UAE: Major Races for Smaller Stables

Smaller stables to take part in endurance rides today

By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter


Abu Dhabi: Two endurance rides at two different venues will be held in the UAE today.

However, none of the star riders of the UAE will be on view.

The Dubai Equestrian Club's Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Challenge is a 100-km national ride in which only small stables, privately-owned stables and individual owners are eligible to take part.

A Nissan Patrol is the first prize and apart from that total prize money of Dh515,000 is on offer in this event which has been conceived mainly to encourage smaller stables and individual owners.

This ride is being held at the Dubai International Endurance City and spectators will get a chance to win Dh50,000 in a free raffle draw.

The President Cup for juniors and young riders will be held at the Boudthib Endurance Village in Al Khatem, Abu Dhabi today.

This annual event, which is a CEI JY two-star FEI ride, will be run over a distance of 100 km.

Point system

This ride gets off to a mass start at 6.30 am and will be run in four stages of 30kms, 30kms, 24kms and 16 kms each.

Today's third ride at the Al Asayl Endurance Centre in Sweihan, Abu Dhabi is the Round II of the three-round Al Asayl Ladies Championship.

The UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation and the Al Asayl Endurance Centre are organising this FEI, CEI two-star event, which will be run in three phases of 30km, 30km and 20 km.

Meanwhile, over 25 lady endurance riders participated in the second ride of three rides prior to a Ladies Endurance Champion being crowned.

The first ride was held on January 19 and the third and final ride will be held on March 9.

A point system has been formulated and the rider with the highest points at the end of all the three rounds will be named the UAE Ladies Endurance Champion.

An amount of Dh111,000 will be awarded to the top five point holders at the completion of all the three rounds.

The rider with the highest number of points at the end of the third ride will get Dh37,000.

UAE: 2007 President's Cup for Young Riders

Baudib Endurance Center - UAE

10 Feb 2007

100km - 54 starters, 17 finishers

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First place (3:47:22) Omair Husain ABdulla Al Bloushi, UAE, Al Reef Stables, riding 9yr old Charlandre El Sharif.	Second: Ali Ghahnim Al Marri, UAE, on 14yr old horse Little Joe Fox, Sh. Hamdan Bin Mohd Al Maktoum stable Third: Sh. Abdul Aziz Bin Faisal Al Qasimi, UAE on Kalkadoon Kampala, Sh. Faisal Bin Saqr Al Qasimi stable The first foreign riders, in 5, 7th and 7th(??) place are from the Czech Republic: Marketa Terberova on Charlie Rach owned by Sh. Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Katerina Kysela on Ramalea Captain Starlight owned by Sh. Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Petra Trojakova on Mora Camelia (congratulations Pavlovsky's!!) owned by Sh Sultan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
	US Riders The USA did great! Four young riders started, 3 completed! Finishing 14, 15 and 16 were Heather Stevens, Ashlee Lynn Van Raalte and Jennifer Stevens. Brittany Dials horse was elimated early in the ride, but she crewed all day and was dunked in the water trough at the end, along with all the rest of them. They were happy! and did a fantastic job.

Complete Coverage

Sheika Alyazia wins Ladies Challenge Round 2

February 9
Al Asayl Endurance Center
Abu Dhabi, UAE

The top 3 lady finishers at the Al Asay Endurance Challenge's second running finished the 80km desert race in a ride time of just over 3 hours. Sheika Alyazia bint Sultan Al Nahyan, Afra Khalifa Al Suwaidi and Sheikha Madiya Hasher Mana Al Maktoum left the last vetgate within a minute of each other, and ran most of the final 20km loop side by side. Sheikha Madiya riding Huzie D Ax of Emirates Stables dropped back during the final 5km, while Sheikha Alyazia and Afra Khalifa picked up the pace even more. Sheikha Alyazia riding Ningadoo Moesha of Al Reef Stables nosed ahead of rival Afra Khalifa Al Suwadi (riding Jen A Dale Zamarah) at the finish line for a winning ride time of 3:15:19. Sheikha Madiya's caution during the final push paid off as her horse was awarded Best Condition.

Tomorrow, February 10 will be the H.H. The President's Cup for Junior & Young Riders at Bou Thib Endurance Village. The 50 Junior and Young Rider entries will start the 100km challenge at 6:30 AM. A strong field of foreign riders will test the course, including the 4 USA riders who will be riding horses from Sheikha Madiya's stable.

UK: £5000 grant for Golden Horseshoe

Horse and Hound.co.uk

Anna Tyzack
7 February, 2007

The prestigious Golden Horseshoe ride across Exmoor is to be supported by a £5000 grant from the Exmoor Sustainable Development TrustEndurance riding's esteemed Golden Horseshoe ride (13 – 15 May) has been honoured by the Exmoor National Park Authority. A 12-strong panel from the Authority have decided to administer a £5000 grant from the Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund to the event which attracts competitors, supports and visitors from across Britain.

The sustainable development fund is designed to help groups and businesses living and working on Exmoor. "This grant is the best news we could have hoped for," she organiser Barbara Wigley. "It is a mark of confidence from the National Park, which has given permission for us to ride over its land, and a signal to the equestrian world that our sport is gaining even more official recognition."

This year the Golden Horseshoe ride will start and finish at a new venue and follow a different route. The two day, 100 mile (160km) Golden Horseshoe Ride is the centrepiece of the event, and widely acknowledged as one of the most demanding challenges in the endurance calendar. This is supported by the 75 mile (120km) Exmoor Stag, the Exmoor Experience, a new class designed to give Open riders and horses experience of a two day ride on Exmoor, but of 25 miles (40km) each day and the Exmoor 80, one day of 50 miles (80km.)

There will also be a 15 mile (25km) sponsored pleasure ride on Sunday, May 13, in aid of the Moorland Mousie Trust - a local charity to promote and support Exmoor ponies.

For more information visit
www.goldenhorseshoe-ride.co.uk

UAE: Endurance.Net travels to 3 big rides

Trip to UAE

Endurance.Net is on the road, headed to United Arab Emirates.

First stop is the second race in the Al Asayl Ladies Championship Endurance Series, organized for the first time in the country by the UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation, in cooperation with the Al Asayl Endurance Centre. The first running of the 3 part series was January 19.

(First running - "Shaikha Maryam Bint Omer Al Qasimi rode to a thumping victory in the 80-km FEI CEI Two-star Al Masaood Jewellery Endurance Cup at the Al Asayel Endurance Centre, Sweihan, Abu Dhabi")

February 9 will be the second event in the 3 part series. Endurance.Net will be there (Steph is hoping to ride!) to cover the event and renew contact with Sheikha Madiya, who is now UAE's leading woman trainer!

Some history on Sheikha Madiya, who has come a long way in a short time:

Story from the 2004 World Endurance Championship in Dubai, UAE

On February 10th, we'll travel to the Presidents Cup for Young Riders, held at Bou Thib Endurance Village. USA riders Heather and Jennifer Stevens, Ashlee Van Raalte and Brittany Dial will be challenging the course under the supervision of Chef d'Equipe Mark Dial.

February 17 will be the long running Presidents Cup, at Emirates International Endurance Village (Al Wathba). Meg Sleeper and Sue Summers will be riding for the USA with the guidance of Chef d'Equipe Grace Ramsey.

We'll be there to take pictures and tell the story!

Steph Teeter
www.endurance.net

Brasil: Efficiency Tropy Award Winners

Brasil: EFFICIENCY TROPHY

This trophy is awarded to the first ranked riders in all equestrian disciplines by Federação Paulista de Hipismo (Federation of the State of São Paulo)

View all Winners: Endurance Brasil

Bahrain: Shaikh Saqer and Dossary lift titles

JABUR Al Dossary was crowned champion in the seniors race while Shaikh Saqer bin Khalid Al Khalifa won the juniors section of the Prime Minister Endurance Horseride Championship yesterday at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Sakhir.

A total of 75 riders from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia took part in this prestigious event which was organised for the first time with the support of Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

In the seniors race, which was over 120 kms, Al Talia Stable's Al Dossary completed the five-stage race in five hours, 39 minutes and 50 seconds with an average speed of 21.19 kmph.

Al Dossary was followed by another Al Talia Stable rider Ahmed Al Ruwaiei (5:57:01) in second place with Ghazi Al Dossary (6:02:57) of Royal Endurance Team third.

The juniors race, which was also over 120 kms divided into five stages, featured a stiff battle between riders of the Royal Endurance Team and Al Asayel Stable.

Eventually, it was Royal Endurance Team rider Shaikh Saqer who completed the race on top in 6:07:28 and ahead of Al Asayel Stable duo Abdulaziz Adam (6:36:48) and Hamad Ibrahim who were second and third respectively.

Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (Breef) president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa took part in the seniors race but bowed out during the fourth stage after his horse suffered an injury.

Breef first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa was also in the fray in the 60-km qualifying race which was a warm-up event and open to young riders.

Shaikh Nasser thanked the Prime Minister for his support to this championship, adding that such initiative will boost the sport in the Kingdom.

The race was attended by Shaikh Khalifa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Shaikh Khalifa bin Rashid Al Khalifa and Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Khalifa who deputised for the Prime Minister.

General Organisation for Youth and Sports president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Breef endurance committee head Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa and Breef general secretary Ghalib Al Alawi were also present at the event

Results (name of horse and time in brackets):

Senior: 1 Jabur Al Dossary (Omsura Nasrohin, 5:39:50), 2 Ahmed Al Ruwaiei (Hurst Star, 5:57:01), 3 Ghazi Al Dossary (Freelance Al Danatti, 6:02:57), 4 Ahmed Abdulla (Maraka, 6:14:26).

Junior: 1 Saqer bin Khalid Al Khalifa (Lilanna, 6:07:28), 2 Abdulaziz Adam (Muniki, 6:37:48), 3 Hamad Ibrahim (Hard).