Bahrain: Top riders set for His Majesty race

ROYAL Jordanian Equestrian Federation president Princess Alia bint Al Hussein arrived in Bahrain last night to attend His Majesty King Hamad's Endurance Horseride Championship scheduled for tomorrow at 6am at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir.

Princess Alia was welcomed by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation's (Breef) second vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa and other federation officials.

Princess Alia thanked Breef, especially its president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, for inviting her to witness this prestigious event which is the biggest endurance horseride competition on the federation's calendar.

Shaikh Khalid also welcomed the chief guest who attended last year's event too. He thanked the Jordanian federation for sending its finest riders to Bahrain to compete in the race.

Meanwhile, Dubai Crown Prince Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum is due to reach the Kingdom today to lead prominent UAE riders in the championship.

The 26-year-old Shaikh Hamdan, son of UAE Vice-President and Ruler of Dubai Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is one of top riders in the region and a strong contender for a place on the podium tomorrow.

Shaikh Hamdan, who won the gold medal in equestrian at the 15th Asian Games in Doha three years ago, will be accompanied by compatriots Salem bin Ghadir, Khalifa bin Jalayta and Abdulla Al Buziri who will all take part in the 120-km senior race.

The championship will also feature a junior race over the same distance. UAE riders to compete in the junior race are Ali Al Mirri, Khalifa Al Mirri and Abdulla Al Mirri.

A six-member Royal Jordanian team will only take part in the senior race. The team members are Jehad Shehaltog, Abdulhamid Al Saleh, Sobhi Khalil, Farah Abu Na'amea, Atalla Hamad and Lawrence Al Fayez.

Kuwait will be represented in the championship by two riders - Abdulla Al Eibani and Turki Al Mutairi.

Both the senior and junior races will be divided into five equal stages. The senior race will kick off at 6am while the junior race will commence 30 minutes later.

The first two stages will be over 30 kms while the next three are over 25, 20 and 15 kms each.

Veterinary examination is scheduled for today from 3pm to 5.30pm.

The event, sponsored by Marsa Al Seef, follows the remarkable achievement of Breef president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa who finished second overall in the first-ever Endurance Grand Prix series which concluded in Dubai a few weeks ago.

The championship was originally due to take place last Saturday, but was postponed to give all stables and riders the opportunity to prepare for this prestigious event.

Australia: Meg proves tough enough in the UAE

Weeklytimesnow.com.au



Fran Cleland

March 13, 2009

MEG Wade - Australia's best known endurance rider and four-time Tom Quilty Cup winner - placed second of the visiting riders in the United Arab Emirates President's Cup.

The race, which was first staged in 2000, covers 160km and is held each year in mid-February.

It is one of the toughest in the world.

Each year selected horses and riders from around the world are invited to participate based on their current world ranking and recent performances, so it is for the world's best and toughest horses.

Entries range from 80 to 120 with a completion rate usually from 30 to 40 per cent.

The President's Cup has always been won by a rider and horse from the UAE.

Those from the UAE are passionate competitors in endurance and won team gold at the Endurance World Championships in Malaysia last November.

This year the event was won in just six hours and 30 minutes by Abu Dhabi rider Yousef Al Baloushi on Charlandre El Sharif of Al Reef Stables, the current 160km world record holder (6:28:28 in last year's Sheik Mohammed Cup), crossing the finish line hand-in-hand with his cousin, Omair Husain Abdulla Al Bloushi.

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UAE: Over 100 riders to battle it out for honours

Gulfnews.com

By M Satya Narayan
March 11, 2009

Abu Dhabi: Over 100 riders are expected to take part in Saturday's ADIHEX Emirates Championship 119-km endurance ride to be held at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, Adnan Sultan Al Nuaimi, director general of Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, said the ride was being supported by the Abu Dhabi International Hunting & Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX), Sorouh Real Estate, and the Breeding Stables in Normandy of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

"More than 100 riders have entered and the winner will drive away with a 4WD car. From the second-placed rider onwards those who finish in the top will get a slice of Dh400,000 on offer as prize money," Al Nuaimi said.

Abdullah Al Qubaisi of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, who will be staging ADIHEX later this year, said, "Horse sport is an important part of the UAE's culture and we are glad to be involved in this event."

Al Qubaisi also introduced Captain Edward Olver, who will command The Musical Ride by Household Cavalry, making their Middle East debut in Abu Dhabi ADIHEX to be held between September 30 and October 3, this year. "It is a bridge between two cultures," he said.

Also speaking at the press conference was Sorouh's executive director of projects, Fahad Al Katbi, who said: "Sorouh's sponsorship of equestrian events in the UAE is part of its responsibility to the community. Through our broad range of sponsorship programmes we are working to support activities that contribute to the welfare of the community."

Abu Dhabi Sports Council's secretary general, Mohammad Al Mahmoud, said: "The ADSC is playing an active role in bring various domestic and international events under one umbrella to ensure better co-ordination and cooperation."

"We take this opportunity to announce that the Breeding Stables in Normandy owned by Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has emerged as the leading stables for Purebred Arabian horses in Europe for the fourth consecutive year," said Lara Sawaya of Tasweeq Management.

Australia: Heat took its toll at Oberon ride

Mudgee Guardian
0/03/2009 3:32:00 PM

The heat took its toll on riders during the Oberon endurance ride on March 1, with hot and dry conditions proving different from previous rides.

There were 107 entries received on the day, and participants tackled the deceptive, up and down, course over four events.

Three entrants started at 2am in the FEI 20km event while 31 entrants tackled the FEI 80km and 60 entrants participated in the 80km ERA event at 5am.

Thirteen entrants were ready to go at daylight with the start of the 40km trainer.

Mudgee was well represented with five riders competing successfully in the different events.

Mette Sutton riding Tuldar the Magician and Paddy Smith riding Jamaal elected to tackle the FEI 80km. Mette and The Magician finished fifth in the middleweight while Paddy and Jamaal were successful in the heavyweight division.

Sutton’s time was five hours, six minutes.

Sutton commented that it was very dark at the start of the race and it seemed to take forever for daylight to appear.

“It was a bit of a scramble strapping the horses after the first 30km leg, as there was only a 30 minute hold time and the horses didn’t have much opportunity to recover, eat and drink,” Sutton said.

“It was a little better after the second 30km as there was a 40 minute hold and after the final 20km leg there was a 60 minute hold in which to present to the vets.”

Garry Bennett and Karabil Yanigi, Bernice King and Noble Navaar Destiny and Haydn Fisher and Silky entered the ERA 80km.

Bennett and Yaningi repeated their previous success again, taking home the ride winner and first in the middleweight division in only four hours and 50 minutes. Yaningi was also awarded the best-conditioned horse prize.

King and Destiny completed successfully in a time of six hours, 53 minutes, while Fisher and Silky were third in the heavy weight competition in seven hours and 24 minutes. Silky was also awarded the best-conditioned horse.

Following the third ride at Oberon at the end of the month, the next zone ride will be at Tooraweenah on April 19.

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Malaysia: Shuaib Ishak Wins ISN-RTES-PENN Endurance Race

Bernama.com

SETIU, March 8 (Bernama) -- A rider from the Ar-Raudhah Equine Centre, Mohd Shuaib Ishak emerged as champion in the 100km event of the ISN-RTES-PENN Endurance Race while Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin ended in sixth place in the competition held at the Lembah Bidong, here today.

Riding the horse "Martika", Mohd Shuaib clocked six hours, eight minutes and 27 seconds to walk away with the cash prize of RM3,000.

In second place was Amir Ghani Ahmad, also from the Ar-Raudhah Equine Centre, who clocked six hours, 23 minutes and 10 seconds while Abdul Rahman Mohd from the Terengganu Endurance team was third with a time of six hours, 32 minutes and 13 seconds.

The runner-up walked away with a cash prize of RM2,000 and the third-placed winner received RM1,500.

Tuanku Mizan, who represented the Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable (RTES), completed the race in six hours, 59 minutes and 41 seconds. Meanwhile, eight riders failed to complete the race.

In the 80km event, Mohd Nizam Muda from RTES emerged as champion clocking five hours, 26 minutes and seven seconds.

In second place was Zainuddin Yusof from the Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club (5 hours, 48 minutes and 33 seconds) while Raja Adib Hariz was third (5 hours, 52 minutes and 32 seconds).

In the 40km event, Nik Azmi Daud from Kelantan won with a time of two hours, 17 minutes and 56 seconds while Sabidi Ismail from Terengganu was second (2 hours, 20 minutes and 38 seconds) and Mohd Ramkli Abdul Wahab from Elmina Equestrian Centre was third (2 hours, 53 minutes and 49 seconds).

The Regent of Terengganu, Tengku Muhammad Ismail, also took part in the race.

Fifty-eight participants from throughout the country competed in the three categories.

Chairman of the State Committee on Youth and Sports Datuk Rahin Mohd Said gave away the prizes.

Bahrain: Leading riders for King Hamad race

Gulf-daily-news.com

8th MARCH 2009

TOP riders across the GCC region will be seen in action in the His Majesty King Hamad Endurance Championship scheduled for March 14 at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir.

Many riders have already written to the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef), the organisers of the event, seeking rules and regulations for the season's biggest endurance event.

The event will be organised under the guidance of Breef president Shaikh Nasser and under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad.

The event will consist of five stages and will be sponsored by Marsa Al Seef. The race will be kicked off at 6am. The first two stages will be over 30 kms each while the third and fourth are over 25 kms 20 kms respectively. The final stage will be over 15 kms.

A junior race will also be held simultaneously starting at 6.30am.

This prestigious championship follows the remarkable achievement of Breef president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa who finished second overall in the first-ever Endurance Grand Prix series held recently in Dubai.

Shaikh Nasser said this race has special meaning to all riders who are always keen to compete at the highest level.

"His Majesty's race is regarded as one of the most exciting competitions in the season due to the number of riders taking part and the valuable prizes on offer," said Shaikh Nasser.

The Breef chief is expecting to see a close battle among the region's most prominent riders.

He thanked His Majesty for backing endurance races in general and equestrian sports in particular. Shaikh Nasser also thanked Marsa Al Seef for sponsoring the championship this year.

His Majesty King Hamad's Championship was originally scheduled for Saturday but has been postponed for March 14.

Examination

The race was rescheduled to give all stables and riders the opportunity to prepare for this prestigious event.

The veterinary examination for participants in both races will be held on Friday from 3pm to 5.30pm.

The organisers have formed the ground jury and technical committees. Ireland's Brian Dunn was named head of the ground jury committee which also includes Bahrain's Haider Al Zu'bi, Ghalib Al Alawi, Abdulsamad Al Busta, Mahdi Hassan, Ali Ghuloom, Gahad Al Rumaihi.

The international steward is Mahmood Abdulsaheb of Breef while Mohammed Abdulla has been chosen as the technical representative.

The veterinary committee consists of 13 officials from Poland, Malaysia, India, Pakistan.

UAE: Al Kamda stables score 1-2 finish

Gulfnews.com

By M Satya Narayan
March 07, 2009

Abu Dhabi: Ahmad Saeed Al Kamda and his 10-year-old chestnut gelding Al Galyb HCF made it two out of two when they won Saturday's Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Challenge 2 100-km endurance ride at the Dubai International Endurance City.

The 25-year-old was, infact, delighted as another horse from the Al Kamda Stables, Jeelan, under Mansour Ebrahim Ahmad Esmail finished second to complete a 1-2 for the private stable.

Both finished hand-in-hand, Al Kamda just a second ahead of Esmail - and this time both horses cleared the final veterinary check.

On January 24, Saeed and his brother Rashid had finished in similar fashion on Al Galyb HCF and Jeelan but the latter was disqualified in the final vet check.

In yesterday's ride, a total of 72 started, but right from the start it was Esmail, closely followed by Al Kamda, who led. The pair were ahead after each of the first three loops of 32km, 29km and 27km. It was only in the final loop that Al Kamda forged ahead and registered his second consecutive career win with Al Galyb HCF.

The pair also bettered their previous best timing of 4 hrs 6 minutes and 19 seconds recorded in Al Wathba, when they clocked 3 hrs 59mins and 40 seconds yesterday.

Hamad Ebrahim Abdullah Al Marzouqi, who had won the Round 1 of the Challenge with Tiramisu 2, was again in fine form when he rode into third place while Abdul Aziz Al Redha was fourth on Mystic Dream.

Ali Moosa Al Khamiri, general manager of Dubai Equestrian Club, presented the winner Al Kamda with the keys to a gleaming Nissan Patrol 4WD car while Esmail and Al Marzouqi got Dh50,000 and Dh45,000.

Bahrain: Manal declared winner

Gulf-daily-news.com

8th MARCH 2009

BAHRAIN'S Royal Endurance Team rider Manal Fakhrawi was declared the winner of last month's 120-km Women's Endurance Horseride Championship following the disqualification of the original winner, it was announced yesterday.

Saudi Arabia's Kingdom Stables rider Latifa Al Shaikh had won the race on February 7 at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir while Manal was second.

But Latifa's horse Castle Bar failed a dope test later and was disqualified.

An official from the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef), who preferred not to have his name mentioned, said the result of the blood tests did not pass the regulations of the International Equestrian Federation.

Manal, who rode Samara in the race, said she was delighted to hear the news. "It's a honour to receive the Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Cup," said Manal.

It was the second victory this year for Fakhrawi's coach Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa who is also manager of the Bahrain Royal Endurance Team.

Malaysia: King Among 58 Riders In Endurance Race

Bernama.com

March 07, 2009

SETIU, March 7 (Bernama) -- The ISN-RTES-PENN Endurance Race was flagged off today at Lembah Bidong with 58 riders, including Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and his two children.

Tuanku Mizan representing RTES, riding on "Kentara" competes in the 100km category together with 16 other riders while his son Tengku Muhammad Ismail and daughter Tengku Nadhirah Zahrah compete in the 40km distance category.

Tengku Muhammad set out on "Hermere Cairo" while Tengku Nadhirah was riding on "Anetta".

The gruelling race, held over 40km, 80km and 100km distances also sees riders from Australia, Singapore and Indonesia competing.

The championship, organised by the state government with the collaboration of the National Sports Institute (ISN), Royal Terengganu Endurance Stable (RTES) and Penn Endurance & Equestrian Club, was flagged off by Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said at 5pm today.

The race will be a platform to identify talented riders for the European Open in Italy (Sept 26) and the World Equestrian Championship in Kentucky, USA next year.

UAE: Al Kamda brothers eyeing top prize at endurance race

Gulfnews.com

By M. Satya Narayan
March 06, 2009

Dubai: Over 90 riders, all UAE nationals who are either individual owners or riders who represent the smaller private stables in the UAE, will start in today's Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Challenge II ride to be held at the Dubai International Endurance City.

The 100km ride is a National ride and will be run in four stages of 32km, 29km, 27km and 12 km.

Brothers Rashed Saeed Al Kamda and Ahmad Saeed Al Kamda, Layla Abdul Aziz Al Redha and a few other consistent performers in this series of national rides will all be eyeing the top prize which is a Nissan Patrol 4-wheel-drive vehicle.

Organised by the Dubai Equestrian Club, the second and third placed riders will receive Dh50,000 and Dh45,000 respectively, while all others who finish between 4th and 20th positions will also receive cash prizes.

"We thank Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, for his support to endurance events in the UAE. These National rides encourage UAE riders who are trying to improve and equip themselves to take on the more established riders from the bigger stables," said Ali Mousa Al Khamiri, General Manager of DEC.

"By restricting this event to private stables and individuals, this ride gives a chance for more UAE riders to take part and compete in a field that is a level playing field," said Ali Mousa.

Riders from the Al Ain Stables, Al Ahli Riding Club, Al Giyad Stables, Al Neyadi Stables, Al Rawahel Stables, Al Sila Stables, and Emirates Desert Stables among others will be taking part in the ride which gets off to a mass start at 6.30am.

France: Sommant en Morvan - First ride of 2009 Season

Results and Images from 2009 Sommant en Morvan from 20 to 90 Km

Bahrain: His Majesty Endurance Cup set

Gulf Daily News
PREPARATIONS are underway for His Majesty King Hamad's Endurance Horseride Championship, the biggest event of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation's (Breef) calendar to be held on March 14.

The Marsa Al Seef-sponsored event, to be held at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir, is expected to see top riders from Bahrain, the GCC and Arab region competing over 120km.

This prestigious championship will follow the remarkable achievement of Breef president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa who finished second overall in the first-ever Endurance Grand Prix series held recently in Dubai.

Shaikh Nasser said His Majesty's race is regarded as one of the most exciting competitions in the season due to the number of riders taking part with valuable prizes to be given away to the winners.

Prominent riders from all over the region are keen to take part in the championship.

The Breef chief said the federation started to prepare for the championship last month.

He thanked the organising committee members for their efforts in preparing the village and to sponsors Marsa Al Seef for backing the event.

Shaikh Nasser also extended his appreciation to His Majesty for his continued support to equestrian sports, in general, and to endurance races, in particular.

His Majesty King Hamad's Championship was originally scheduled for Saturday, but has been postponed till March 14.

The race was rescheduled to give all stables and riders the opportunity to prepare for this prestigious event.

Horses are the kings at Guatemala's Mayan Adventure Ride

Original Article: Guatemala Times

Guatemala's Mayan Adventure Ride, Ingenio Magdalena 2nd Edition
Guatemala. Preparations for Mayan Adventure Ride 2009, Ingenio Magdalena 2nd Edition, are going full speed. Only few more days to the start of the action at the beautiful base camp, Platinum Sponsor "Ingenio Magdalena". The horses will be arriving at base camp on Friday the 6th, for the veterinary inspection. It is a very important moment for the participants; the veterinarians are going to determine if the horses are fit to participate. If everything is OK they are going to be kept in quarantine inside portable boxes until the start of the race Saturday 4:00 PM. All the strict rules of the FEI have to be complied with, this is an international event certified by the FEI. The participating riders and horses will be able to qualify for national credits, for the Pan American games 2009 and the World Endurance Championship 2010 USA.

The event starts in the evening, 4:00 pm. The heath of Guatemala's south coast at the start of the race is going to turn fresh during the night and the sun light is going to be replaced by a nearly full moon with a sky full of stars. Some riders are going to use headlamps whilst others are going to trust their horse's night vision across the routes between sugar cane plantations.

Approximate time that the participants of the different categories are going to be riding:
Distance Start Finish hours
40 km 4:00 PM between 7:10 PM and 8:40 PM
60 km 4:00 PM between 8:25 PM and 10:40 PM
80 km 4:00 PM between 10:40 PM and 1:00 AM
120 km 4:00 PM between 2:40 AM and 6:20 AM
160 km 4:00 PM between 5:00 AM and 9:00 AM

The horses have to be in top shape and need a lot of "goodies" to have energy for the long difficult race. They are getting vitamins, food supplements, and special food: alfalfa and oats, to improve their performance and stamina for this challenge. This week the horses get only light workouts to help them accumulate glycogen in their liver and muscles, that way their energy storage will be full. Other reason to avoid vigorous exercise before the race is of course to prevent the horse from getting lame. The horse training began several months before the competition.

In these last days some riders will clip their horse's hair to help them to cool faster, because the sweat evaporates faster and the fresh air by convection helps to take the heat from the skin with the horse movement.



Janio Johnston is a Veterinarian and also a participant of The Mayan Adventure Ride: Ingenio Magdalena 2nd Edition.

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Endurance.Net Coverage of the Event

Virginia Rider Leads Virtual Endurance Race

Virginia rider Flora Hillman, winner of the 2008 Very Virtual March Maddness Endurance Race, pulls into a narrow lead in the first week-end of the race. Riding in a driving snow storm, Flora holds a 6 mile lead in the event over two riders from sunny Arizona.

"My poor pony must have thought I was insane - riding out in 25 degrees with high winds blowing snow sideways and a wind chill of 10 degrees. But I so wanted to try out my extreme weather gear -- and am delighted to say I was warmer than a polar bear in Florida in July!

Only problem was my expedition parka's hood wouldn't allow me to turn my head, and since I was riding on the gravel roads (to avoid the snowy fields) and the wind was howling so that I couldn't hear anything else, it became a bit of a safety issue. So we only did 7 miles, but...I was deliciously toasty warm (verging on hot!!) from tips of toes to the top of my head."

More than 50 intrepid endurance riders from around the world are participating. The event runs for the entire month of March and can be found at:

My-Endurance.Net and Endurance.Net

Ride Far - Ride Well!!


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Only for the tough guys, Guatemala's Mayan Adventure Ride 09

Original Article - Guatemala Times
Guatemala's Mayan Adventure Ride 09, Ingenio Magdalena Challenge 2nd Edition

Photo by Ignacio de Wit

Guatemala City - The event will start the 7th of March at 4:00 pm at the Ingenio Magdalena. The Sugar Mill Magdalena is located in La Gomera Escuintla, Guatemala. This is the second year that Ingenio Magdalena has provided their gigantic installations to host this prestigious international event.

In the middle of the night, you are startled when off in the distance you see a thundering herd of horses galloping across a moonlit sugar cane field. But wait, they are not randomly running, they are single file, going from one glowing corner to another. Then you say to yourself, "just another 160 km endurance ride," and go on with your business.

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Event Coverage on Endurance.Net

UAE: Al Naqbi clinches W'rsan Trophy in Al Khatem in sandstorm

Gulfnews.com
photo: Abdullah Rashid Mohammad Saeed Al Naqbi wins the 120kmendurance ride.
Published: March 01, 2009, 23:02

Abu Dhabi: Schoolboy Abdullah Rashid Mohammad Saeed Al Naqbi and Abdul Rahman Mohammad Karam Shirouh gave W'rsan Stables a one-two finish in the W'rsan International Trophy Endurance ride at the Boudtheib Endurance Village in Al Khatem on Sunday.

Only three of the 15 riders who started in the 120 kilometres event completed it as the sandstorm made it very difficult for the horses and riders.

Al Naqbi, a promising junior rider who had finished second in the President's Cup for juniors held here earlier in the season, won on eight-year-old gelding CAL Puelche.

He completed the distance in five hours 34 minutes and 40 seconds while the second-placed Shirouh took 6 hours 13 minutes and 50 seconds on eight-year-old gelding WN Peronek.

Hassan Mohammad Al Hammadi, riding 16-year-old mare Fatima Del Saul from Emirates Heritage Club (EHC) finished third with a time of 6:25.29.

The ride was run in five stages of 30 kilometres, 30 kilometres, 24 kilometres, 20 kilometres and 16 kilometres.

"This is my first win in the open category and I am very, very happy. Conditions were really tough and the sandstorm made it very difficult," said Al Naqbi, a grade nine student of Abu Dhabi High School.

The ride was held under the patronage of Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, who is also the president of the Emirates Heritage Club.

UAE: Mohammad wins Giants Endurance

GulfNews.com
photo:Shaikh Mohammad rides to victory in the Giants Endurance Challenge at Seih Assalam on Saturday to emerge as the overall champion of the three-leg series.
By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
Published: February 28, 2009, 19:47

Dubai: It was a remarkable display of horsemanship by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai as he negotiated the dusty 'sohaili' winds, the rising temperature and a distance of 120-kms to win the third leg of the Giants Endurance Challenge and emerge overall champion.

Shaikh Mohammad, who rode 9-year-old chestnut gelding Tahhan, the same horse on which he won the second leg in Bahrain, finished a second ahead of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince riding Garaman Mikado.

With his second consecutive win for which Shaikh Mohammad earned 100 points each and with his 5th place finish in the first leg held in Abu Dhabi's Al Wathba for which he got 50 points and a bonus of ten points for riding the same horse. This gave him an overall tally of 250 points, much ahead of Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain, who finished sixth on Saturday to take his tally to 190 with Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs (who made an early exit on Saturday ) and Shaikh Hamdan finishing joint third with 150 points each.

After Mubarak Khalifa Bin Shafya had led in the first two stages of 32kms and 27kms on Saturday , Shaikh Mohammad on Tahhan led from the third loop and won convincingly though the dusty winds on the Seih Assalam desert routes made visibility poor while the rising temperatures also took its toll on many a participant.

Shaikh Mohammad and Tahhan completed the 120-km distance in 4 hours 52 minutes and 31 seconds with an average speed of 24.61 kmph.

His Majesty the King of Bahrain, Shaikh Hamad Bin Eissa Al Khalifa who gave away the Golden Sword and the Gold Kanjar to Shaikh Mohammad at the prize distribution said, "Shaikh Mohammad's win is a victory for all riders. He is very experienced and fully deserves to win."

"The UAE has always been supportive of endurance in other Gulf countries. The difference between the UAE and other countries in endurance is that the speed here is very high," Shaikh Hamad said.

Shaikh Mohammad said it was a tough ride and the conditions were challenging. "But our riders do have the experience to handle them. It was the 'Sohaili' winds today and the sand storm did make it difficult for the horses. My horse Tahhan was in good shape and was always in good condition through the ride. He has been training well and today he was good," Shaikh Mohammad said.

Shaikh Hamdan, who had finished third in Bahrain and earned 70 points for that, added another 80 points to his tally with his second place finish today. "The penultimate stage was very tough but my horse managed to stay fit and I am glad with this result," he said.

Points tally after the three rounds of the Giants Endurance Challenge (Body Weight) ide series:

1. Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (260 points)
2. Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa (Bahrain) (190 points)
3. Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (150 points)
3. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum (150 points)

Saturday's final round results:

- Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Tahhan) 4hrs 52 mins 31 secs
- Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Garaman Mikado) 4:52.32
- Mubarak Abdullah Al Beloushi (Estaban) 5:01.06
- Buti Mohammad Khalifa Al Marri (Aratahnes Legend) 5:06.50
- Shaikh mayed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Hungares) 5:07.20
- Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa (Omsura Nasrohn) 5:09.38

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UAE: Riding to glory

Khaleej Times Online
photo: Sheikh Mohammed (right) and Sheikh Hamdan on their way to a 1-2 finish in the 120km Dubai Endurance Challenge on SaturdayM

Hisham Al Gizouli
28 February 2009

SEI ASSALAM (Dubai) — His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, partnered eight-year-old Tahhan to glory in the final leg of the Giants Endurance Challenge at Seih Assalam Endurance City on Saturday.

The UAE riders swept the first five positions as Bahrain’s Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa finished sixth to walk away with the second place honours in the overall standing 
of the competition.

Shaikh Mohammed was crowned Champion of the Giants Endurance Challenge Grand Prix after having won the second leg in Bahrain and finishing fifth in the first race at Al Wathba International Endurance Village 
in December. The leading international horse owner, breeder and rider finished just ahead of his son Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, when the two riders crossed the finish line hand in hand with the UAE flag 
flying overhead.

Tahhan is trained by Abdullah Saeed bin Huzaim at Emaar Endurance Stables owned by Shaikh Mohammed.

“My horse has been well prepared for the race after receiving a perfect dose of training.

“The only problem was the sand storm and the dust which has adversely affected the overall speed of the race. But in all cases, it is an endurance race which tests the stamina of both the horse and its rider,” Shaikh Mohammed said.

The race was attended by His Majesty King Hamad bin Eisa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, and a number of Shaikhs and top officials and a large number of spectators who came to enjoy the race.

Bahrain’s King praised the hard work of Shaikh Mohammed who is behind all the success achieved by this fast growing sport. He also described Shaikh Mohammed in a brief TV interview as a man of vision and 
forward thinking.

Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum heaped praise on Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum for the manner in which he handled Garaman Micado, who is still new and needed to be ridden with care.

Shaikh Hamdan rode 11-year-old Garaman Mikado from the stables of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Seeh Al Salam Endurance Stables whose horse are trained and prepared by Ali Mohammed Al Muhairi.

Competitors from different parts of the world took part in the competition with 41 riders skirting the sand hills under the early rays of the sun in the final leg of the Triple Crown contest.

The 120km CEI Giants Endurance Challenge was a tough test for the riders and their horses as well after the sandstorm which hit the country from early in the morning.

The pre-race weather forecast reading was clear vision with the temperature up to 38 degrees centigrade and the wind speed 28km/hr SSW in the early morning to increase to 28k/hr in the afternoon.

But the riders had to find their way through the dust as the vision was decreased to less than 20 metres in some areas. More than 10 riders were either eliminated or retired between the first two Vet Gates which underlines the difficult weather conditions that forced quarter of the field to quit in the early stages of the race.

Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, who was a front-runner for the title was eliminated between Gate 1 and 2. He told Dubai Racing Channel that he was unlucky and God be 
with the others.

Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum was also quoted by the TV commentator as saying Shaikh Mansour’s horse Eo Jaras was not in its best form. “The indications on the day before the race were not positive, but Shaikh Mansour decided 
to take the risk.”

Bahrain rider Shaikh Salman bin Saqr Al Khalifa was among the first batch of those eliminated in the opening phases of the gruelling race.


[More ...]

Bahrain: Shaikh Nasser finishes second in Grand Prix

Gulf Daily News

BAHRAIN Royal Endurance Team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa claimed second place overall in the 120-kilometre Endurance Horseride Grand Prix which concluded yesterday at the Dubai International Endurance City in Seih Assalem.

Riding Omsura Nasrohn, Shaikh Nasser completed yesterday's third and final leg of the series in sixth place among more than 40 riders.

Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE vice-president, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, won the race with a time of four hours, 52 minutes and 31 seconds with an impressive average speed of 24.61 kms per hour to claim the overall title.

Shaikh Hamdan, son of Shaikh Mohammed, took second place in 4:52:32 which gave him an overall joint third position with compatriot Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Mubarak Al Beloushi (5:01:06) was third in yesterday's race, followed by UAE's Buti Al Mirri (5:02:00) and Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum (5:04:50) in fourth and fifth places. Shaikh Nasser came in sixth in 5:09:38.

Victory

Shaikh Nasser, the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president, needed a victory in yesterday's race in order to clinch the overall title which was eventually won by Shaikh Mohammed who steered Tahhan to a fine win.

Shaikh Nasser went into this race in third spot with 140 points, just 10 behind joint leaders Shaikh Mohammed and compatriot Shaikh Mansoor bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Bahrain's Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa was excluded during the first stage. Ghazi Al Dossary, Bahrain's third rider in the race, finished eighth overall in 5:39:47.

Shaikh Mohammed staged a spirited performance in the last three stages to bag the overall title.

An awarding ceremony was held after the race and was attended by His Majesty King Hamad who presented trophies to the top three riders.

His Majesty congratulated Shaikh Mohammed, Shaikh Nasser and the other riders on their performance and , hailed the high level of competition.

Shaikh Nasser was also congratulated by General Organisation for Youth and Sports president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa and other senior Bahraini sports officials right after the race.

UAE: Shaikh Mohammed Al Maktoum wins Giants Challenge Final

Results:

1 – HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Tahhan 4:52:31

2 – HH Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum on Garaman Mikado 4:52:32

3 – Mubarak Abdullah Al Bloushi on Estaban 5:01:06

4 – Buti Mohammed Khalifa Al Marri on Aratahnes Legend 5:06:50

5 - HE Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum on Hungares 5:07:20

6 - HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa on Omsura Nasrohn 5:09:38

41 starters, 14 finishers