UAE: 2005 Nations Cup Report

Mohammed and Mansour declared joint winners of National Day Cup
by Amith Passela ~ Khaleej Times
14 January 2005


DUBAI ? General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, and Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs, created a history of sorts when they were declared joint winners of the National Day Cup here at the Dubai Endurance City yesterday.


General Shaikh Mohammed and Shaikh Mansour crossed the finish line together in a bunch of six horses, covering the FEI-CEI Three Star 120km trip in five hours 20 minutes and 29 seconds.

The National Day Cup staged for the first time outside Abu Dhabi was deemed as a dress rehearsal for the Dubai FEI Endurance World Championship at the same venue on January 27.

The First Gulf Bank-sponsored race showcased the new state-of-the art facilities to the foreign riders, crew and officials already in the endurance village for the world event that returns to Dubai after the 1998 edition held for the first time outside Europe and the United States.

Shaikh Mohammed astride 11-year-old Arabian gelding Al Naa?is and Shaikh Mansour onboard the rangy eight-year-old bay Ro Saad, crossed the finish line in one of the now familiar hands-held gesture in a bunch of six that included Abdulla Khamis Ali Saeed, Yousef Ahmed Al Bloushi, Hassan Abdulla Al Hammadi and Ahmed Jassim Al Hammadi.

Shaikh Mansour said the race was an excellent launch pad for the host team. ?It was a fast run race and it showcased the readiness of the UAE team?s title defence. We are thinking positively at the world championship and I feel the UAE team will be the one that all have to beat come January 27.?

Shaikh Mansour remained in the leading group and was third into the final loop behind Al Reef Stables lead rider Abdulla Khamis Ali Saeed on 12-year-old Arabian gelding Shiranna Bokhara and his stable mate Yousef Ahmed Al Bloushi astride a former flat race horse 11-year-old El Hadzin Deleyre.

Both Shaikh Mohammed and Shaikh Mansour are in the 12-member UAE?s World Championship team.

Sultan Ahmed Sultan bin Sulayem finished 13th on nine-year-old Irex du Mas whilst two more members of the UAE squad, Shaikh Hazza bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his younger brother Shaikh Khalid, took 19th and 20th spots respectively.

Shaikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Shaikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum and his brothers Shaikh Hamdan, reigning world champion Shaikh Ahmed and Shaikh Majed, Shaikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum and Ali Al Muhairi, either retired or were eliminated. The race drew 120 entries and was run over five loops.

Shaikh Mansour remained in the leading group throughout the race after coming in second behind Mubarak Khalifa bin Shafya in the opening loop.

Shaikh Mohammed worked his way up from 40th place to go into the final loop in fourth with over eight minutes behind the leader Abdulla Khamis. Shaikh Mansour was third behind Yousef Ahmed in the final loop.
[Images of the Ride]

WEC: Bahrain Announces Team Members

Bahrain 6 Member Team Announced


The six member Bahrain team:
  Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa (Team Captain)
  Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa
  Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa
  Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa
  Hamad Al Meraisi
  Yousef Taher


A SIX-MEMBER Bahraini endurance horseride team is taking parting part in the seniors race at the World Endurance Horseride Championship in Dubai on January 27.

Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president and team captain Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa will lead the team in the day-long event which will cover a distance of 160 kms.

Breef national teams manager Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa, who is also taking part in the race, said Shaikh Nasser approved the list of riders for this event.

The remaining four riders of the team are Breef first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Al Khaldiya Stable, Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa of Ahmed Al Fateh Stable, Hamad Al Meraisi and Yousef Taher - both of the Royal Endurance Team.

Shaikh Daij added the Bahraini riders will be taking part in both the individual and teams races along with world class veteran riders.

The six Bahraini riders qualified for the World Championship after successfully completing three races over similar distance, including events held earlier this year in Europe, Australia, Africa and Bahrain.


EnduranceNet Coverage

WEC: USA - Hayes withdraws from Competition

Horsewoman pulls out of endurance race in Dubai
By DARYL GADBOW of the Missoulian

Ovando rancher Suzanne Hayes and her horse Quincy have had to withdraw from the United States equestrian team preparing for the World Endurance Championship race in Dubai of the United Arab Emirates on Jan. 27.

Hayes and Quincy, whose official name is Tezero's Gold, went into training with the U.S. team in Florida ranked among the squad's top six horse/rider teams that qualify for the world championships. But Quincy had developed some lameness while training there.

"As I suspected some weeks ago, around the first of January," Hayes wrote Wednesday in an e-mail to the Missoulian, "Quincy was just not improving to the point that I was happy and comfortable with, so I withdrew him from the traveling team consideration. This horse was an amazing animal, and while he had worked his way to very near the top of all the horses selected, I did not want to take up a spot on the USA team, and not feel that we could contribute in a big way."
It was an extremely emotional decision for her and the team, Hayes said.

"Every single member of the USA team and staff had tears in their eyes and disappointment on their faces," she said.

But Hayes' hard work and perseverance paid off when the team members named her team captain during the world championships.
[More ...]
[EnduranceNet Coverage]

WEC: UAE Riders Announced

UAE team for World Endurance Championships
10 January 2005

DUBAI - General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, will lead a formidable team of riders that will represent UAE at the World Endurance Championship, which will be held here on January 27.

No horse names accompanied the announcement.

The 11 members of the UAE team are:

Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Shaikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Shaikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Shaikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Shaikh Hazza bin Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Shaikh Khalid bin Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
Sultan bin Sulayem
Ali Al Muhairi.

EnduranceNet Coverage

WEC: USA Press Release

Nine Horse and Rider Teams to Travel to the UAE for World Endurance Championship and President?s Cup



Lexington, KY?The nine horse and rider teams representing the United States for the World Endurance Championship (United Arab Emirates, January 27) and President?s Cup (UAE, February 17) have officially been named. They appear below in alphabetical order by rider:

Carol Giles of Prineville, OR and SR Tiki Stranger
Beverly Gray of Park City, UT and Regalidon
Becky Harris of Medina, OH and Ga Tyfa Mynte
Carolyn Hock of Riverside, CA and GT Sando
Michele Roush, DVM, of North San Juan, CA and PR Tallymark
Meg Sleeper, VMD, of Frenchtown, NJ and Shyrocco Troilus
Joyce Sousa of Hydesville, CA and LV Integrity
Dennis Summers of Gifford, WA and Ebony Rose
Sue Summers of Gifford, WA and Raymond Blur

The four teams and two individuals who will represent the United States in the World Endurance Championship will be named just prior to the start of the ride. The other three horse and rider combinations will compete in the President?s Cup next month. The remaining national team members will travel to the UAE with the squad and will act as support crew for their teammates during the ride.


For more information, please contact Sarah Lane, Public Relations Manger, by phone at (859) 225-6974, or via e-mail at slane@usef.org. USEF press releases are available on our website, www.usef.org.

EnduranceNet Coverage

WEC: FEI World Endurance Championship

FEI Press Release
05/01/2005

HE Sh Rashid Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum

A record number of 185 riders from 44 nations have announced their participation at the FEI World Endurance Championship, to be held on 27 January 2005 in Dubai. The Definite Entries List will be available from the FEI website endurance section by the end of the week (section what's up).

For more information and accreditation, please contact the Organising Committee :
Emirates International Endurance Racing (EIER)
P.O. Box 50333
Level 26
Emirates Towers
Shk Zayed Road
Dubai

Tél: 0097 1 433 00 800
Fax: 0097 1 43 00 070

Sue Sidebottom: sue@emiratesendurance.com
General: info@emiratesendurance.com

[EnduranceNet Coverage]

WEC: Arrivals Begin in UAE

Mohammed to lead strong UAE challenge
Khaleej Times
9 January 2005

DUBAI - General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister, will lead a formidable field of riders in the Federation Equestre Internationale World Endurance Championships to be held at the Dubai Endurance Village from January 26-29.

The event forms part of the Dubai Shopping Festival 2005 calendar of events. With a record number of horses from 41 nations participating this year, the UAE will be hosting the event for the second time. The ride, which is a sure test of strength and stamina through long and ardous terrain, is hopefully to be added as a discipline to the Olympic Games.

The horses were all due to start arriving in Dubai from yesterday allowing them time to acclimatize ahead of the competition.

The first endurance event, which was held in 1998 with participants from 37 countries, was shaped into a mega racing affair thanks to the keen initiative and directives of the late president, Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who was behind the development of the sport in the country. Subsequently the event went on to be recorded as the biggest of its kind in the Guinness Book of Records.

With the championship planned to be one of the highest international standards and approved by FEI, the UAE office of Emirates International Endurance Racing (EIER), is sparing no efforts in organising this mammoth event. As all preparations are done under the supervision of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the event acts as another harbinger of world-class sports and business in the UAE.

Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Maktoum is the current holder of the World Endurance Champion title he won in 2002 in Spain.

Each participating country can enter a team of four or three in the teams competition and can also compete as individuals. The Dubai Endurance Village, the Organising Committee and the FEI now look forward to welcoming the expected 800 riders, crew members, team vets, team doctors, horse owners and officials who will participte in what is likely to be the biggest Equestrian World Championship ever.

The Dubai Shopping Festival 2005 runs between January 12 and February 12.

[EnduranceNet Coverage.]