EnduranceGB novice champions achieve highest score possible

Equestrian Today

It's the best yet for Jeni and Flurrie

An endurance rider from Equestrian Post country has topped off a great season with a wealth of wins at the Endurance Great Britain awards night.

In 2002, this column recorded the success of Jeni Gilbert and her Connemara gelding Flurrie when they became Endurance Great Britain novice champions with the highest score possible.

In the following years, Jeni, a member of the Endurance Great Britain West Riding Group, has enjoyed nurturing her horse through the Endurance GB system, gaining experience and knowledge along the way.

Flurrie is not an easy horse in many ways and finding the right path for him has been a learning curve for Jeni and her crew.

In 2006, Jeni targeted the rides and distances which she knew Flurrie enjoyed and her efforts were rewarded when, at the Endurance GB awards dinner, Jeni was presented with The Regent Trophy for highpoint unregistered horse.

She also collected The Jasper Trophy for the highest points in their best three competitive rides, third place in the National Senior Championship and a prestigious third place in The Manar Trophy, which is the ultimate goal of the serious rider – The National Highpoint Championship.

Val Swan, chair of the EGB West Riding Group said : "Members of our group who attended the awards ceremony went a little wild when Jeni was awarded her rosettes as they have watched her many successes with a knowing eye. This year has been their best yet with even more to come we think.

"Flurrie has wonderful potential as a top endurance horse and is living proof that you don't need an Arab to shine at endurance."

If you would like information on endurance riding in the West Riding, contact Val Swann, chair EGB West Riding Group, 24, Ascot Avenue, Horton Bank Top, Bradford, BD7 4PA.


[More ...]

UAE: Seventh edition of National Day Cup

Gulf Daily News
By M. Satya Narayan

Abu Dhabi: Over 100 riders are expected to battle it out for a slice of the Dh400,000 on offer in the Nakheel-sponsored National Day Cup 120-km endurance ride on Saturday.

Announcing details of the ride, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club said most of the top riders in the UAE will be lining up for the prestigious event.

"It is a FEI CEI Three-star event and will be run in five stages of 32kms, 30kms, 24kms, 18kms and 16kms," said Adnan.

The ride will get off to a mass start at 6.00 am on Saturday, December 16, at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.

Walid Al Jaziri, General Manager of Sales at Nakheel, the sponsors of the ride said they were very keen to lend their name to the National Day Cup. "We recently supported the race meeting here in Abu Dhabi and supporting endurance ride is part of our responsibility towards society," said Al Jaziri.

Happy links

"Endurance is a sport of our forefathers and with the number of UAE riders taking to the sport we are very happy to be part of this event," he said

[More ...]

Sultan Mizan, Among Youngest Ruler To Be King

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 (Bernama)

Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, who became the youngest Malay ruler when he ascended the Terengganu throne at the age of 36 in 1998, will also be among the youngest to be proclaimed Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Wednesday.

Under the five-year rotation system, Sultan Mizan will be proclaimed the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, succeeding Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail, who ascended the throne on Dec 13, 2001.

Sultan Mizan 44, will be the second youngest Yang di-Pertuan Agong after Tuanku Syed Putra Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail of Perlis who took office as King on Jan 4, 1961 at the age of 41.

A ruler concerned about the welfare of his subjects, Sultan Mizan makes efforts to go to all mosques in Terengganu for Friday prayers to be with the people and also continues with the practice of giving alms to orphans and the poor every Friday as done by his late father, Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah.

During his younger days, Sultan Mizan was like any other boys his age and liked to play football.

Sultan Mizan's concern for the well-being of his Terengganu subjects prompted him to set up the Sultan Mizan Royal Foundation, launched on July 19, 2005, in conjunction with his 43rd birthday, to organise and finance various programmes, including in research, forestry, science, technology and innovation, agriculture, fishery and community projects.

Sultan Mizan is also active in sports like football, golf, taekwondo and scuba-diving but due to his busy schedule, is only able to concentrate on equestrian sports.

The Sultan likes horse riding and has formed the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable (RTES) to prepare the state for participation in equestrian sports locally and abroad.

His skills in horse riding is reflected in him winning the Wilga 80km Endurance Ride, Wilga Australia, and in a competition at Harris River Ride, Perth, Australia in 2004.

He was also selected to represent Malaysia at the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, but had to withdraw his participation as the event coincides with the proclamation ceremony.

It is also through Sultan Mizan's dedication and initiative that Malaysia is selected to host the World Endurance Championship at Lembah Bidong, Terengganu, next year.


[More ...]

Rider hot on the trail of success for Aussie team

2.12.2006
RIDING long distances and racing the clock is all in a day’s work for Finch Hatton endurance rider Melissa Longhurst. She has been chosen in a four-member Australian senior team to compete at the Trans Tasman Series Endurance Ride, to be held at Nelson, New Zealand, on January 2.

Australia will also send a four-person junior team to contest the same race.

The race is over 120km, to be completed in one day, traversing mountainous country and flat sections before coming back to base, when the horses must pass stringent veterinary checks before being allowed to continue on.

She heads off on Boxing Day with strapper and fellow Sarina endurance enthusiast Juanita Lamb, but will not compete until January 2.
[More ...]

Horse in dramatic stunt at Asian Games opening ceremony

December 4, 2006

A horse took centre stage at the Opening Ceremony of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006. For the first time in the history of the Games, a horse was involved in the act of lighting the cauldron. Final torchbearer Sheik Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani cantered up a steep ramp the height of the stadium to light the flame.

The horse, with specially adapted shoes for extra grip, slowed momentarily halfway up the ramp, but continued on to complete the stunt.

The horse may have been temporarily blinded by the hundreds of camera flashes from the spellbound spectators.

Al Thani is the coach of the Qatar Endurance team. The purebred brown Arabian horse he chose for his well documented ride was trained in Australia by Steven Jeffery, who starred as the Lone Rider at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Three horses were trained in Australia for the stunt over an eight-month period, and the sheik chose his mount only a day before the opening ceremony.

Horses play a vital part in Arabian traditions and that was beautifully demonstrated in front of 50,000 spectators and millions of TV viewers all around the globe in a choreography called "Tribute to the Desert Horsemen". Riders in white traditional vestments and 64 horses did their freestyle.

Growing Asian interest in equestrian is evident in Doha where the number of participating teams in Dressage and Jumping has nearly doubled from previous events. With Endurance included for the first time, medals will now be decided in four disciplines. Eventing, the oldest discipline at the Asian Games, started in 1982, but Doha is the first Arabian location to host a cross country competition.
Horsetalk Website

Qatar stages magnificent opening ceremony for the Games

DOHA: Arabian horses galloped against a shimmering backdrop of thousands of neon-lit pearls as the 15th and biggest Asian Games opened with a multi-million dollar sensory feast on Friday.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani declared open Asia's biggest ever celebration of sport during a spectacular display of fireworks, twinkling lights and traditional Asian dancing, played to the sound of 40,000 beating drums.

The climax of a lavish ceremony came when the Emir's son Mohammad, the Qatari endurance team captain, charged up the steps of the Khalifa Stadium on a pure-bred Arab gelding to light the 50m cauldron that will burn throughout the Games.
[More ...]

Kiwis successful in Endurance World Champs Trial

The 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship Trial run was held last weekend at Terengganu, on the East coast of Malaysia. The Championship had been provisionally granted to the Malaysian Equestrian Federation subject to there being a number of successful trial runs held in 2006 and 2007.

HRH Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin invited several of the world's top riders to participate in the event to demonstrate the quality of the venue for the pending 2008 World Endurance Championship. The International riders were to ride horses of the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable, and were to draw on their skill and experience to test the suitability of a tropical venue for a World Championship event.

New Zealand riders Kevin James and Paul Jeffrey were among the International competitors. James successfully completed the 160km CEI*** event on a horse from the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable. He was among the 13 competitors who completed the 160km course, resulting in a 57% completion rate for the event, and finish times far faster than had been anticipated.

Jeffrey navigated the 7 yr old gelding Jakim Zane to a 1st place finish and Best Condition award, setting a Malaysian record for fastest finish time on an 80km course. Australian rider Brook Sample also tested the 160km course but his horse, also from the Royal Stable, was eliminated for back soreness at the 120km point.

Three senior FEI Endurance Officials attended the event: Dr Hallvard Sommerseth (NOR), Chairman of the FEI Endurance Technical Committee; Dr Jim Bryant (CAN) and Mr John Robertson (GBR).

The Malaysian Equestrian Federation, together with the Organising Committee (OC) - the State Government of Terengganu and Yayasan Kebajikan Perkasa Alam Terengganu, invited a number of leading Malaysian riders as well as riders from America, Europe and Australsia.

A detailed report is being produced; it will be submitted to the FEI Endurance Techncial Committee for further consideration but Dr Hallvard Sommerseth expressed his appreciation for the commitment made by the organizers in producing a very successful trial run.

The FEI Endurance Committee had required the trial run to be held at the proposed venue on a date to match the date of the 2008 Championship and for there to be a minimum completion rate of 40% and a maximum riding time of 16 hours for the 160km distance.

A total of 23 horses were presented at the start of the event and 60% completed the full distance well within the maximum ride time allowed. All of the horses performed well with no heat and humidity related problems.

Dr Jim Bryant confirmed that the horses had competed well under the conditions which had been relatively cool because of the timing of the event within the monsoon period. He commented that all of the riders had taken great care to compete using all of their horsemanship skills. Dr Bryant linked the performances of the riders and horses to a time within Endurance when events were less about speed and more about the combination of rider and horse working in close harmony together to overcome the challenges presented.

Mr John Robertson felt that there were certain areas which needed to be reviewed in relation to the overall management of the event. He confirmed that the OC was aware of these issues but he was confident that the OC would be able to solve them ahead of the Championship.

Dr Sommerseth confirmed that the next trial event, scheduled to take place in the first half of 2007, would involve the use of overseas based horses who would travel to Malaysia to test out the facilities and also to fully evaluate the timing required to allow overseas horse to acclimatise properly ahead of competition.

A team from FEI Television attended the event and will produce a short documentary to be shown at the planned FEI World Endurance Forum planned for March 2007.

160km Top Four Finishers
Nik Sabarudin Bin Daud AS Shiffa Kassan (stallion) - BC 12:38:43 12.65 km/hr
Faizal Ismail Azreal 12:53:26 12.41
Y. Bhg. Dato' Abdulla Bin Taib Blue Moon 12:49:45 12.47 km/hr
Norlaily Buniyamain Bremervale Jessie James 13:36:04 11.76 km/hr

80km Top Four Finishers
Paul Jeffrey Jakim Zane - BC 5:32:35 14.03 km/hr
Amal Nadiah Bt. Tajudin Rayyan 6:02:50 13.23 km/hr
Stephanie Teeter Jakim Murphy 6:20:48 12.60 km/hr
Nazalisamri Bin Nasaah Nagawangsa 6:29:55 12.31 km/hr

Bahraini riders set for challenge

BAHRAIN's top riders Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa will be looking forward to impress in endurance horseride competition at the Asian Games.

They qualified after taking 14th and ninth positions respectively at the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany on August 21.

Despite driving rain and poor visibility, Shaikh Daij managed ninth place and provided a bright note for Asian equestrian fans on a day in which a fancied team from the UAE was eliminated.

The 159 starters from 42 nations had faced a gruelling 160km race through hilly terrain which included six veterinary checks.

For many of the riders, the competition came to an early end, with less than half completing the ride. Some were withdrawn from the competition by the vets, while others retired voluntarily.

It was left to Shaikh Daij, riding the 11 year-old Shar Rushkin, to lead home the Asian riders although he dropped from fifth place to ninth on the final leg. Shaikh Nasser, the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president, was riding the 10 year-old Ganda Goy.

For Saudi Arabia, Prince Abdullah bin Fahad Al Saud finished 18th, riding the 12 year-old Keroch.
Gulf News Article

FEI News: World Endurance Forum, 2008 WEC Malaysia

From: m.gueorguiev@horsesport.org
Sent: Sunday, December
03, 2006 11:57 AM
To: fei_prnews@horsesport.org
Subject: FEI
Press News 39/2006

01/12/2006 - World Endurance Forum 02/12/2006 - 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship 01/12/2006 - World Endurance Forum As has been reported elsewhere, a World Endurance Forum is planned for the spring of 2007. Originally scheduled to take place this year in Kuala Lumpur, the forum will now take place in Paris over the weekend 24th/25th March 2007 followed immediately by the annual FEI Endurance Technical Committee meeting. The Forum will be structured along the same lines of the successful 2003 Endurance Forum and will allow delegates, from amongst the 76 FEI National Federations who organize FEI Endurance events, to debate the overall status of the discipline as it exists today. There will also be opportunity to discuss the future of Equestrian Endurance following its rapid growth and the ever increasing public scrutiny of the sport which has occurred in recent years. With the approval of the President of the FEI, HRH Princess Haya, an FEI Endurance working group will be established, following on from the forum, to evaluate and develop those ideas and proposals raised by the delegates and to formulate a 5 year plan for the sport for consideration by the FEI. Members of this working group will be drawn from both within and outside of Endurance itself. As part of a fact finding exercise, a questionnaire has been produced and can be downloaded from the FEI web site accessed through the Endurance pages/documents. All FEI registered Endurance riders are asked to complete the form and to return it by email to the FEI ahead of the Forum next March. The findings of the working group will be considered by the FEI Endurance Technical Committee as part of its ongoing review of Endurance. Further details of the Forum; timings, venue, accreditation and programme will be published in due course and invitations issued to those NFs concerned as soon as possible. 02/12/2006 - 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship Senior FEI Endurance Experts Give a Conditional Green Light The 2008 FEI World Endurance Championship Trial run was held last weekend at Terengganu, on the East coast of Malaysia. The Championship had been provisionally granted to the Malaysian Equestrian Federation subject to there being a number of successful trial runs held in 2006 and 2007. Three senior FEI Endurance Officials attended the event: Dr Hallvard Sommerseth (NOR), Chairman of the FEI Endurance Technical Committee; Dr Jim Bryant (CAN) and Mr John Robertson (GBR). The Malaysian Equestrian Federation, together with the Organising Committee (OC) Â? the State Government of Terengganu & Yayasan Kebajikan Perkasa Alam Terengganu, invited a number of leading Malaysian riders as well as riders from America, Europe and Australsia. A detailed report is being produced; it will be submitted to the FEI Endurance Techncial Committee for further consideration but Dr Hallvard Sommerseth expressed his appreciation for the commitment made by the organizers in producing a very successful trial run. The FEI Endurance Committee had required the trial run to be held at the proposed venue on a date to match the date of the 2008 Championship and for there to be a minimum completion rate of 40% and a maximum riding time of 16 hours for the 160 kms distance. A total of 23 horses were presented at the start of the event and 60% completed the full distance well within the maximum ride time allowed. All of the horses performed well with no heat and humidity related problems. Dr Jim Bryant confirmed that the horses had competed well under the conditions which had been relatively cool because of the timing of the event within the monsoon period. He commented that all of the riders had taken great care to compete using all of their horsemanship skills. Dr Bryant linked the performances of the riders and horses to a time within Endurance when events were less about speed and more about the combination of rider and horse working in close harmony together to overcome the challenges presented. Mr John Robertson felt that there were certain areas which needed to be reviewed in relation to the overall management of the event. He confirmed that the OC was aware of these issues but he was confident that the OC would be able to solve them ahead of the Championship. Dr Sommerseth confirmed that the next trial event, scheduled to take place in the first half of 2007, would involve the use of overseas based horses who would travel to Malaysia to test out the facilities and also to fully evaluate the timing required to allow overseas horse to acclimatise properly ahead of competition. A team from FEI Television attended the event and will produce a short documentary to be shown at the planned FEI World Endurance Forum planned for March 2007.

NZ: Endurance Added to Horse of the Year Event

Showtime for endurance ride

02.12.2006
REBECCA HARPER
Growing popularity in the sport of endurance riding has seen a full-length endurance race added to the Kelt Capital Horse of the Year show (HOY) for 2007.

Show director Kevin Hansen said endurance had been run once before at the 2005 show over a shortened 50km course, but only as a promotional event.

The 2007 race would take place on Friday, March 16 and be run over 110km.

The race would start at 6am in the premier arena of the showgrounds, cross mainly private lands out to Ocean Beach and finish at 3pm in Napier Road, Havelock North.

The leading horses would then proceed up Te Mata Road and into the Havelock Domain.

A full team from South Africa, traditionally a strong endurance nation, would add an international flavour to the competition.

[More ...]

Doha: The 15th Asian Games

THE 15th Asian Games was officially opened yesterday by HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani at Doha?s Khalifa Stadium in a breathtaking ceremony that merged a film shown on the world?s biggest LED screen with a spectacular show performed by several thousand artists.

HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, the captain of Qatar's equestrian endurance team carries the torch to light the 50m cauldron. The opening ceremony was attended by HH Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Misnad, HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH Sheikh Jassem bin Hamad al-Thani, the personal representative of HH the Emir besides the sheikhs, ministers, speaker of the advisory council and senior sports officials

[More ...]

China Dialy News

Gulf Daily News

Playfuls.com - Romania

Reuters India

International Herald Times

Telugu Portal

Alison and K-Zar Emmanuel ride in memory of Mike

November 25 Carolina 100 Endurance Ride

Alison Bailey riding K-Zar Emmanuel at the Carolina 100. Alison's late husband Mike rode K-Zar to the AERC National 50-Mile Heavyweight Championship before he passed away from a sudden heart attack 11 days later. Alison went to the Carolina Ride to win the 50 in memory of her husband. She not only won, but K-Zar earned the Best Condition Award!

(photo by Genie Stewart-Spears)











Lois McAfee and Tonka Toi won the 100 mile division of the November 25 Carolina 100 Endurance ride.

(photo by Genie Stewart-Spears)

Sultan's Cup Endurance Challege: Sabaruddin nicks it

28 Nov 2006
ZAINUDDIN MUHAMMAD

IT was first time lucky for Nik Sabaruddin and his mount As Shiffa Kassan who won the the 160km Sultan's Cup Terengganu Endurance Challenge 2006 at the Terengganu International Endurance Park in Lembah Bidong, Setiu, on Sunday.


The 53-year-old former Navy officer and his 14-year-old Arabian pure-bred, who were representing Kelantan's D'Bali Stable, won with a time of 12:38:43s to beat 22 rivals and pocket the RM10,000 winner?s cheque.

As Shiffa Kassan was also voted as the best conditioned horse in the category which came with a RM2,000 bonus.

Second place went to Datuk Abdullah Taib and his horse Blue Moon who clocked 12:49:45s, while Faizal Ismail, astride Azreal, finished third in 12:53:26.

The second and third place finishers took home RM8,000 and RM6,000 respectively. Fourth was Norlaily Buniyamin who took home RM4,000.

Other riders in the category included the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin.

In the 80km event, Paul Jeffrey and his mount Jakim Zane won in a time of 05:32:35s from Amal Nadiah Tajuddin astride Rayyan who clocked 29:45s.

Third place went to Stephanie Teeter (Jakim Murphy) while Nazalisamri Nasaah (Nagawangsa) finished fourth. A total of 120 riders competed in the two-day event.

Equestrian Endurance at Asian Games

Equestrian endurance at Asian Games (Reuters)

29 November 2006

Factbox on the equestrian endurance event, which will feature for the first time at the Asian Games in Doha between Dec. 1 and 15:

WHAT IS THE ENDURANCE EVENT?

· Endurance riding is an extremely strenuous form of horse racing which tests the speed and endurance of a horse. It involves racing at controlled speeds over distances of many tens of kilometres. During the 15th Asian Games, the endurance course will cover 120 km.

· A good endurance horse is characterised by balanced body structure, relatively light weight and a strong back. Any breed can compete but Arabians, endowed with natural stamina, generally dominate at the top levels. Most importantly, the horse?s temperament must suit the rider.
HISTORY

· Wendell Robie, an American breeder of Arabian horses, is credited as the pioneer of the modern sport of endurance riding. In 1955, he founded the founded the Western States Trail Ride, a 160-km, one-day ride from Lake Tahoe to Auburn, California, via an old Pony Express route.

· Endurance was a demonstration sport at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and was recognised as an official discipline by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) in 1983. The sport makes it Asian Games debut in Doha.
RULES

· An endurance ride is a competition against the clock. The horse that finishes the course in the shortest time wins. The winning team is the one with the best time after adding the classifications of the three highest placed competitors.

· Horses must be at least six years old to qualify. Competitions are held in phases, with no phase longer than 40 km. When the condition of a horse is assessed at the end of each phase, its heart rate must be no higher than 64 beats per minute.

· FEI guidelines state that the course should not contain more than 10 percent of hard surface roads intended for vehicular traffic. Also, the most demanding part of the course should not be near the finish.

Sources: Reuters; Doha Asian Games Web site (www.doha-2006.com); FEI (www.horsesport.org)
[Khaleej Times]

UAE: Al Bloushi completes hat-trick of wins

Dubai: Yousuf Ahmad Al Bloushi from the Al Reef Stables registered a hat-trick of wins for the all-conquering stables here yesterday.

Yousuf, the UAE's top trainer and third-best rider on points, and Al Reef Stables, last season's top stables which belongs to Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, scored their third straight win of the current UAE season.

Yousuf, who trained the winning horses in the Boudthib Junior Ride and the First Gulf Bank Challenge ride in Al Wathba last week, emerged as winner with a superb display of riding in the Dubai Equestrian Club's 120-km ride yesterday.

[More ...]

Successful Completion of 2006 Sultan's Cup in Malaysia

UAE: Endurance season gets under

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter

Dubai: The Dubai Equestrian Club's endurance season, which kicks off today at the Dubai International Endurance City, will also feature an innovative addition - Dubai Endurance Challenge for whole the season.

Announcing details at a press conference, Saeed Humaid Al Tayer, Vice President of the Dubai Equestrian Club, said today's inaugural ride sponsored by Dubai World will carry a total prize money of Dh700,000.

Meanwhile, the Dubai Endurance Challenge unveiled yesterday, is also worth Dh700,000 and will take into account all FEI rides staged at the Dubai International Endurance City for the 2006-2007 season.

During the season Riders, Trainers, Horses and Stables will earn points depending on their finishing position in the selected rides.

At the end of the season the highest point scorers will be crowned the Dubai Endurance Challenge Champion Rider, Trainer, Horse and Stable respectively.

Sultan Ahmad Bin Sulayem, Chairman, Dubai World, who is also a top rider, said, "Support for any equestrian sport comes naturally to us in the UAE. This is particularly so when it comes to events featuring Arab Purebred horses. These noble animals are a part of our cultural identity. Dubai World is especially proud to be sponsoring the opening race in this year's Endurance calendar and we look forward to enjoying the show."

Saeed Humaid Al Tayer said, "We value the support of each of our sponsors who help to make each of the races a reality. The sport is closely linked to the culture and heritage of the people of the United Arab Emirates and we invite everyone to attend the races at the Dubai International Endurance City to enjoy the spectacle that is Endurance racing."

Meanwhile, Al Reef Stables will be looking to complete a hat-trick in today's 120-km CEI Three Star ride.

They won the first two rides of the season held in Abu Dhabi and will be strongly represented in today's 100-plus line-up of starters.
Gulf News

Shaikha Madiya Leading the way

Young Shaikha Madiya bint Hasher Al Maktoum has many achievements to her credit. She proudly wears the mantle of the rich sports legacy of the ruling Maktoum family, is an accomplished horse rider and a fitness enthusiast as well. She speaks to Sue Steven in an exclusive interview.

Shaikha Madiya bint Hasher Al Maktoum, the niece of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is at ease in the place she loves most ? the Maktoum stable, located 37 kilometres from Dubai. Not forgetting her roots, she has a very modern outlook to life and is at ease talking to Weekend. A very down-to-earth person, she is comfortable wearing blue jeans, a white full sleeve shirt with the colours of the UAE flag on one of the sleeves and a cap with 77, her lucky number, embroidered on it. She sits on a wooden bench outside one of the buildings with her two dogs, Lily and Stinky who keep a close watch on her.

Shaikha Madiya is a very strong advocate of fitness and exercise. She has endorsed The Middle East Fitness Summit ? MEFIT06, scheduled to take place in Hall 4 at the Dubai World Trade Centre from November 27-29. The summit is part of Sportex, the largest sports, fitness and leisure show in the Middle East.

?Women have to make fitness a part of their daily routine. There is a dire need for education in health and fitness. I feel the Fitness Summit is a very relevant initiative to address a lot of topics, concerns and myths associated with health and fitness,? she says, as she urges women in the UAE to be conscious of their physical well-being.

?RPM and Bodycombat are my favourites,? the Shaikha adds without hesitation.

RPM, part of the Les Mills programme, is the indoor cycling workout where you ride to the rhythm of powerful music. You take on the terrain with an inspiring coach who leads the team through hills, flats, mountain peaks, time trials, and interval training. ?You can discover your athlete within ? sweat and burn to reach your endorphin high. You can cycle for 45 minutes or 60 minutes,? she says.

Bodycombat, on the other hand, is the empowering cardio workout where you are totally unleashed. This fiercely energetic programme is inspired by martial arts and draws from a wide array of disciplines such as karate, boxing, taekwondo, tai chi and muay thai. Supported by driving music and powerful role model instructors, you can strike, punch, kick and kata your way through calories to superior cardio fitness.

Shaikha Madiya practises what she preaches. She herself is very particular about her fitness routine on a daily basis especially running and jogging. She is up at 4.30am in the morning and by 5.30am is training her horses. In the afternoon, at 2.30pm, she again takes them out and trains them for endurance.

The Shaikha does not hide her passion for horses. She is very vocal about it. ?Initially my family was worried that I would get hurt while riding. So I started being involved in this sport only after I completed 16 years. I learnt at my uncle?s stable. He supports me and helped me train for endurance.?

She speaks out of experience: ?If you are a horse person you will know the language of the horses. You can talk to them and play with them. You have to change their mind to endure the sport. If they hate what they are doing, they will not do it well.?
She welcomes national women to participate in the sport. ?My stables are open to national women who would like to pursue the sport, ride and learn,? she says.

Horse breaking, sometimes called starting or gentling, refers to the process used by humans to get horses to let themselves be ridden or harnessed. Before such a learning process is accomplished, a horse will normally reject attempts to ride it. Once it has accepted basic handling by humans, additional forms of training can be used to teach the horse any number of specialised skills.

Presently Shaikha Madiya has 49 horses in her stable that were brought from the US. ?They have to get used to the ground and to the heat. It is a slow, step-by-step process,? she adds.

How long does it take to train a horse? She says, ?Every horse is different and so the time of training also differs. Some horses even get injured during training. You have to win them over and by two years break them, which means put the saddle and bridle on them. They learn to have human contact as the rider sits on it. Endurance training takes place after the horse completes five years.?

While training horses, the trainer is learning as well. Shaikha Madiya has firsthand experience of taking care of her horses. ?Experience is invaluable. Every time you ride, you learn something new from the horse. It has been 10 years since I started, and I am still learning,? she admits, frankly.


Shaikha Madiya could be compared to a horse whisperer, a horse trainer who adopts a sympathetic view of the motives, needs, and desires of the horse. She admits that she loves the challenge to rehabilitate horses that have become vicious and difficult.

?I love crazy horses as you have to fix them. I take the horses to different race courses like Nae Al Sheba. They enjoy the experience. She uses GPRS that specifies the location and even has an instrument to monitor her heart rate.

How is endurance racing different in the UAE? In the UAE, it is speed that matters, the Shaikha says. The ground is just flat, not hard. In the US, the ground is hard, so one can?t go fast. If you do, you get hurt. In the US, each race is different as the terrain is different like mountains, hills and flat areas.

She advises national women to join some kind of sport. ?If not every day, find time for at least three times a week for physical activity. It is good for your body and mind.?

Shaikha Madiya hails from a family of six children, four girls and two boys. Her sister is in the volleyball team of Al Wasl while her brother loves shooting. ?I love challenges, horses, fitness, everything,? she says.

In future, she would like to be a fitness instructor and help other local women. She strongly believes that a healthy body will have a healthy mind and raising awareness about nutrition is paramount. ?I teach my niece to eat in a healthy way. As a result, she refuses junk food now,? Shaikha Madiya says with pride.
When asked where she gets her energy from, she says that she sleeps early and gets up early. Shaikha Madiya strongly believes in the ?early to bed, early to rise philosophy,? that supports her fitness initiatives.

Khaleej Times Article

Spotlight will be on Majid and Hazza

Published: 18/11/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)

By M Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter

Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Shaikh Hazza Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan are part of a nearly 100-strong line-up for today's 120-km First Gulf Bank Challenge endurance ride.

The 120-km ride is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.

Other top riders in the five-stage ride which gets off to a 6am start include Shaikh Khalid Bin Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Shaikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum and Shaikha Madiya Hasher Mana Al Maktoum.

Riders from the Al Reef Stables, the champion stable of last season will be looking to add to their triumph in the junior ride last week.

Other consistent performers in the fray are last year's top domestic rider Marzooq Salem Al Merri, Yousuf Ahmad Al Bloushi, Ali Mohammad Al Muhairi, Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri, Abdullah Khamis Ali Saeed and Spain's Jesus Manuel Berna.

A strong team of riders from Uruguay along with riders from India, Pakistan, Australia, Great Britain, France Saudi Arabia, Canada, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are also in the fray.



[article website]

Drought cause tough ride conditions

photo: EQUAL AT FINISH: Pat Dickinson (left) and Noble Navaar Crystal Rose and John Symons and Worobil Baringa who crossed the line together at Sofala on Sunday.

Mudgee News: Friday, 17 November 2006

Mudgee riders had mixed results when the participated in the 30th Sofala Endurance Ride last Sunday.

The 52 riders in the 80klm main ride started off in daylight at 5.30am without the need for torches and headlamps but some of the Mudgee contingent made a late start after they missed their wake up call.

Word is kangaroos caused havoc in the camp overnight and kept them awake and by the time the alarm went off they we sound asleep.

Riders appreciated a well marked track and the humid conditions that developed as the day wore on were tempered by colder conditions with good clud cover.

The course was testing, however, with many climbs and descents on the mountain made difficult where it was rocky while the drought conditions ensured conditions were hard underfoot.

The conditions may have proved too much for Gloria Mills and her mount Glendos Sabodie as they had to withdraw at Wattle Flat when making the return stage of the first leg.

Mills, who has had a super year with her horse and will be the Mudgee club's top middleweight for the year despite Sunday's setback, said she withdrew because she felt the horse wasn 't travelling well.

Those Mudgee riders who did have a good result were Bernice King (Noble Navaar Destiny), Pat Dickinson (Nobla Navaar Crystal Rose and Paddy Smith (Shata) who were all successful in the long ride.

Daphne Phillips enjoyed the return to endurance of her former ride winner Crown Crest Phantom whom she steered around the training ride.

Wendy McLehose (Bruwenic Raina Girl) enjoyed the training ride with her eight year old son Nicholas (Bruwenic Strawberry) who was in his first ride.

Nicholas was so excited at finishing the ride that he was talking of another ride next week.

Another debut rider was Virginia King (Kalentish Tips) who enjoyed her initial endurance experience.

Woody Pilley (Mystery) had a flock of junior riders in tow for the event in his sons Justin (Box Hill Breaker) and Blake (Meroo Downs Dolly) and was also accompanied by the boys' friend Seaton Croake (Reggie) making the ride an enjoyable family event. All these riders completed the 30 klms training ride, which had 33 participants.

In the overall result four riders crossed the line in an equal fastest time of 4 hours 29 minutes.

They were Kate Pilley of Windeyer riding Pancho who was first in lightweight; Jamie Mollema of Bathurst riding Billywillinga Rocky who was first junior and Jennifer Gilbertson of Webbs Creek who shared first middleweight.

Fittest horse in the catchweight (a combination of lightweight and junior divisions) division was Pancho.

The ride was a great success with organisers especially pleased with the number of junior and first time riders taking part a boost for the future of the sport.
Website article