Boudthib endurance ride on Thursday

By A Correspondent

30 November 2005



DUBAI ? The Boudthib Endurance Village, Al Khatem, Abu Dhabi, will play host to three endurance rides tomorrow. The rides are organised by the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation.


As many as 25 endurance riders are likely to participate in the 100km, CEI, two-star Boudthib Endurance Cup for Young and Junior Riders. The ride will be run in four loops of 30km, 30km, 24km and 16km respectively. Pre-ride inspection will be held on the same day from 5am to 6am and the ride is expected to be flagged off at 6.30am. There will also be a Best Conditioned Horse competition.

Sixty four riders will be taking part in the 76km Federation Qualification Ride which will be run in three phases of 30km, 30km, and 16km respectively. Pre-ride inspection for this qualifier will also be held on the same day at 5am and the ride will begin at 7am. The day will also feature a 46km Federation Qualifier for which 76 riders have confirmed their participation. The ride will be run in two stages of 30km and 16km respectively. With the pre-ride inspection scheduled to be held at 5am, this second qualifier will be flagged off at 7.30am. The Federation organises qualifiers at regular intervals to help riders and horses to qualify themselves to ride in higher category rides. The Boudthib Endurance Village, which is part of the Emirates Heritage Club, is the second endurance village in Abu Dhabi and the third in the UAE.

The Emirates Heritage Club is closely involved in the development of several traditional and cultural activities and sports in the country, including endurance riding. The club also provides vital training facilities for children in the UAE and the opening of its modern and excellently planned endurance village is being welcomed by the equestrian fraternity as an important step in the development and teaching of endurance riding in the UAE.

Endurance Village set to host top 4-day event

THE newly-built Endurance Village is ready as of this minute to host any top endurance event, declared World Junior Endurance Championship director and Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation's national teams manager Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa.

This top-level event will be held in the Kingdom for the first time from December 15 to 18.

Shaikh Daij said the village is equipped with world class facilities, including state of the art stables, veterinary rooms and all other related items for hosting such a prestigous event.

Shaikh Daij tipped the UAE riders as favourites to steal the show due to their vast experience in this sport.

Shaikh Daij thanked the organising committee chairman and General Organisation for Youth and Sports president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa for his continuous efforts in following up the organisation procedures and preparations.

Ireland: Bluegrass Horse Feed Put To The Test In Bahrain

Farming Life
Wednesday 30th November 2005

Blue Grass Horse Feeds is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Irish Young Riders team at the World Endurance Championships in Bahrain.

The championships, which will be held on 17th December, are a true test of endurance for horse and rider.

The Irish Young Riders team is made up of three 19 year olds - Emily Miller riding DVS Tahini, a 12-year -old Trotter X, Dawn Leadon-Bolger riding Damascus D?azat an 8-year-old pure bred Arab, and Philip Giles riding Millers Light, a 10 year old Irish Sport Horse.

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Shaikh Faisal races to victory

SHAIKH Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa of Al Talia Stable and Abdulla Al Khatiri of Al Showamek Stable clinched the 100-km senior and junior races respectively in the Season Opening Endurance Championship, organised by the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef), yesterday at the Endurance Village premises in Sakhir.

Riding Chesterfield, Al Talia Stable captain Shaikh Faisal, who is also the Breef endurance committee head, proved too good in the Al Khaldiah Stable-sponsored event to finish first among 36 riders in five hours, 13 minutes and 40 seconds.

The race was divided into four stages with 30 kms each for the first two stages, 25 kms for the third and 15 kms for the fourth.

The battle for the senior race and the main prizemoney of BD1,000 was very close as Jabur Al Dossary, also of Al Talia Stable and on Lorraine, was pipped to second place by just three seconds.

Yousef Taher (5:26:12) of the Royal Endurance Team on Jamil finished third and was followed by French rider Jean Marie Oliver (5:45:24) of the Royal Endurance Team.

In the junior section, Al Asayel Stable's rider Abdulla, on Nakeer, bagged the biggest prize of BD700 beating 17 entrants in five hours, 32 minutes and 55 seconds.

Behind him was Mohammed Al Thawadi (5:38:04), on Fasheera, of Al Asayel Stable in second place. Third was Ahmed Abdulaziz (6:10:24), on Saham, of Al Salam Riding School while Royal Endurance Team's Mohammed Abdulaziz (5:38:04) came fourth on Muniki.

Breef acting president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who took part in the senior race, was forced to quit during the third stage following an injury to his horse Tawmarsh Tamrisk.

Two qualifying races, over 85 kms and 60 kms, were also held with 10 riders taking part in each event as part of a warmup for the forthcoming season.

Shaikh Khalid honoured the winners of the seniors race while General Organisation for Youth and Sports president Shaikh Fawaz bin Hamad Al Khalifa presented the awards to the junior race winners at the awarding ceremony in presence of Breef members and other officials. Meanwhile, the remaining local endurance races will be taking place after the World Junior Endurance Championship to be held in the Kingdom from December 15 to 18.

Shaikh Mohammed among leading riders

By Amith Passela
17 November 2005

ABU DHABI ? The new UAE Equestrian Endurance season kicks off with today?s Al Wathba Cup here at the refurbished Emirates International Endurance Village at Al Wathba. Start time at 6.30am.


The curtain-raiser event includes the main Open race over 120-km, enjoying three-star status and has drawn 90 entries, and worked off alongside the main event is the 100km ride two-star for Juniors and Young Riders.

General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, and his wife Princess Haya bint Hussain are among the leading entries for the main race.

General Shaikh Mohammed?s sons, Shaikh Hamdan and Shaikh Ahmed, two of the established riders in the international stage, are among the favourites in the field that has drawn all the leading national and expatriate riders from all over the Emirates.

General Shaikh Mohammed is likely to be onboard Rafali (Stormy Petrel), an 11-year-old bay gelding whilst Princess Haya is set to ride Rabdaane, a 14-year-old chestnut gelding. Shaikh Hamdan will be astride seven-year-old grey gelding Kamel Armor.

The main race will be run over five loops of 32km, 30km, 24km, 18km and 16km, and the ride for Young Riders and Junior over four loops, 32km, 30km, 24km and 16km, and serves as the first of the two trials for the FEI World Endurance Championship for Junior and Young Riders in Bahrain on December 17. According to the Endurance Department of the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, the Emirates International Endurance Village will stage six races including the prestigious President?s Cup over 160km on February 16.

The Dubai Endurance City will stage seven rides and six races scheduled at the Boudthib Village in Abu Dhabi. The opening ride here at Al Wathba will be followed by the National Day Cup on December 15, Al Wathba trophy on January 19, the President?s Cup, the Emirates Challenge on March 9 and the Shaikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Challenge second round to complete the Abu Dhabi fixtures. The Dubai Endurance City will stage their first ride on December 24 and will hold two races each in the next three months.

The races are scheduled for December 8 and 22, the first round of the Shaikh Rashid bin Hamdan Challenge, a couple of races on January 12 and 26 (Shaikh Saeed bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Challenge), the Shaikh Maktoum bin Hamdan Al Maktoum Challenge on February 9 and the final fixture of the Dubai schedule on February 23. Boudthib kicks off with the 100km race for Junior and Young Riders on November 27 and will be the venue for two rides in the following week on December 4, both an open race over 100km and another over the same distance for Juniors and Young Riders.

They will host an open ride on January 5 and follows up with another combined ride for both, Junior and Young Riders and an open race on February 2. They begin March with a similar fixture and stage the final race of the season on March 23, another combined ride for both for Juniors and Young Riders and an Open race. All schedules are subject to change. The venue of the opening race at the Emirates International Endurance Village has been refurbished for the new season. The arrival and veterinary areas expanded, and a couple of spectator enclosures have been constructed on either side of the finishing area similar to the Dubai Endurance City, which hosted the World Endurance Championship

Ashlee Van Raalte to Represent United States at 2005 FEI World Endurance Championships for Juniors and Young Riders

November 16, 2005

U S Equestrian
Lexington, KY ? Ashlee Van Raalte, 18, of Scales Mound, Illinois, will represent the United States in Bahrain, December 15-18, as she rides for the title at the 2005 FEI World Endurance Championships for Juniors and Young Riders.



The 2005 Championship promises to be the largest competition of its kind to date, and will play host to more than 150 expected entries from a record 33 participating countries.


Van Raalte will compete on the 75-mile course with either ?Saif Al Arab? or ?Aliya,? both owned by Sheikha Madiya Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates.

North American Championships: Napa Valley Rider Youngest in Competition

An enduring, endearing horse tale
By JAY GOETTING, Register Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 15, 2005 8:27 AM PST

One hundred miles is a long trek by any standards, but to guide a horse over challenging terrain day and night for 100 miles requires endurance.

And that's exactly what an 18-year-old Arabian named Phoenix Affair and his 23-year-old rider showed in spades at the North American Endurance Championships in Fair Hill, Md.

Phoenix was the oldest horse to place in the October event, and Napan Lindsay Graham was the youngest rider.

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