabr Nasser Al Ramzani, assistant trainer.

Riders competing for Al Shaqab: Atta Mohammed Beer, Faleh Nasser Saleh Bughenaim, Mohammed Tahous Saif Al Naimi, Hassan Tahous Saif Al Naimi, Abdul Rahmen Al Sulaiteen, Khalid Al Malki Al Jehani.

The event is a 120 km FEI sanctioned CEI *** event and the course will include a mix of various terrains, undulating slopes and flat sandy areas. It will be divided into five loops and after each loop the horses are stopped for a mandatory veterinary inspection. They will be checked for heart rate, respiratory and dehydration. Only those horses that pass the veterinary check are allowed to continue the race. Any horse that is determined unfit by the veterinary team, due to fatigue or lameness, is eliminated from the competition.

Qatar: Al Shaqab Team riders set to dominate event

The Peninsula

12/7/2008

Doha: The Endurance Riding season continues this weekend as three separate competition rides are scheduled to be held at the Qatar Endurance Village.

Al Shaqab, member of the Qatar Foundation, has entered a strong group of 12 riders in the Senior Open, 100 km event, and an additional nine, Junior Youth competitors, in the 80 km race. Both events are regulated by the rules of Concours de Raid d'Endurance International (CEI).

Five of the six Al Shaqab riders that represented Qatar in a second place finish in the World Endurance Championship in Terengganu, Malaysia will compete in the Senior Open event.

The sixth member of the successful Qatar national team will ride in the Junior Youth division.

The six riders include: Atta Mohammed Beer, Khalid Sanad Al Nuaimi, Mohammed Sultan Ahmed Al Suweidi, Faleh Nasser Saleh Bughenaim, Mohammed Tahous Saif Al Nuaimi and Abdulla Towim Al Marri.

The group will be joined in the ride by Al Shaqab's team trainer, Hadi Nasser Al Ramzani, and assistant trainer, Abdul Aziz Saleh Al Jaber.

In addition the Qatar National Cup will be held in two divisions on December 20, a 120km event and a junior youth ride at 100km.

The calendar for December includes:

Saturday, December 20

Qatar National Cup, 120k, CEI,Qatar National Cup, Junior-Youth, 100k, CEI

[WEC Reports] Qatar turn out to be surprise package

Gulfnews.com - Full Article

By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
November 08, 2008

Terengganu, Malaysia: Qatar turned out to be the surprise package as they grabbed the silver medal in the team championship while Argentina's Vita Austin took the silver in the individual event of the 2008 World Endurance Championship as the two countries announced their arrival on the endurance scene.

Qatar's win, which was fashioned by Atta Mohammad Beer, Faleh Nasser Abugnaim and Mohammad Sultan Al Suwaidi now means that the Gulf nations will pose a stronger challenge to the Europeans, Americans and the Australians.

While the UAE have already underlined their supremacy in the sport, Qatar followed up their silver medal in the individual and team events in the Doha Asian Games with a superb display in the team championships in Portugal last year when they won the silver medal in the European Open.

More...

--
Posted By Merri to WEC Reports at 11/08/2008 10:25:00 PM

[WEC Reports] Qatar gears up for Malaysia event

Gulf Times

THE Qatar Endurance Riding team are looking to the future as they prepare for the 160 km World Endurance Championship (WEC) to be held on November 7 in Terengganu , Malaysia .

After two years of competition to qualify, Qatar will be represented by a rapidly developing group of young riders that features one seasoned veteran, 44-year-old Atta Mohamed Beer. This will be the fifth WEC appearance for Beer, who competed in his first championship in 1998 and finished 15th in the international field in Dubai .
The entire Qatar team annually competes in endurance events for Al Shaqab, member of the Qatar Foundation. As the seasoned competitor, Beer is joined by a talented group of younger riders that range in age from 19 to 25.

Of that group, only Abdulla Towaim al-Marri joins Beer with competition in a previous WEC event. The 20-year-old Al Marri was part of the 2006 Qatar team that competed in the championship in Aachen , Germany .

The team also includes brothers Mohamed Tahous al-Nuaimi and Hassan Tahous al-Nuaimi. Mohamed Tahous is the team's second-oldest rider at 25, and was followed into the sport by Hassan, a 20-year-old. The brothers enjoy a friendly rivalry in races and daily practice rides. They have been solid performers over the past season while competing in France. As the youngest members of the team, 18-year-old Faleh Nasser Abughenaim and 17-year-old Khalid Sanad al-Nuaim have proved their talent this season. Faleh, an accomplished jump rider, began endurance riding only two years ago. His fourth-place finish in the St. Galmier event in France was the best finish this year in competition outside of Qatar .

The 2008 Qatar Endurance Team is led by Chef d'Equipe, Owaida al-Hajri and Hadi Nasser al-Naimi trainer.

--
Posted By Steph Teeter to WEC Reports at 10/28/2008 12:59:00 AM

Qatar: Endurance Team ready for Worlds

Thepeninsularqatar.com

Web posted at: 9/26/2008 8:52:31
Source : The Peninsula

Doha - After two years of preparation and competition the Qatar Endurance Team has qualified eight riders for the FEI World Endurance Championship to be held from November 6 to 9 in Terengganu, Malaysia.

Although eight riders have qualified only six riders are allowed to compete. Qatar team officials must trim the list to six and submit the final entries to the sports governing body, Federation Equestre Internationale, by October 1.

The eight riders include: Faleh Nasser Abugnaim, Ali Yousef Al Malki, Abdulla Towaim Al Marri, Hassan Tahous Al Nuaimi, Khalid Sanad Al Nuaimi, Mohammed Tahous Al Nuaimi, Mohammed Sultan Al Suwaidi, and Atta Mohammed Beer.Owaida Al Hajeri serves as Chef d'Equipes for the 2008 Qatar Endurance Team and Hadi Nasser Al Naimi trainer.

The Qatar roster is entirely made up of riders from Qatar Foundation's Al Shaqab Endurance Team. During the past two years the riders have competed in various international events to qualify for the championship.

The prestigious World Endurance Championship is held every two years. When nominations closed on August 21, a total of 36 countries entered for the contest. The group included 24 nations represented by teams and an additional 12 countries that will feature individual competitors. In addition to the Qatar team other GCC nominations were received from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman.

Over the past 10 years, Endurance riding has grown as one of the most popular equestrian events. The sport requires the teamwork of rider and horse as they work to maintain pace over the grueling 158.1km cross-country course.