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Al Beloushi retains superb form

photo: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News

Winner Yousuf Ahmad Al Beloushi finishes the white loop during the Shaikh Maktoum Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum 120km endurance ride.


By M. Satya Narayan, Staff Reporter


Dubai: Yousuf Ahmad Al Beloushi ended the Dubai Equestrian Club's endurance season the way he had started it - with a superb victory - and laid claim to being the top rider of the current season.


The Al Reef rider-cum-trainer came up with a scintillating final-stage (12km) riding performance on Cameo Zinniaa to push Spain's consistent Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton to second place in the Shaikh Maktoum Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum CEI three-star 120km endurance ride.


Yousuf, who had emerged as last season's third best rider, had started the season here at the Dubai International Endurance City with a win and yesterday won the last Open ride here to register his third triumph of the UAE season.


Terrific display


It was a terrific display by Yousuf as he trailed Maria by over 5 minutes, going into the final 12km. But Cameo Zinniaa, the 11-year-old chestnut mare which is trained by the rider himself, was in devastating form and nearly reached an average speed of 27kmph on the final loop to leave the Spanish rider well and truly beaten.


Omair Hussain Al Beloushi, riding Al Galahn, also a three-time winner of the season, and Abdullah Thani Bin Huzaim, riding Chupacbra, finished third and fourth, respectively.


"I was always confident of winning, though Maria was leading in the third and fourth stages," said Yousuf, who was third after 108km. "But Cameo Zinniaa proved she was a champion," said Yousuf.


Maria, the 30-year-old Spanish rider who is married to top endurance horse trainer Jaume Dachs, said she just could not do much against the winning pair. "They had too much power and I knew he would come strongly. But I am very happy with my display," said Maria.


Commenting on her success she said initially she was just riding the horses to prepare them, but now she was going all out and the results were showing.


Earlier, of the 86 riders who started, the top riders to make early exits were Shaikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum (Musical Gully Tambourine) after the second stage, Shaikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum in the second stage, Shaikh Saeed Bin Dalmook Bin Juma Al Maktoum in the third stage and Ali Mohammad Al Muhairi in the second stage.


Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance and Industry, attended the ride while Shaikh Maktoum Bin Hamdan Al Maktoum, along with DEC's Saeed Al Tayer, and Ali Mousa and UAE Equestrian and Racing Federation's Hussain Mohammad distributed the trophies.

Bahrain senior riders best

BAHRAIN took the seniors category team title while Shaikh Salman bin Saqer Al Khalifa of Al Fateh Stable came second in the seniors individual race of the Qatar International Endurance Horseride Championship which was held yesterday at Al Sileen area.


More than 100 riders from Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and Syria took part in the event which consisted of senior and a junior races both over 120 kms.


The Bahraini team of Shaikh Salman, Ahmed Al Ruwaiei, Mohammed Al Moawda and Hussain Al Daylami crossed the finish line first after close competition with riders from Qatar, Syria and Saudi Arabia.


The remaining four Bahrainis - Ahmed Al Ruwaiei, Jaffer Mirza, Abdulaziz Adam and Abdulla Al Khatry - were unable to complete the race after their horses suffered injuries.


The seniors race was divided into five stages with 30 kms for the first two stages, 25 kms for the third, 20 kms for the fourth and 15 kms for the fifth. Shaikh Salman finish the race in five hours, 48 minutes and 29 seconds, behind winner Ali Al Malki of Qatar who clocked 5:47:22 with Syria's Ahmed Saber (5:50:21) taking third place.


Qatar dominated the juniors race which was won by Khalid Al Malki (6:25:23) with Hamad Al Mirri (6:30:00) and Saeed Al Qadi (7:05:14) in second and third places respectively.


Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa congratulated the Bahraini team and Shaikh Salman on this achievement.

Riders off to Doha race

EIGHT Bahraini riders headed for Doha to compete in the senior race of the 120-km Endurance Horseride Championship scheduled for today at 5.30am near Al Sileen coast.

The team include Shaikh Salman bin Saqer, Mohammed Al Moawda, Ahmed Al Ruwaiei, Jaffer Mirza, Hussain Al Daylami, Abdulaziz Khalifa, Misha'al Hassan and Abdulla Hilal.
The Bahrainis will go into this championship without Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and first vice-president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

Both Shaikh Nasser and Shaikh Khalid said they preferred not to take part in this event so that other Bahraini riders will get a chance to participate in such events and gain experience and confidence.

More than 60 riders from Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries are taking part in both the senior and junior sections.

The total prize money at stake is BD70,000.
The winner of the senior race will be presented with BD8,000. The runner-up will get BD7,000 and the third-placed rider will bag BD6,000.
In the junior section, the winner gets BD2,700, the runner-up BD2,300 while the third-placed rider will bag BD2,100.

Gulf News article

UK: Stables complex gets go-ahead

21 February 2007

A "world class" racing stud owned by a Middle East magnate was given the go-ahead to house a second endurance team at its Norfolk base on Monday despite fears about the impact on the countryside.

The Shadwell Estate, near Thetford, owned by Dubai-based Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, was given permission for 25 stables, an isolation unit, gallop paddocks, two cottages and the conversion and extension of an existing building for grooms and riders at Home Farm.

It will be the summertime base for a second Dubai endurance team.
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2008 WEC in Malaysia

2/12/2006
2008 FEI World Endurance Championship

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) – 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.
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FEI World Endurance Forum Update

19/01/2007
The FEI confirms the final details of the FEI World Endurance Forum to be held in Paris on 31 March and 1 April 2007.

FEI Endurance National Federations will be invited to send a delegation of up to three representatives to take part in the Forum which is organized at the start of a full review of the discipline of Endurance.

The Forum is part of a process, supported by the FEI President, H.R.H. Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, to plan the development of the sport over the next five years following its dramatic growth in recent times.

The Forum will have three main phases:

· 31 AM - An initial presentation by each of the nine FEI Regional Groups on their own visions of the future

· 31 PM - A working session for Delegates from the National Federations separated into Judges, Technical Delegates and Veterinarians

· 1 AM - A final session for all delegates who will receive presentations from each of the above three groups on matters raised during their individual sessions

The FEI Regional Groups will also be requested to submit names as candidates for an FEI working group to be established post forum that will, in consultation with National Federations, produce a 5 year plan for Endurance.

Detailed information on Hotels, timings, bookings and reservations can be found on the FEI web site – Endurance. Enquiries can be directed to Ms Emilie Leyvraz at the FEI Endurance Department – e.leyvraz@horsesport.org
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